Is Dixie Chicks protest a conspiracy?

The Cincinnati Enquirer ^ | Tuesday, March 18, 2003 | John Kiesewetter

[Jabba the Nutt]

Are the Dixie Chicks victims of a right-wing conspiracy?

That's what their manager, Simon Renshaw, has told country music stations being pressured to drop the Chicks' music after lead singer Natalie Maines criticized President Bush last week.

In an e-mail to stations distributed by Sony Music, their label, Renshaw says the protest has been orchestrated by the Free Republic (www.freerepublic.com) , a Web site "for independent, grassroots conservative, " according to founder Jim Robinson of Fresno, Calif. The Web site also alleges that recent anti-war protests are "communist-organized demonstrations."

"Your company is being targeted by a radical right-wing online forum," Renshaw says in the e-mail. "You are being `Freeped,' which is the code word for an organized e-mail/telephone effort attempting to solicit a desired response."

On March 10, Maines told a London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

Four days later, the Lubbock native apologized by saying, "I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect."

Country music stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City have been deluged with e-mails and calls demanding that the Dixie Chicks be dropped from the airwaves.

Complaints didn't arrive at WUBE-FM (105.1) until Monday. Only one person called Thursday when the B105 morning show read the story, says Tim Closson, operations manager.

"We broke the story on Thursday, and got very little reaction to it. We mentioned it again on Friday, and only got a few calls," he says.

The Chicks remain on B105. Closson says he "seriously considered indefinitely pulling all Dixie Chicks music... (but) our decision came down to one thing: We believe in the constitution. We believe in the freedom of speech."

At Middletown's WPFB-FM (105.9),the Dixie Chicks were dropped Monday for the week by Mark Evar, operations director.

"They're telling us that the minute the Dixie Chicks come on, they're going to change the station - and we don't want to lose any listeners," Evar says.

The Chicks' manager, in his e-mail, says the group's Web site "was totally overrun (Sunday) and had to be closed down, and our publicist's servers and telephone system failed under the weight of the calls.

"This is an extremely active and well-organized group. As always the `squeaky wheel gets the grease' and these weasels know how to squeak," Renshaw says.

Renshaw apparently used the word "weasel" because the Free Republic Web site uses that term.

Says the Free Republic home page: "As war with Iraq becomes imminent, more and more of the `useful idiot' leftist weasels are crawling out of the woodwork. So-called `anti-war' protests are popping up in cities all across the nation.

"We will not allow these communist organized demonstrations (to) go unanswered. Patriotic Americans are countering these terrorist supporting leftists wherever and whenever they pop up."

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

[eureka!]

Shhhh. That is for tomorrow....

[Birdiegirl]

OMG, LOL, that was hilarious!

Why is it that they all seem so suprised when there are actual consequences to their right to free speech. They can free talk all they want and we will freely FReep in response. They also need to get their head out of the sand and realize it is not just people that read this site that are mad. Their record label stock price is tumbling. hehehe.

[sergioi]

The Dixie Chicks should be ashamed of their unamerican comments.

[Freedom2specul8]

There is NO conspiracy..tons of people who haven't heard of free republic are protesting..they are STUPID if they believe that 'hogwash'.

[Freedom2specul8]

Ignore the last message, I repeat ignore the last message. Turn right and follow the white bunny.

[Rays_Dad]

This is funny!

When leftist become active, they are "expressing their constitutional rights" (all the while disturbing public throughways and endangering public safety).

When consversatives make phone calls and send emails, it is a "conspiracy". LOL! Funny.

Just a bunch of Punk-A$$ B*TCHES!

____________________________________
That is exactly what I was just thinking. It made my day knowing i was part of a conspiracy. Later
Chip

[Rays_Dad]

This is funny!

When leftist become active, they are "expressing their constitutional rights" (all the while disturbing public throughways and endangering public safety).

When consversatives make phone calls and send emails, it is a "conspiracy". LOL! Funny.

Just a bunch of Punk-A$$ B*TCHES!

____________________________________
That is exactly what I was just thinking. It made my day knowing i was part of a conspiracy. Later
Chip

[Leo Carpathian]

27Alpha C-12? I haven't gotten the new decoder ring. Can you give that code to me in the old ID-10-T format??

I am still running DOS, how can I implement new codes?

Is their new name "Texas Freeped Chickin"?

[ArGee]

Okay guys, they've blown our cover. Time to change our code words. Go to code 27Alpha C-12. We've got to close up shop and move on to the next operation.

