In the documentary Shut up and Sing, The Dixie Chicks plummeted head first into the shark infested waters of politics and unpopularity of their key demographic. The cause of the Dixie Chicks’ unpopularity among country music listeners is that the lead singer, Natalie Maines, made a comment at a London show that went against both the war in Iraq and President Bush, by saying “Were ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”. This statement by the Chicks’ lead singer immediately led to public boycotts of their shows which included trashing and burnings of their CD’s. This statement also led to many radio stations refusing to play their music because they were afraid of losing listeners.
Country music has a demographic, which consists mainly of white people who live primarily south of the Mason Dixon line; this demographic is very similar to that of the demographic for the Republican Party. After 9/11 George Bush’s approval rating was at a record high, and at this time country music radio was flooded with patriotic songs in support of all things America, including the war on terror. When the Dixie Chicks made their oppinion clear about the Presidents agenda in Iraq, their fans immedietely turned on them. The main reason of this uprising against them was because they went against the standards appointed to them. After the Londen incident, someone told the Dixie Chicks that they should “shut up and sing,” this stateent was derogatory toward the fact that this band of women basically only existed to entertain and look pretty, they didn’t want to hear their political ideologies. The Dixie Chicks were not the only band speaking out against Bush at the time.
In 2003 the band NOFX released an album called War on Errorism, which openly criticized President Bush with a picture of the president represented as a clown and with the caption “Somewhere in Texas there is a village without it’s idiot.” This band was never criticized for their free speech against the president, yet the Dixie Chicks almost lost their careers by speaking their mind; one might ask why this is? The reason why the Dixie Chicks were berated for their speech yet a punk band was not for saying the same thing is because NOFX –being a punk band –has a doxic relationship in the realm of being able to lash out against the president. Punk rock has always been associated to rebellion; whether it is rebelion against parents, school or even government. Punk rock has always been unapologetic about their outspoken disdain towards the government.
The Dixie Chicks, however, were heterodoxic; this is because they are not supposed to say such things about the president because of societal icons that say women should know their place (shut up and sing). Another icon that they went against was that they are young, white, Texan, country music performers; usually this form of band would be gung ho on the war on terror. Although the Dixie Chicks were criticized, their album following this George W. Bush kerfuffle debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and also won them a total of five Grammys, none of which were in any country category. This proves that a group can go beyond their comfort zone and still come out to be successful, while simultaneously holding true to their standards. The Chicks also proved that they do not need to succumb to social norms and they could speak freely no matter what the concequences.
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