Dixie Chicks feel backlash at CMT show

The Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | 4/8/03 | Craig Seymour

[Gothmog]

Sometimes forgiveness is hard to come by, as the Dixie Chicks learned Monday night during CMT's annual Flameworthy Video Music Awards.

The trio, currently experiencing a heated backlash for criticizing President Bush during a London concert, didn't attend the event, which is like country's MTV Awards. But at least one presenter tried to put in a good word for them.

"We're in the South, a place of sin and redemption and hopefully forgiveness," said comedian Brett Butler. "So maybe in a couple of weeks, we'll just all try to forgive the Dixie Chicks."

Her words were met with a wall of boos.

Not only that, but the Chicks, one of country's all-time top-selling acts, failed to win any of the four awards for which they were nominated. This is especially significant since the Flameworthies are voted on by fans on CMT's Web site. (Voting closed April 5.) The group/duo category served as an especially biting example of anti-Chicks sentiment.

Though the Chicks' latest album, "Home," has sold more than 3 million copies, the group was beaten by country boy band Rascal Flatts, which has moved less than 500,000 units of its current set, "Melt."

The debate over the Chicks' comments is just one example of how country has emerged as the genre most immediately impacted by the war in Iraq. The current No.1 country song is Darryl Worley's pro-war ballad, "Have You Forgotten," which he performed to a standing ovation during the show. The tune plays like a Bush administration policy paper in linking 9/11 with the situation in Iraq. "And you say we shouldn't worry about bin Laden/Have you forgotten," Worley sang to the cheering crowd.

Others seemed to deliberately avoid commenting on the war. Sheryl Crow, who has worn anti-war clothing and accessories at other award shows this year, simply donned a black Johnny Cash T-shirt when performing "Picture," her hit duet with Kid Rock.

Predictably, the most outspoken artist on the war was firebrand Toby Keith, who co-hosted the program with the seemingly inflatable Pamela Anderson. Early in the evening, he struck a subdued, conciliatory note: "Whether you're for it or against it, let's support the guys and girls who are over there."

But by the end of the night he was performing a medley of Merle Haggard's "Fightin' Side of Me" with his own chest-thumping 9/11 anthem, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," amid blazing pyrotechnic blasts and showers of confetti.

When "Courtesy" won best video, Keith said, "I'd like to dedicate this great award to Mr. Rumsfeld [Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] and [General] Tommy Franks and all the people putting it down for us over there. . . . God bless the USA, baby."

[hispanarepublicana]

"We're in the South, a place of sin and redemption and hopefully forgiveness," said comedian Brett Butler. "So maybe in a couple of weeks, we'll just all try to forgive the Dixie Chicks."

The Nashville Equivalent of a D.C. "Test Float"? aka Brett Butler, parakeet in the Dixie Chicks' mining expedition.

[Charles Martel]

Brett Butler is Ann Lewis with a southern accent.

Never cared for that dumb show, Grace under Fire, of hers either.

Okay, now I can put a face with that name. I'd almost forgotten about her. Butler is truly an icon of the Clinton era - a *very* thin veneer of "Hollywood" not quite concealing the trailer trash that lies beneath.

[Lady Eileen]

bump

[legman]

Remember who owns CMT?

Viacom. Their other holdings a MTV, Vh1, CBS (and CBS News), BET, etc.

[MHT]

I just knew that something was more "chicken" and "chic" than "chix" with the Dixie Chicks when, during a special with James Taylor, Natalie went on and on about how she listened to him as a child, he was her idol, singing with him was an honor, blah, blah, blah.... When she was a child, he was a drug-taking elite Eastcoast psycho, most admired by anti-war, back-to-the-land hippies. I don't remember too many Young Republicans going to James Taylor concerts back then.

[Charlie OK]

Someone on another board said Dixie chicks on Dave may have been a rerun, but I'm not sure...

[BSunday]

"...met with a wall of boos"

Here's one for you 80's music fans:

What banishes your records to Mexican radio? A wall boos do

[Tennessee_Bob]

I'm on a Mexican whoa-oo Radio....

I wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iquana......


Ahhh...flashbacks.

[Revolting cat!]

a wall of boos.

A wall of boos? Wasn't that something invented by Phil Spector in the 60s?

[Revolting cat!]

Who's Kid Rock? What's semi-country? Is that short for semitic country, as in Kinky Friedman and His Texas Jewboys?

[Charlie OK]

Toby Keith has been one of my favorites for awhile, partly because I like his attitude, and partly because he is often seen on the sidelines at OU games. And normally I don't care for recent country music (classic country I like). I would love to see him cover a rock tune and have some crossover success. I think a perfect one for him would be "Hey, hey what can I do?" by Zeppelin. I honestly think if he did that, he could be high on the rock charts as well. What do you think?

[Revolting cat!]

I'm hip and I hop to country & western, so there!

[Revolting cat!]

And wouldn't the correct way of saying be 'Kid Rocks' or 'Kids Rock'?

[CyberCowboy777]

I like Clint Black's new song I Raq and Roll

- download free - http://www.clintblack.com/

[JacksonCalhoun]

"Glad that Toby Keith won. Natalie Maines slammed him awhile back for his "Red, White and Blue". She has always had a big mouth".


I think the backlash the Blixies are feeling also are related to her comments about TK. That caused enough of an uproar, basically calling TK and his fans stupid rednecks. Then her Bush comments really blew the lid off things.

[Grampa Dave]

We will gladly donate some empty California Wine bottles to be broken for her crawl.

[CyberCowboy777]

And Kid Rock plays with Hank Jr.