Dixie Chicks schtick gets quick pick

“NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines says she spoke against President Bush and war with Iraq last month out of frustration and regrets her choice of words, but she makes no apologies for thinking critically.

"I'm not truly embarrassed that, you know, President Bush is from my state, that's not really what I care about," Maines says in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer for "Primetime Thursday," airing 10 p.m. EDT Thursday. "It was the wrong wording with genuine emotion and questions and concern behind it. ... Am I sorry that I asked questions and that I just don't follow? No."

At a March 10 concert in London, Maines told the audience in reference to Bush's push for military action against Iraq: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

Maines and the Texas-based trio's other members -- Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, who are sisters -- also tell Sawyer the fallout was too harsh for the offense and they've always supported U.S. troops even though they questioned the war.

"It's the people who have gone overboard, and done such irrational things that take you back to the days of book burning, that is a concern for me...," Maguire said. "We know some of our fans were shocked and ... upset. I totally understand it. My problem is, when does it cross the line? When is trashing Emily's property OK? When is writing a threatening letter OK?"

Robison added that the band was now dealing with "bigger issues" than the loss of record sales.

"I'm concerned about my safety. I'm concerned about my safety for my family," she said. "When you're getting death threats.... At our concerts this year, we have to have metal detectors, and to me that's just crazy. But we have to take precautions because this thing has gotten so out of control."

The interview airs a week before they begin their U.S. tour May 1 in Greenville, South Carolina, and they appear nude on the May 2 issue of Entertainment Weekly, with epithets such as "Traitors" written on their bodies.

The Dixie Chicks declined a request to be interviewed by The Associated Press.

After Maines' remarks, radio stations began boycotting the Dixie Chicks, even though she publicly apologized for her statement in London.

The song "Travelin' Soldier," which was No. 1 on Billboard's country charts around the time Maines made the remark, tumbled completely off the charts afterward. And sales of the group's latest CD, "Home," plummeted, although sales have rebounded slightly, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks music sales.

Even with the slide, however, "Home" remains the top-selling album on the Billboard country chart -- 19 weeks at No. 1 -- and No. 30 on the pop chart.

Most of the shows on their tour had already sold out before Maines' comments. Their agent, Rob Light, was unavailable for comment Wednesday but told Billboard this week that of the 59 shows, only six have seats left and those are all 85 percent to 90 percent sold.”

“When ya question fascism cowards will threaten women and families.”

“What did you expect this b!tch to say? She crashed her career and is desparately seeking damage control. Diane Sawyer will spin this into a small misunderstanding we can blame on the British Press.

Screw Natalie Maines.”

“Even with the slide, however, "Home" remains the top-selling album on the Billboard country chart -- 19 weeks at No. 1 -- and No. 30 on the pop chart.


All the rightie crybabies aren't enough to change her success.”

“no ones career is going down the tubes because of comments made unless your in politics. They seem to be the only people whose career is cut short becasue of comments made and I am not so sure it should happen to them.”

“During the Vietnam era, I used to listen to Dylan, Ochs, Paxton, etc. These were all classified as protest singers. The songs they wrote were about change and many opposed the Vietnam War. My father, who was a decorated WWII veteran as an Army Ranger, (although not all of this music appealed to him) would at least hear it out and gave credit where it was due. He listened to people and exchanged views in a compassionate way. He wasn't a reactionary who shouted down a singer (or any person) who disagreed with his political views. Boy, times have changed! If you vary from the status quo these days, you put yourself in an extremely compromising position...”

“It is called capitalism. Voting with your checkbook.”

“I think REI would be president if that worked ;o)”

“first amendment = you have the right to express your opinion and then fear for your life for it.”

“Geez treebeard, your old man would be a traitor to today's righties for even givin' a listen to anyone opposed to government policies.”

“True dat, Tom. But a nicer guy and a bigger patriot never lived!”

