Buftex Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 I respect your view, I just feel the whole thing was juvenile to begin with. 819622[/snapback] I could not agree more...which is what made the universal condemnation of the Dixie Chicks by the right wing media, and corporate America all the more absurd. Wasn't it just 4 months earlier that the NFL (one of the most conservative institutions in the country) had the Dixie Chicks singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? Do you know that their single, "Traveling Soldier" hit the #1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart (which is now based partially on radio airplay) the week the comments were made, and fell out of the top 100 in one week? That has never happened before in the history of Billboard. You can't tell me that so many Americans loved a song that much, and turned around and hated it so much, within that short a frame time, simply because Natalie Maines (like many other Texans) said she was ashamed that GW was from Texas. This was mainly the doing of Clear Channel, and the zealots at FOX. This is an issue that I think is much bigger than the Dixie Chicks, and something that should seriously concern anyone who is a thinking American, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on.
kegtapr Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! 819839[/snapback] Care to elaborate?
taterhill Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 lose their tops, and I will take them seriously
erynthered Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 lose their tops, and I will take them seriously 819881[/snapback] Are they not part of the whole 72 Virgin thing? Its a conspiracy, I just know it.........
gmac17 Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 You can't tell me that so many Americans loved a song that much, and turned around and hated it so much, within that short a frame time, simply because Natalie Maines (like many other Texans) said she was ashamed that GW was from Texas. This was mainly the doing of Clear Channel, and the zealots at FOX. 1) It is safe to say that a significant portion of the dixie chicks fan base leaned right politically. 2) 2 weeks before the US went to war with Iraq, and in a foreign country - The Dixie Chicks decide to take make a comment that they are embarrassed that their president is from texas. It boggles my mind that people wouldn't think saying something that would offend so many of their fans at such a politically sensitive time might get some people mad. They went to a foreign country and said they were embarrassed by someone probably 80% of their fans supported. If the Dixie Chicks had said "we don't like our president, or "we shouldn't invade iraq" - I don't think any of this would have happened. But they were in a foreign country and said they were embarrassed by the president - at a time when the country was about to go to war. Bad choice of location, timing and words. I don't go see Neil Young in concert because I don't want to sit through a political hate-fest. A lot of people don't like what the dixie chicks said, so they dropped them. Tom Cruise jumped on a couch and was a dick to matt lauer, and he got dropped by tons of fans. Using your logic, this shouldn't have happened because his acting didn't suddenly get worse, did it? Right, wrong or indifferent - people need to live with their actions and the dixie chicks made a collosal error in judgement from a marketing standpoint.
SilverNRed Posted October 29, 2006 Posted October 29, 2006 Uh, check out how many copies of their newest album sold, with almost zero country radio airplay! It has sold nearly 2 million copies since June, and is one of the top selling records of 2006. 819836[/snapback] That album had one of the biggest media onslaughts when it was released that I can remember. How many magazine covers were they on? How many times were they interviewed on national TV for that "brave" stand they took? It's basically over for them. Country music fans won't take them back and they won't get the same hype for their next album if that ever happens.
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 I could not agree more...which is what made the universal condemnation of the Dixie Chicks by the right wing media, and corporate America all the more absurd.Wasn't it just 4 months earlier that the NFL (one of the most conservative institutions in the country) had the Dixie Chicks singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? Do you know that their single, "Traveling Soldier" hit the #1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart (which is now based partially on radio airplay) the week the comments were made, and fell out of the top 100 in one week? That has never happened before in the history of Billboard. You can't tell me that so many Americans loved a song that much, and turned around and hated it so much, within that short a frame time, simply because Natalie Maines (like many other Texans) said she was ashamed that GW was from Texas. This was mainly the doing of Clear Channel, and the zealots at FOX. This is an issue that I think is much bigger than the Dixie Chicks, and something that should seriously concern anyone who is a thinking American, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on. 819855[/snapback] Well, I disagree. The last time that I checked, there is no law out there that "forces" radio stations to play certain music. For example, if a rap group from Miami made a song called "F*** Buffalo", and it sold a million copies across the US, would you expect a Buffalo radio station to play it? Would you complain and boycott the radio station if they did play it? Probably yes, and you would say that the song "deserves" to be boycotted. I think that Clear Channel is crap, but "forcing" them to play certain music sets a scary precedent.
