That quote from Euripides certainly ran through my mind when I read this description of the new documentary about the Ditzy Slits Dixie Chicks.

Filmmakers have created a nonchronological story to emphasize the Greek tragedy behind the Dixie Chicks' spiral into country music's public enemy No. 1. The Chicks vs. President Bush, the Chicks vs. Toby Keith, the Chicks vs. country radio -- every antagonistic angle is covered, and yet Maines, Emily Robison and Martie McGuire persevere, with their chroniclers providing a sympathetic tone to their every struggle.

And their actions following Natalie MainesÂ’ stupid comment about President Bush while on stage in England certainly appear insane to me.

Maines is seen backstage at Shepherds Bush Empire asking for an update on the just-launched war in Iraq; within hours -- with cameras rolling -- she offhandedly says, "We're ashamed the president is from Texas," the home state of both Bush and the Chicks. She makes the statement, turns to a bandmate and laughs.

The press makes hay of her comment, and the Chicks and management go into damage-control mode, which will last nearly three years. There's the famous nude Entertainment Weekly magazine cover shoot, the Diane Sawyer interview and the protests at concerts.

Yes. But there is something that gets out. Rather than apologize for offending their fans (which would have been sufficient for me, who was prepared to buy tickets for their 2003 concert in Houston), they sounded a defiant note. Rather than acknowledge that those who were offended had a right to disagree, the band instead painted themselves as the victims of some McCarthyistic furor. Not only that, but they and their supporters acted as if the band was entitled to airplay and album sales – an insane proposition that placed the band’s freedom of speech above the rights of the rest of the American public.

The Left likes to tell us the Ditzy Slits Dixie Chicks were censored for their political speech. There is some truth to that claim – but not the way that the advocates for the band would have the public believe. Millions of Americans did censor band by turning them off and refusing to buy their albums and tickets. Hundreds of radio stations, reacting to listener pressure, censored them by dropping the band from playlists. All of this censorship, though, was of a sort that the Constitution permits – and at no time did the government act against the band, which is prohibited under the First Amendment. The rights of the band were respected, but so were the rights of millions of Americans to express their disapproval with their wallets.

After all, while the girls have every right to speak and sing, they have no right to an audience or a paycheck

Posted by: Greg at 12:36 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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