Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Maines Vs. Texas”

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May 22, 2006

Maines Vs. Texas

Hatched by Sachi

Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines is digging the hole deeper and deeper. After three years of backlash and a stunted career, she is even more defiant. In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, Maines hijacked a Dixie Chicks concert in Great Britain to announce -- to cheers from her audience -- that she was "ashamed" that President Bush came from Texas.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back. "I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

In fact, Maines never really did "apologize" in the first place. She said something along the lines that the office of the presidency should be respected, no matter who holds it. I don't consider that an apology; and she didn't even mean that much. Now, Maines is repudiating even that half-hearted non-apology (which fooled nobody, by the way.)

To tell the truth, I really don't care what three dumb Chicks think of the president or the war. But I am angry at the relentless attacks on country singers, their fans, country western music, and the American spirit itself. Listen to what Martie Maquire, another band member, thinks of country western fans:

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."

We know what Maines thinks of Toby Keith; but now Reba's fans are also uncool? I take that personally.

The mainstream press has clearly taken the Dixie Chicks side of this "debate;" they even imply that other country stars made death threats against the chicks:

[Natalie Maines' anti-Bush] remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career.

Now, that also sentence could also be read to mean that Maines' remarks led to death threats -- and they also (separately) led to a "backlash" by other country singers. But it's carefully crafted so that it's equally proper to read it as saying that "other country stars" reacted with "death threats and a backlash." I think the ambiguity is deliberate: it's a "dual use" smear, like Hussein's WMD arsenal, to make it possible to deny bad intent when called to account.

So how about that "high-profile spat with Toby Keith?" This is true; there certainly was one. But what this story ignores is that the feud was started by Maines herself, who deliberately provoked it a year before her 2003 London smear -- possibly because the Chicks considered Toby Keith their biggest rival in country music at the time, and they may have wanted to piggyback on his success and celebrity to promote their own multiple nominations at the upcoming Country Music Awards. Specifically, both the Chicks and Keith were up for Entertainer of the Year in 2002, and only one could win. (Hint: it wasn't the Texas tornado.)

Toby Keith is actually from Oklahoma (though from Clinton and Moore, not from Muskogee); and interestingly, he is a Democrat -- in the Zell Miller mold -- and he opposed the Iraq war (from an isolationist standpoint). The Chicks never "got" Toby Keith, just like they never "got" country music itself: to this day, they seem to think Keith is a right-wing Republican war supporter.

Toby Keith originally did not say a single thing to Maines about her 2003 comment in London (let alone any death threats). But that wasn't when the "feud" began; in fact, it started well before 2003... but the attacks have mostly come from the Dixie Chicks, mainly from Natalie Maines herself.

Back in August of 2002, Natalie Maines made her first public, gratuitously nasty comment about Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue":

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LA Daily News) - ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings is apparently not the only celebrity to take issue with Toby Keith's chart-topping country hit, "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)." Now, the Dixie Chick’s lead singer, Natalie Maines, freely shares her dislike of the song.

"Don't get me started," Maines told the Los Angeles Daily News. "I hate it. It's ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant. It targets an entire culture - and not just the bad people who did bad things. You've got to have some tact. Anybody can write, 'We'll put a boot in your ass.' But a lot of people agree with it. The kinds of songs I prefer on the subject are like Bruce Springsteen's new songs."

To which Toby Keith said, "you've got to be in my league as a songwriter before I'll even respond to you."

Since then, he's projected images of Maines and Saddam Hussein on big screens behind the stage when he's performing concerts.

But the most infantile attack after Maines' 2003 comment in London came not from Keith, but from the Dixie Chicks themselves:

On May 21, Maines performed on television at the AMC Awards wearing a F.U.T.K. tee shirt – which viewers declared a definite telling off of T.K. (Toby Keith). According to a Dixie Chicks rep, "It’s my understanding that according to chatter on their web site, Natalie’s T-shirt stands for FREEDOM, UNDERSTANDING, TRUTH, AND KNOWLEDGE."

Yeah. Right.

Around this time, a friend's child, whom Keith was very close to, died of cancer. Suddenly the feud between Maines and him just seemed really trivial, and he started ignoring them. Maines may have thought this meant she won; but the reality is that the Dixie Chicks simply ceased to matter in the world of country music: they lost all their award nominations and their CD sales plummeted.

Toby Keith, meanwhile, went on to become one of the greatest forces in the genre in decades. He now owns his own label and has become an institution.

I think at first the Chicks picked on Keith because they percerved him as a rival. They might have thought that attacking him would create the buzz they needed to sweep the CMA awards and launch a huge career in country.

