Wow...this movie wasn't even on my radar. "Shut Up and Sing," a documentary about the Dixie Chicks and the whole bizarre political climate that blacklisted them in the mainstream media during the run-up to the Iraq War, will be released in New York and L.A. on Friday (with wide release scheduled in November).You can see the trailer here. (Press the play button on the right.)
Make sure and watch the last couple of scenes. The President says something that caught my ear:
They shouldn't have their feelings hurt because people don't want to buy their records.There, my friends, is one of the main differences between Bill Clinton and Little Boy George. Had the Chicks criticized Clinton, and had the public started destroying Chicks CDs, Clinton would have defended the group and their right to free speech.
But no. Not the Republicans. Not their voting base. As one old fart in the preview put it, "I'm all for free speech, but my god not in public."
That sound you hear are our founding fathers rolling over in their graves.
The Dixie Chicks latest CD - and the first single, "Not Ready To Make Nice" - went to number 1 this past summer and have sold quite well. But there are still lingering effects from that episode of 4 years ago. The group has had to cancel Southern tour dates because tickets in Bush Country just aren't selling.
I will give my thoughts on "Not Ready To Make Nice" at the end of the year when I review my choices for the best songs of 2006. Suffice it to say, the song is quite cathartic for those of us who opposed this war from the beginning.
In the mean time, take a look at the preview...and a good listen to the single.
