Dixie Chicks vs. Ted Nugent: Media bias simply put

[ProSense]

Shut up and Sing

I watched the Dixie Chicks movie, "Shut up and Sing" yesterday, which chronicles the difficulties the band encountered after making the following rather benign comment about George Bush.

"We're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

I know. The horror.

I would NEVER say anything like that because, well, I'm from Pennsylvania. But I do understand and share the general sentiment.

The Chicks were all but banned from country music radio stations, protested, threatened and ostracized because lead singer Natalie Maines dared to state her opinion in a manner which was actually far more benevolent than what many of us have said. But despite death threats and a negative media frenzy, these brave and talented women were undeterred. They kept on keepin' on, and fought their way back to the top of the charts.

<...>

But this post isn't about them.

Over the past couple days, there's been a barrage of internet postings about a YouTube video wherein chickenhawk draft dodger and washed-up rocker Ted Nugent threatened four leading Democrats, telling them to "suck on" a machine gun, among other violent and obscene remarks.

This vile and angry person, neighbor to fellow Crawford resident George Bush and friend of TX Gov. Rick Perry, stood on a stage and made a vicious attack against four United States Senators while holding up a machine gun.

"I was in Chicago last week -- I was in Chicago; I said, 'Hey Obama, you might wanna suck on one of these, ya punk.' Obama, he's a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun -- lets hear it for him. And then I was in New York. I said 'Hey Hillary, you might wanna ride one of these into the sunset, ya worthless bitch.' Now, since I'm in California, (unintelligible) Barbara Boxer -- she might wanna suck on my machine gun. Hey, Dianne Feinstein, ride one of these you worthless whore."

But this post isn't about him, either.

The reason for this post is that the traditional media lambasted the Chicks for a completely harmless opinion and yet nothing has been said about these threats made by Mr. Nugent against leading Democrats.

<...>

The reason for this post is that the traditional media consistently and unashamedly promotes this godawful administration, hides their blunders and ignores and/or excuses their misdeeds and those of their supporters to the point where it's really starting to get on my last nerve.

That's the reason for this post.

By the way, I'm listening to the Dixie Chicks right now. Because with or without the politics, Chicks rock, and Nugent, well, not so much. Suck on that, Ted.

(emphasis added)

How did the media treat Nugent:

Peaceful Ted Nugent brings Shrapnel Tour to area

Ted Nugent continues to pursue hard rock and conservative politics

Nugent 'still has teenage enthusiasm'



Not ready to make nice with the right wing or the nutcases that support them!

[Mythsaje]

1. I think my "Declaration" and "Ten Fingers of Stupidity" posts say it all.

K&R

I'm DEFINITELY not ready to make nice.

[deadmessengers]

7. Links?

I'd love to read them.

[Mythsaje]

10. Links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1662723&mesg_id=1662723

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1667649&mesg_id=1667649

[liberalmuse]

2. Fuck Ted Nugent..

I hope he shoots himself in the face.

[Mojorabbit]

9. You don't mean that

He may be an asshole but saying that is as bad as what he said.

[liberalmuse]

19. It was a rather lame reference to Cheney's gun accident...

but sadly, after some contemplation, I find that I wouldn't feel bad at all if he were to have an unfortunate accident while sucking off one of his guns. I'm sorry I can't take the higher road. That road closed to me some years ago. I've had enough of the right wing assholes who vomit every stupid raw and unprocessed thought that happens to ping their underdeveloped brains. The planet would be better off without the constant stream of noxious spew emitted from the likes of Nugent, Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly, etc, etc, etc.

[AlCzervik]

12. yeah you don't mean that and besides there's probably a good chance he'll

pick up another chainsaw thats too big for him to handle again and well you know what happened last time.

[DemGa]

3. Ted Nugent is irrelevant

though he loves the attention. I can't see that he deserves any media exposure.

I'm all for petitioning any sponsors of this idiot for his violent hate-speech.

[wtmusic]

4. Ted Nugent's Limited Edition album cover:

Speaks for itself.

[OzarkDem]

5. Abundant evidence of media bias in this case

It really has to stop.

[Lorien]

6. The Freepers organized against the Dixie Chicks

the entire boycott was driven by them. We HAVE NOT organized against Nugent. We've complained about him on this board, but that's about it.

My next door neighbor is the news director of a local station. She says that until any news outlet receives at least three hard copy letters on an issue, the issue generally not considered news worthy. We on the left will always debate about whether or not an issue is worth our time. Meanwhile, the other side will fall into line and take action.

[JerseygirlCT]

14. How do you boycott someone with no career?

As several of us have said elsewhere, we're perfectly happy to continue not to buy his "music". Never have, never will, but honestly, never would have anyway!

[deadmessengers]

17. You go after the corporate sponsors

There are ALWAYS sponsors. Go after the radio stations that play his music, and their sponsors. Go after the sponsors of the venues where he's performing. Doesn't he have a talk show? Go after THOSE sponsors, too. These companies don't want to be associated with someone like that.

[Nostradammit]

29. OK - I hereby swear to never, ever buy another Ted Nugent CD!

:rofl:


(one cannot boycott that which does not sell.)

[AlCzervik]

8. Has there been any coverage of this recent Nugent Assholery in the msm?

[Mojorabbit]

11. No but there is this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1665662

[AlCzervik]

15. thanks and like a true dumbass i read the column after the op gave us fair warning.

[walldude]

13. Ted Nugent said something stupid?? I'm SHOCKED!

The reason he isn't getting any flak for his bullshit is he's such a fucking has been he's not even worth mentioning. See ya on your next VH1 reality special Ted :eyes:

[ProSense]

16. So the reason the Dixie Chicks were treated that way

was because they had a top-ten country album?