But they wildly misjudged their audience. Toby Keith was not just a musical rival; after 911, and especially after "Courtesy," Toby Keith had become something much larger... and the Chicks never "got it." Keith came to symbolize the angry, defiant American: defiance of Osama bin Laden, of terrorism, and of European-style appeasement. To many Americans, he came to symbolize the spirit of America itself. Keith, the Okie from Clinton, was more Texan than those three dopey Texans.

Natalie Maines clearly understood the defiance part; that's exactly what angered her about Keith's song. Rather than accepting 9/11 as a just rebuke, rather than being humbled and apologetic for all the horrible things we were doing that brought 9/11 on ourselves, Maines understood that Keith's song -- and it's overwhelming reception across the country and especially among the military -- signalled that Americans did not accept the diminished role in the world that Leftists ordered for us. Instead, we made it plain that we were going to fight back -- violently, just as we'd been attacked violently. Keith was a powerful symbol of that resolve.

The Dixie Chicks gambled -- and they lost. They gambled that country fans were just like most rock fans: uncomfortable with the idea that there was something special and essentially good about America, compared to other countries. Maines and the other Chicks thought country fans were basically like the French.

They did not realize what country western music meant to many Americans. Thinking they were attacking American arrogance, they were really attacking the core values of real America. In doing so, the Dixie Chicks have alienated themselves from real Americans.

Hatched by Sachi on this day, May 22, 2006, at the time of 1:46 PM

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» Just For Fun from Daily Pundit
Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Maines Vs. Texas” Sachi rips the Dixie Dumbasses a new...ah...career. Behind the counter at McDonalds.... [Read More]

Tracked on May 25, 2006 12:06 AM

» Dixie Nix from Big Lizards
In my posts Not Ready to Make Amends and Maines Vs. Texas, I talked about the Dixie Chicks' new campaign strategy as left-wing victims. I predicted that their strategy would fail; country fans are never going to embrace the chicks... [Read More]

Tracked on June 8, 2006 11:33 PM

» Go North, Young Chix from Big Lizards
I know, I know, I am obsessed with the stupid Dixie Chicks. I see them everywhere I go. Wait, they are everywhere I go, but not for long, I hope. The other day, I talked about the Dixie Chicks' sagging... [Read More]

Tracked on June 15, 2006 2:22 PM

Comments

The following hissed in response by: Terrye

I may just be a dumb Okie like Toby Keith, but it seems to me that Toby is smart enough to know his audience which is more than can be said for this silly woman.

The above hissed in response by: Terrye at May 22, 2006 2:10 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

The Dixie Chicks latest album, "Taking the Long Way," which comes out tomorrow, is the #1 selling album on Amazon today...

The above hissed in response by: monkyboy at May 22, 2006 03:00 PM

**************************************************
which explains the sudden rash of anti-American rhetoric from Maines, she is galvanizing the progressive base for sympathy purchases of the albumn, I heard the prerelease of one of the singles bombed bigtime didn't even make it to Top Tweny CW Singles on Billboard.

We will see how they are doing over time.
t

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 3:32 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

White Trash with Money
Released: April, 11, 2006
Record Label: Show Dog Nashville/Universal
Peak Position: The Billboard 200 #2 on April 29, 2006

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #56 in Music

After almost a month? Not too shabby on Billboard White Trash is at #18 on the Billboard 200 right around such losers as Alan Jackson, Shakira, and Neil Young, and Carrie Underwood.,

Odd I don't seem to FIND the Chicks in the Top Hundred

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 3:49 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

billboard

Well it would appear that the single Everybody Knows peaked at #48 I wonder if that was with a Bullet? ;-)

Not Ready to Make Nice drug it's heels peaking from #23 to #36 except for Hot Digital Songs
where it peaked at #8

Which brings us back to Amazon.com, now I really like amazon, but anyone REALLY interested in finding out the truth on how a CW single or albumn is doing?

Will want the WalMart Sales figures instead of Amazon's.

I wonder what they will be?

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 3:59 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

billboard

Falling to #18 on the Billboard charts just 5 weeks after release is certainly no "hit" record (though Keith probably made more money from it than most of us mortals make in our lifetimes).

Might be true but check out the above looks to me like the singles off his albumn did much better than the Chicks.

But I am willing to wait to see

Where the Chicks Albumn is in 5 weeks and where it peaks on the Billboard 200 chart

The reason you don't see the Dixie Chicks on those charts is...their album doesn't go on sale until tomorrow

DUH that is obvious I DO see the singles off it and they were flops even when not compared to Keiths singles from his last albumn one of THEM

Get Drunk And Be Somebody peaked at #3 as a single on Somebody Hot Country Songs another peaked at #17

Hot digital songs #58 for Get Drunk And Be Somebody

CW fans may not DL songs that much it was a 58 as a digital but 3 for Hot Country songs.

