# Were the Dixie Chicks wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 18, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157 "2003-03-18T00:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/21 "2003-03-18T01:14:40Z")
I remember, a few weeks after 9/11, a member of one of the boy bands (possibly BSB, but I don’t really know), had the temerity to suggest that the United States is perhaps a little arrogant and that angers some groups, in a public statement. Said Boy was then vilified by the three morning show hosts of a local radio show. They pretty much spent all morning saying how “wrong” he was and how “anti-American” his comments were. They just couldn’t get over it. The thing is, they weren’t debating the merits of what he said, or the lack thereof, they just kept saying it was _wrong_. Callers called in and said it was _wrong_, but never said why. Here, I actually found a [cite](http://www.antimusic.com/news/2001/sep/item21.shtml). It _was_ a Backstreet Boy. The reaction to the Dixie Chicks’ lead singer strikes me as the same way. It’s a gut reaction, not a reasonable one. Nobody (well, very few) acknowledge that she has as much right to her opinion as anyone else. She has as much right to say what she said about Bush as Bush has to call a reporter a “major-league asshole” on an open mike. But of course, the Dixie Chicks singer is just _wrong_, or so the sentiment seems to say. Speaking your mind in America may be many things… but it’s never “wrong.” What you _say_ may be incorrect, but it’s not wrong to say it if you believe it. Speaking your mind is one of the most American acts I can imagine. On a related note, while searching for the BSB article, I found this other article which might be an interesting read: [Where Have All the Protest Songs Gone?](http://www.canadiancontent.ca/articles/022503protestsongs.html) > [@](#): > > **Protesting in the current times can be a daunting task for performers who are image conscious. The danger of being branded as Anti-American, or as a sympathizer of real or perceived terrorists can put an artist in a difficult position, even if they do harbour misgivings about attacking the Middle East.** I think he’s hit the nail on the head here. Music is so much about _image_ and PR these days (thank you, Simon Cowell), that most artists _can’t_ speak their minds without the risk of being labelled “anti-American” or being banned from Wal-Mart. It’s a sort of entertainment-industry McCarthyism that prevents the artisitic peace movement of the '60’s from truly taking shape now. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/22 "2003-03-18T01:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cessandra \* > \*\*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?? \*\* I think it says something about country music fans that they can’t tolerate any opinion which is a little bit different than their own. It isn’t like she trashed the _country_ she expressed some distaste for the asshole that runs it. I compared it to the Drudge story because they are both illustrations of just how mindless and fascistic the flag-waving has become. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/23 "2003-03-18T01:19:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cessandra \* > **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.** That’s part of the problem, IMO. It’s a marked difference between to music industry today when compared against the music industry 30-40 years ago. Image is everything, depth is nothing. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cessandra \* > \*\*Notice how much less of a flap is made about those entertainers who are anti-war and NOT country music icons? \*\* Note the BSB link I supplied… I’m no fan, but I wouldn’t call them country music loons either. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/24 "2003-03-18T01:34:25Z")
Some flap, Avalonion, I never even heard about it at the time. And what about the dozens of Hollywood actors who are publically anti-war? Sure, they have detractors, but nothing like this has been. I’m sorry, I really think y’all are over thinking this. As an analogy, had she said she didn’t like Texas, the outcry would be similar. And if she’d said she didn’t like New York, no one would care. It’s all about her publically dissing someone that her fans like. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/25 "2003-03-18T01:37:49Z")
Her fans are retarded. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/26 "2003-03-18T01:42:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cessandra \* > Some flap, **Avalonion** Aval-onion? Was that deliberate? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/27 "2003-03-18T01:43:00Z")
She wasn’t wrong saying it if she believed it. Saying it overseas is a bit chicken, but hey, she’s a Dixie CHICK, right? It was pretty spineless to say it and then apologize afterwards. If she believed it she should’ve stuck to her guns. Perhaps she’s more concerned about her pocketbook than about her ideals. Can’t say I have much respect for her. Perhaps she has learned a lesson. ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/28 "2003-03-18T01:47:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Wrong \* > \*\*BTW, **Slayer** you need a lot of work on your Southern. \*\* My apologies if my goofiness offended anyone 😛 Spoofing accents is a whole lot easier said than typed… My opinion is that is was kinda disingenuous for her to be saying that about her president and native Texan in a place that have been protesting Bush for months. It looked like she was trying to suck up to the brits. ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/29 "2003-03-18T01:51:27Z")
