Dixie "Twits"- 5 for 5

by Kristen Pinsent, SUNY Cortland, March 8, 2007

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Freedom of speech, its one of the reasons that we pride ourselves in being American. We have fought wars, both overseas and even in our own country to keep it. Black communities were suppressed and fought for decades for freedom of speech during the 50s and 60s while women have been trying to overcome the world's view of them as being the “weaker” of the two sexes for hundreds of years. So when we pride ourselves and believe that all U.S citizens are guaranteed this right, why do we reprimand those who use their voices?

In 2003 we were on the verge of war with Iraq. Many of Americans along with citizens of foreign countries were, and to this day, are anti-war. A well-known country band had something to say about the war issue and that band was the Grammy award winners, the Dixie Chicks. While in London on March 10, 2003 performing at a bar- Sheppard’s Bush Empire- Natalie Maines, the outspoken lead singer stated to the audience: “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”. With those words, the world seemed to start crumble on the Dixie Chicks.

The “Dixie Chicks” came about in 1989; Martie and Emily are/were the instrumental power, along with providing back-up vocals and they are biological sisters. Before Maines entered the band, there were two other band mates who were the lead vocals of the group. Natalie Maines came into the band in 1995 and was the sole lead singer. With Maine's distinctive voice, the band worked well as a trio. Many of the earlier songs like “Wide-Open Spaces” and “Goodbye-Earl” are songs of independence and strong women.

The band was not a political band, and nor did they want to be one but because of Maine's words, she was soon having to defend her statement and her reasoning for saying it. Instead of people agreeing with her statement of not wanting this violence, they focused on that part of being “ashamed the President was from Texas”. The country music scene and people of the South started a stir of hateful words toward this band of women, and with it came the news coverage for the incident. Customers of southern radio stations threatened to not listen to certain stations if they continued their playing the Dixie Chicks music, which started a boycott of their music by banning it from stations and throwing out Dixie Chicks CDs.

Maines offered an apology to the President and stated that: “As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American.". To me, I feel that Maines did not need to apologize; she used her voice to state something she believed in and that is something every American is entitled to, the fact if this was Maines' will to apologize or if she was pressured to apologize, could be argued.

Recently there was a documentary movie made in response to the uproar that was created. Shut Up & Sing is a newly released movie which follows the Chicks since March 2003, when Maines stated the remark, to 2006 when the girls returned to the same London pub where they had original opened there mouth and said something. The title to the documentary is pretty self explanatory in that when watching the news or seeing people's response in the south to the incident- you see many people stating: “ I wish they would just shut up and sing” or “keep making music, keep singing and keep your mouth shut”. People are listening to their music but do not want to hear what these women have to say.

These women are Americans, they have the same rights that every other male, female, race or religion has. If these women want to speak out- they should be allowed to speak, it can be a persons choice to listen or not to. It really upsets me to see people being so ignorant in saying these things because not only are Emily, Martie, and Natalie citizens, but more importantly, they are women. For a woman to say about the Dixie Chicks “I wish they would just shut up and sing”, is completely wrong: women worked hard for our freedom and as women we should celebrate that more often and voice our opinions more frequently.

There was a segment where the Dixie Chicks were being interviewed by Bill Maher and when Bill asks them what they have against President George W. Bush, Emily Robinson replies: “Well, I just believe women know when their being lied to”. It just shows how sassy, sophisticated, funny and charismatic these women are. I believe that this is one of the reasons as to why they were penalized so much. Here are three women who are intelligent, talented, and they are the persona of All American girls. They come from the South and are mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and good people. I believe that if some other band was to say something negative towards the President (as others have done) there would have not been such a controversy. These women were respected and people believed them to have the same right-winged conservative notions as the rest of the South- but they did not.

Natalie Maines stated at the beginning of the documentary that if someone was asked- what was it that Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks said about the President, that she believed most people would not know. With that, there is a sense of conformity in the South, going along with what everyone else believes. Other people used freedom of speech in saying things such as these women are: “Dixie Twits” or “the dumbest people” and even worse when Bill O’Reilly stated: “these women need to be slapped around” and a women reporter agreed. It shows how people really are; the Chicks open their mouth but were not degrading in the way these men and women are.

In 2006 the “Dixie Chicks” got into a recording studio in L.A and started to make new music. This time the music was their own, their own words and feelings and this time it was personal. “This album was like therapy for me” Martie has said. The album is so much different in that they have a totally different audience now. The words of the song are undeniably well written. The song “Not Ready to make Nice” lyrics: “made by bed, and I sleep like a baby, with no regrets and I don't mind saying, It's a sad, sad story
that a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger. And how in the world, Can the words that I said, Send somebody so over the edge, That they'd write me a letter, Saying that I better shut up and sing, Or my life will be over’” those lyrics have such power behind them about what it was like for, mainly Maines, to go through this rollercoaster ride.

Other genres of music don’t have such a following-like country- meaning, the political background of the people being one way as country- and that is very conservative. Other genres of bands have more room for freedom of speech because the followers are very integrated. Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan would get as much attention as the Dixie Chicks did with media but I believe that since they are males and have a much wider following, that they would not be so hated and would not be banned and have their fans turn on them so easily.

When President Bush was asked to comment on the controversy: “The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind. They can say what they want to say…They shouldn’t have their feelings hurt just because some people don’t want buy their records when they speak out…Freedom is a two way street”. In the documentary, Natalie responds to this statement by stating “you are a dumbfuck” looking into the camera as to say directly to President Bush. It is clear that this is not about feelings being hurt but about much more about censorship of speech.

Though this ride is still not over for the Dixie Chicks, in recent news, the country music genre still does not welcome the women and show this by giving them no nominations for the upcoming annual Academy of Country Music Awards. I do not believe it would faze the women though too much. As of 2006, the Dixie Chicks have come along way and are the highest selling female band in any musical genre, selling over 30 million albums. Also at the 49th annual Grammy Awards the group went five for five winning in every category they were nominated including the big three general categories, album of the year, record of the year and song of the year. Right now in 2007 59% of Americans have now stated that the war in Iraq was a mistake. When the Dixie Chicks returned to that same London Pub in 2006, Natalie started off the concert by saying “We just want to let ya’ll know were ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”. The Dixie Chicks are going to continue this fight and do it with a great spirit.

View Cover of Entertainment Weekly: Dixie Chicks come clean

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