The [Dixie] Chicks and the Iraq War - Lacey
Answer
Image Credit: Billboard via Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
Who are The (Dixie) Chicks and what is their involvement with the Iraq War?
The Chicks, formerly known as "The Dixie Chicks," are an American country band formed in 1989 by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson. Now lead-singer, Natalie Maines, joined the group in 1995 and within a few years, the band was receiving multiple awards and nominations, including two Grammy awards. At a concert in London in 2003, just before the start of the Iraq War, Maines publicly criticized President George W. Bush and his involvement in escalating the war. The statement that she would soon never hear the end of: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all,” she told the crowd. “We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas” (Pettibone). The portion of this quote you will find across news and popular media is simply, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president is from Texas."
Image Credit: Shut Up and Sing Movie Trailer
What happened after this statement was made, why is it such a big deal?
This statement made by Natalie Maines was quickly criticized by the media and soon to be ex-fans. Because the comment was made on "foreign soil," there were even calls of treason being made against the band. The quote was framed as an attack on U.S. troops, despite Maines expressing her concern for the safety of the troops and the lives that would be harmed by the war. From the top of the music charts, The Chicks quickly fell out of popularity and have been considered one of the first examples of "cancel culture" in popular media. Country music fans loudly expressed their distaste for the band and protested their music by smashing CD's and calling on radio stations to stop playing their music. Having once been celebrated at awards shows, they were now being booed by the audience. Maines has experienced harsh backlash in both the media and her personal life ranging from body shaming to death threats. No members of the band have ever experienced regret over the event, and Maines has stood by her words by explaining that free speech is one of the things that make our country so special.
Image Credit: Rolling Stone via Harry Durrant/Getty Images
Where are they now?
Since 2003, The Chicks have released only two original albums, Taking the Long Way and Gaslighter, and both have had number one spots on Billboard's Country Music chart. Today, the band continues to publicly address their political beliefs, despite the backlash they've endured in the past. For example, recent concerts have been performed in front of a backdrop of projected videos and images of protests throughout history involving topics such as women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial injustices. Among images on the screen is also an extensive list of names of victims of police brutality. Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Amadou Diallo are only a few of those listed on the screen for over a full minute as the band steps away for the audience to view. The band's decision to change their name came after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that shined light on just some of of the country's problematic history. Maines told Billboard, "We felt like ‘Dixie’ is a word that does hold a lot of negative connotations and harkens back to a time in our country that brought pain to so many people. We are relieved to have a new name and shed the ‘Dixie’ once and for all." This year (2024), The Chicks were invited to sing the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention, continuing to solidify their progressive presence in the music industry.
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References:
Adolphson, Jeremy V. “‘Mad as Hell’: Democratic Dissent and the Unpatriotic Backlash on the Dixie Chicks.” Journal of Popular Music Studies (Wiley-Blackwell), vol. 26, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 47–63. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.sac.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jpms.12059.
Asker, Jim. ““Gaslighter” Is No 1 on Top Country Albums Chart.” Billboard, 28 July 2020, www.billboard.com/pro/gaslighter-no-1-top-country-albums-chart-the-chicks/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Asker, Jim. “In 1998, the Chicks Had No “Trouble” Hitting No. 1: Chart Rewind.” Billboard, 8 Aug. 2023, www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/the-chicks-theres-your-trouble-chart-rewind-1998-1235383696/.
Billy. “The Dixie Chicks Interview by Diane Sawyer for Primetime Live - President Bush Controversy.” YouTube, 11 Oct. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8X9-SD0HTA. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023.
Bloom, Madison. “Watch the Chicks Sing the National Anthem at 2024 Democratic National Convention.” Pitchfork, 23 Aug. 2024, pitchfork.com/news/watch-the-chicks-sing-the-national-anthem-at-2024-democratic-national-convention/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Brokaw, Tom. "An interview of President Bush." New York Times. 25 Apr. 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306233032/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/worldspecial/25BUSH-TEXT.html?pagewanted=all. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Doherty, Carroll, and Jocelyn Kiley. “A Look Back at How Fear and False Beliefs Bolstered U.S. Public Support for War in Iraq.” Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy, Pew Research Center, 14 Mar. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/03/14/a-look-back-at-how-fear-and-false-beliefs-bolstered-u-s-public-support-for-war-in-iraq/.
Gardner, Tom. “Chicks Booed at Awards Show.” San Mateo County Times (CA), 2003. America’s News, Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
https://infoweb-newsbank-com.sac.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=NewsBank&req_dat=100158BEF3BB8EFA&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0FB3933514486CCE
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Iwasaki, Scott. “Can ‘offensive’ Rock Make Iraqi Captives ‘Roll over’?” Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT), 2003, p. W09. America’s News, Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
https://infoweb-newsbank-com.sac.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&hide_duplicates=2&maxresults=60&f=advanced&val-base-0=%22natalie%20maines%22%20%22Bush%22&fld-base-0=alltext&bln-base-1=and&val-base-1=03/01/2003%20-%2005/31/2003&fld-base-1=YMD_date&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=2003%20-%202003&docref=news/0FB5EFCCE6751322
kismek83. “Shut up and Sing: The Dixie Chicks Trailer.” YouTube, 3 Aug. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QKD40HIeKI. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Pettibone, Kat. “The Chicks’ 2003 George Bush Controversy That Changed Country Music.” Us Weekly, 13 Mar. 2024, www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/the-chicks-2003-george-bush-controversy-that-changed-country-music.
Shut Up and Sing. Directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, Cabin Creek Films, 2006. Pluto TV, https://pluto.tv/on-demand/movies/shut-up-and-sing-2006-1-1?utm_medium=textsearch&utm_source=google
Snapes, Laura. “The Chicks: “We Were Used and Abused by Everybody Who Wanted to Make Money off Us.”” The Guardian, 18 July 2020, www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/18/dixie-chicks-used-and-abused-by-everybody-who-wanted-to-make-money-off-us.
Tensley, Brandon. “The DNC Showed That the Chicks Haven’t Changed – but Their Audience Has.” CNN, 21 Aug. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/politics/the-chicks-dnc-country-progressive-politics/index.html.
Tsioulcas, Anastasia. “Dixie Chicks Change Band Name to the Chicks.” NPR, 25 June 2020, www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/25/883328370/dixie-chicks-change-band-name-to-the-chicks.