What pisses me off is that she came out and apologized for saying it. Either have the guts to stand by what you said or don’t say it. As someone who is against this war, I was glad that she had the guts to say what she did. But then the radio stations threaten to pull their music and she issues an apology. That is just so lame. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/30 "2003-03-18T02:22:44Z")
Lemme see if I got this right It is wrong, just plain wrong for an American to criticize our beloved president. It is perfectly fine, indeed, it is the patriotic duty for all freedom loving Americans to criticize anyone who would dare criticize our beloved president. :rolleyes: OTOH, one less god-awful country & western artist is the best news we have had in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/31 "2003-03-18T02:26:30Z")
I think the only thing wrong is she kind of recanted her position by [apologizing](http://dixiechicks.launch.yahoo.com/news.asp?id=26) for it. Stupid chick. Stand your ground. (Hey, I can legitimately get away with calling her a Chick). ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/32 "2003-03-18T02:43:57Z")
> [@](#): > > _Diogenes the Cynic:_ > Her fans are retarded. Such strong criticism from a small-minded bigot. How about an apology? Or do you really believe that all country music fans are “sister raping hillbillies?” Believe it or not, I used to know Natalie Maines. She’s a sweet, thoughtful, and intelligent woman. She’s also pretty impulsive. I think her impulsiveness got the better of her this time. > [@](#): > > _Avalonian:_ > Speaking your mind in America may be many things… but it’s never “wrong.” What you say may be incorrect, but it’s not wrong to say it if you believe it. Speaking your mind is one of the most American acts I can imagine. I think you are _incorrect_. It’s wrong to say someone’s a jerk at that person’s funeral. It’s wrong to say the a woman slept around at her wedding. And it’s wrong to use Natalie’s hyperbole when your country’s troops are standing at a border, about to put their bodies in the way of bullets, bombs, knives, and (gasp!) chemical weapons. Lots of these “hillbillies” have friends and family members standing on those borders, and they’re made justifiably angry by hearing someone dilute the importance of the sacrifice their loved ones may be forced to make. The President shouldn’t be immune from criticism in times of war. However, criticism ought to be respectful of our service men and women. If you want to say that you disagree with the President, I can live with that. If you want to say that you don’t think we should be at war, that’s fine. But saying that you’re embarrassed that the President is from Texas during preparations for war does little besides hurting our armed services. Country folk tend to be pretty big on manners and respect, so they’re not too likely to kinder to such. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/33 "2003-03-18T02:47:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\*She wasn’t wrong saying it if she believed it. Saying it overseas is a bit chicken, but hey, she’s a Dixie CHICK, right? It was pretty spineless to say it and then apologize afterwards. If she believed it she should’ve stuck to her guns. Perhaps she’s more concerned about her pocketbook than about her ideals. Can’t say I have much respect for her. Perhaps she has learned a lesson. \*\* Exactly. Even if I had disagreed with what she said (and I really don’t, exactly), I have no respect for her being a weasel about it because she’s losing money. **Diogenes** , calling her fans “retarded?” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Model-Shipwright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@Model-Shipwright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Model-Shipwright)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/34 "2003-03-18T03:02:42Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. Well, I wouldn’t say she was wrong. She can say whatever she wants, she just has to understand that something she might say could have an impact on the people who alow her to make such a comfortable living. Personally, I’d like an example made of her because I am so fed up with actors and other famous people (who know nothing about what they speak of half the time) lecturing us about what they think is right, that their opinion has more weight than our own. I think they might be just be starting to get the message. I absolutely hate country music, and I would never own a Dixie Chicks CD, but after hearing what she said I went out and bought ten of their CDs and proptly burned them. That’ll show that bitch! 😃 As an aside, I get tired of comments that we are sending our children over there to die. Before you make such a silly comment like this, ask someone on the line in our American Military what they think about going into war and the president’s decision. The reply you will get is overwhelming support for the president and they can’t wait to go in there in the name of freedom and the good old USA! I say, let’s kick some ass! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/35 "2003-03-18T03:08:18Z")
**Age Quod Agis** , I think it’s a stretch to say that disagreeing with the president will actually hurt our troops. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/36 "2003-03-18T03:11:43Z")
In the post-Marconi (or internet) era, a celebrity’s comments are in front of everyone with a radio (or a computer). I used to think that criticizing our leaders was the _wrong thing to do._ But then, Rush Limbaugh spent eight years correcting me. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Linty Fresh \* > \*\* > > (snip) > > 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. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/37 "2003-03-18T03:22:43Z")
