# 4th of July Dimwittery.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 14, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538 "2005-07-14T17:39:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/21 "2005-07-15T17:21:13Z")
It wasn’t a mistake. They choose the 9/11 remix and played it. They did this for what ever sick twisted reasons they have.
Maybe they are basically drama queens and love to feel sad.
Maybe they are twisted fucks who get off on it.
Maybe they secretly love the idea of NYC people dying horrible deaths.
Maybe they just have monumentally bad taste.
What ever it was, it was NOT a fucking accident. And the “nobody would have minded if it was Memorial day” comment just goes to show was a crass idiot this guy is.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/22 "2005-07-15T18:30:41Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> **Lib** , I’m not talking about the people who appologized for playing it-they made a mistake, most likely, and that’s unfortunate, but it happens.
>
> I’m talking about Greenwood, you know, the artist who did “God Bless the U.S.A.” in the first place, then either arranged for there to be a “9-11 remix”, or at the very least, gave his blessing. (I would think he’d have to). Why would someone create that in the first place?
Because they have a different worldview from you, and not, as you might suspect, because they’re evil, stupid, or obtuse. Different people like different things. That’s why there’s bluegrass. Incidentally, as I understand it, you don’t need someone’s permission to use their song. You need only pay the royalty.
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### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/23 "2005-07-15T21:13:16Z")
But I think you do need permission to do a remix. Which permission Greenwood must have given to whoever mixed in the 9/11 soundbites.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/24 "2005-07-16T05:43:01Z")
**Lib** , just because they have a different view doesn’t mean I can’t call that view morbid and fucked up.
Not to mention, if I had lost someone in the attacks, I’d be fucking pissed that someone was exploiting them.
Have some respect for the dead. It’s like the time that one fireman released a videotape of Columbine High School while Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” played in the background. Fortunately, McLachlan had no idea this was done, and vehemently expressed her outrage, saying, “This is sick, this is absolutely sick.”
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/25 "2005-07-17T09:26:32Z")
I’m not saying shut up, Guin. I just don’t get why it’s so “disgusting”. His rationale obviously is along the lines of Remember the Alamo!.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/26 "2005-07-17T11:50:32Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#):
>
> But I think you do need permission to do a remix. Which permission Greenwood must have given to whoever mixed in the 9/11 soundbites.
Not necessarily. It’s not that hard to do a remix and people make them all the time. It’s also not hard to release them through a P2P network or to friends.
On the other hand, if the remix had been released commercially, then, yeah, Greenwood gave permission.
Robin
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/27 "2005-07-17T17:43:51Z")
What is the working definition of “remix” for this purpose? I don’t see how any cover cannot be a remix.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/28 "2005-07-17T18:11:55Z")
A remix is taking the original recording and digitally adding to it. Either voice overs, or speeding it up and adding a different beat.
**Lib** , I see what you’re getting at, but it still feels really skeevy to me.
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### Author:  [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/29 "2005-07-18T04:17:59Z")
So Debbie Downer was mixing the music for this?
Waa-Waahhhhhh…
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### Author:  [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/30 "2005-07-18T23:16:17Z")
I’m sure whoever picked the music had every good intention and chose it because it’s **moving** , not out of some disgusting desire to profit off of 9/11. Of course, they made an error in judgement, and rather than swelling with patriotism, the spectators swelled with sadness and horror. I don’t see how this makes the music picker a horrible person (although I’m probably not going to hire him to pick the music for any funerals or other solemn occasions).
Don’t let that stop you all from crucifying anyone, though. The nation’s offense alert status is currently orange, so you should be on the lookout for anything that could possibly be used as an excuse to express indignance and outrage.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/31 "2005-07-19T00:09:46Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> or at the very least, gave his blessing. (I would think he’d have to).
No, he wouldn’t. You could remix based on permission of the company that actually published the song. I doubt Lee Greenwood personally owns 100% of the rights to it; the record companies usually own that.
Failing that, you could just record a sound-alike version; nobody can stop you from recording any song you want, once it’s been released by another artist, providing you pay set royalties.
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