Dixie Chicks: Whine, Moan, Bitch
Via Drudge, news that NBC news has refused to run ads promoting the new Dixie Chicks movie.
NBC says that the ads are “disparaging to President Bush.”
Given that NBC News is quite willing to run material disparaging to President Bush, it appears that NBC simply doesn’t want to run supposed movie trailers that are in fact political ads.
You can see one of the ads here, and another here.
The trailers imply that we are “not living in a free society.”
According to Drudge:
Entertainers who make thenselves obnoxious to fans can expect CDs to stay on the shelves, online downloads to drop off, and concert tickets to go unsold.
That’s called free consumer choice.
The rhetoric about the “corporate media” is equally silly. The bête noire of the leftists is Clear Channel Communications. But the local Clear Channel country station, WMIL-FM, continued to play Dixie Chicks music long after lead singer Natalie Maines attacked Bush at a London concern in 2003.
What finally pushed WMIL Program Director Kerry Wolfe over the line was statements made by the Chicks attacking country music fans, and a rather sleazy interview with Howard Stern.
From the “not so corporate media,” Program Director Fuzz Martin of WBWI-FM said that “Our policy has been, since March 2003, no Chicks. Sometimes our satellite affiliates sneak them in - but it’s very very minimal, and usually overnight.” Martin made it clear that this was in response to his perception of what fans wanted to hear. He suggested that the failure of a Dixie Chicks single happened because “. . . a lot of radio stations that were hot to start playing them again, did so, and then received a rash of ‘I can’t believe you’re playing the Dixie Chicks’ phone calls (or test results).”
Natalie Maines blundered when she attacked Bush in 2003. But that was not fatal. Like petulant brats, the Chicks overreacted, started attacking country music fans and saying they wanted to make music for the “cool people.”
Country music fans are loyal, but if you insult them enough they will turn away.
What do the Dixie Chicks have now? The hate Bush crowd can go to Air America or the Daily Kos. People who want to listen to nondescript pop music have a lot of options.
But it’s a free country, and you can throw your fan base away if you want to. Just please spare us the whining.
NBC says that the ads are “disparaging to President Bush.”
Given that NBC News is quite willing to run material disparaging to President Bush, it appears that NBC simply doesn’t want to run supposed movie trailers that are in fact political ads.
You can see one of the ads here, and another here.
The trailers imply that we are “not living in a free society.”
According to Drudge:
Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company stated, “It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America. The idea that anyone should be penalized for criticizing the president is sad and profoundly un-American.”In fact, the Chicks are in commercial trouble because we are living in a free society.
Entertainers who make thenselves obnoxious to fans can expect CDs to stay on the shelves, online downloads to drop off, and concert tickets to go unsold.
That’s called free consumer choice.
The rhetoric about the “corporate media” is equally silly. The bête noire of the leftists is Clear Channel Communications. But the local Clear Channel country station, WMIL-FM, continued to play Dixie Chicks music long after lead singer Natalie Maines attacked Bush at a London concern in 2003.
What finally pushed WMIL Program Director Kerry Wolfe over the line was statements made by the Chicks attacking country music fans, and a rather sleazy interview with Howard Stern.
From the “not so corporate media,” Program Director Fuzz Martin of WBWI-FM said that “Our policy has been, since March 2003, no Chicks. Sometimes our satellite affiliates sneak them in - but it’s very very minimal, and usually overnight.” Martin made it clear that this was in response to his perception of what fans wanted to hear. He suggested that the failure of a Dixie Chicks single happened because “. . . a lot of radio stations that were hot to start playing them again, did so, and then received a rash of ‘I can’t believe you’re playing the Dixie Chicks’ phone calls (or test results).”
Natalie Maines blundered when she attacked Bush in 2003. But that was not fatal. Like petulant brats, the Chicks overreacted, started attacking country music fans and saying they wanted to make music for the “cool people.”
Country music fans are loyal, but if you insult them enough they will turn away.
What do the Dixie Chicks have now? The hate Bush crowd can go to Air America or the Daily Kos. People who want to listen to nondescript pop music have a lot of options.
But it’s a free country, and you can throw your fan base away if you want to. Just please spare us the whining.
posted by John McAdams at 9:14 PM
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