Why listen to fat Marxists when you have the lovely patriotic Sara Evans?
Posted on 06/17/2006 5:54:37 AM PDT by 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."
Amazing, These silly girls think its fine to try to cash in on antipatriotism and self loathing of our nation ala (allah?) cindy sheehan, But are appalled that others could make money by holding the opposite stance and criticizing them.
"At the core of modern liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats ." (PJ O'Rourke)
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.
Ok, I got this far...SOMEONE owes me a new keyboard!
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.
Why listen to fat Marxists when you have the lovely patriotic Sara Evans?
UK Telegraph writer Adam Sweeting projects a polished Fifth Avenue elegance, and is a vision of sculpted cheekbones and smoky eye-shadow.
Why is that "right wingers" cannot make a value judgment without it being called "McCarthyism"?
Rule #1 "right wingers" are always wrong
Rule #2 in the (unlikely) event that "right wingers" are correct, see Rule #1
"The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth.
First of all, ungrit your teeth and leave all that hatred behind you. Try instead to listen to those that disagree with you and try to learn from them.
You need to understand what patriotism is. Websters says it is "a great love for one's own country and loyalty to it." To expand on that, I would say that patriotism is being greatful for the legacy that was left to us from the forefathers of this country and recognizing the debt that we owe them to carry it on to future generations. That legacy includes such things as the gift of land, people, language, customs, memories, freedoms, etc. All the things that make our country great.
We have a desperate need right now for patriotism. We were attacked on our own soil on 9/11 by a terrorist group that hates everything that our country stands for. While you may be ashamed of our country, our president and possibly even our troops, keep in mind that those same people are literally placing their lives in danger so you can keep your right to feel that shame. They are the only ones standing between you and those that would force you to follow an extremist version of Islam and not perform your "music". Such is the stated goals of those with which we are fighting. And yes, Saddam was a supporter of those same people.
In your own twisted way, you are practicing patriotism by questioning the way our government is being run. You are trying to keep alive what our forefathers set loose on this earth. The right of you and others to discuss such issues in order to make our country an even better place for the generations to come.
So while you wonder aloud about patriotism, keep in mind that same patriotism is what gives you the right to publicly wonder about it.
They may have survived the first time, but they were too dumb to leave well enough alone.
Since simply chasing the snakes away the first time obviously wasn't enought, this time heads will be cut off - metaphorically speaking of course.
Extrememly well said! A Standing Ovation for you!!!
["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."]
Well, well, well. Where do I begin? Hopefully, the majority of the country DOES disagree with you Ms. Maines, and obviously they have in the past, or we'd all be speaking German or Japanese (or a combo) right now. The idiocy of her statements boggles the mind. The fact that she is a "gifted" (sort of) musician who has profited quite handsomely from living in this country as opposed to say living ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET, makes me shudder. She is a "country music singer" (sort of) and country music singers oftentimes sing about the good 'ol USA, they always have and hopefully always will. Maines has really insulted much of her supposed "fan base" with her hoof-in-mouth remarks. Ms. Maines must have a brain the size of an acorn as she has totally made herself out to be, well, words fail me here too. Let's try a few in no particular order - stupid, ungrateful, spoiled, anti-American, ignorant, condescending, peevish, French-like (is that a word?), enemy of the state, etc...perhaps someone could add some, please be my guest.
Perhaps the long days on the road and too much hair bleach have addled the poor woman's acornlike brain, but I suspect that whatever she is suffering from goes much deeper than that and I really don't want to go there.
Silly patriots, soldiers and flags should only be rolled out when making a statement AGAINST the military. You know like in that Green Day video, what a welcome display of anti-patriotism!
The left just simply redefines patriotism as opposition. There, all fixed. Now they can claim to be patriots and still undermine the war
You wrote a wonderful post there.
She is so immature and self-centered, she does not want to face any economic consequences from shooting off her big mouth. Most entertainers learn early their popularity and income are connected to public comments clearly offensive to a large number of people.
When I hear a big-mouthed broad like her tastelessly spout off in public, I am always grateful I don't have to be married to someone like her.
Nobody has enough talent to be granted unconditional fan worship when they insist on consistently making asses of themselves. Insults about American patriotism are not a great career enhancer for an American recording artist.
robison, if anyone is disgusting, it is horribly whorish dixie chicks. I don't agree with what you stand for, but at least I know that brave men and women have sacrificed so much to allow you the right to speak your mind. What is appalling is your idiotic hypocrisy. You whine about others not supporting you, but you fail to see how you tried to cash in and promote your careers by bashing President Bush (and now patriotism). Somehow your little brain leads you to think it is everyone else is the problem. Were that the case, your pitiful excuse for a band would not be struggling to maintain some semblence of recognition. People don't like you because you suck. And you suck because of the lack of support you have shown for your country.
Sir Walter Scott said it this way, for those who don't understand what patriotism may be:
Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
"This is my own, my native land!"
The most amusing part of this puff piece was where the Dixie Chicks questioned the Dixie Chicks' patriotism.
"vocalist Natalie Maines is a vision of sculpted cheekbones and smoky eye-shadow."
Is that like "lard-ass?"
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