Like the old maid aunt in Elvis Costello's classic song, "I almost had a weakness." I was just about starting to feel bad for the Dixie Chicks getting continuing grief over a couple of stupid comments back in the long ago days before the war. Sure, Natalie Maines was talking foolishness, but people have vandalized their property and made threats and organized boycotts. Damn, people, get a life already.
Then they go and do this:
Their considered response to this controversy is a softcore lesbian photo shoot for the cover of Entertainment Weekly. This amounts to a cheesy Madonna-style publicity stunt.
They have positively embraced the controversy. This photo amounts to a giant raised middle finger to their critics. Oh wait, that's not their middle finger, that's me...
Understand that this is not a rebuke. Hell, they look like they're just seconds away from filming the first Dixie Chicks video ever that I would be interested in watching.
Even beyond the amusing titillation though, I much prefer this to whining. Instead of complaining and backtracking, they have chosen to make a frontal assault. They have chosen to positively exploit this controversy for publicity and marketing. You go girls!
However, with this photo they have pretty much given up any right to bitch about people overreacting. The thing was dying down, and now they have purposely picked it up- and raised it to a whole new level. Does Miss Emily intend this picture to disprove the rude folks who have called them "dixie sluts"?
None of this constitutes any kind of a serious political statement or argument, mind you. I vaguely suspect that they want us to think that this picture constitutes some kind of significant political argument or artistic statement or something. It does not, in fact. It's just naked chicks. And I'm OK with that. :)
It's a publicity stunt. It might backfire and cause them to only sell 2 copies of their next album, or it might make a big splash and sell them 20 million albums. Bully for them. This little play is more interesting than any of their homogenized, pre-processed country cheese music product.
I just don't want to hear any whining if they get pickets at their concerts. After all, they're sending out an engraved invitation.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ Elliott
I used to think "wide open spaces" was a description of the space between their ears. Now I see it refers to the canyon between their legs...
2 - bender
so how is being ashamed of george bush foolish? bush wasn't even elected properly. i'd be ashamed if i was from the same state as the first american dictator and warmonger...
3 - Ms. Tek
"softcore lesbian photo shoot"
Hmmmmm... I don't see where it's lesbian at all. I see three chicks that are naked. But, being naked with someone of the same sex I guess means that you're a lesbian now.
Those funny, funny, conservatives, so busy worried about what someone is shoving up their anus or who is sleeping with who, they just don't have the time to get to the real issues... Namely, the economy, our poor troops in the gulf, and healthcare.
It's funny... but in reality it's not.
Who the hell cares what the Dixie Chicks do? I don't. They are in charge or have a damn thing to do with our government. Instead of being so upset about what hollywood is up to, why don't people worry about the elected officials are doing instead.
Remember: It immoral to stick anything up someone's butt unless they happen to be your wife or your whore. These are the "real issues"
*rolls eyes*
4 - SlackMFer
i don't know that much about the DC, short of their music sucking, but this IS simply a lame publicity stunt. they have no talent (and i'm not saying that as someone who just doesn't like country music, give me johnny cash or steve earle any day) so they insult the president stupidly (like dennis miller said, they didn't see the backlash from the nascar crowd on this one?) and then try to use it to sell records. god bless america.
and whoever called bush a dictator better grab a fucking dictionary and look the word up before they REALLY show their ignorance. he's gonna have to be re-elected like anybody else. besides, kennedy won an even closer election, AND had the mob give him dead people's votes in illinois. but nobody talks about that because he was a democrat and is dead.
5 - Eric Olsen
It's kinkier still since two are sisters. Actually when I first saw the shot I thought they were covering each other's various privates, but upon closer inspection I see they are just self-shielding. You do get all worked up about those Chix, don't you Al?
6 - Al Barger
Sisters!? Now Jesus is really pissed. I can feel him wanting to rise up and rebuke the Chicks.
I must admit that I'm finding it HARD to stay mad at the girls. :)
Methinks Miss Victoria is being willful in not seeing the lesbian tone of this photo. Getting close up and nekkid for a photo shoot- they would have to be really, really dumb not to see this.
Indeed, giving them some credit for brains, I take this as totally intentional. The sexual provocation is half of the rebuke that they are making of their conservative critics. That intentional frontal attack is the main thing I like.
Miss Victoria is also mistaken in ascribing to me a simple Madonna/whore complex. I'd like to think that I have somewhat more unique and sophisticated hang-ups than that. I would, however, be totally willing to discuss these butt issues she has.
7 - dude
Jeez, you guys act as if you've never seen naked women before. Grow up.
8 - Al Barger
I've seen maybe a couple of nekkid chicks, but they still get a rise out of me.
And of course, it's not simply that there are nekkid chicks here, but that it's naked Dixie Chicks, and the context of it.
9 - mark
The Chicks have taken lemons and made lemonade. Think about it, a basic C-n-W band, trying to break out into the mainstream with a cover of Fleetwood Mac, now have a cover on a mainstream entertainment magazine. And of course, the nudity makes it even more "controversial", (e.g., more saleable). Couple that with the Diane Sawyer interview, and you have to ask, how much free publicity can one group get? Their PR man/woman is brilliant!!!
Have fun,
Mark
10 - Flix
It seems that freedom of speech has become somewhat of a joke in the USA. Unless of course you happen to agree with whoever's doing the talking.
It's sad.
What foolishness was Natalie Maines speaking?
The rest of the world knows that she's right.
Bush and his murderous gang of thugs deserve their contempt.
We know that they rigged the election. The evidence is in the public domain, can't be refuted. Damn morons!
What's wrong with the poor misled fools who refuse to see the truth?
