How the Chicks survived their scrap with Bush

Telegraph UK ^ | 06-17-06 | Adam Sweeting

[veronica]

Adam Sweeting assesses how the Dixie Chicks have weathered a political storm

Will it be the salmon teriyaki with organic greens, or asparagus tempura and tuna sashimi? As the waiter hovers with pencil poised, the Dixie Chicks debate the menu with the practised air of professional restaurant critics. The Chicks have traditionally been branded a country band, but clearly it's some time since their diet consisted of ribs, tacos and pancakes.

Sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire project a polished Fifth Avenue elegance, and vocalist Natalie Maines is a vision of sculpted cheekbones and smoky eye-shadow.

With their origins as bouffant-haired ingénues playing bluegrass music long forgotten, the Chicks are in Miami to attend a Sony BMG conference, where their new album, Taking the Long Way, is high on the corporate agenda. It's their first release since the group weathered the storm of outrage triggered by Maines's expression of shame that President Bush was from her home state of Texas. Although they've sold 30 million albums, the company was concerned about their commercial future.

When Maines made her comment on March 10 2003, 10 days before Operation Iraqi Freedom unleashed "shock and awe" over Baghdad, the Dixie Chicks were probably the biggest act in country music. Yet within days, their music vanished from the charts and the airwaves, apoplectic rednecks crushed piles of their CDs with tractors, and the FBI was feverishly monitoring death threats against the trio. It was the most heinous pop-star outrage since Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo.

"The reaction was as if Natalie had said 'Death to the President' or something," says violinist and vocalist Maguire.

"It was the bullying and the scare factor," shudders banjo and guitar player Robison. "It was like the McCarthy days, and it was almost like the country was unrecognisable."

The level of debate can be gauged from the way Maines was compared to "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, who was photographed manning a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun at the height of the Vietnam war.

The Chicks can't hide their disgust at the lack of support they received from other country performers. "A lot of artists cashed in on being against what we said or what we stood for because that was promoting their career, which was a horrible thing to do," says Robison.

"A lot of pandering started going on, and you'd see soldiers and the American flag in every video. It became a sickening display of ultra-patriotism."

"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."

There can be no rational explanation of how Maines's remark came to drive a red-hot poker into America's divided soul, but it's only now that some of the poison has begun to dissipate.

Early concerns about the premature demise of the Chicks' career subsided when the furiously unapologetic single Not Ready to Make Nice became the most downloaded track on iTunes, despite a lack of radio airplay. Then the album went to number one on the Billboard 200 after selling half a million copies in the week after its release in America last month. It looks set to be their first UK top 10 album this Sunday.

The recruitment of Rick Rubin as producer, the man who rejuvenated Johnny Cash, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and others, is guaranteed to extend the Chicks' appeal, though it would be disappointing if the album's thoughtful range of subject matter (from IVF to Alzheimer's) was overshadowed by the Bush episode.

"I think for longevity's sake, our music had to mature and we had to mature as people," says Maguire. "Not that this particular event had to happen, but it sped up the process for us and helped us make a record that's really meaningful to us, whether or not other people see that."

[Robert A Cook PE]

"I don't see why people care about patriotism."

There can be no rational explanation of how Maines's remark came to drive a red-hot poker into America's divided soul, but it's only now that some of the poison has begun to dissipate.

Gee.


I've seldom seen a more clear, more concise juxtaposition of EXACTLY why the the liberal (socialists) just don't "get it."

The writer puts her quote right before saying "there can be no rational explanation (of why her quote is repulsive and contra-patriotic)"

[Screamname]

Here you go.....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,48562,00.html

[Vision Thing]

The Chicks can't hide their disgust at the lack of support they received from other country performers.

Cool! I thought these pricks were happy about their new direction. However, this sentence reveals the truth: Literally, they are emotionally disturbed by their loss. May they continue to suffer. And may their therapists botch any treatment for their suffering.

[MNJohnnie]

Guess they haven't noticed that the Treason Chicks had to cancel half their concerts. Doesn't sound like they will be around much longer the way they are going.

[generationfixit]

"She is also a prime example of 'the arrogance of ignorance."

That is probably the best description of these half-wits I have ever witnessed. Thank You!

[biff]

She is so stupid that I am ashamed she is from Texas.

[BunnySlippers]

The Chicks never had a scrape with Bush. Their scrape was with some former fans.

