I enjoy the Dixie Chicks’ vocal harmonies, I appreciate their songwriting craft, and I applaud their unrepentant defiance. But I’m annoyed by their newfound pretentiousness.
The song ”Not Ready to Make Nice” is pretty self-explanatory, but the new video, which debuted Friday at AOL Music, is full of stale, self-dramatizing touches. The Chicks dress themselves in black-and-white ballgowns that make them look like refugees from Truman Capote’s famous 1966 party, and there’s a lot of splashing paint, an effect that became a music-video cliché back around 1983. Then there’s all the grim-faced inquisitors and stern-faced authority figures who tut-tut their way through the clip.
Yes, Chicks, the reaction to your 2003 remarks was severe, but y’all aren’t martyrs. Last I checked, you were still millionaires who are free to say what you like and record what you please. I’m not asking you not to be outspoken, just not to be dull.
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barf sisters.. woof
The chicks are free to feel however they do politically but I don’t want to hear about it. I can’t forget their political comments because they showed a lack of respect for our country. Hearing their views TURNED ME OFF. I really wish they would just shut up and sing so I can remember why I like them. Otherwise, they are just noise which I will turn off.
Great song!! Great video!!! Reminds me a little of REM’s Losing My Religion and earl Jam’s Jeremy. Vocals are hot, can’t wait for the cd.
Annoyed, listen to the lyrics of the song…its for people like you who think the Dixie Chicks should “shut up and sing”. Just because the country bumpkins out there won’t let one of their country artists speak their mind doesn’t mean the rest of the world condemns them. Freedom of speech is a powerful thing and I think its awesome that they are pretty much saying “Screw you country music, we don’t feel welcome anymore.” They’ll be just as popular with or without country stations on their side.
I find the song self-indulgent and hate the video. The Chicks are an awesome band, but this in-your-face works both ways. I ain’t ready to make nice with them either.
I’m sure they’ll be a big hit in France.
I was a fan of the Dixie Chicks music before they made their comment about Bush, after that they had my respect as well. They did not disrespect our country, they disrespected Bush, and what they said was pretty mild compared to what I would say if I was in the public eye.
In this case I agreed with the sentiments, but whether I agree or not any American has a right to express their opinion, polite or not. Several years ago I went to a Charlie Daniels concert, and he bad mouthed Bill Clinton the whole time, I didn’t agree with his comments, but he damn sure had the right to say it, and it didn’t affect one iota how I felt about his music. And he was not in any way being disrespectful to our country either.
I love the Dixie Chicks and will stand by them and defend whenever needed. They got a very bad rap for something many Americans, myself included, were thinking at the time. The press used them as an example of freedom of speech vs. patriotism. Toby Keith used them to heighten his own career. It was three years ago – lets all give the chicks a break and another chance. Thanks.
It’s one thing for Green Day to bash Bush. Their protest songs were loud rock blasts. The more they bashed the bigger they became. The Dixie Chicks make easy listening country stuff. It’s soccer-mom red state music. They should have known there would be a backlash.
Why are they still talking about what happened in 2003? Does anyone care about the Chicks political views? I don’t. Get over it, Chicks, let’s hear some music.
I haven’t heard the song or seen the video,but I will buy the cd. I have been a fan for awhile. Obviously there are lots of fans…enough to make them millionaires, so those who don’t like them can continue not liking them. GO Dixie Chicks…..We love you!!!
I LOVE THEM AND WILL LOVE THEM FOREVER. AND I DIDN’T EVEN LISTEN TO COUNTRY MUSIC BEFORE THEM. THEY GOT ME INTO A NEW GENRE OF MUSIC AND WE HAVE THE SAME BELIEFS, BUSH IS AN IDIOT
Love love love the Dixie Chicks!! I applaud anyone who has the balls the criticize our “president” and I use the term loosely. I will definitely be supporting the Chicks for a long time to come…
The ban on them was completely un-American. It is a citizen’s obligation to speak up if their REPRESENTATIVE government isn’t representing their beliefs. I think their situation really highlighted the hypocritical “morality” of the red states.
What amazes me is that the Dixie Chicks were treated horribly for saying they didn’t care for Bush, while country stars, DJs and fans would not SHUT UP about how bad Clinton was. Evidently these hypocrites only think it’s “unpatriotic” to have a negative opinion about the President if he’s a Republican.
I’ll be buying your CD the first day it goes on sale, Dixie Chicks.
The chicks were used as pawns by the fringe left of society now they want to remind those who used them as such that they are somehow obligated to financially support them. So they have decided to pick their scabs over 3 years later and try to perpetrate as martyrs when in fact all they ever were to begin with were pawns.
