What She Really Said

If you’ve been following the Dixie Chicks’ saga – and based upon the traffic and comments, in the days just before the war, few were concerned with much else – you know that after Natalie Maines slammed President Bush in London, she apologized the next day.

Well, we have all been led astray: the apology printed on the band’s website and in the media was written by some record label hack. This is what she really said:

….I hope everyone understands, I’m just a young girl who grew up in Texas. As far back as I can remember, I heard people say they were ashamed of President Clinton. I saw bumper stickers calling him everything from a pothead to a murderer. I heard people on the radio and tv like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott bad mouthing the President and ridiculing his wife and daughter at every opportunity.

I heard LOTS of people disrespecting the President. So I guess I just assumed it was acceptable behavior.

….I realize it’s wrong to have a liberal opinion if you’re a country music artist. I guess I should have thought about that before deciding to play music that attracts hypocritical red necks.

I also realize now that I’m supposed to just sing and look cute so our fans won’t have anything to upset them while they’re cheating on their wives or getting in drunken bar fights or driving around in their pickup trucks shooting highway signs and small animals.

And most important of all, I realize that it’s wrong for a celebrity to voice a political opinion, unless they’re Charlie Daniels, Clint Black, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Travis Tritt, Hank Williams Jr, Amy Grant, Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Lee Greenwood, Lorrie Morgan, Anita Bryant, Mike Oldfield, Ted Nugent, Wayne Newton, Dick Clark, Jay Leno, Drew Carey, Dixie Carter, Victoria Jackson, Charleton Heston, Fred Thompson, Ben Stein, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Bo Derek, Rick Schroeder, George Will, Pat Buchanan, Bill O’Reilly, Joe Rogan, Delta Burke, Robert Conrad or Jesse Ventura.

USDA approved satire.

UPDATE
Much has happened in the world of the chirping chicks since this post appeared four days ago.

Since this post now has almost 300 comments, I have to scratch my head and ponder why. I believe the Chicks have become a prism through which we can view the almost overwhelming events in Iraq, and the themes of patriotism, free speech, dissent, political expression by entertainers, free enterprise, betrayal, and the sociology of country music fans. Hence the flood of comments ranging over the topics mentioned and many more. Why do you think there is so much interest?

While I hope it is clear to everyone that the “apology” by Natalie Maines quoted above is SATIRE – she didn’t say it – that doesn’t mean she didn’t think it.

Seizing an opportunity with both hands is the South Carolina General Assembly, who passed this resolution last week:

A HOUSE RESOLUTION
TO REQUEST THAT THE DIXIE CHICKS APOLOGIZE TO THE MILITARY FAMILIES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE UNITED STATES FOR THE UNPATRIOTIC AND UNNECESSARY COMMENTS MADE BY THEIR LEAD SINGER BEFORE THEY BEGIN THEIR UNITED STATES TOUR ON MAY 1, 2003, IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO REQUEST THAT THEY PERFORM A FREE CONCERT FOR TROOPS AND MILITARY FAMILIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA AS AN EXPRESSION OF THEIR SINCERITY.

Whereas, the Dixie Chicks are a popular and influential country music group from Texas; and

Whereas, before a recent London concert, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, said that she was ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas; and

Whereas, members of the United States Armed Forces are outraged at the anti-American sentiment expressed by the Dixie Chicks; and

Whereas, there is a large military presence in the State of South Carolina, whom the Dixie Chicks have offended by their comments; and

Whereas, before the Dixie Chicks kick off their United States tour in Greenville on May 1, 2003, the House of Representatives and the people of South Carolina request that Natalie Maines apologize and that the group perform a free concert for the South Carolina servicemen and women and their families. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, request that the Dixie Chicks apologize to the military families in the State of South Carolina and the United States for the unpatriotic and unnecessary comments made by their lead singer before they begin their United States tour on May 1, 2003, in Greenville, South Carolina, and request that they perform a free concert for troops and military families in South Carolina as an expression of their sincerity.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Dixie Chicks.

And that is NOT a parody, but it sure as hell is a vicious case of political grandstanding: “you will apologize, and you will perform a free concert, or you suck.” What if every state does this to the Chicks? They’d never perform for pay again.

UPDATE
Natalie bashing by Toby Keith: I say attack the song not the singer.

UPDATE
For a discussion of war songs pro and con, please see here.