RkFast Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 If these dimwits try to milk this thing any more, their breasts will fall off.
Wacka Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 The way the contracts are today, artists get relatively little from record sales. Thye make most of the $ from touring. . The Ditsy Chicks have had to canel a lot of concerts due to poor sales.
KD in CA Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 I just saw the trailer for this movie in a theatre, and I really wanted to shout out "2003 called, it wants its hot-button issue back," but I resisted the urge. 819694[/snapback] Congress was not at stake in 2003. There must have been production delays in this latest Mooresque propaganda piece. Clearly they missed thier target release date of six weeks prior to the elections.
mcjeff215 Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Because other advertisers who disagree with the message could pull their ads, losing money for NBC. It's not censorship, it's all about money. 819709[/snapback] Yeah, I understand it's not censorship. NBC has a right to choose whatever it is they want to show. You honestly think other advertisers would pull ads over it, though?
apuszczalowski Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Well, I disagree. The last time that I checked, there is no law out there that "forces" radio stations to play certain music. 819895[/snapback] Not in Canada, We have a stupid rule that states any Canadian Radio station must play a certain percentage of Canadian Artists per day (something like 20-40%) As for the Dixie Chicks, who cares, its probably all just more publicity to get their fans back and buy a new album. They screwed up and should have kept their mouths shut instead of taking a political view. Its fine to believe that and say it in private or to close friends, but when you are in the spotlight, you have to accept the risks of making a comment like that. The right of free speech that allows you to say that also allows others to say the opposite. They lost alot of fans making that comment and it sunk their careers, now they are trying to dig their way out of the hole they put themselves in. Alot of Country music fans are fans of the president (being southerners) and he was voted in to office again by the voting public this time for a second term, so there are supporters out there of him, so making comments about how you are embarrased by him may cause some to turn their backs on you. Its similar to what happened to Metallica when they came out against napster. They were made out to be evil money grubbing musicians (although they weren't the only ones to think that way but were the only ones with the balls to speak up and fight). But they lost alot of fans because of that, and it had nothing to do with their music (before anyone says anything about the music, they did this before the St. Anger album)
bills_fan Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Well, Monica Lewinski, Kathleen Willey, lying to a grand jury, legislation that made it official US policy to out Saddam Hussein, Enron, Global Crossing, Tyco, Jaunita Broderick, Whitewater, Casa Grande, Vince Foster, Elian Gonzales, 1st Trade Center boming, Oklahoma City, Ron Brown, Ruby Ridge, Waco, Paula Jones, USS Cole, Khobar Towers, Bruce Babbitt, knuckling under to N. Korea, "I have no specific recollection...", etc. would get him up to Bill's standards. Why am I hearing Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" in my head when I'm reading this?
RuntheDamnBall Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Why am I hearing Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" in my head when I'm reading this? 820413[/snapback] Your radio dial's stuck on "crap"?
bills_fan Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Your radio dial's stuck on "crap"? Oh come on now. You may not like him, but he's a terrific songwriter.