This medium may have been compromised. This message may not have come from codename "Jabba the Nutt." Do not take any action until Mr. Big airs at 12:00 EST with his orders.

That is all.

Shalom.

[Leo Carpathian]

In an e-mail to stations distributed by Sony Music, their label, Renshaw says the protest has been orchestrated by Free Republic.

Please, do not reveal, which orchestra was used to orchestrate Freeped Blixie Chicks.

This is riot! I haven't had so much laugh since Martin's Roasts.

[ArGee]

That's the first thing I thought when I saw the word "conspiracy" -- as if anything here is done in a secret, subversive manner.

That's the worst kind of conspiracyk, dontchaknow, the kind where all the conspiring is done openly in full view of everybody.

Like the conspiring of the Dimocrats against the Constitutional Senate function of Advise and Consent.

Shalom.

[Saundra Duffy]

Proud member of this conspiracy. We're crushing Dixie Chicks CD's at tomorrow night's pro America rally in Fresno 6 p.m., Shaw & Blackstone. For victory & freedom!!!

[BlueLancer]

"I am still running DOS, how can I implement new codes?"

Type "C:\
Then type "Format C:\"
And just continue to hit "Y" (for "yes") in all following questions.

THAT should do it!
8')

[ArGee]

evidently the dixie chicks are the ones hiding things,they did a photo shoot in the buff for PETA and management nixed it.

Are you for real? I mean, I've been sorta disappointed about all the people calling Natlie "fat" here on FR as if her weight had anything to do with her political opinions, but I can't imagine anyone caring to see the nude backsides of any one of the "Chicks".

PETA should be glad that ad got nixed.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

''WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY...........DAMMIT WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY?''

If you're French, and the subject is "surrender", then the frequency is "daily."

If you're Country and the subject is "Chicks CDs" the frequency is "never."

Shalom.

[BlueLancer]

Also a Member in Good Standing:
THE AMEN CORNER HATCHET TEAM,
THE NASTY LITTLE CLIQUE, and
THE VULGAR HORDE

Positions still available; must apply with cheese in-hand and Møøse references.

[drstevej]

***
Type "C:\
Then type "Format C:\"
And just continue to hit "Y" (for "yes") in all following questions.
***

Add one step:

***
Tell your friends to do the same
***

and you have the Cajun virus.

[ArGee]

Did someone re-write the Constitution while I slept last night?

No, it's been going on for years. It only gets exposed, though, when it isn't happening, such as when the Electoral College overturns a popular vote to elect a man President, and the SCOTUS decides that is Constitutional.

Shalom.

[Abn1508]

My e-mail:

Reference your article: Is Dixie Chicks protest a conspiracy?

First the Dixie Chicks manager is ranting about right-wing conspiracies (specifically Free Republic) and then he's ranting about leftists. Which is it? And can something be a "conspiracy", which normally denotes secret negotiations, when it is done on a public board?

The Dixie Chicks made a serious error. The basis of C&W listeners are those that Walter Meade refers to as "Jacksonians." They are believers in patriotism, honor, "Don't Tread On Me", etc. They drink beer and watch NASCAR. That is the Chicks _market_. Shooting the messenger may get some headlines, but it does not repair the damage. If he wants to keep having a group to manage, he had better start doing massive damage control that _matters_ to their _market_.

The Chicks took a personal stand that was entirely at odds with that market. Furthermore their "retraction" was practically designed to fan the flames. While it may be, possibly is, true that "they don't like the president but they support our troops" (paraphrase), this mantra has been used _far_ to often by people who are patently insincere. It's a mantra that to most of the Chicks' market means "the troops are babykillers and Bush is the Great Satan. I hope they all die. America deserved it."

Frankly, Sheryl Crow can get away with that; her market is split with plenty of people agreeing with the position. Chrissy Hyndes can get away with it, what the heck she doesn't have a career anymore anyway.

The Dixie Chicks can either try to get out of C&W or spend the next few years grovelling to rebuild their career. But they cannot give a mealy-mouthed "apology" and expect to survive. Among other things, Jacksonians never forget and rarely forgive.

Their manager would be better off suggesting that they start publicly grovelling and talking about how wonderful soldiers are, while avoiding the subject of Bush at all, rather than complaining about "vast right wing conspiracies."

Their market _is_ the "right wing." And it's now going to target their _manager_ as well.

What an idiot.

[ArGee]

Is the lead commander available for clarification??

By my watch the lead commander will be on the air in two minutes.

Shalom.