Dixie Chicks, the American "country" music band got lot of hate and protest from their own fans when Natalie Maines, the lead singer, criticized George Bush. The average country music fan is white, southern male and they are also mostly supporters of conservative Republicans and the war in Iraq.
So it was a brave thing for the Chicks to criticize the war and the president in their 2003 tour at London. The reaction were immediate and harsh. Their songs were taken out from country music radio stations and fans asked to boycott them.
How did the girls react back? They didnt demurely apologize to get back their fan base. They repeatedly declared that they stand by their statements. And that showed a great deal of character. The girls didnt shy away from a fight and fight they did get from country musicians like Toby Keith etc.
They have brought out a great new Album, "Not Ready to make nice" and the main song is a powerful defense of their stand and you should all listen to it. But beneath all this, one must also remember that they are great musicians as well as great looking girls. Who says good looks and intelligence doesnt go together.
Dixie Chicks are a powerful role model and I certainly dont think that they are doing this for publicity. Now these are girls I really admire for speaking their minds and so unlike Ms Roy of the God of Small things fame.
Here are the great lyrics.
4 comments:
Hey SreeK,
Nice column. I dont know much abt the arunduti incident, but it is upsetting that she has to go all the way to NY to publicize her grievances about India, in a way misusing her position (at the book reading) to publicize her views.
but there are some parallels betw the dixie chick incident and the roy incident.
i dunno the mindset of the former fans of the chicks but i know if i were a US fan i would be more upset of the fact that the group went all the way to england to air their greivances about the US before a performance again misusing their position like ms roy in NY.
though i dont agree with ms roy i feel everyone has the right to air their grievances but there is a time and a place to do so....come on a prog and debate it with the ppl concerned or write up a column abt it where you have a chance to hear other views and debate it.
what do u think?
-sid
one booker and she is done with her life - as they often say .. has she lost it completely ?
Sid,
Yeah you are right cos the Dixie Chick said it outside US, might be a reason for many to protest. But they are just musicians and infact thats what they themselves said that they were surprised with the attention to what they said rather than the war in Iraq.
It would be very difficult to debate with Ms Roy for she has the martyr mentality which even the displaced people might not have. Her position is certainly valid that the dam might be causing hardship to lot of people especially because it is quite possible that the state govt. is not adequately compensating the people.
@Ghosh
Think that Ms Roy feels that her best bet for Nobel would come for peace rather than literature :-)
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