RuntheDamnBall Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Oh come on now. You may not like him, but he's a terrific songwriter. 820498[/snapback] Dylan is a terrific songwriter. Every one of Billy Joel's moves can be seen coming a mile away. I just don't buy him as a poet or composer of much other than schlock. The too many times hearing "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" at the laundromat have filled me with hatred.
ajzepp Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 Your radio dial's stuck on "crap"? 820477[/snapback] WCRP....VA could be the DJ
Buftex Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 The way the contracts are today, artists get relatively little from record sales. Thye make most of the $ from touring. . The Ditsy Chicks have had to canel a lot of concerts due to poor sales. 820101[/snapback] That would be funny, if it was true! The Dixie Chicks new album has sold nearly two million copies (it ranks among the top 10 records of the year), and their tour is one of the biggest of the year, despite cancelling a few shows in midddle America, where their records are not being played. Clear Channel does not allow their affiliates to accept advertising money for their record or tour. Their shows in Canada and Europe are SRO. They are bringing home about $600,000 a show, in the US, and drawing an average of about 10,000 people. Their 17 dates in the US since June have grossed $10 million. Sure, they are paying for saying something controversial, but they are not going broke anytime soon. Do any of you realize, they are one of the top selling artists of the last 25 years? They have releases 4 studio albums, and a live album, and sold nearly 30 million records. There are no country artists coming close to those numbers, and few in the pop world. Those are staggering record sales, not just good. Much bigger mainstream acts don't sell near that. As for your assertion that artists get paid little for record sales may be true for most, but not the Dixie Chicks. They sued Sony, and won, and now get a very healthy royalty for records sold. A very good friend of mine wrote one of their songs ("Traveling Soldier"). As an album track, he received about .35 for every record sold. When the song was released as a single (or an "emphasis track" as they are called in the business now, as there are few actual singles released), his royalty more than doubled. I don't know what the Dixie Chicks get, but I assure you, they made more than him. That album sold about 6 million copies.
Buftex Posted October 30, 2006 Posted October 30, 2006 1) It is safe to say that a significant portion of the dixie chicks fan base leaned right politically. I will agree! 2) 2 weeks before the US went to war with Iraq, and in a foreign country - The Dixie Chicks decide to take make a comment that they are embarrassed that their president is from texas. As a Texan, I agee with them, I am embarassed too! It boggles my mind that people wouldn't think saying something that would offend so many of their fans at such a politically sensitive time might get some people mad. They went to a foreign country and said they were embarrassed by someone probably 80% of their fans supported. If the Dixie Chicks had said "we don't like our president, or "we shouldn't invade iraq" - I don't think any of this would have happened. But they were in a foreign country and said they were embarrassed by the president - at a time when the country was about to go to war. Bad choice of location, timing and words. Personally, I don't think the location of where the comment was made is really that signifcant to anyone, other than those who were trying to convince people they should be outraged.... I don't go see Neil Young in concert because I don't want to sit through a political hate-fest. A lot of people don't like what the dixie chicks said, so they dropped them. You choose not to see Neal Young, that is your choice, and I respect that. But, to the best of my knowledge, Young was never blackballed by a corporation that has a monopoly on the very means by which artists work is promoted...the record buying public chose to see or not see him. You have the choice. In the case of the Dixie Chicks, Clear Channel made the choice for millions. Tom Cruise jumped on a couch and was a dick to matt lauer, and he got dropped by tons of fans. Using your logic, this shouldn't have happened because his acting didn't suddenly get worse, did it? This is a poor analogy. Up to the point that Natalie Maines made her controversial statement, they were not considered radical threats by the political right. Tom Cruises' behavior had been in question for some time. Also, Maines statement was made in front a relatively small audience overseas, and not on national television. You may be right, so many may have been outraged by Maines, that they may have organized Dixie Chicks cd burnings on their own...but just in case, Clear Channel helped them along... Right, wrong or indifferent - people need to live with their actions and the dixie chicks made a collosal error in judgement from a marketing standpoint. I think that is absolutely correct. I couldn't agree more. They made a mistake from a marketing standpoint, and they have paid for it, but that was not the issue. Their attempt at apologizing for what was really a pretty mild comment, only backfired on them. So, now they have dug themselves into the trenches, and are not backing down. I kind of admire them for that...no phoney Mel Gibson mea culpas...the fact that three years later more and more people agree with them isn't going to hurt them any... 819886[/snapback]
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