Wars, invasions, covert manipulation of the affairs of practically every nation in the world who has had anything worth pilfering or who happen to be useful to the US one way or another. The murder of their own people.
Usually they get someone else to do their dirty work for them. Provoking foreign powers into war then playing dumb while their own people are slaughtered.
Read about Pearl Harbour.
Dig out the truth about 911.
Don't take my word for it.
They knew and stood back while innocent Americans died.
Meanwhile honest brave people, true patriots like Steve Earl and the Dixie Chicks are persecuted for speaking the truth.
They're attacked publicly their personal possessions trashed by halfits who don't even know why they do it. They're being duped by the obscenely mega rich.
These rich and powerful corporations are the true controllers of the USA. They govern the country and thugs like Bush are in on the deal. They control the media and keep the public in the dark.
Leave the artists and the visionaries alone. They're trying to free your minds and your hearts with the truth and all you give them in return is hatred and abuse.
Read your history do some research and you'll discover that their methods are part of the American system of government. It's been goin on for hundreds of years. The founding fathers themselves didn't want democracy, they were shit scared of it.
As for you clowns you're pathetic. You can't make any sort of a rational debate or an arguement so you make cheesy cracks about their sexuality and their lack of intellect.
Sorry boys I know that you're not aware of it but you are the ones with the questionable sexual habits and you are the ones with the IQs of snails.
Got it Jethro!?
Now you'all come back now! Hear? Hyuck hyuck hyuck!
11 - Clavos
mark's point about the DC's PR flack is dead on.
12 - Flix
And you fools think they did it for publicity?
Think it through. No 0ne takes chances like that unless they're sure if it's going to work.
They didn't know what the backlash was to be.
They didn't care because they were sincere.
The comments had nothing to do with record sales.
Untalented? Bullshit!
They are not a typical studio production, those girls write their own songs and play their own instruments.
Listen to the slide playing and the mandolin on Landslide.
Listen to those beautifully arranged harmonies.
Wake up!
13 - Clavos
..."Dig out the truth about 911.
Don't take my word for it.
They knew and stood back while innocent Americans died."
Whoa, Flix, what the hell have you been ingesting??
Shades of the WWII rumors about Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor!
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.
14 - Joey
Wimmin' don't mind bein nekked 'round each other, cuz they ain't worried 'bout dick size. That don't make em lezbeings, that jist makes em comfertable 'round each tuther.
15 - NancyGail
At a Memorial Day rememberance ceremony today, I heard a military personage say that the 1st Amendment gave journalists the right to speak, even if we do not agree. Same goes for those who are against war. Anti-american? Hardly. This is what the Constitution was designed for. We exercise our own protest by not buying Dixie Chicks stuff. Others protest by doing so.
16 - Al Barger
Flix, you seem to be confusing or conflating a belief in free speech as meaning agreeing with the lefty pinkos. The two specific ones you are invoking are, not to put too fine a point on it, schmucks more interested in being "right" or "cool" than in anything to do with the good of the country. Not that there aren't good arguments to be made against the war or the president- but these two aren't making them.
In Steve Earle's defense, however, he was once a really good songwriter. I'm not going to quit listening to Copperhead Road no matter what kind of self-serving radical chic foolishness he's spouting.
17 - Clavos
"The founding fathers themselves didn't want democracy..."
Flix, you're right, that's why they established a republic, not a democracy.
18 - Christopher Rose
Maybe the founding fathers did establish a republic but nobody goes on about bringing republicanism to the world. Why is that?
19 - sr
Clavos, thanks for recognizing that the US is a Republic and NOT a Democracy. For you uninformed who know zip about US history but have an A+ in dickechickology we have a pledge which goes something like this.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT
STANDS.
One more sentence to our pledge if you want to look it up. Dont look for Democracy in our pledge. It's not their. Also you will not find democracy within our US Constitution which was set up by our founding fathers. These were dem old dude's ya-all heard about if and when you went to school. Did you know Memorial Day was set aside by the founding father dude's for BBQ and a whole bunch of other crap.
HAPPY EASTER ALL
20 - Arch Conservative
Did anyone sticking up for natalie no brains maines even see the interview she gave diane sawyer?
Like she totally talks like a 16 valley girl. Like diane sawyer goes why do you hate bush and natalie's all he's an embarassment to texas, like totally diane.
How can we assume that a woman that uses an average of 3 "likes" per sentence knows what she's talking about when discussing world affairs?
like whatever!
21 - Al Barger
Mr Rose, most likely we talk about spreading "democracy" rather than "republicanism" because it's more romantic and idealistic sounding. "Democracy" is the will of the people as holy writ. The very idea of "republicanism" carries the idea of limiting or tempering the power of the people's will. It doesn't make for nearly as good a sloganeering when you're marching in the streets.
I, like, wonder, ya know, like what Natalie Maines might, like, think about democracy vs republicanism, ya know? I bet she's just got some like awesome insights and, ya know, like whatever.
22 - Christopher Rose
It does get kind of creepy though, Al. Your country sells Democracy but doesn't practice it.
That's almost as Orwellian as when political control freaks speak out against Liberalism when what they are really attacking is Tolerance...
23 - Arch Conservative
Tolerance?
It's actually more like the complete absence of any moral certainty under the guise of "tolerance."
24 - Christopher Rose
More rubbish from our anonymous chum.
I'm morally certain that you are full of hatred and bile for large swathes of the modern world and not fit to be in charge of anything more challenging than a teacup. However, despite your deeply flawed views I am tolerant of your right to hold them. Is that clear enough for you?
25 - Casey Lunkley
Does anyone else find it ironic that "Arch Conservative" is so stringent on defending Bush, when the President is all BUT a conservative?