Natalie Maines Doesn't Regret Slamming George W. Bush, Never Liked Country Music

**Novice** · April 29th, 2013, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by sluce

When the shit hit the fan our local country station banned their music. A marine, who was in Iraq, called the station and blasted them. I actually was crying in the car as I listened to him blast the DJs and tell them that he disagreed with what Natalie was saying but the he was over there, risking his life, so she could have the right to speak her mind. He told them that if they banned the Chicks he would ban would country music from his life. The DJ then said he agreed that the ban was wrong but said that they were owned by Clear Channel and were forbidden from playing the Chicks. Some local car dealership then stepped in and pulled their advertising. It was years before they played the Chicks but they do now.

The saddest thing to me is that Natalie was right and paid a huge price. Meanwhile Toby Keith got even more popular because he sang, "I'll put a boot in your ass..."

Whereas, here over the pond, we know who the Dixie Chicks are but Koby Teith is??? Who?

**greysfang** · April 29th, 2013, 10:02 AM

Toby is a lot of fun in concernt. And he has admitted that he was wrong for getting into a feud with the Chicks. Well, not come straight out and said he was wrong, but said it was bad of him some of the things he said about them being women. I'm not a fan of his politics either, but his music is fun and its easy enough to avoid the "Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah AMURRICA!" songs he puts out every other year or so.

**JadeStar70** · April 29th, 2013, 10:03 AM

Not that I agree with all that Natalie stated, but I do agree with her right to say it and have an opinion. And I do still like her and she can SING!!! Love her!

This whole situation is why I started really hating Toby Keith. He jumped right on that shit and tried to seem like Mr. All American. He used what Natalie did to make himself seem so much more patriotic and more American than Natalie,.....blah, blah, blah. Pfft.....fuck you, Toby.

**MohandasKGanja** · April 29th, 2013, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by NoNoRehab

The Bush kerfuffle just sealed her bad image in country music circles. Every hardcore country music fan I knew already considered Natalie as the product of nepotism who ruined the Chicks' sound. There was a real reaction against the perception that Natalie stepped in at the last minute and started hogging the spotlight away from the Erwin sisters, who are and always will be the true talent in the band.

THANK YOU! And don't forget how John Lennon ruined the Quarrymen when he asked the talentless, atonal Paul McCartney to join and they became the execrable, forgotten Beatles!

**Mel1973** · April 29th, 2013, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by greysfang

Toby is a lot of fun in concernt. And he has admitted that he was wrong for getting into a feud with the Chicks. Well, not come straight out and said he was wrong, but said it was bad of him some of the things he said about them being women. I'm not a fan of his politics either, but his music is fun and its easy enough to avoid the "Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah AMURRICA!" songs he puts out every other year or so.

I'm with you. I can separate the music from the politics - with Toby Keith and anyone else. I do like some of his music and I'm also under the same impression as you: he regretted/regrets the bickering with the Chicks.

Originally Posted by JadeStar70

Not that I agree with all that Natalie stated, but I do agree with her right to say it and have an opinion. And I do still like her and she can SING!!! Love her!

This whole situation is why I started really hating Toby Keith. He jumped right on that shit and tried to seem like Mr. All American. He used what Natalie did to make himself seem so much more patriotic and more American than Natalie,.....blah, blah, blah. Pfft.....fuck you, Toby.

Not totally agreeing with all that: Toby IS very patriotic - and by patriotic, I'm not talking about donating money or telling ME who to vote for. He is a great supporter of the troops, he goes overseas and does concerts for them, when they come home wounded, he will fly them (some) to his shows. My step brother was seriously injured by a roadside IED, almost didn't make it - when he finally made it home, Toby Keith sent a limo for him and his wife, met with them after the show and he does stuff like that a lot. It's mostly done very quietly and behind the scenes, and isn't because he wants attention. That "boot in your ass" song is just stupidity.

**Novice** · April 29th, 2013, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Mel1973

I'm with you. I can separate the music from the politics - with Toby Keith and anyone else. I do like some of his music and I'm also under the same impression as you: he regretted/regrets the bickering with the Chicks.

