We were able to watch part of the Grammy’s last night. I normally don’t pay a lot of attention to award shows like this, but last night’s show stood out to me for negative reasons. Make it three negatives: the three women who make up the Dixie Chicks. It would be really difficult for me to point to a musical act in recent memory who behave as childishly and with such little grace as the Dixie Chicks. I thought it fitting for Natalie Maines — their chief mouthpiece — to quote the Simpsons in her acceptance speech for one of the five awards they were given last night. What better way to describe them? Do I differ from them in terms of political leanings? Sure. Do I disagree with their “platform” and their victim attitude? Sure. Do I think they are incredibly gifted, amazing musicians and vocalists, some of the best, possibly ever? Sure. Do I like many of their songs? Sure. Do I agree that they should have the freedom to say what they like? Sure. The Bible says, “Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What Emily Robison, Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire choose to say reveals much of what they are like inside. Based on what I’ve seen and heard from them, I hope some day the Dixie Chicks will grow up.
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I am glad you wrote something about this, because I am in complete agreement. I actually turned off the Grammys after they won their third one.
Just saw this article, so this comment is way overdue.
The Dixie Chicks are fabulous musicians, and I appreciate your recognition of that. I do not understand your comment about their “victim attitude.” That doesn’t even make any sense. Do you actually think they enjoy being victimized and have capitalized on that? They went from selling out huge arena and enormous CD sales (11 million WOS, 10 million Fly, 7 million Home) to playing smaller venues and not even selling 3 million copies of the album that won them 5 well deserved Grammys. Their #2 single plumetted off the charts with 12 spoken words, that were, by the way, THE TRUTH!
Nashville, the country music industry, and other artists not only turned their backs on them, but campaigned against them. So for Natalie taking some satisfaction in being recognized for their work is completely acceptable. In fact I think her “Ha Ha” comment is probably the biggest understatement of the year!
I would suggest maybe watching the movie, “Shut Up and Sing” so you can get some concept as to what they were put through for exercising their first amendment rights. It will also give you a chance to see what they are “like inside”, instead of basing your judgement on one comment taken completely out of context.
I must heartily agree with monavizsla. The Dixie Chicks would never have had any “platform” had they not been driven to make a stand against a politically-driven campaign trying to snuff them out as “silly women who should be slapped about”. At the time even the US Ambassador (who was present at the concert in London which triggered the hysterical anti-Chicks media frenzy) said and did nothing; he understood it was just a personal comment in a particular context. Until ordered to change his mind by a paranoid White House, of course. That’s the truth – so I rather think the growing up should have been done by those who never looked into the matter.
The Grammy awards last February were the appreciation by their peers in the industry of how mature a work the Chicks’last album was, not just the bleets of a few childish sheep.
The most likely reason the Dixie Chicks won so many awards in 2007 is that Grammy votes come from people inside the entertainment industry; they are not chosen by industry bosses, or swayed as much (in the case of open public votes) by industry campaigns. So it was largely a vote of sympathy for artists perceived by their peers as having been treated badly by the bigwigs and political factors which had had nothing to do with what one of the Chicks had actually said on just one occasion. It was fellow entertainers and associates giving those who had grabbed something as an excuse to make a political point and sacrificed the careers of the Chicks (by happen stance) to do so. And a protest against the “Country” Establishment trying to make everyone subscribe to their values – and let us remember that the Chicks had mightily annoyed this establishment before by not conforming to “the rules” of how they were expected to record, what they were expected to record, what instruments they were expected to play and so on (quite possibly the reason they were singled out anyway).
The reaction at the ceremony itself by the ladies was entirely in keeping with this general background of brief revolt by “the workers”. And it was generally applauded by those present (though perhaps not all!). Like many such protests, it was short-lived, and never intended to be a wider challenge. Adults are allowed to behave like kids in similar circumstances – then it's back to reality. The Chicks themselves had had to grow up fast since 2003 (which they started out as entertainment darlings – for selling so many records), the product of which were the song and album which won the awards, and which stand as testimony to how far they had grown up.
Two years later, many Dixie Chick fans are wondering if the girls were so exhausted by the 2003-2007 experience which culminated in the Awards (and by having more children) that they've got little left to give, musically. As to their political leanings, apart from being against the Iraq war, contrary to media assumptions they have not spoken out, so we really don't know how they line up. Emily and Martie in particular have hardly voiced any opinions in public.
The most likely reason the Dixie Chicks won so many awards in 2007 is that Grammy votes come from people inside the entertainment industry; they are not chosen by industry bosses, or swayed as much (in the case of open public votes) by industry campaigns. So it was largely a vote of sympathy for artists perceived by their peers as having been treated badly by the bigwigs and political factors which had had nothing to do with what one of the Chicks had actually said on just one occasion. It was fellow entertainers and associates giving those who had grabbed something as an excuse to make a political point and sacrificed the careers of the Chicks (by happen stance) to do so. And a protest against the “Country” Establishment trying to make everyone subscribe to their values – and let us remember that the Chicks had mightily annoyed this establishment before by not conforming to “the rules” of how they were expected to record, what they were expected to record, what instruments they were expected to play and so on (quite possibly the reason they were singled out anyway).
The reaction at the ceremony itself by the ladies was entirely in keeping with this general background of brief revolt by “the workers”. And it was generally applauded by those present (though perhaps not all!). Like many such protests, it was short-lived, and never intended to be a wider challenge. Adults are allowed to behave like kids in similar circumstances – then it's back to reality. The Chicks themselves had had to grow up fast since 2003 (which they started out as entertainment darlings – for selling so many records), the product of which were the song and album which won the awards, and which stand as testimony to how far they had grown up.
Two years later, many Dixie Chick fans are wondering if the girls were so exhausted by the 2003-2007 experience which culminated in the Awards (and by having more children) that they've got little left to give, musically. As to their political leanings, apart from being against the Iraq war, contrary to media assumptions they have not spoken out, so we really don't know how they line up. Emily and Martie in particular have hardly voiced any opinions in public.