“But I'm not bias, though... lol”

“There were times where my brother would come home and find some of his friends at the house and not because they came over to visit my bro. These guys liked the old man that much...”

“Rangers lead the way!

Good fathers are appreciated by kids other than their own.”

“Thank God he was willing to put his life on the line so political experts like the Dixie Chickens could expound on foreign policy. They truly are world leaders.”

“Chix with Dix.”

“Well they'd probably seen more of the world than a certain president when he came to power ;o)”

“He would have just carried out his duty and felt that they had a right to express what they believe. It wouldn't have affected him. That's the way that dude operated...”

“April 24, 2003
Dixie Chicks Launch USO Tour Overseas
(2003-04-24) -- Inspired by Bob Hope's patriotism, the Dixie Chicks will join a USO tour of American military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan later this month.

The country music trio, famous for coming from the same state as U.S. President George Bush, will sing some of their chart-topping hits interspersed with Natalie Maines' observations on politics, war and geopolitical strategy.

"The response to my recent comments about the President have been so overwhelming, I know the troops will appreciate hearing more," said Natalie Maines. "My career has been built not so much on my singing talents, but on my insights into world events."

The group says the USO tour will give them the chance to tell the troops in Iraq how much they support them while opposing the war.

ScrappleFace”

“If only I too could follow the religion named scrappleface.”

“They have a right to their opinion, but geez, I pay these people way too much money for a ticket or CD to listen to their drivel. Just sing, darn it. If I want political expertise I'll watch C Span.”

“There was a Dixie Chick CD burning ceremony a couple weeks ago out our way.”

“Dixie Chicks schtick gets quick pick, takes a lick from Rick, who doesn't know dick, he' such a hick, who only has one trick, but he's a big fan of Mick, now he's up a crick, without a stick.”

“So what? Bush is moron. I'd be embarassed if he was from my home state, too.”

“Tree and TT, I am a rightie (big surprise right). I don't see Treebeard's father as a traitor, why would I? I don't care what someone else listens to (but I would appreciate it if I didn't have to listen to it at a stop sign, but that's another thread).”

“There are probably a lot of embarassed Arkansans right now, but who gives a crap. Sing your songs or make your movies and save your political comments for the dinner table.”

“Take that Heston!”

“I wasn't accusing anyone of that, vc. I was just comparing the degrees of acceptance today as opposed to the Vietnam era and using my dad as an example. There were people with less front line war experience than he had that were a lot less tolerant back then too. Bob Dylan built a spectacular career around some powerful and controversial music and is still going strong almost 40 years later. I just think people are overreacting to stuff like this...”

“I'm not truly embarrassed that, you know, President Bush is from my state... Maines says..."

Then why did you say it, you idiot?


I do not have a problem with WHAT she said so much as WHERE she said it. It's totally inappropriate to be critizing one's own president while on foreign soil, IMO.


If I have a problem with one of my colleagues or administrators, I'm obliged to not discuss it in public. Instead, I should voice my concerns with the Shared Decision Making Team, Board of Ed., Superintendant, etc.

Talking trash about my workplace makes the entire workplace look bad - me included.


Maines is a disgrace to all of America, and to herself as well.”

“So it would be wrong for Chinese dissidents to come to the US and criticise their leaders then Gojo?”

“and she's fat, and a funny looking chick too.”

“Or, until a few weeks ago, Iraqi dissidents?”

“The chinese and Iraqese would think so.”

“The chinese and the iraqi regimes would think so”

“mommymommy -
No.

"dissidents" is the opperative word.

If Maimes wants to defect to England, then so be it. She can run her "hair" pie hole til she's blue in the face as far as I'm concerned.”

“ok, you may say the difference is that they are not elected - and I think there's some value in that, but what about a South African criticising his government's Aids policy?”

“I hate country music, but I'm buying a dixie chicks CD today.”

“Or a Frenchman criticising Chirac for that matter?”

