I almost made it 6 weeks without posting. Not commenting only lasted about two weeks. This worked as well as my attempt to quit Diet Coke. Oh well.
I have discussed my feelings about the bloggernacle in a number of places recently, both in private and in public forums. By putting up some posts about my projects, I hope I can focus my energies in a more productive way. It is also best that I focus my blogging on the friendly confines of my home here at Faith-Promoting Rumor.
As for my feelings about the LDS blogging community overall…well…this video is not only one of my favorites, but it gets to some of my feelings.
Diet Coke is a force of nature.
No kidding. 🙂
So, you picked a fight with your base and …
I’m not that fond of the Dixie Chicks and their current attitude, all in all. They seem sore because no one wants to buy or play their music and want to blame everyone they managed to offend.
I don’t see you in the same light.
When one like myself listens to Green Day and Rage against the Machine, the Dixie Chicks are rather mellow in their brand of bitterness.
I think they sold lots of this album, just to a different crowd.
I have no idea what exactly I am doing. Of course, I do not get paid to do this…a big difference.
“I’m not that fond of the Dixie Chicks and their current attitude, all in all. They seem sore because no one wants to buy or play their music and want to blame everyone they managed to offend.”
Let’s be clear, it wasn’t that “no one wanted to buy or play their music.” It was that they were banned by Clear Channel broadcasting, which owns 1,200 radio stations around the country, which is based in Texas and known to be friendly to the Bush family.
It’s an uphill battle (yes, that’s a pun, with their “Top of the World” fame) to sell records when you are being shut out of your past and potential audience.
I find that chilling, just chilling.
It was particularly disturbing that about the same time the Dixie Chicks were banned, the country airwaves started to fill with pro-war and pro-soldier songs. One of my least favorites is, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” by Toby Keith, which boasts, “We’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.”
I’m an Army veteran and my youngest brother served three tours of active duty since 9-11 so don’t you dare accuse me of being unpatriotic to side with the DCs. What happened to them is not patriotism, it’s censorship.
They picked a clear fight with The Wolf, 99.5 in Dallas.
They aren’t ready to make nice, 99.5 isn’t ready to play their songs.
It has little to do with censorship (I see absolutely no government involvement). But the record sales aren’t being driven by the same force that drives other bands. There are lots of non Clear Channel stations that are aching to draw listeners from the Clear Channel stations.
If the Dixie Chicks music moved fans, they would suck the listeners away from the Clear Channel stations (one per market after all) like a huge vacuum. There have been other boycotts, they’ve all folded if the artists had drawing power.
The Wolf, btw, is a Cirrus (or whatever the name is) Company station, not clear channel. But it is the big gun in country in Texas. Much more than Clear Channel and its stations.
I’m not calling you unpatriotic Naismith.
Chris H., the sales are way down on the Dixie Chicks, the air time has gone away.
But still, my original question was implied, I should have said it clearly.
What is it that you’ve picked a fight over and are not ready to make nice? Is it a fight you lost, are bitter about, and are now pouting that you can make friends outside of the core audience you’ve lost or is it something else?
I’ve missed whatever it is you are not ready to make nice about.
But, as to the Dixie Chicks, they really did pick a fight with their base and aren’t happy now. A stupid fight that they backed into and are pitching it all in on.
Compare that to another country star who wanted to come out as a lesbian and a vegan. She moved her venue, came out, did not pick a fight with anyone, has made a clean transition. No one has picked a fight with her or has any complaints.
The Dixie Chicks made some rather harsh comments off the cuff to a foreign audience. When it didn’t go over well, they put together an album with the theme that those who didn’t like what they had done or the way they did it were welcome to get the Toby Keith treatment (albeit with much better rhyming and real scansion).
Ok, message accepted. They can always just move on and become rockers. Britney Spears has obviously lost her early tween fans. She isn’t complaining. No “I’m not sorry and you are an abusive jerk for not liking me” message to the moms of tweeners who don’t see Toxic and other hits as good music for twelve year olds.
Anyway. The current Dixie Chick music really doesn’t sound much like stuff that would play well on The Wolf or similar stations (which I listen to only when I really need traffic updates, otherwise I tend to listen to NPR — Dallas probably has the best NPR station in the world).
Not are they “not ready to make nice” they aren’t ready to sing material that will grab audiences.
I’ve seen other boycotts fall apart when the artist romanced their base and delivered music that their base wanted. Nothing guts a boycott by one set of radio stations than other stations playing the music and grabbing market share.
“The Dixie Chicks made some rather harsh comments off the cuff to a foreign audience.”
Harsh? What she said was, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” That doesn’t strike me as harsh. She didn’t call him names or belittle him. She simply disagreed. And of course, she was correct that it was an unrighteous war of aggression, with no tactical foundation, that has not made our country any safer, and only increased the number of terrorists who hate Americans. And killed thousands of Americans.
“But, as to the Dixie Chicks, they really did pick a fight with their base and aren’t happy now.”
Oh, I dunno. They looked pretty happy at the Grammy Awards in 2007, picking up five major awards including song of the year and record of the year.
“Not are they “not ready to make nice” they aren’t ready to sing material that will grab audiences.”
Except that their last album went multiple-platinum?
I’ve heard that one of the reasons that Natalie refuses to return to the stage is that she wants to spend time with her young children, something LDS can certainly understand.
But I agree, this is a distraction from Chris H’s reasons.
Stephen,
“What is it that you’ve picked a fight over and are not ready to make nice? Is it a fight you lost, are bitter about, and are now pouting that you can make friends outside of the core audience you’ve lost or is it something else?
I’ve missed whatever it is you are not ready to make nice about.
Sorry for being so vague, but it is a veil reference to some interactions. Those who it is aimed at know who they are. They likely do not care.
I like that they came out with middle-fingers blazing rather than begging for forgiveness. They are sufficiently rich that I am sure that they can do whatever they want. I like that they have moved toward the Johnny Cash/Steve Earle wing of country.
However, the post is not so much about the Dixie Chicks (though I agree with what Naismith has said…and that usually is not the case..though I like it).
They are currently on tour, opening for the Eagles (a band that does quite well with red state audiences even though it has blue state politics).
Now they did make a public statement “As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful.” and they did get a politically based Grammy for an album that was not well received.
“Maines finally confessed that it was indeed a shot at Toby Keith, and that she “thought that nobody would get it”
“”We don’t feel a part of the country scene any longer, it can’t be our home anymore””
“I’d rather have a smaller following of really cool people who get it”
As to the latest album, the songs “failed to penetrate the top 35” though it was “ninth best-selling album ” even if not multi-platinum.
Though I’ve got to admit, songs like http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dixie+chicks/goodbye+earl_20040999.html still have legs.
Anyway, appreciate that Chris has a conflict with some people who will remain unknown, over issues that are unsaid, and that he enjoys the current iteration of the Dixie Chicks.
Enough on the Dixie Chicks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Dixie_Chicks has a lot of great stuff, but basically they draw their name from Dixie.
What did you do that you’re not ready to make nice about. Not to bring up old wounds but I was curious.
Hmmm, you all can be pushy…
annegb, it has roots in some the comments I made recently during some recent bloggernacle navel-gazing and some related private conversations. It is not all that interesting, I am sure.
I have now made nice. I feels A LOT better.