[Mr Rogers]

Actually, I've been tempted to buy one of their first albums - from back when they WERE country (1992, I think). It is very highly rated on Amazon, but at nearly $50 used...

[onevoter]

One look into the "rate the item" in Amazon will tell you just who and why the Dixie Chicks are selling. It isn't about their music - the cover of Time Magazine, the GMA Interview. This is all about the anti-George Bush crowd. This CD will sell not on its merits but for political purpose. Odds are that any follow-up CD's will wilt on the vine unless the MSM steps up to the plate again to give them press.

[conservativeharleyguy]

"... the salmon teriyaki with organic greens, or asparagus tempura and tuna sashimi? ...clearly it's some time since their diet consisted of ribs, tacos and pancakes".


I have a theory that the true divisions in our society can be identified by how one defines what one eats.

The more pretentious the dish (or what you name the dish), the more pretentious and elitist you are, and the further to the left your politics will be (i.e., do you eat a "tenderly sauteed, pistachio encrusted Tiger Prawn, with a mango chutney demi-glasse", or...., do you eat "shrimp"?).

If you eat the former, you're a flaming lib, if it's the latter, you're a regular guy/gal, and probably are more likely to be conservative.

Nowhere in pop culture/mass media have I seen a better example of that philosophy than here.

These young ladies love to dress up and pretend that they are suave, sophisticated, worldly, Yankee urbanites, so they have to eat accordingly.

But, like the true redneck bottle-blondes they are, they'll never outgrow their roots.

The proof of that is their inability to keep their mouths shut (like the drunken trailer-girls they are), and let those who actually know the subject handle the work.

And, as is typical, the irony of it has flown at breakneck speed over the head of the elitist snob that penned this article.

[gotribe]

How the Chicks survived crashed and burned in their scrap with Bush America.

Sleeping copyeditor to blame for original headline I guess.

[jimbo123]

Isn't Fat Natalie married to a muslim?

[nuconvert]

"How the Chicks survived their scrap with Bush"

Who says they have? Bit early to tell. Let's see how they're doing 2 yrs from now.

[Vision]

They didn't survive and Bush had nothing to do with it.

[generationfixit]

Morning fellow MN Screed!

One thing to notice...the chicks came out with this album and ratched up their little whine- right when it looked like the Bush administration was on it's heels. She seems to have this " I told you so " attitude. But after this weeks events she looks even more silly than before.

When this story first started in Europe the Chicks had two ways to play this. Unfortunatley they fell for the PR move that you should never really admit fault. So now they have cornered themselves in this self-righteous position that they are uttering these absolutely rediculous statements to try and salvage a bad PR move.

I know the music industry is tough and they went through hell to get where they are. In this industry you always have to put on the tough face " oh that does not bother me"..but in this case they bit off way more than they can chew and Maines is not strong enough intellectually to pull of this banter.

[Vasilli22]

Just checked ticketmaster for tix to their show in Dallas. You can still get 8 seats together in the lower bowl. You're definitely struggling when you can't even sell out the lower bowl in your hometown.

Mental midgets!

[jackv]

These dorks like to talk tough. It would be helpful if they had a clue. They pull out a clever little line in history and use it to convince us of how smart they are.
They are disgusting ungrateful little snots. To even ask why be patriotic, why love your country...????
Sickening.
Typical we can dish it out all we want but when it bites us in the butt it's mccarthyism. Pathetic.
They would do well to remember the saying "better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it up and remove all doubt."

[Conan the Librarian]

The best word for the Dixie Chicks is that they are real 'Zarqs', cuz they are about as dumb as he was.

[BenLurkin]

Silliness.

The President did nothing about these ninnies.

Had they confronted x42 the IRS would have been banging on their door the following week.

[Criminal Number 18F]

vocalist Natalie Maines is a vision of sculpted cheekbones

Pthpthbbthbbblt! Oh, man. Dr Pepper everywhere.

"Sculpted?" Yeah, with a Ben and Jerry's scoop, maybe.

...and smoky eye-shadow.

Ah, yeah, that real sophisticated "make-up via garden tools" look. We guys really go nuts for that. Really.

Their record has sold a fraction of what the last one did, and their concert tour tickets are so unpopular between the moonbat coasts that a Lubbock station couldn't give them away. Literally.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F