I know that I am not a frequent poster in here though I do lurk a LOT. But this question has been coming to mind ever since this flap over Natalie Maines from DC making the comments she made.
It seems a LOT of people are, in my opinion, overreacting to her statements. Last time, I looked, we lived in the United States where we have the freedom of speech and I have to wonder why people are reacting this way.
I mean, I can even see on this board that there are many different personalities with equally as many different opinions. No one is going to agree 100%.
So, I’m asking this: were the Dixie Chicks wrong for making the statements they made because they were “being unpatriotic” for criticizing the President?
twit
P.S. I also wonder if all of these people who are so up in arms about anyone criticizing Bush ever did the same when Clinton was in office.
Anyway, just today, a local radio station that plays music from the '80s on up decides to break format and play Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” Then the radio personalities proceed with their “She wuz wrong! How dare she say those things?!” as if she didn’t have a right to say them. Where did people get the idea that agreeing with the government 100% of the time equals patriotism?
As jk1245 said. They have the right to say what they want as long as they are prepared to accept the consequences. May have been foolish to say it, from a purely commercial point of view, but not “wrong.”
She was wrong because she said something that 99.99% of her American fanbase vehemently disagrees with. These are the people who keep her in business, who pay for her nice clothes and limosines. Of course, she has a right to her opinions, but she just commited career suicide. That’s why it’s a big deal.
Notice how much less of a flap is made about those entertainers who are anti-war and NOT country music icons?
MLS, I do understand your view about there being consequences. It just seems silly to me when people act like lemmings when it comes to something like “being patriotic.” As it is, I’m really ambivalent about this whole thing…
Maybe I’ll figure it out by the time this is all over with.
While I agree that people overreacted a bit, I don’t see it as a free speech issue. The Dixie Chicks are free to make their own statements, and people are free to condemn them, organize boycotts, etc. (note, I’m not one of these people). Freedom of expression does not mean freedom from condemnation.
As for wrong? Well, in a broad sense, no. She spoke her mind, she didn’t try to incite violence, and thus, no harm was done. But I’d say that as a purely personal opinion, I didn’t really care for what she said. Not so much because I’m a huge Bush lover, but because there’s something about dissing your own country or government to a foreign press that strikes me as a bit … nekulturni, I suppose. I go to grad school with Chinese students who have definite opinions on Tianammen Square, and they never miss an opportunity to tell me how much they like America, but they don’t put down their country to my face. I’m sure they do it among each other, but not in front of Americans. Once again, it’s not something I’d stop listening to their music over, but it just strikes me as the wrong thing to do.
Well, if that’s all she said then I think she was wrong to apologize. What the hell is wrong with people? It’s not like she criticized “America” or “the troops” or anything, she took a little shot at GWB. So effin’ what? Did any of these sister raping hillbillies ever protest anyone who criticized Clinton. There was a story on Drudge a couple of days ago about a guy who got assaulted at a rodeo because he didn’t stand up for that stupid Leo Greenwood song. The jingoism hasn’t really gotten way out of hand.
Er, speaking of jingoism getting way out of hand …
They didn’t take shots at her car. They didn’t shoot her dog or burn down her house. They exercised their right to free speech just like she did and threatened to boycott her albums. You want to tone your stereotypes down a bit?
Of course she can say such a thing, but she should have realized before she said it that DC fans would be angry and upset about it–and they aren’t likely to forget it soon, I bet. I hope she thought about the price she would have to pay for making such a statement. If she wants to sacrifice her career in order to be able to voice her political opinions, that’s fine with me (and I guess you could see it as an issue of integrity, but since the career in question isn’t a political one, I don’t think it is).
Diogenes, saying you are ashamed of someone that most of your fanbase supports is stupid. Of course your fans are going to be pissed – you dissed the man they love. This is hard to understand how?
And how exactly does tossing out a cd compare to beating someone up??
