FREE REPUBLIC:
Posted on 10/07/2006 1:04:19 PM PDT by kristinn
It's hard to believe this petite, well-mannered Texan - sitting opposite in a Sydney harbourside hotel - caused the kind of stir the music industry has not seen since John Lennon sang about being crucified in 1969.
It's the day before the band's first Australian concert on their Accidents and Accusations world tour.
Maines looks younger than her 31 years.
SNIP
Aware she may sound "bizarre", the 31-year-old believes the vitriol directed at The Dixie Chicks was part of a right-wing conspiracy.
An organised group known as the Free Republic set out to bring the band down.
The organisation's power, she says, comes through the internet. The site has thousands of subscribers, all of whom were encouraged to destroy the band's music and boycott the radio stations that played it.
"It's scary how much power they do have," she says. "They can take down someone singlehandedly and I don't think Americans are aware of that.
"It's the same group that went after (former US president) Bill Clinton and (gay actress) Ellen DeGeneres."
In the beginning, Maines says, they tried to fight their detractors. Their management tried to alert radio station programmers to what was happening.
"But they weren't open to it and just thought we were grasping at straws to try and salvage something," she says.
"It was just bigger than we could fight and we weren't willing to put ourselves out there to be made to look stupid if people weren't willing to investigate this thing and be open to it."
SNIP
"For the Free Republic we were a dream come true; they made it their mission to take us down. Apparently we were not supposed to think like this because we play country music."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
"It's scary how much power they do have," she says. "They can take down someone singlehandedly and I don't think Americans are aware of that.
We have what power? To not listen to their songs?
Somebody's a little loony.
Reminds me of the Katrina Gore (Al's daughter) story I posted some months back...
AL Gore bumped into Avenue magazine editorial director Pamela Gross the other day at the Regency, where she told him his daughter will be on the May cover. Karenna told Avenue that during the Florida recount in 2000, "the rancor was overwhelming at times . . . There was this horrible mob outside the vice president's house that was recruited by political operatives. They just kept yelling, 'Get out of [Dick] Cheney's house.' That was really painful and rude."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1624453/posts
I hadn't noticed.
;)
Not quite. The music is good, sadly. And the fraction of the fan base they told to bug off is more like 80%, judging by the drop in album sales.
Because it's "schadenfreudeliscious" to get together with a few thousand of your FReeper pals and wipe our collective feet on one of FR's favorite doormats, fat Nat. : )
As common bovine stock go, she's tiny.
I predict a band breakup. The other 2 will dump Natalie someday.
Reposting for those who missed it:
I give....you win.
oh my goodness bttt....!!
Maybe we should thank her stupidity for the free advertising and any new Australians who might venture here???
I noticed that she keeps referring to "the Free Republic". I wonder if she's complaining about this website, America in general, or both?
Welcome to the new Aussie's!!
You're right - are the chicks are trying to make this a "gay" thing? It's not. Unless there's something about the chicks we don't know... Ellen's show wasn't good, but she's a funny stand-up. Smells like a red herring ...
"...but if you live in Lubbock, Texas, where I'm from -- you just have one paper and one radio station and unless you're savvy on the Internet, that's it for you. If Bush said get a gun and kill an Arab, they would do that."
After watching this footage, Maines then repeats the president's comment and says, ''What a dumb f---.'' She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush himself, and reiterates, ''You're a dumb f---.''
"The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."
"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith. We don't want those kind of fans. They limit what you can do."
"Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."
That's right, Natalie. Go get your shinebox, bitch.
Wow! He must have been a tot when he had a daughter!
It's shocking but it is shocking because Dwight Frye liberates himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edp7WJz7zHc&eurl=
Hat tip, Viking Pundit
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