Too bad I cannot lay any bets agains this smart money, I wouldn't bet the farm, but I might make a nice pile ;-)
Question monky, do YOU listen and buy Country and if not what makes you think you know anything about the fans?

I figure the Chicks are dead with their former fan base.

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 4:57 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

As All About Country told you over the weekend, The Chicks will perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman" tonight. AND, they will be featured on "Good Morning America" every morning this week (starting this morning), and ending with their performance of three songs live in Bryant Park in New York City, on Friday morning.

Ironically, the Dixie Chicks are NOT involved at all, with "The 41st Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards" on CBS-TV tomorrow night...even thoughit airs on the same day that the new Chicks CD is released...and therefore are essentially competing with The ACM Awards for media attention. Coincidence? Hmmmm...

Now to be fair and balanced here is the link to the Rolling Stones review.

"Following in the bootsteps of other Nashville renegades who eventually outgrew country radio, the Dixie Chicks answer their critics with the unapologetic Taking the Long Way."

Probably best for sales among the CW fans the Chicks have left that few of them read Rolling Stone ;-)

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 5:16 PM

The following hissed in response by: hunter

So monkyboy has found this place. Well, there goes the nieghborhood. But I do love using Amazon, which is not recognized as a valid way to measure country music sales, instead of the standard measures.
But even if every lefty hack were to buy the DC's album, it would not change the fact that they are rude, anti-patriot, and seek to deliberately hurt the war.
IOW they may be rich, but they are still low class, chicks.

The above hissed in response by: hunter at May 22, 2006 5:22 PM

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

...

they were really attacking the core values of real America.

"Dixie Chicks" should really change their name. Barbra Streisand's Chicks works better, huh.

Barbra Streisand's Chicks remind me a lot of John Kerry, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore. Lots of 'Flip Flopping', and no truth or stance. Perhaps the Democrat Party's MSM should use the "Dixie Chicks" as a poll source...so to speak of so-called "polls".

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at May 22, 2006 5:59 PM

The following hissed in response by: foreign devil

Speaking of good music, the fellows who gave us "Bush Was Right!", the Right Brothers, have done it again with "For My Country". This great song was a free download for a couple of days and may still be able to be downloaded free since the website hasn't changed. Here's a link to it and try the download. It was free up to May 21st in honour of Veteran's Day but you might still try it. It's great. Just great! I LUV it and I'm listening to it right now.

The above hissed in response by: foreign devil at May 22, 2006 7:58 PM

The following hissed in response by: foreign devil

Dixie Doxies, anyone? Dixie Tramps? Oh, don't get me started....I'm on a roll!

The above hissed in response by: foreign devil at May 22, 2006 8:01 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

I am willing to wait until the Billboard Results are out, and see where the albumn peaks etc.

But comparing the ratings of TK's singles against the Chick's singles I would put my fuzzy politics against Monkys science in a reasonable bet with no qualms.

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 22, 2006 8:59 PM

The following hissed in response by: Sachi

Dan

As All About Country told you over the weekend, The Chicks will perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman" tonight. AND, they will be featured on "Good Morning America" every morning this week (starting this morning), and ending with their performance of three songs live in Bryant Park in New York City, on Friday morning.

With all that free publicity, if the album does not hit #1 on Billboard, that will be a surprise.

The above hissed in response by: Sachi at May 22, 2006 9:08 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

Sachi

Country radio disses Dixie Chicks
'Nice' barely scrapes top 40; follow-up faltering

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Billboard) -- Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars

The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week. (Watch the Chicks try to reposition themselves -- 2:14)

"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks

Maines was quoted in late January on EW.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."

When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."

They are trying to transition themselves out of Country it seems it works or the are dead ducks

After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."
KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."

Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."

He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 23, 2006 12:33 AM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

I LOVE it! I recall saying that WalMart would be a better guage of a Country Artist than Amazon?

Well first recall this little bit
"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith,"

On Walmart's Best Seller Page? Of the Top Ten

#s 1,2,3,6 & 7 are Reba McEntire rotflamo

she is also 21,22,23,24 & 25 let me see how far down I have to go to run into a Dixie Chick Albumn
Looks like none of their albumns are in WalMarts top 100 sellers.

This next week or so should prove interesting

and HER fans will be rabid if they read that interview. Might just buy extra CDs

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 23, 2006 1:28 AM

The following hissed in response by: fmfnavydoc

Someone mentioned a new name for the group...how about the Dixie Trailer Trash Chicks...

Memo to Natalie Maines - STFU, please....

The above hissed in response by: fmfnavydoc at May 23, 2006 5:44 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

I have a lot of friends who live and lived in moblie home parks, most are hard working decent folks.

I prefer Dead Ducks for a new name ;-)

Not physically, but professionally

I noticed USA today did not even have them on the frontpage but did have American Idol
oh and the Music Hot Story for today in the Life section?

