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Dixie chicks
alledan
Member Posts: 19,541
Time.com) -- Natalie Maines is one of those people born middle finger first.
As a high school senior in Lubbock, Texas, she'd skip a class a day in an attempt to prove that because she never got caught and some Mexican students did, the system was racist.
After Maines joined the Dixie Chicks, and the Dixie Chicks became the biggest-selling female group in music history -- with suspiciously little cash to show for it -- she and her bandmates told their record label, Sony, they were declaring themselves free agents. (In the high school that is Nashville, this is way worse than skipping class.)
Now that she's truly notorious, having told a London audience in 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas," Maines has one regret: the apology she offered George W. Bush at the onset of her infamy. "I apologized for disrespecting the office of the president," says Maines. "But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."
A sizable chunk of their once adoring audience feels the same way about the Dixie Chicks. After Maines' pronouncement, which was vigorously seconded by bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, the group received death threats and was banned by thousands of country radio stations, many of which still have informal bans in place.
The Dixie Chicks have mass appeal -- you can't sell 10 million copies of two of your three albums without engaging lots of different people -- but country radio is an indispensable part of how they reach people.
Programmers say that even now a heartfelt apology could help set things right with listeners, but it's not happening. "If people are going to ask me to apologize based on who I am," says Maines, "I don't know what to do about that. I can't change who I am."
As proof, the first single from the Dixie Chicks' new album, "Taking the Long Way" (out May 23), is called "Not Ready to Make Nice." It is, as one country radio programmer says, "a four-minute f--- you to the format and our listeners. I like the Chicks, and I won't play it."
Few other stations are playing Not Ready to Make Nice, and while it has done well on iTunes, it's quite possible that in singing about their anger at people who were already livid with them and were once their target audience, the Chicks have written their own ticket to the pop-culture glue factory.
"I guess if we really cared, we wouldn't have released that single first," says Maguire. "That was just making people mad. But I don't think it was a mistake."
Whether the Dixie Chicks recover their sales luster or not, the choice of single has turned their album release into a referendum. "Taking the Long Way" is designed to thumb its nose at country's intolerance for ideological hell raising, and buying it or cursing it reveals something about you and your politics -- or at least your ability to put a grudge above your listening pleasure.
And however you vote, it's tough to deny that by gambling their careers, three Texas women have the biggest balls in American music.
Over lunch in decidedly uncountry Santa Monica, California, where they have lived part time while recording "Long Way," the Dixie Chicks -- in fancy jeans, tank tops and designer sunglasses -- seem less like provocateurs than busy moms (they have seven kids in all, ages 1 to 5) amped up by a little free time.
In conversation they are loud and unembarrassable, celebrating their lack of boundaries in that escalating, I-can-be-more-blunt-than-you way unique to sisters (which Maguire and Robison are) and women who have shared a tour-bus bathroom.
They eagerly discuss the soullessness of Tom Cruise, the creepiness of Charlie Sheen and the price-fixing practices of hair colorists.
But sex is the perennial champ, and they are in a constant state of speculation about which of their kids' nannies is most likely to "get some" on tour this summer. "We're all married," says Maguire, "so it's not like we're going to."
Click here for the entire cover story on Time
As a high school senior in Lubbock, Texas, she'd skip a class a day in an attempt to prove that because she never got caught and some Mexican students did, the system was racist.
After Maines joined the Dixie Chicks, and the Dixie Chicks became the biggest-selling female group in music history -- with suspiciously little cash to show for it -- she and her bandmates told their record label, Sony, they were declaring themselves free agents. (In the high school that is Nashville, this is way worse than skipping class.)
Now that she's truly notorious, having told a London audience in 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas," Maines has one regret: the apology she offered George W. Bush at the onset of her infamy. "I apologized for disrespecting the office of the president," says Maines. "But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."
A sizable chunk of their once adoring audience feels the same way about the Dixie Chicks. After Maines' pronouncement, which was vigorously seconded by bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, the group received death threats and was banned by thousands of country radio stations, many of which still have informal bans in place.
The Dixie Chicks have mass appeal -- you can't sell 10 million copies of two of your three albums without engaging lots of different people -- but country radio is an indispensable part of how they reach people.
Programmers say that even now a heartfelt apology could help set things right with listeners, but it's not happening. "If people are going to ask me to apologize based on who I am," says Maines, "I don't know what to do about that. I can't change who I am."
As proof, the first single from the Dixie Chicks' new album, "Taking the Long Way" (out May 23), is called "Not Ready to Make Nice." It is, as one country radio programmer says, "a four-minute f--- you to the format and our listeners. I like the Chicks, and I won't play it."
Few other stations are playing Not Ready to Make Nice, and while it has done well on iTunes, it's quite possible that in singing about their anger at people who were already livid with them and were once their target audience, the Chicks have written their own ticket to the pop-culture glue factory.
"I guess if we really cared, we wouldn't have released that single first," says Maguire. "That was just making people mad. But I don't think it was a mistake."
Whether the Dixie Chicks recover their sales luster or not, the choice of single has turned their album release into a referendum. "Taking the Long Way" is designed to thumb its nose at country's intolerance for ideological hell raising, and buying it or cursing it reveals something about you and your politics -- or at least your ability to put a grudge above your listening pleasure.
