Dallas Star's letter to the dixie chicks

[brettdale]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertainment/16130036.htm

Hello, girls. How are y'all? Well, never mind. We all know how you're doing. Pretty lousy, huh?

We know the last few years have been tough for ya, that it's been heartbreaking to see a lot of your fans turn their backs, burn your records, toss you aside like you're Billy Gilman.

Nat, we know you didn't really mean that you hate the U.S. or our troops when you said what you said about the president in 2003.

We thought this mess would blow over, that y'all would be back on top of the world and the charts in no time. We're pretty shocked that the country music community is still holding a grudge, still not playing your music on the radio, still not buying your concert tickets, still grinding axes.

[Codeblue]

1. Seems like they've been pretty

successful of late to me.

[Mythsaje]

2. They've rightfully turned THEIR backs on the insular, incestuous

country music "community" and good riddance.

They've probably gained more fans, overall, than they lost.

I actually liked SOME country music before all of this started, but not now. The vast majority of those connected with the country music establishment, either as musicians or fans, can collectively FUCK themselves.

These assholes should stop and think--what would Johnny Cash do?

[northshore]

3. Let me get this straight.....

The 25K a year writer is going to tell the 250K a year entertainer what she is doing wrong.

The problem is that the news these days is so unfamiliar with the concept of integrity that they are at a total loss to understand that some people will proudly suffer to hold to what they believe in.

[americanstranger]

6. That's probably a really, REALLY low estimate.

250K? They probably cleared that in a couple of weeks of the tour.

I think the 25K a year writer (you're probably pretty close on that estimate, and I use the term 'writer' loosely) sounds more than a little jealous.

- as

[newyawker99]

33. Hi northshore!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[blm]

4. What an asshole. Is this America?

Bill Maher gets kicked off ABC for the lies created by twisting his words.

Dixie Chicks are drawn and quartered for 3 years for lies created by twisting their words.

Dan Rather loses his job for lies created by the twisting of his news reporting.

John Kerry is told he's disqualified to run for the lies created by the twisting of his words.

Someone send this asshat in Dallas Keith Olbermann's Special Comment made pointing out BushInc's use of lies to to demonize critics and the corpmedia's willingness to further those lies.

Mayhew is a perfect example.

[Donkeykick]

5. And...

I do believe that they did cut down on the President--not the troops.

[Bunny]

7. Yes. When did the Chicks ever deride the troops?

I don't believe that they've done anything other than criticize Bush.

[Raster]

8. The letter writer needs to absorb certain facts: (1) they didn't diss the troops,

they really didn't diss the President of the United States. He wasn't elected. HE WAS SELECTED. And even if it is just a question of semantics; (2) THE CHICKS WERE RIGHT.

[kevinbgoode]

25. Con-servatives never bother with the facts. . .

. . .when a good manufactured story can work better for them.

[montana500]

9. Amazing.

". Get back to being the Dixie Chicks. "Shut up and play." It's not the nicest way to say that you need to go back to focusing on your music, but you get the point. In kinder words, re-evaluate what's important to you - music or politics. What was important to us, the people who've stuck by your side from Day One, was that your music offered an escape from what you're now throwing in our faces. "


I wonder if they wrote Toby Keith a letter too. Nah......

[liberal1973]

10. The guy is an idiot.

"Nat, we know you didn't really mean that you hate the U.S. or our troops when you said what you said about the president in 2003."

WTF? they never said they hate the troops. This guy is a liar.

[Cha]

18. Whomever this disingenuous idiot

is..he's using limpbaugh talking points and he's feelin' shitty cause the Dems have taken over and he's taking it out on the Dixie Chicks.

Dixie Chicks Rule and their former fans Drool.

[Oeditpus Rex]

32. He didn't say they did

He merely implied it by choice of words, whether intentionally or stupidly.

[MrTriumph]

11. Actually, it was 'Star Time' section of the For(t) W(orth) Star-Telegram

The cover of the 'Star Time' (a weekend things-to-do section) also has a very unflattering drawing of the DCs.

It was incredibly juvenile and meant to pander to red-meat Republicans and stir up interest in the paper to counter declining readership.

[hamletsophelia]

12. they're not suffering..

the country muasic community is a bunch of right wing religious hillybillies, who cares, they ( dixie chicks) should move to l.a or something screw that scene...

