Natalie Maines claims the Freepers were behind the

[joemurphy]

Dixie Chicks's radio ban. Veeeeeeeeeeery interesting! She's on Tweety's program right now.

[Moloch]

1. The FReepers?

As in the people over at Free Republic? Hmmmmm... I wonder if Maines is a DUer. We always blame things on the freeptards.

[Poiuyt]

46. I haven't seen the term "freeper" except here at DU

Is it a universally accepted term for right wing wacko?

[Dawgs]

2. I heard it too-she said "the free republic" and...

corporate america blacklisted them.

[greeneyedboy]

3. typical petty viciousness from that crowd--wouldn't surprise me.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

4. Please keep us updated. Those who choose not to be completely

ripped by the corporate media!

[Journeyman]

5. Shouldn't have given them the credit -- it'll just encourage 'em. . .

Should have attributed it to a generic "tribe of troglodytes" and let it go at that.

[joemurphy]

6. She was very emphatic. Said the Freepers ran a coordinated

campaign, contacting radio stations, demanding that the Dixie Chicks records not be played. She said people lost jobs as a result of playing their stuff against management orders. The Chicks also claimed Cox Broadcasting blackballed them too. Said it was a corporate directive coming down to all the Cox stations from headquarters. Maines said it was a good reason to resist media consolidation in Amerika.

[chat_noir]

7. They're thrilled

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1726538/posts?q=1&&page=1


Although RimJob seems to be a bit reluctant to take credit for it. Maybe he's worried that there can be negative consequences.

[mmonk]

33. Negative consequences....

hhhmmmm.

[LostinVA]

36. There can be -- there's a difference between a boycott

And threats, restraint of trade, etc.

[mmonk]

40. That's correct.

If they have the evidence, there is in my opinion, a case.

[LostinVA]

66. I soooo would love to see them so this

But, because three years+ have passed, they probably won't...

[Poppyseedman]

8. If you are going to be a political activist and also be a musician

you better be prepared to take the heat for your opinions. You can't have your cake and eat it in a free society.

She took a political position and now wants to bleat about it?

She knows her core fan base are C&W fans which primarily are one degree to another right wingers.

Now she wants to blame Reapers, that's pretty pathetic.

[Shakespeare]

9. Oh, fuck that. There's a HUGE difference between "taking heat"

..and enduring a vicious, concerted effort by someone to ruin your career. And let's just throw in the death threats for fun, mkay?

She's not the one who's pathetic.

edited to add: She was never, at any point, attempting to be a "political activist." She made one brief comment at one concert, and got crucified for it. Fortunately for all of us, she's not easily intimidated, and has, if anything, been radicalized by the experience. Go, Natalie.

[Booster]

24. A very good answer.

[reichstag911]

10. Before you spout off,...

...go see "Shut Up and Sing" ( http://www.myspace.com/shutupandsing ) when it comes out, tomorrow, I believe (only in NY & LA; it goes wide 11/10). You'll learn a little something, perhaps, about the orchestrated media campaign by right-wing media conglomerates (think Cox and Clear Channel here) to punish the Chicks for exercising their freedom of fucking speech!

PS I went out and bought the entire Chicks catalog when the whole thing happened, so fuck Cox, Clear Channel, Sinclair, etc. and closed-minded mouth-breathers who allow themselves to be told who and what they can listen to by a fucking radio station!

[Maestro]

15. I did the same the thing except for some of their

80s stuff. I should have a long time ago. I live in the Dallas area and have heard about them for years. I was missing out on some good music.

[Poppyseedman]

16. Your concept of freedom of speech

The Dixie Chicks freedom of speech was not abused. Only the government can take away your freedom of speech. that's why I feed it a little disingenuous to bitch about the heat

If any radio station or corporation for that matter wants to shut you up because it is costing them revenue or profits, it a business decision.

I'm not agreeing with their decision, but on the other hand progressive could have just as easily made the aforementioned corp profiteer's uneasy bitching the Chicks were being censured.

[Hangingon]

17. If it were not for this, we would not being about them at all.

[LostinVA]

38. self delete

[Shakespeare]

20. You need to read just a tad more about what happened.

There was a concerted, organized effort by the knuckledraggers at FR to threaten boycotts, organize CD burnings and otherwise threaten and bully stations THAT WEREN'T EVEN IN THEIR REGION OF THE COUNTRY over Maines' comment. It's highly, HIGHLY doubtful any of the stations would've lost money for playing them--what they WERE doing was pandering to an especially despicable segment of their audience, and giving them way too much power. This wasn't just a "business decision." And yeah, it was censorship. It wasn't a first amendment violation, but it was definitely censorship (not "censure").

