Controversial Figures in Music

The band I'm going to talk about is the same band that I'm going to do for my Rockumentary next semester. They are the Dixie Chicks. Now you don't necessarily have to follow country music to know why they have been controversial, but it was before the whole George Bush thing that they were controversial.

The Dixie Chick have almost always been controversial to most country critics and fans. The first time was when they released "Goodbye Earl". This song was a song about domestic violence, and in the end these two friends decide to kill the husband of the one friend who is getting abused. Many country stations refused to play the song because of that fact. But the Dixie Chicks came back say that this is a song of empowerment to people that are getting domestically abused, but in no way promoting domestic abuse or are wanting people to kill an abuser. They just want action taken. Despite the song being pulled from some stations, the song still peaked at #13 on the country charts.

The one controversy that most people know about was the one with President Bush. It was just after the invasion of Iraq has started. At a concert that took place in London, lead singer, Natalie Maines, stated "Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas," which is the Dixie Chicks home state. This came with major backlash, and in my opinion, people overreacted. But what many people don't know is that fellow band member Emily Robison stated that the band supported the American troops 100 percent.

The main reason for the criticism was that they believed that she shouldn't have criticized Bush on foreign soil. But even Bush didn't care what the Dixie Chicks said. Maines apologized a couple of weeks later, but the hatred didn't stop. Lipton stopped an endorsement deal they have with the "Chicks", fans had parties where they would in some way destroy the Dixie Chick's CDs, and some former fans even sent death threats to the girls. Even fellow country stars attack them (ie. Toby Keith doctoring a picture making Maines look like Saddam Hussein.) Talk about overreacting. What I find funny about this is that at this same time, many celebrities where criticizing Bush and they never got any backlash whatsoever. And honestly, if someone said something about a politician I liked, I would just let it breeze past me. Not everyone is going to like the President.

In the end, the Dixie Chicks had the last laugh. Though their record sales have dropped, it has given them more freedom to write what they want and don't feel any pressure from the country side of things anymore. Lipton resigned them to there contract, they won 5 Grammy awards (which I think the honestly deserved, it was an awesome album), and a song about the experience that peaked in the top 5 of American charts.

Honestly, I think most people blew the situation way out of proportion an overreacted to the comment. I support both sides (the Dixie Chicks and the government), and I realize that everyone is entitled to free speak. If only everyone saw it that way, then this all would have not happened.