They prostituted their art so they could break into the Euro market and spouted anti-americanism to bond with potential buyers. Its the modern equivalent of Hollywoods casting couch: actors make moonbat political statements to get invited to the right parties, so they can meet the right producers and get cast in the right movies. They are whores.
The chicks were used as pawns by the fringe left of society now they want to remind those who used them as such that they are somehow obligated to financially support them. So they have decided to pick their scabs over 3 years later and try to perpetrate as martyrs when in fact all they ever were to begin with were pawns.
They prostituted their art so they could break into the Euro market and spouted anti-americanism to bond with potential buyers. Its the modern equivalent of Hollywoods casting couch: actors make moonbat political statements to get invited to the right parties, so they can meet the right producers and get cast in the right movies. They are whores.
Again, they never spouted “anti-Americanism”, they said they didn’t like Bush. If saying you don’t like the president is anti-American, then Rush Limbaugh, James Woods, Charlie Daniels, Sean Hannity, etc, etc, were spouting anti-Americanism all throughout the 90s, and yes, they did that when American troops were in harms way as well.
What it’s called is freedom of speech, and nothing in the constitution protects the president from critisism, no matter what party he belongs to, there’s nothing in there saying it’s only ok to critisize the president if there’s a D in front of his/her name.
The Dixie Chicks were used alright, by right wing media blow hards, when they went on their U.S. tour, it turned out that there actually was no backlash, they played to sold out stadiums. There were about 20 protestors at one of their concerts, which pretty much showed just how trumped up the whole thing had been from the beginning.
I disagree. I think this song is a very good song and I admire the Dixie Chicks for actually addressing this whole stupid ordeal head on. Most bands would slyly address it in an obscure lyric on a track on the second half of the record, if even that. But Natalie Maines and Company are choosing to let people know what they think without watering it down so they’ll get radio-play. Also, the video is pretty outstanding to me. Sure, it’s a bit dramatic at time, but it only fits the song and it mirrors the reaction they got from the comment in the first place.
I must say, I’m sort of glad this whole thing happened. Those close-minded country fans who hate people just because of their political remarks and beliefs don’t deserve such a talent. Dixie Chicks, leave Nashville, we’ll accept you elsewhere!
Ned, the concert was pre-sold and the chicks would ban dj’s and other industry persoinalities from their concerts if they were deemed “anti-chick”.
Free Speech does not guarantee the right to be heard nor is it a guarantee of airplay nor does it mean one is free from consequence. Their rights were NEVER in jepaordy.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
As you can clearly see, they never even came close losing any of that. It was all just spin by those who continue to use them as paws, including themselves.
What DID happen was fans and stations begun exercising their own rights by no longer listening and financially supporting the chicks. The right of the artist never trumps the right of the consumer. Welcome to the FREE MARKET!
Yes, the concert tickets had already been sold. So what? If somebody was really so terribly offended by their remarks, would they really spend over two hours watching a concert they didn’t want to see, even if they had already paid for it? I know I sure wouldn’t. I was at one of those concerts, right smack in the middle of a Bush loving red state, the crowd wasn’t sitting there with their arms crossed, they were wildly cheering the show. And again, if there had really been this giant backlash, there would have been more than a handfull of protesters at one of their concerts. It was smoke and mirrors, their CD never dropped below number 3 on the Billboard chart at the time, even with no radio play.
I never said their rights were in jeopardy, just pointing out that the people on TV claiming to be so offended by the comments, and calling them anti-American were not to shy about publicly critisizing a president THEY didn’t agree with.
Radio stations were afraid of the public backlash, when the Chicks went on their tour and it turned out there really wasn’t any great public backlash, they resumed playing the Chicks. Yes, welcome to the free market, where the Dixie Chicks continued to excell after their comments.
Figgins — I attended a Dixie Chicks concert in June 2003, and no one was there asking me at the door whether I was anti-Chick or not. Granted, I’m not a radio personality (see, dude, THAT’S how you spell it) only a mere music fan who thinks the three of them were unjustly vilified for saying something that many of us were thinking. And you’re correct when you say their rights were never in jeopardy. But their lives were. Now, this paw theory of yours (By the way, aren’t they furry, hand-things that animals have?) is way off base. They were dragged through the mud, lived to tell about it and now they are. (Oh, and they were right, too!)
Wow, Figgins, you’re practically foaming at the mouth.
I love that people think the Dixie Chicks criticized Bush so that they could sell records in Europe!!! Because, clearly, the huge Euro market is just breathless for country music. So much $$$ to be made. :0
I am a Texan and I am also in the u.s. army and i think that president bush is the worst president this country has ever seen!FYI: he is not a texan! “President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut!”
i on the other hand am not ashamed of the dixie chicks!
they are the most talented female trio the world has ever had the pleasure of knowing! this new album will be huge in texas! DONT FORGET ABOUT THE RIGHT TO: NEVER WORRY ABOUT THE STUPID IDIOTIC ACTIONS OTHERS TAKE FOR THE THINGS ANY OF US SAY, EVEN IF DOES MEAN OUR PRESIDENT IS A PILE OF COW DUNG!