And then there's the matter of the death threats. Is she "bleating" for talking about what it was like to deal with those for the last few years? Or "bitching?" Or what other nasty, pejorative term would you care to smear her with?

What they endured was so completely out of proportion with any manner of "reasonable" backlash that might've been expected that it literally takes one's breath away. That you can sneer and call it "pathetic bleating" speaks volumes about you, and shows your ignorance about exactly what happened.

[SouthernBelle82]

27. And Maines didn't really

even say anything political either. All she said was they were ashamed Bush calls himself a Texan (and he isn't even one since he's from Connecticut). She didn't say "fuck the Iraq war" or "Fuck the Bush administration and their policy's" or anything like that. It's so pathetic. I wonder what they would have done if she said this in oh say Dallas or Houston?

[Mike Daniels]

61. My take is the DC's should have expected some reaction

but w/o a doubt the reaction they got was totally out of proportion to the initial comment.

[DURHAM D]

22. You are uninformed about this issue. Why don't you stop

posting and do a little research - including watching the Tweety interview.

I assumed you have swallowed a bottle or two of poppy seeds and can't really think right now.

[reichstag911]

60. But here's the thing:

It's not so much that they were costing them revenue or profits. It's them seeking to ingratiate themselves further with the far right cabal that's hijacked our government. Why? Tax breaks, favorable litigation on further consolidation of the media,... I've seen a brief clip where a couple fans are talking about calling in and requesting the Chicks' songs, but the station refused to play them. And while it is pretty clear that at that time, the fans of country/bluegrass were majority Bush supporters, you can bet that there were those who liked their music enough to continue to want to hear it, irrespective of whatever offhand political comment Maines may have made, and those who wanted to express their agreement for the sentiment she expressed. Even the south is/was not all "red."

Speaking of which, don't we all think it's time to revive that dusty old nugget from the McCarthy era, "Better dead than red," only now concerning the largely southern or rural voting bloc that has put the Rethugs in power?

[blm]

12. THEY made her into a political activist - she was a casual observer before.

But then, casual observations aren't allowed either, in Bush's Amerikkka.

[Maestro]

13. I dunno

This happened a long time ago and she has been relatively quiet about it. Plus, I don't think she is bleating about it. She seems to be stating what happened and how she was sent hate mail for expressing an opinion which is what freepers hate, free thought, so I say call the bastards to the carpet for it.

[salinen]

14. Say you're sorry

She was swiftboated for sure.

[scarletwoman]

19. My impression is that you haven't been following this particular story for the past 3-4

years. We who were monitoring the uproar in realtime know full well that it was seeded from FR -- we watched it unfold before our eyes.

I can't believe that anyone with a progressive soul would characterize Natalie Mains' true statements about the death threats and vilification from the rightwingnuts as "bleating". Do you actually believe that violent responses are excused because they are somehow "earned"?

Despicable behavior is despicable behavior -- no matter how much some might seek to excuse it by somehow rationalizing it as a "reasonable" response to some supposed "provocation". She was wearing a really short skirt, she was asking for it...

sw

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. OK. Three subjects now. Chavez, unions, Dixie Chicks.

What's next, Lieberman? Oh wait, silly me, you covered that already. Make that four.

OK, uh... choice? Yeah, that's it. NO? Already covered too? OK, five. Getting hard to find uncharted territory here.

Public education! Huh... no, done that too.

Lemesee... minimum wage! Damn!!!! A PERFECT record so far! I'm impressed.

There's GOTTA be something! Universal healthcare perhaps?

BINGO! Uncharted territory! Will he keep his perfect record? Or won't he?

(ahem) So, Mr. Poppyseedman, what are your opinions on universal healthcare?

[Shakespeare]

23. You....

....rock. :rofl:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

26. No, I don't rock. It's Advanced Search that rocks. -nt

[Shakespeare]

30. Oh, yeah you do.

It's not the searching. It's the spot-on observations that lead you to the advanced search. :thumbsup:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

32. Aw, now you gonna make me blush.

:blush:

[fudge stripe cookays]

41. This one's my favorite...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2392919&mesg_id=2392973

:eyes:

[w4rma]

51. "The Crusades." And I answer his question as a progressive Christian. (nt)

[fudge stripe cookays]

70. Good answer! n/t

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

29. Mmft!

:rofl:

[Occulus]

56. Your post.

:thumbsup:

Reasons why I'm wondering how Ignored gets around so much.