And however you vote, it's tough to deny that by gambling their careers, three Texas women have the biggest balls in American music.
Over lunch in decidedly uncountry Santa Monica, California, where they have lived part time while recording "Long Way," the Dixie Chicks -- in fancy jeans, tank tops and designer sunglasses -- seem less like provocateurs than busy moms (they have seven kids in all, ages 1 to 5) amped up by a little free time.
In conversation they are loud and unembarrassable, celebrating their lack of boundaries in that escalating, I-can-be-more-blunt-than-you way unique to sisters (which Maguire and Robison are) and women who have shared a tour-bus bathroom.
They eagerly discuss the soullessness of Tom Cruise, the creepiness of Charlie Sheen and the price-fixing practices of hair colorists.
But sex is the perennial champ, and they are in a constant state of speculation about which of their kids' nannies is most likely to "get some" on tour this summer. "We're all married," says Maguire, "so it's not like we're going to."
Click here for the entire cover story on Time
Comments
Kitty sez "F" the Ditzy Flips!
I wish I had a GIANT picture of a one finger salute to post my truest of heartfelt feelings for the Dixie Dykes, gutter sisters they are!
[:(!][:(!][:(!]
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/w/b/bush_finger_flip.jpg
I give them an A for the courage to speak their minds and an A for not backing down. They can tell the others to take a hike cause living here in the U.S.A. we still have the right to voice our opinion,( right or wrong ), and I hope that freedom never goes away.
Freedom also means the rest of us have the right to ignore them...and apparently they have a lot of freedom loving ex-fans.
According to a media report I saw, between '97-'03 they had fourteen Top-Ten songs, with six of these being #1 hits. That translates to around 23 1/2 million albums. They now struggled to get even one song off this new CD to reach #36 on the charts and it's already begun to fall out of sight.
The only reason the public cared about their political statements is because they were high profile entertainers. That's in the past and now so are they.
Guess which late show is NEVER on my list,especially tonight or ANY night those witches are on!!!!!!!
Hey Chiks,if ya don't like it here,don't let the door hit yer fat butts on the way out.!!!!!!!!!!!!
I see they are going to be on Letterman tonight.
Guess which late show is NEVER on my list,especially tonight or ANY night those witches are on!!!!!!!
Hey Chiks,if ya don't like it here,don't let the door hit yer fat butts on the way out.!!!!!!!!!!!!
Letterman is Ok.. Isn't he the guy who throws stuff off the top of the building to watch it splat...??[:D][:D]( HINT HINT )
I give them an A for the courage to speak their minds and an A for not backing down. They can tell the others to take a hike cause living here in the U.S.A. we still have the right to voice our opinion,( right or wrong ), and I hope that freedom never goes away.
they made their comments in foreign countries. they go overseas to bash america because they know no one will challenge them and the foreign press will make them martyrs. they dont have any courage.
Yes, here in the USA they have the right to freedom of expression and to say what they like and don't like. However, they're entertainers/musicians, they should stick to what they do best, singing. If I wanna listen to a political statement, I'll listen to pundits and my own opinions. 50-50 chance the D Chicks aren't even registered to vote.
WTH does voting have to do with expressing a viewpoint in America. Look at everything going on right now with the immigrants... Your opinion is just that.. an opinion. NO more or less important than mine or anyone elses. What I find interesting is that alot of people now agree with the remarks they made. IF a poll was taken TODAY of who liked Bush or the Dixie Chickens one might be surprised who won..
I disagree. In my opinion, if you don't vote you should keep your yap shut about things political.
Might be true , however it is usually a small amount of people to actually go vote. Tell that to the naysayers.
Courage is the guy in front of the tank in China. He was fighting for what was right, not taking advantage of the fact that he had rights.
You can flame away or just not buy my records either, I did not buy theirs before or after, but I just don't do country.
I find it interesting that she is quoted as saying that they (the group) don't want fans who listen to them and also listen to Toby Keith or other artists (maybe just the more conservative ones?). I guess they want fans who only buy their albums? She said they only want fans who "get it." Well, I have something Ms. Maines can "get."
Their recording company will love statements like that. She is deliberately insulting and alienating the potential customers for their product and they can't really afford that at this point. So many radio stations are refusing to play their music that their last album pretty much tanked. I believe it included a piece with lyrics specifically decrying people who say "shut up and sing" but that might be good advice. Notice how the Hollywood pretenders... er, actors are not nearly so vocal and out there on liberal politics these days? Movie ticket sales have never been lower and I said from the start it may be a reaction to the elitist politics expressed by these people.
Too old to live...too young to die...
They were not very savvy were they. They were certainly correct, shrub is an embarassment to Texas and the country.
You can flame away or just not buy my records either, I did not buy theirs before or after, but I just don't do country.
Well.. I can't believe you said Scrub was an embarrassment to Texas and America too. I wonder if the GB members on here will badmouth you as much as the Dixie Chick's ? OMG what is the world coming to being able to speak your mind.
? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
Poor video.. Where is the top of Bush's head..[:o)]
I disagree. In my opinion, if you don't vote you should keep your yap shut about things political.
Agreed.
I wish I had a GIANT picture of a one finger salute to post my truest of heartfelt feelings for the Dixie Dykes, gutter sisters they are!
[:(!][:(!][:(!]
Will this do?