Not totally agreeing with all that: Toby IS very patriotic - and by patriotic, I'm not talking about donating money or telling ME who to vote for. He is a great supporter of the troops, he goes overseas and does concerts for them, when they come home wounded, he will fly them (some) to his shows. My step brother was seriously injured by a roadside IED, almost didn't make it - when he finally made it home, Toby Keith sent a limo for him and his wife, met with them after the show and he does stuff like that a lot. It's mostly done very quietly and behind the scenes, and isn't because he wants attention. That "boot in your ass" song is just stupidity.

That is something that one can get behind. Our (US/UK/EU/UN) troops pay a VERY high price for politicians decisions.

**greysfang** · April 29th, 2013, 10:58 AM

Meh, its not so much separating the music from his politics, but more that I don't think he's a bad person. Differing political views is very rarely a trigger for me to be done with somebody. Now if he starts singing about killing every Arab you see, that would be a different story.

**Novice** · April 29th, 2013, 03:43 PM

Time for a cover version?

**greysfang** · April 29th, 2013, 04:19 PM

^^Ha! I loved that album so much back in the day. My bff and I wore it out.

**Novice** · April 29th, 2013, 05:40 PM

I was your BFF & I didn't know it? Lol!

i gave my vynal copy away (I regret that now) & still haven't got around to replacing it either on vynal or on cd.

**shedevilang** · April 29th, 2013, 07:14 PM

I'm not a huge Toby Keith fan, not because of his politics but his music is just meh imo, count me in on being able to like someone and not agree with their politics. I do however have a lot of respect for him because of his involvement with the troops. I still think he'd be a douche to talk to though lol.

**laynes** · April 29th, 2013, 07:32 PM

There's a song called "We'll put a boot in your ass"? Wow! I'm all for the first amendment, but I'll be honest. if I go to a concert and they bring up politics I want to walk out.. whether I agree or not. Just play your songs and entertain me. I don't pay ridiculous amounts of money to hear your opinion on healthcare, etc. No offense.

**SHELLEE** · April 29th, 2013, 07:46 PM

Ugh, jimmy loves the cure. Fucking weirdos.

**Flygirl** · April 29th, 2013, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by shedevilang

I'm not a huge Toby Keith fan, not because of his politics but his music is just meh imo, count me in on being able to like someone and not agree with their politics. I do however have a lot of respect for him because of his involvement with the troops. I still think he'd be a douche to talk to though lol.

I used to think the same, and I've never liked his music, but the man was a class act through and through when we met him in a bar in Ramstein in 2008. He was on his way downrange to perform for the troops, and we had just returned from downrange with an airplane full of wounded soldiers. He bought my crew and I a beer (or several) and just sat down and really talked to us. Wanted to hear about our families and our civilian jobs (most of us are part-time national guard members). He posed for pictures with all of us, and acted as if he had all the time in the world to visit with us. Drew Carey did the same with us the same year. I was impressed with both of them.

**NoNoRehab** · April 29th, 2013, 09:15 PM

Natalie was NOT wrong. Even all those fans who hated them at the time KNOWS that NOW. It took that part of the world a little longer to get there, but it is a fact - she was right.

She had the right to voice her opinion but the people who didn't like it also had a right to voice their opinions by not listening to her music anymore.

I don't believe she really gives a shit about politics either way. (90% of her Twitter feed is about her Howard Stern obsession, she hardly ever talks current events and barely even promotes her own music.) It was a throwaway comment trying to appeal to the crowd, which was in the U.K., which was hostile to the American Southern image at the time. American country artists hardly ever break out in Europe and the Dixie Chicks were taking a turn. When the comments first started attracted attention in the U.S. press, Natalie did an interview where she giggled throughout and came across as either stoned, or an airhead, and claimed she didn't even remember making the comments. Then a good publicist got ahold of them and revamped her image into that of a serious martyr and capitalized on the controversy, getting them a ton of magazine covers, a movie deal, etc. So yeah, they lost some of the country base but more than made for it with it getting them a ton of mainstream exposure and Grammys, etc. and making them a bunch more money than they ever would've gotten otherwise.

There are other people who've seen their careers negatively impacted after taking real stances, and I feel sorry for them. She lucked into having a throwaway comment get her the PR opportunity to break away from country music and become mainstream, which is what she wanted anyway, so good on her for working the system.