Grammys? Who cares? Country radio still hates the Chicks!

I'm not being a dick, just having a little fun. It's too late to get into a political pissing match. Never thought I'd say this to you, but lighten up.

 

I would say it's more an honest assessment of how they've always felt about the controversy. Not self-absorbed so much as self-preservation and keeping true to themselves. And sometimes, that's how great records are made.

 

anyone know how early in o'reilly's show that he mentioned the depraved grammy voters who awarded ludacris and the dixie chicks? I'm betting first 30 seconds.

 

I still say the entire Dixie Chicks country radio "boycott" is more about station managers kissing corporate ass than actual people even giving a fuck about their views. Does anyone really think there are people out there that are going to be pissed off to the point of changing the station if "Not Ready To Make Nice" comes on their car stereo, much less some of their old stuff like "Ready to Run" or "Goodbye Earl"?

This AP story is yet another example of bad journalism based on a presumption. How about talking to some actual people instead of a "station manager in Nebraska" who probably works for Clear Channel?

Here is why the Dixie Chicks, essentially, aren't on the radio:

1. A small minority of people were "outraged" about their comments about the president.
2. Cable news decided to make it the issue de jour, replaying it over and over, sticking a mic in the face of various talking heads and asking leading questions like "How outraged should we be? A little or a lot?"
3. Clear Channel, which is run by spineless rich men, sends out a memo saying that all Dixie Chicks songs should be removed from the air, hoping that this will make someone like Michael Powell happy, and that the FCC will continue to look the other way as radio stations form tiny monopolies all across America.
4. Powell (or current FCC chairman Kevin Martin after Powell resigned) probably doesn't give a shit either way, because he's too busy sitting on his gold throne, being fed grapes by a harem of sluts, to even notice.
5. The small minority of Dixie Chicks' haters feel emboldened by their "victory," and call it a triumph of the people over the "Hollywood elite who are out of touch with America."

Meanwhile, if you took an actual poll of people in the supposed "Real America" 15 percent would tell you they're still pissed about the Dixie Chicks and never want to hear them again, 15 percent would tell you they're still big fans and wish they could get some airplay, and 70 percent would shrug with total indifference.

But by all means, let's call one DJ in Arkansas or Kansas and let him speak for everyone, even though he's probably under direct orders to play Dirks Bentley three times an hour, or he'll lose his job.

 

I didn't realize the FCC chairman had such a cool job. ;D

 

Not to jack the thread, but is there not a more fake name for a country DJ than Tony Lama?

 

A huge percentage of the two-time Bush voters in that region of the country are precisely that.

It's an inoperable tumor.

 

How can you boycott something if you didn't give a shit about it in the first place?

 

The idea that "country radio" has anything to do with quality country music is pretty damn laughable. The format is as tightly controlled as any in radio, an awful lot of stations cater to the middling tastes of Bible-bangers (Good luck getting "Mama Tried" or "I Got Stripes" played anywhere), and it's the modern manifestation of the Nashville pablum that drove Willie to Austin in the first place.

 

Good for crappy country radio.

Anyone who says bad things about our stupid president and his stupid policies will have to go through me.

 

Fenian nails it.

Country music radio has always sucked.

It sucked when they wouldn't play Johnny Cash, and it sucks now that he's gone and they still won't play The Ballad of Ira Hayes, but they'll crank up that fucking boot in your ass song.

It sucked when they wore out Okie from Muskogee, but ignored Mama Tried.

It sucked when the ignored everything Kristofferson ever did, only to play it once someone had a hit covering it, and it truly sucked by shafting Willie every bloody chance it got.

And it still sucks now.

 

I'm betting that when he arrives, Jesus won't so much take the wheel as he will change the dial.