[cool user name]

13. Why did you say "Dallas Star's?"

I was thinking you meant the hockey team.

Nowhere in the letter does it say it's from the Dallas Stars. :shrug:

[tammywammy]

14. That's what I thought too

It's from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. And I'm guessing that since the website is dfw.com the OP assumed it was from Dallas.

:shrug:

[cool user name]

15. The Dallas Stars are my favorite team ...

I was a little disturbed by the subject line.

[Strelnikov_]

21. Hell, I Was Thinkin' JR

And regarding the article, 'monkeys with word processors'.

[Canadian Socialist]

22. Being Canadian and all, eh...

I, too, was thinking it was a hockey thread. :::shrug:::

BTW,
GO FLAMES GO

and I do love me some Dixie Chicks! heeee.

[praeclarus]

16. saying something suggesting that they said....

... they hated the troops when they said no such
thing was not an accident. He knows damn well they
didn't say that.

[fishwax]

17. I think the Dixie Chicks are doing just fine

but I'm sure they appreciate the advice :eyes:

[jumpoffdaplanet]

19. What a moron

And stupid enough to show it in public on the internet.

[dbt]

20. Y'know why Gawd-Fearin' "Country" music fans HATE the Chicks?

Because Natalie was RIGHT about bu$h. If you like the sight of exploding heads, engage a Patriotic, Flag-Sucking, "Country" music listener in a conversation about the Dixie Chicks. Then, ask 'em,

"Hey, what if Natalie was right about old bu$h? No disrespect, but didn't that Christian sumbitch lie us all into a war about nukyular weapons that we still ain't found? And oh, by the way, is your boy back from Eye-rack yet or did they send him again?"

They absolutely cannot deal with this. We're talking red faces, bulging forehead veins and HIGH blood pressure. If they're able to vocalize at all, it only amounts to spluttering.

:evilgrin:
dbt
Remember New Orleans

FYI: "Country" Radio died (read: committed suicide) when it convinced itself that Johnny Cash no longer had an audience. It has NO room to talk. None.

[last_texas_dem]

23. How stupid

First of all, why at this particular moment would this be a relevant article to write? Maybe a year or so after the controversy, but three-and-a-half years? Who really cares? There's a chunk of the country audience who are just reactionary idiots and will never forgive or forget. They're part of the 31-percent who still love Shrub and voted straight Repug this year. They're irrelevant. The primary reason the Dixie Chicks aren't doing as well with the country audience is because country radio won't play them, due in part to the corporate, conservative control of many of the stations, and due in part to the fact that FReepers and other losers have made it their mission to keep the Dixie Chicks off of the radio. A tiny but vocal minority can easily distort the feelings of the majority, and that is what the right-wing has succeeded at doing regarding country radio and the Dixie Chicks. Kinda funny, considering how much FReepers hate minorities, how much they seem to relish being one themselves (only they're too deluded to realize it...)

But as far as what the DC's need to do? Seems to me they're doing fine. Their album debuted at #1 and hasn't been shut out by non-country radio stations. Yeah, they had to move around some of their concert locations, but as far as I know, the concerts have done fine. And there's definitely no need to "shut up and sing." No need for anyone to, conservative or liberal. That's part of what makes people interesting; knowing their views and other things about them. The right just likes to bitch and moan about entertainers because they're more likely to be liberals. I'll believe the right aren't just a bunch of shameless hypocrites when they tell some of the Republican-contributing big corporations to not inject their opinions into the dialogue with the millions they give to Repugs. "Money is speech", right, you dumbass hypocrites? Shouldn't big business just shut up and do their business instead of trying to "influence" public opinion by having their leaders advocating for causes or candidates or contributing money to them? Seems to me that's essentially the same as what the "shut up and sing" crowd thinks entertainers should do. It's sad there exist such massive hypocrites in this world.

Oh yeah, and definitely, what's with the "hate the troops" bullshit? The DC's never said a *damn* thing about the troops, that I know of. I'm sure if they said anything it was definitely supportive. Apparently, the article writer is another fool who equates opposing war with opposing the troops. Another shameless hack... but he writes for the Dallas paper so why am I not at all suprised?