Ignored must be very busy.

[pecwae]

58. Ignore; a blessedly useful function here. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

62. But remember: you can't alert on ignored posts. -nt

[SouthernBelle82]

25. That is such crap

Look at Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Willie campaigned in 2004 with the most liberal candidate in the democratic primary's: Dennis Kucinich and nothing happens to him. Nor to Tim McGraw or Faith Hill. That is such crap. And Dolly helped a democratic governor here in Tennessee with his pre-k reading program and nobody has said anything bad about her.

[Norquist Nemesis]

68. How is that crap?

What do Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill's campaigning have to do with it?

Maines said that Free Republic made phone calls to radio stations because of her critical remarks about Bush. Are you suggesting because they haven't done that to Nelson, Parton, etc. that they didn't do it to the Chicks?

I don't think she'd be making that accusation on nation-wide TV without having proof of it.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fudge stripe cookays]

35. Yep, and the lack of a star proves it. n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

37. Hey, FSC!

:hi:

[Change has come]

57. Oopsie!

:smoke:

[mmonk]

34. Are you serious?

[LostinVA]

39. Read some of his other posts -- yeah, he is

[ConsAreLiars]

45. I gather you did not hear their comments

"bleat" ??? "blame" ???

What a crock of BS.

Actually I was surprised by how objective and well informed they were about how things work.

And what is that blather about cake? Is your stock of "freedom isn't free" of "can't make an omelet" gibberish temporarily unavailable.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Change has come]

55. I'm a C&W fan

and have no right winger qualities. zero. zip. Nada.

She's standing up for herself and her band.

[spanone]

64. Bullshit.

[treestar]

67. I wonder at the validity of this, too.

Country fans would not necessarily always have to be right wingers. And not so rabidly that the stations would really feel any heat for continuing to play the songs.

And how does not hearing the songs help the right wing in the least? Most of them having nothing to do with politics. So what are the freepers trying to accomplish?

They want people excluded somehow if they don't agree and worship Dubya as they do.

[mhatrw]

69. Sure you aren't enjoying other parts of the poppy plant? n/t

[kskiska]

11. I personally watched them the night of the Wellstone Memorial

and how they immediately provided lists of media outlets to call with their manufactured complaints. Mary Mapes found out about them also, too late, and how they engineered the hijacking of the Dan Rather National Guard story.

[Catherine Vincent]

18. Of course they were.

That's all they're good for. Boycotting anyone or anything that disagrees with their precious Idiot-in-Chief.

[Mr_Spock]

31. Makes me want to do even more to hurt RWer businesses

If this is the case, then we need to have some focused efforts that will show results. I'm not sure the Freepers alone could have done what they say, but the Freepers will have to live with the hatred that they are bringing to the world.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

42. I badmouth those whenever I can.

And I never get political when doing that -- it's always about product quality. Going to restaurant X gave me intestinal trouble, computers from brand Y keep on breaking and their support sucks, film starring actor Z is utter shit... the possibilities are endless.

Also, make the list SHORT. Only the most egregiously pro-RW, in-bed-with-Bush business.

[mmonk]

44. No, not the freepers only. They had corporate help

(media consolidation). I would love to bully the bullies as well. They love to try and destroy people for sport.

[chat_noir]

43. MSNBC video is up

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=dd868255-69f4-43f2-bfe8-6d44d340246c&f=00&fg=copy

[kskiska]

48. Dixie Chicks on Nightline tonight

where they'll talk about their experiences with FR. They'll also be interviewing the FReeper man with the girl's name.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1726695/posts

[Shakespeare]

49. Where I'm sure he'll for FR what Limbaugh did for RW talk radio. n/t

[mmonk]

50. Interesting.

Wonder if there will be any spinning.

[kskiska]

52. Looks like it got bumped.

[earth mom]

53. Wow-I did not know this!

Though I'm NOT surprised at all given how hateful, mean and vindictive the freepers are!

BTW-Oprah had the Chicks on the other day and they didn't mention this at all. I wonder if Oprah wouldn't allow it to be discussed?! Too bad though because people need to see the brutal truth of what the rethugs are really like!

:puke:

[Vidar]

54. Cheering Natalie Maines.

[liberal1973]

59. Yeah the freepers

The freepers demonstrate who truly are the un-American ones in this bs. Freepers have always been un-American.

[earth mom]

63. Dixie Chicks on Nightline Friday night!

:woohoo:

[npincus]

65. She probably has been to DU

we're the alterate universe, she knows about THEM.

Hi Natalie!