“"and she's fat, and a funny looking chick too."
bazooka joe
02:40:30 PM
04/24/03

ugly, un-svelte people are not allowed to have opinions. from now on, only attractive types can comment. so i guess the other celebrities are OK now?”

“You're barking up the wrong tree, mom.

The stupid skank offended me, gojo, when she talked smack on the President of the United States (for whom I voted) on foreign soil. Period.

Believe it or not, I would have had the same reaction if it was Ray Charles talking smack on Clinton during his 1999 world tour...”

“Satire”

“Wouldn't that need to involve some form of wit bj?”

“OK, now that I've seen them naked, I'll go buy their CDs again.”

“Maines has every right to say what she thinks, just as I have the right not to buy their CDs, attend their concerts etc. I can't remember the last movie that I saw that Susan Saranwrap or Ed Assinine or Sean Pencilhead.”

“nothing like nudity to divert my attention..... what did she do again????”

“Well, there's three of 'em there and they don't look overweight or funny looking to me...”

“The Discy Chicks have a first amendment right to say what they did. Those they've offended have a first amendment right to protest, boycott, etc.

What the first amendment doesn't guarantee is an audience. If most people ignore you or are against you, it might be because you have a stupid opinion.”

“i just don't like semi-factual discourse getting mucked up with insults about one's God-given physical attributes. prettiness or ugliness should have no bearing on the validity of ones argument.”

“From a Bob Edwards speech in Kentucky:

We are currently a nation at war and the free flow of information and ideas is never more important than it is at times like these. But monopolies choke that flow, allowing only the information and ideas that facilitate that other flow -- the flow of dollars into their pockets.

As exhibit A, I give you the Dixie Chicks, one of the hottest musical acts in the country -- or at least they were until one of the Chicks, in a bit of anti-war fervor, said they were ashamed that the President is from Texas. The backlash against the Chicks for making that remark is fine if it comes from ex-fans who say they won't buy any more records by the Dixie Chicks. The marketplace is a respectable forum for freedom of expression. The Chicks have a right to their opinions. Music fans have a right to tell the chicks to go to hell and to boycott their concerts and refuse to buy their records. Free speech is never really free -- it always costs something. But here's what's wrong with this picture. The backlash against the Chicks is spearheaded not by fans, but by Clear Channel Radio, owner of 1,250 radio stations. Clear Channel is based in Texas. Clear Channel loves George W. Bush. Clear Channel would like the administration of George W. Bush to remove all remaining restrictions on the ownership of media properties. That is exactly what the Bush administration is considering. The Federal Communi-cations Commission, chaired by Mike Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, is reviewing the last remaining rules restricting media ownership. Before he became FCC chairman, Mike Powell was a communications lawyer, making fabulous sums of money lobbying on behalf of the broadcast industry -- the industry he's now supposed to be regulating. When he is finished regulating the broadcasting industry, Mike Powell will return to -- the broadcasting industry. Now how tenacious is Mike Powell going to be in regulating the broadcasting industry while he is on this temporary hiatus from the broadcasting industry?

But back to Clear Channel, which daily tells Bush and Powell that it loves them. Is Clear Channel's move on those Dixie Chicks an expression of patriotism or a business decision? Should Clear Channel have the right to ban the Chicks from its 1,250 stations? I think what individuals do is fine -- burn the CDs if you want. What industry does is another matter. Clear Channel can say the Dixie Chicks are tools of Saddam if it wants to, but it should not be allowed to kill the livelihood of any recording artist based on politics.

We've had ugly periods in our history having to do with blacklisting of people our politicians didn't like. I won't spend a lot of time telling you about what actors, directors, producers, journalists and others went through in the Red scares of the 1940s and '50s. Creative people went to prison, had their careers ruined, their marriages broken up, and, yes, there were suicides, all because politicians found communism, or rather the fear of communism, a fruitful political issue. Ladies and gentlemen, you do not want to return to that era. Witchburning is an ugly chapter in our history. It should not be revived, even if it's good for business. ”