A Phenomenal Career Suicide

National Review Online (The Corner feature) ^ | 3/15/03 | Rod Dreher

[WarrenC]

A PHENOMENAL CAREER SUICIDE [Rod Dreher]

This Dixie Chicks thing is getting very, very serious for the group. Mind you, I'm not a big one for boycotts; if I threw away CDs of artists whose politics I couldn't stand off my shelf, there'd be very little left to listen to (a reader wrote to say she'd taken her child to hear the great kids' musician Dan Zanes play recently, and he shared his anti-war politics with preschoolers. Asinine!). However, I completely understand country fans wanting to rebuke severely the Dixie Chicks for that disgraceful comment Natalie Maines made on foreign soil. This thing is turning into something huge. Read what reader Dave in Georgia wrote to me this morning:

Here in the Red Zone, the imminent demise of the Dixie Chicks is a topic of everyday discussion, not just a Internet thing. And every country radio DJ is being forced to take a stand. I came home yesterday, and my wife asked me if she was supposed to take her CDs to the radio station, or if I knew where she was supposed to mail them. Radio call-ins range for tearful pleas to pray for the Chicks, to heavily bleeped suggestion for new names for the group.

This thing is turning into a phenomenal case of career suicide. What on earth could Natalie Maines have been thinking, saying such an idiotic thing, given her fan base? Can anybody think of a similar case of a popular performer collapsing professionally virtually overnight because of something he or she said?

[Political Junkie Too]

Can anybody think of a similar case of a popular performer collapsing professionally virtually overnight because of something he or she said?

Politically? Bill Maher.

Ostracized, but still has a following? Vanessa Redgrave.

Stupid comment sinking career? Soupy Sales.

Bad move killing career? Shinead O'Conner.

-PJ

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The Beatles' "Bigger than Jesus" comes to mind, but they survived it. Jerry Lee Lewis' underage bride revelation as well.

Actually, Lewis's career tanked pretty much after that.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The biggest problem for the Vichy Chicks is that they forgot who their core audience was.

Country fans aren't typically liberal.

[DakotaGator]

E-frickin'-gads, she was/is/always will be/ a pathetic excuse for an actress. She just had enough hollywood pull through her father that she could afford career-wise to be a bitch and traitor.

Bravo! Hanoi Jane is a horrible actress. As such, she is only able to evoke one emotion in an audience...the urge to vomit!

A successful career for Hanoi Jane? No. Just a batch of movies given to her by Hollywierd lefties (motto: Eat sh*t. 10 billion flies can't be wrong!).

[Roscoe]

Poll bump.

[KneelBeforeZod]

OK we've seen scandals listed here, but all those folks are still selling records.

how about Milli Vanilli??

[longtermmemmory]

they are probably just holding the enter button down. hint hint.

[MigrantOkie]

Different fan base.

[KneelBeforeZod]

What on earth could Natalie Maines have been thinking

Since Tony Blair and about 3 other brits (at most) are for the war, she felt safe.

and since they cheered her...she was right.

but....continue boycotting france while the brits swoon for american celebrities who trash President Bush.

The biggest threat to the dixie chicks is that they are bubble gum.

people would have gotten tired of their silly music with or without a boycott/stupid statements. They'll just go the way of new kids on the block etc

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"The Hours will win BIG this year. It has everything that Hollywood considers sacred: self-centered feminism, the glorification of homosexuality, the noble AIDS victim. I haven't heard one person say he/she has seen that movie."

I've never even HEARD of it.

Teresa
"It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag." ~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Sergeant, USMC

[hford02]

Rosie Odonell's public self-destruction seems similar.
She thought she was going to be the next Oprah... but died
from a lack of class and blatant liberal stupidity.

[KneelBeforeZod]

FYI folks. Bill Maher has a show on HBO now.

only HBO you say? The Sopranos, Sex in the City, etc are "only HBO."


Has anyone who hates American Beauty even seen it???? Conservative talk hosts made idiots of themselves blasting it when it came out...complaining about things that weren't even in the movie. oh well, mistakes happen

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"Maybe they could go to France and be like Jerry Lewis."

OK, can someone PLEASE explain the Jerry Lewis thing. I see it mentioned all over the place and have no idea what the deal is.

Thanks,
Teresa
"It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag." ~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Sergeant, USMC

[FreedomCalls]

Fatty Arbuckle's rape and murder accusation pretty much did him in overnight in 1921.

O.J. Simpson went from Monday Night Football host to a nobody overnight.

Sideshow Bob's attempt to murder Bart Simpson...no, wait a minute, he's a cartoon.

Pee Wee Herman's top rated kid's show was cancelled the day after they caught him doing, well, you know, ... that.

On the other hand, Robert Blake is now a celebrity again after being accused of killing his wife. It's not all bad I guess.

[FreedomCalls]

Of course, those are things they did, not things they said.

[MigrantOkie]

"What are you going to do if one of them commits suicide as a result? Will it weigh on your conscience?"

Nope

[Sideshow Bob]

Sideshow Bob's attempt to murder Bart Simpson...no, wait a minute, he's a cartoon.

Oh, I'm still around.

[FITZ]

Jerry Lewis is the comedian that used to be in movies with Dean Martin ---real old movies. Americans didn't really appreciate his humor ---he just acted like a dumb guy which to us isn't that funny ---he moved to France where they think he's hilarious. They don't understand why we don't appreciate his antics and we don't understand why they do. I think it's some cultural difference between them and us.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

I know who Jerry Lewis is, I just didn't understand all the comments re France, et al. I actually like some of the Dean/Lewis movies myself.
And I certainly appreciate the billions he has raised for medical research.

Teresa
"It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag." ~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Sergeant, USMC

[FITZ]

Oh ---and not to confuse Jerry Lewis with Jerry Lee Lewis ---the second is a rockabily singer who "married" his 13 year old cousin ---I think his name has also come up in the past couple days a bit.