You seem to miss the point of the OP: This has nothing to do with Nugent's popularity.

[HardRocker05]

18. notice he singles out a black guy and 3 women? nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. It's a time-honored tradition for white males to rattle their uzis and threaten

the lives of black men and uppity women. They really don't see anything wrong with it.

[globalvillage]

21. Some cool Chicks video at the link to the main story

If you haven't seen the Dixie Chicks film, it's worth watching. It's just some clips, but it gives a sense of what the movie is about.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. Two reasons......

A) The Chicks are actually relevant to the music and entertainment business. Ted Nugnet is a washed up hack who had one hit and then had to surround himself with better musicians to get a second one. As Maher said the other night, "Wait, Ted Nugent still has concerts???"

B) Let's face it, the right is well organized. All they do is dig up anything that anyone has ever said bad about the reich wing/Bush/Rethugs in general and beat on the drum of how awful it is to say such things. They act dead serious about it, while we just laugh at a guy like Nugent and say "Who gives a shit?". The right has whined and complained about the media being biased for so long, they've "worked the refs" into spewing the talking points for them. They will simply refuse to talk about this and hope they can spin some other bullshit instead.

[GreenTea]

23. The Dixie Chicks last album has gone triple Platinum (over 3 mil.) How many has the idiot Nugent

sold? About a dozen albums?

[KharmaTrain]

24. Nothing Of Nuge's That Worth Boycotting...It's All Cut-Out Material

I agree..it's interesting that Cheap Channel isn't sending a memo to its Program and Music Directors to yank any Nugent song off their stations...just like they did with the Dixie Chicks. But the reason may be that few, if any stations, play any Nugent music. This panty waste hasn't had anything near success since the Damn Yankees tour nearly 20 years ago and there was precious little in his past history that is worthy of a "classic rock" status.

That said...the double standard follows the money...Cheap Channel needs more deregulation to keep itself from further financial disaster and continues to suck up to Repugnicans and this regime as their paid-for toadies.

Time to repeal Telcom '96...take back the airwaves!

[LTR]

31. Cumulus allegedly sent out the directive to not play the Dixie Chicks

Clear Channel claims it did not, though some of their country stations did so on their own. So far, I have not found anything claiming that CC's corporate HQ did.

I have heard about Cumulus doing this, though.

[argyl]

25. The Chicks are relevant and Nugent...he's on his 35th album that almost no one

will buy,just like the previous 34.

[fedupinBushcountry]

26. K & R

:kick:

[snot]

27. Totally correct. So, what did you think of HR 550?

Have you heard anything about any successor efforts?

[spanone]

28. ol ted is one worthless piece of SHIT. excrement.....a human turd.

[Forkboy]

30. Yeah,when the Dixie Chicks can Wango zee Tango get back to me.

That's just a joke,so remember that before going great gonzos and trying to get me into a stranglehold,because I tell ya,I'm a fist fightin son of a gun and we'll go at it tooth,fang and claw cuz I'm a primitive man from the wrong side of town who's packin' a thousand knives.

:hide:

[Theres-a]

32. Nugent can kiss my big fat ass.

It's unfortunate really,that he doesn't accidentaly shoot himself,then the media might cover him. "Dumb ass has been gun nut shoots self " details after this headon commercial.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

33. You can't ban Ted Nugent from radio for political reasons...

His stunning lack of talent is doing that already.

Nugent is a child-molesting pussy. Take away his gun, and Hillary could kick his sorry ass from hell to breakfast. He's several cuts lower than Ann Coulter, so we really shouldn't get too up in arms over this guy.

It's what he wants. Don't give it to him.

[druidity33]

34. really? a child molester? nt

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

36. Oh yes...

He has admitted (boasted) of having sex with minors on numerous occasions, even having himself named the "legal guardian" of his teenaged babysitter in the belief that he could bang her with legal impunity. Apparently it worked, because this serial child molester has never done a day in jail.

Guy's a friggin' pervert.

[maxrandb]

35. You don't need to ban him from radio

he's already GONE!

Haven't heard a lick of his crap in over 20 years on the radio. He's a has been, and a "two-hit-wonder" who could never match the majestry and complex musical arrangments of Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Howe, David Gilmore or Alvin Lee...nor the snarling, mean, heart-pounding energy of Pete Townsend, Keith Richards or Dave Davies.

He's a "one-riff-wonder" who is famous for playing loud. His music was old the minute it was released, and has never stood the test of time.

Here's an easy experiment. Just try as hard as you can to listen to one of his songs all the way through. You won't be able to do it. Doesn't matter if you thought his music kicked ass in your youth, or not. Just try to make it through one complete playing of Wango-Tango, or Cat Scratch Fever, and you'll find yourself changing the CD faster than if you'd accidentally put on Yes' Tales of the Topographic Ocean (Yuck!).

[mwb970]

38. I like "Journey To the Center Of the Mind". Was that him?

I seem to recall that he was in the band that did that song. I spent days learning the guitar solo note for note! (This was a few semesters ago.)

[maxrandb]

39. It was the Amboy Jukes

and yes Nugent was the guitarist, but the song was actually written by Steve Farmer.

Negent went solo shortly after that.

I always liked the Ramones cover version better, but that's just me.

Nugent does play guitar better than I do, but he can't match the speed of Lee, or the complexity of Zappa..and try as he might, he'll never be as outrageously powerful as Townsend.

There are "Guitar Gods", and then there are "Guitar Players". Nugent falls far into the second category IMHO.

Nothing special. Just turn the trebble all the way to 10 and play a different variant of the same riff, and you get Ted Nugent's "distinctive" sound.

[rAVES]

37. How is he even famous?

His music is terrible.. he's an awful human being..

seriously.. the mind does boggle :/