But anyway, keep up the good work, Natalie, Emily, and Martie! Y'all are excellent entertainers, and letting your views be known and not backing down has only strengthened my opinion of all of you as people. You seem to be doing just fine without the support of country radio; as long as y'all keep making good music your true fans will continue to stick by you as so many have since the right-wingers tried to get you blacklisted.

[zoeb]

24. they were the first to fall to the relentless right wing "unpatriotic"

crap spewed 24/7 over a stupid ass war that commander dumbass should never have gotten this country into. Bush and the rest of their ilk owe these girls a big apology for trying to trash their career over bad politics and a disastrous warplan...and the rest of us too for painting us as traitors and uncaring swine not supporting our troops. The Dchicks should sue every freaking rightwing shill for their losses.

[Warren DeMontague]

26. "You didn't really mean that you hate the U.S. or our troops"

Yeah. Because THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE SAID.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. Does this jackass really think the TROOPS like Bush any more than the Dixie Chicks do?

What fucking planet is he living on?

[gulliver]

28. The Chicks have a net gain.

The fans they have now are probably better people than the fans they lost. The fans they lost are missing out on some first class music.

[KharmaTrain]

29. I Saw The Chicks The Other Night On The James Taylor Tribute

This dude needs to twist the radio dial away from the Country stations (if there is one that doesn't play country in Dallas). According to the sales I saw, their last album not only sold well but got a lot of airplay...stations that would't have touched their music in the past, because they were country, now do.

It was great hearing them sing "Shower The People" on the PBS special...also on stage with Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Jackson Browne and many others...for any "friends" they lost, they gained entrance into a larger, more appreciative audience.

This sounds like petty jealousy to me...as others have noted, here's some wage slave who probably will be working at a bank drive-up in a couple years, while Natalie and the other will be still performing and to an audience that not only appreciates the stand they took, but also recognize what talented musicians they are.

[Liberal In Texas]

30. This is from what we call the "Startle Gram" The FW Star Telegram.

Nobody much reads it.

The author(s) are pretty much trying to make a little controversy where only a little exists.

Ignore it. We do here in the Metroplex.

[agincourt]

31. Chicken shit conservapigs always hide in the troops jockstraps

Any time anyone criticizes these pig-cocksuckers for their criminal behavior or fascist tendencies they come back with "you burn the flag, you spit on the troops" shit. Every time they do that shit, they need a red-hot poker shoved down their throat. Nothing but whores or criminals who hide the troops jockstraps like lice for protection.

[vanlassie]

34. The Chicks Educated Younger Chicks

I went to a Dixie Chicks concert two weeks ago here in the home of Free Republic, and there were 8000 in the audience, and the vast majority were young women under the age of 30. Here's what I think.

These young women who were great fans of the Dixie Chick's music before Natalie made her comment, were very likely oblivious to politics before she made her comment, too. But with the awful way she was treated, I think many of them became much more aware of the politics of the war, and they are now Brand New Liberals!

Knowing my community, I'm fairly sure these girls were apolitical, or leaned conservative along with their families, pre-Natalie. But that woman is SUCH a role model for personal authority! What young woman wouldn't be drawn to that demonstration of authenticity and tell-it-like-it-is attitude?

The girls in the audience sang along with every word like songbirds, cheered every anti-war reference in the music, and just basically gave me a warm feeling for their future ability to be aware of important issues that could affect them.

I'm so grateful for charismatic and truthtelling people like Natalie Maines. She's a patriot.

Vanlassie

[hatrack]

35. Anybody see "Shut Up And Sing" yet?

Went last night - just awesome, not to mention hilarious.

If you go, keep in mind the source of the controversy as you approach the very end of the movie. Brilliant.

[Subdivisions]

36. Ummm...the Star-Telegram is Fort Worth's major daily newspaper,

not Dallas. Fort Worth get soooo disrespected in the shadow of Dallas, I just had to make the correction.

Turns out the Dixie Chicks were right all along and those who were wrong just can't handle the truth. As a Texan, I am also ashamed that George Bush came to the presidency from Texas. I am repulsed that I even touched him by shaking hands with the slimeball right here in the Cleburne Civic Center (I was there as an rabid environmental activist...not as a supporter). He's a total loser and buffoon. Say what you want to say, Natalie. You'll get no argument from me.