Look, people buy the Dixie Chicks’ music to be entertained. If the performers say things that make the fans really angry, then the fans will no longer be entertained by listening to them. Then they will stop buying their music. That’s just life. While I think the reaction to the statement is WAY over the top, the woman who made that statement should have known that it was going to cost them a lot of sales. And this isn’t a redneck thing, and her fans aren’t ‘retarded’. Let’s face it - you liberals sneering at her fans would probably do the same thing if a musical artist you listened to came out and said, “Liberals are all stupid, bigoted jerks.” And I wouldn’t blame you. Why should you pay money to listen to someone who sneers at your values? Some people can separate the art from the politics of the artist. I love lots of downright leftist radical musical artists - Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, Wilco, etc. No problem. I like them because they’re great artists, although I know they’re going to say things that set my teeth on edge. Other people can’t make that separation, and when they hear the music their enjoyment is clouded by their constant reminder that the artist sneers at their beliefs. C’est la vie. My opinion - good art is hard enough to find without filtering it through the lens of politics. I draw the line at art which is offensive to my values, such as Nazi art, or songs that glorify communism, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/38 "2003-03-18T03:23:54Z")
> [@](#): > > **Age Quod Agis** said: Such strong criticism from a small-minded bigot. How about an apology? Or do you really believe that all country music fans are “sister raping hillbillies?” [/quote] I guess no one should ever use hyperbole unless they believe it literally. :rolleyes: I have said nothing I feel the need to retract. Anyone who would pile up CD’s and run over them with a tractor cuz some liberal said bad stuff about Dubya is a fucking pig-eyed, ignorant cracker. Not only that, they’re anti-American. This shit is no different than bookburning. > [@](#): > > think you are incorrect. It’s wrong to say someone’s a jerk at that person’s funeral. It’s wrong to say the a woman slept around at her wedding. And it’s wrong to use Natalie’s hyperbole when your country’s troops are standing at a border, about to put their bodies in the way of bullets, bombs, knives, and (gasp!) chemical weapons. Lots of these “hillbillies” have friends and family members standing on those borders, and they’re made justifiably angry by hearing someone dilute the importance of the sacrifice their loved ones may be forced to make. > > The President shouldn’t be immune from criticism in times of war. However, criticism ought to be respectful of our service men and women. If you want to say that you disagree with the President, I can live with that. If you want to say that you don’t think we should be at war, that’s fine. But saying that you’re embarrassed that the President is from Texas during preparations for war does little besides hurting our armed services. Country folk tend to be pretty big on manners and respect, so they’re not too likely to kinder to such. First of all, the only reason those people are over there is because their moron president is trying to exploit them for his own cynical political gain. The “preparations for war” are completely voluntary and utterly unnecessary. America is not in any danger. We are not London under the blitzkrieg. We don’t actually _have_ to go to war if we don’t want to. If American troops get killed, then the blame rests squarely on **GWB** and no one else. Second of all, criticizing the the president does not equal criticizing the troops. We need to take this lame-ass, hand-wringing “during-a-time-of-war” canard out into the woods and fucking shoot it in the head. Bush wants to kill our troops, I want them to come home. I am the patriot, not Bush. We really need to devise a corrolary term for Godwyn that deals with any fallacious appeal to “the troops” in order to deflect criticism away from any criticism of the Smirk. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/39 "2003-03-18T03:49:27Z")
> [@](#): > > **Sam Stone** said: > And this isn’t a redneck thing, and her fans aren’t ‘retarded’. Let’s face it - you liberals sneering at her fans would probably do the same thing if a musical artist you listened to came out and said, “Liberals are all stupid, bigoted jerks.” And I wouldn’t blame you. Why should you pay money to listen to someone who sneers at your values? As a matter of fact, I actually find it possible to enjoy the music of musicians who disagree with me politically. Ted Nugent, for instance, says stupid, insulting things about liberals all the time, but I can still rock out to “Stranglehold,” or “Cat Scratch Fever.” One of my favorite bands ever is Metallica and their frontman, James Hetfield has made conservative statements both in his songs and in interviews. Conversely, I can totalllly agree with a liberal artist politically, but think that their music sucks ass. (Madonna comes to mind) I could say the same about actors. Mel Gibson is about as right-wing as it gets, but I still dig the _Mad Max_ movies, and i’m really looking forward to seeing _Passion_, a film he’s directing about Jesus. There are also liberal actors who make crappy movies (Madonna, once again, springs to mind) I judge artists by their art. Their art is either good or it sucks. Their politics have nothing to do with it. One thing’s for sure, no matter how much I disliked a musician, artistically or politically, I would never do anything so white trash as to run over CD’s with a tractor. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157/40 "2003-03-18T04:03:06Z")
That’s cause if you tried to figure out how to drive a tractor, you’d probably kill yourself. Man, I hate elitist snobs who use phrases like ‘white trash’ to describe farmers and southerners. That phrase is as offensive as any other racial slur. You should be ashamed of yourself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-dixie-chicks-wrong/162157.md?page=3)