Was Maddona ;-)

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 23, 2006 7:38 PM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

WalMart Top Country Sellers tonight

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=136913

Country Top 20

Taking The Long Way #2 at $9.44

White Trash With Money #7 (with Exclusive CMT DVD) at $13.88

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at May 23, 2006 9:11 PM

The following hissed in response by: Mel760

I'm the daughter of a Marine. I'm all for free speach, but these girls have got to stop talking all together if they expect to get back where they were commercially.

I almost bought their album but I have too many CDs in my truck and I just don't have the space for that much attitude.

Ron White said it best.."You can't fix stupid".

The above hissed in response by: Mel760 at May 24, 2006 10:54 AM

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire...

Reba McEntire, hosting the show for an eighth time, also took a shot at country music's newest outlaws, the Dixie Chicks.

"I don't know why I was so nervous about hosting this show this year," she said. "If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foot in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at May 24, 2006 1:43 PM

The following hissed in response by: Don

I'm not really sure why I should care either way, except to note that this is a publicity stunt all the way, designed to stoke sales for everyone concerned. Particularly the Dumb Clucks - er the Dixie Chicks.

Get people to choose up sides and you win. Not only because everyone who hates the Clucks will buy the Keith album (and vice-versa, but also the poor suckers like myself who are merely curious what it's all about.

The only thing which makes me the slightest bit curious about the Dixie Chicks is their new producer, a fellow named Rick Rubin who took Johnny Cash on during the 90's. The Rubin-produced Cash albums are the best stuff Cash ever did and staples of my collection.

The above hissed in response by: Don at May 24, 2006 4:11 PM

The following hissed in response by: FredTownWard

The Ditsy Chicks aren't worth getting angry at. LAUGH at them! Three attractive, talented musicians will NEVER achieve the musical success they could have because of a serious medical condition:

Terminal Stupidity.

Selling C&W to left wing city folk will keep body and soul together for awhile; they are just too good to starve. However, their careers are in a permanent downward glide path, the occasional attempt to spike sales with renewed controversy notwithstanding.

Fat, left wing, and stupid is no way to go through life, ladies.

The above hissed in response by: FredTownWard at May 25, 2006 1:01 PM

The following hissed in response by: Sachi

I happened to hear the Chicks' new song "Bitter End," on Los Angeles based KZLA. (Yes they still play DC.) I usually recognize Natalie Maines' voice. But this time I did not. I liked the song. It was, I thought, about a man leaving his wife. But then I found out who was singing. Then suddenly I could not stand it anymore. Not because it is sung by them. It is because they were not singing about a couple at all.

Read the review on Wal-Mart on-line shopping site. They you will know what I mean. Which, by the way, proves that they could have protested the war by singing about it without speaking out. Because someone like me, would have never noticed it. Haha,,

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4891164

Another form of fallout is addressed on "Bitter End," a slow, waltz-tinged number that, on the surface, looks at two people parting ways over a disagreement. Armed with knowledge of the inspiration behind the song, it speaks to the disloyalty of fans that were only there "as long as I'm the shiniest star."

The above hissed in response by: Sachi at May 26, 2006 11:49 AM

The following hissed in response by: Sachi

Just for the record, the Dixie Chicks new album "Taking the Long Way" peaked at 69th on Billboard Hot Country Chart and dropped off the chart. I cannot find their name on Billboard 100 chart.

I think that's pretty much the end of the story.

The above hissed in response by: Sachi at May 28, 2006 3:13 AM

The following hissed in response by: Don

Well, perhaps they're just taking the long way up the charts?

Actually the story on the Dixie Chicks album seems to be contradictory. It's not showing up on the Bilboard charts but I checked the Amazon page for the new album and it was #1 on amazon.com and #19 on amazon.co.uk.

I think the Chicks blew it by alienating their fan base so badly but once Means had opened her mouth the cat was out of the bag and they had to make the best of it. Which they are doing by pitching their stuff to a different market and making it a political issue rather than a musical one.

I listened to their promo video and it didn't sound bad. I can't get the snippets on Amazon (they freeze my player for some reason) so I can't really tell how good they are.

The above hissed in response by: Don at May 30, 2006 5:08 AM

The following hissed in response by: Lazycrockett

Well Well Well

Lookie whos Number 1!!

On both of the Country and Pop Charts!!

The above hissed in response by: Lazycrockett at May 31, 2006 5:32 PM

The following hissed in response by: Sachi

Ha! Amazing.

Their whining strategy worked after all. Let see what happens in the future.

The above hissed in response by: Sachi at May 31, 2006 7:29 PM

The following hissed in response by: Lazycrockett

Now Ill just sit back and watch all the a haters come up with soo many reasons to continue and justify their negativity.