The chicks have yet to report the death threats to the proper authorities. When asked about it, the Sherriff (San Antonio) said NO death threats were ever reported. He did however say one of the girls had their front gate toilet papered. He did not speculate as to whether or not the toilet paper was “life threatening”. LOL! Its just more spin by the chicks to paint themsleves as martyrs. ITs the only gimmick they have left. Im sorry some of you are so gulible as to fall for it. LOL!
Tesaba, FYI two of the chicks, Martie & Emily are not from Texas either. They are from Massachusetts. As far as the chick being the most talented trio, they dont have anything on Destinys Child!
I’m sorry that you’re so gullible to have fallen for the right wing spin about there being this giant public backlash against the chicks. Their album sales bury that lie, when your CD isn’t getting any radio play and it’s still number three on the charts, that’s pretty amazing. And of course the thousands that attended their U.S. tour really hated them, but went to the concert anyway. It’s an odd little world your living in.
And let us not forget, anyone that critisizes the president is “anti-American”, unless of course it’s a president with a D in front of their name, then it’s ok. You appear to have a lot of first hand knowledge on being gullible.
um…savage much? Everyone here is just spitting all this venom both ways. I just watched it for the first time, and it is a very well-made video, and a pretty good song. But again, it’s just a song. It doesn’t matter how true some statements are, it’s a form of expression. So appreciate their beautiful voices, their beauty in general (i think natalie is looking better than ever), and get over all the pissiness of their “COMMENTS.” If you don’t like it, then don’t listen; you’re clearly not the target audience.
Ned, they have yet to sell a million of anything since the comments. ‘Home’ which was the album on the charts when it happened, was certified at 6 million a week following the incident. It has yet to be certified for another million and its a double cd so each sale gets counted as two. Top Of The World was a live greatest hits package they released in 11/03. It has yet to sell a million copies. In comparison Garth Brooks Live greatest hits concert album has sold 20 million. Concerts that were organized after the incident, they could not sell out. Not even Vote for Change which had only 3000 seat venues.
I dont understand why so many people think boycotting the chicks is wrong, when the chicks themselves are in favor of targeting and boycotting companies for exercising their rights. On 10/18/04 the chicks posted a message on their website asking anyone who would listen to BOYCOTT Sinclair media for running a documentary against Kerry. (I can post the text if you do not believe me) The chicks obviously live by a double standard. They have every right to speak out. But to bemoan about people no longer wanting to financially support them as they use the stage afforded to them by their fand to preach to their fans, is hypocrtical to me.
They hold others to standard that they themselves refuse to live by. While in concert, Natalie encouraged people that couldnt get a refund on their tickets to Boo her. They did. She yelled back at them, {“Yeah well I still got you $65″. I am willing to bet it will be the last time she gets their $65.
Princeton did a study on the boycott back in 2003 that contradicts the chicks.
Here is the link:
http://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap26.html
This video would have worked when Bush’s father was in office, now its just another vent vehicle.Don’t get me wrong, I thought the song was OK, but… Who is supposed to listen and hear this song? The President? former fans who got angry? I like the ‘Chicks. But emotion w/ no focus rarely hits a target. Fans got “Goodbye Earl” and the man died in the song! So go ahead ladies, get angry, but don’t sacrifice your talents to make a point. That’s when you’ll lose us!
There’s nothing wrong with boycotting anything, if somebody doesn’t like something, they shouldnt’ buy it, or go see it. During the height of the media frenzy, the Chicks were still number three on the charts, and their album had been out for months, and not getting any radio play, that is outstanding by any stretch. Again, if people took these comments so personally and they hated the group, I think they would have boycotted their concert, that would be a pretty big statement about their feelings, not going to see a concert they had paid for. That didn’t happen, they played to standing room only stadiums.
Did a lot of theire fans not agree with their opinion? No doubt, but so what? Most people seperate their taste in music/art from the personal beliefs of the performer. I’m a big country fan, if I based what I listened to on their political opinions, I wouldn’t be able to listen to my favorite artists. That was my point in mentioning freedom of speech, as far as I’m concerned, no president gets a free pass from critisism, even if I generally agree with them or voted for them.
The Dixie Chicks spoke their mind, some people like me gained a greater respect for them, some like you were probably really offended (and I respect that opinion as long as you feel the same way when any president is spoken ill of, democrat or republican, otherwise it’s not worthy of respect), but most people didn’t care one way or the other. The whole episode was smoke and mirrors, much ado about nothing.