I believe that every child, at some point in their short-lived careers as never-ending pains, has heard the words: “shut up” and “sit down”. And, like the young Barbara Walters they are, they inquire as to why they should obey these orders. “Because I said so!”
Well, I use this example in reference to the Dixie Chicks and their infamous comments about President George W. Bush in 2003 on the eve of the invasion of Iraq. On stage in London, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of Dixie Chicks, said that the group was, “ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”
The crowd, anti-Bush and anti-war supporters, cheered the band on. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., this statement was followed by an immediate uproar, a sudden disgust for the band. There was boycotting of their albums in the South and Mid-west, with people crushing them in the streets. Maines received hate mail threatening her life on several occasions saying that she would be “shot dead” on given dates. Even radio stations turned down callers’ requests to hear their favorite Chicks’ songs. The unexpected and ridiculous controversy which followed forced Maines to apologize. Yet even after, just like small misled children, they were told to keep their opinions to themselves and do what they were expected to do: sing. So, why should they do this? Because the American people said so.
Thankfully, it seems that the Chicks have other plans. It’s been three years since the controversy began and the flame is still getting fuel. Recent news reveals that the Dixie Chicks are back for a little more one-on-one with the president, this time in the form of a documentary. The film, appropriately titled “Shut Up and Sing,” debuted September in Toronto and is set to appear in theaters nationwide on Nov. 10.
The documentary, directed by two-time Academy Award- winner Barbara Kopple, followed the group since their peak of popularity through their comments in 2003 and the chaos since, showing the backlash (and what many Americans believe to be a ‘punishment’), which the Chicks still experience today. The film shows the raw emotions of both the Dixie Chicks and their ex-fans during the national debate over whether or not their comments were justified.
So, with a documentary like this one heading our way, we’re left to wonder just how the American public will react. I believe that it’s fair to say there won’t be any more apologies from any of the band members. Even the Chicks have directly acknowledged their defiance in their song, “Not Ready to Make Nice,” featuring lyrics such as, “I made my bed, and I sleep like a baby, with no regrets,” and “Forgive sounds good. Forget, I’m not sure I could.” Chicks member Emily Robison says simply, “Americans don’t like mouthy women.”
There doesn’t seem to be any holding back this time, seeing as how the Dixie Chicks are reported to have said that President Bush “is a dumb f***” in the new documentary. I just wonder if the film will be released with little or much protest from the anti-Dixie Chick movement. It wouldn’t surprise me if certain theaters, those in the South especially, chose not to show the film. Hell, I wouldn’t blame them for not wanting to lose business over something as important as a film depicting another side to a story that’s captivated us for three years. Oh no, that would be asking too much. Consumerism isn’t about individuality. It’s about making a nation of clones, a world where being unique only means that you can’t afford what you, and everyone else, really wants.
Personally, I salute the Dixie Chicks for having the balls and standing up for their beliefs as women, mothers and icons. How does it make sense to say that celebrities should be prohibited to express their opinions publicly in this country or in any other? Celebrities are the ones who affect us the most, through their actions and their words, due to the blessing of their status. Should they be our little dolls on strings and only entertain us when we desire?
Or should they, like every American claims to be ever so thankful for, have the freedom to do, say and live as they wish? No statement should make anyone fear for their life and as Americans, we should know better than anyone when taking into consideration the specific ideas expressed in our constitution. Only a moron would second-guess freedom.
Or perhaps our founding fathers were wrong when they wrote the Constitution. They would never believe that a future could exist in which women, no longer second-rate individuals used for keeping a clean house and watching the children, could stand up, insult a man in a political position and hear the sound of applause follow. They didn’t want us to be equal. They wanted us to believe, to harbor the false idea that equality was ours already.
Only true Americans, the ones who don’t shut up, the ones who really exercise their rights, can show us the definition of patriotism.
America bitched out the Dixie Chicks and told them to shut up and sing. So, what did they do? They sang us a song about being pissed off and hurt by the stupidity of the people they thought were fans. And what did we do, after destroying countless CDs with the Dixie Chick name on them? We helped make their newest album top both the country and pop charts, selling 526,000 in the first week. I think it’s quite clear that we cannot and will not change them, either due to their refusal to submit or our own contradictions.
In conclusion, I support the movie 100 percent. It’s going to kick ass to see the Chicks make a movie that really shows how they feel.
I could care less if anyone else supports it or not. It’s about supporting those things about which we are passionate and I’m passionate about my freedom of speech.
If we stop buying the Dixie Chicks’ albums or don’t support their film, then other countries will and they will carry them farther along the road of fame and leave us to sit on the curb in dust and self-pity all because of a president on whom no one can agree in the first place.
Besides, the Chicks have said that they would rather have a small following of fans who ‘get’ them than a large following of those just looking to hear a good tune. They’ve decidedly and brazenly taken those risks. So maybe they lost a few redneck fans along the way.
Oddly enough, now they have actual intellectuals who care about their music and rights. I believe it’s safe to call it a fair trade.

Author