Bush’s Best Friends

This week we had the opportunity to explore two different genres of music.  Country from the Dixie Chicks and rap from Queen Latifah.  The Dixie Chicks aren’t on the top of my everyday music list but the articles we read about them made me learn much more than I knew.  Which isn’t a lot, all I knew was they were country musicians.   The Dixie Chicks were frowned upon after one performance in London.

            I found the severity of measures that followed the comments in London were not particularly right.  Less than two weeks before we invaded Iraq the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, said to everyone in attendance “‘just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.’” These comments were scrutinized by many Americans, and even the President himself commented.  Most things said were not nice comments.  I was thrown of at the reactions because it is her right to freely speak out about whatever she believes.  Yes, the circumstances of being in another country could throw people off.  They were trying to let people know, all Texans are not like the President of the United States and they don’t want to be judged by being from the same place.  I think that because they’re women who spoke out about the President at the time, they were examined further than any male musician would have been.  As touchy as the topic seems to be, if a male band was out of country and said those same exact words it wouldn’t have touched the media for more than a day.  People would’ve probably nodded their heads yes and thrown riots against the President.  Their records probably would’ve sold more.

            The Dixie Chicks took in all the criticism and rode it like a gnarly wave.  They knew it wasn’t going to go away easily but over time people forgive and forget.  They continue making music, some breaking off to play other gigs.  I think they were strong to get past the fact that everyone was out to get them over one comment.  I find it really powerful they could overcome so much, even death threats, and do what they love, play music.