Is Bruce Springsteen too powerful to be Dixie Chicked?

[Brian Sweat]

From the reports I have heard, the Boss has been every bit as critical of President Schleprock as the Dixie Chicks. I know that Faux news gave him the thumbs down the other day, but the media in general does not seemed to have jumped all over the story like it did with the Dixie Chicks. I believe that that they are afraid of the Boss. He has too many fans and he is too well established. Attacking him will only amplify his message and his fans might listen to him. I think the media are a bunch of cowards who are afraid to attack someone with the muscle to fight back.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

1. yes, and so is Willie Nelson

which is why he got away with endorsing Kucinich

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. The right wing country music establishment had to eat....

shit when Willie endorsed that "librul 'Merika hatin' commie" (satire) Dennis Kucinich! Willie has too much respect in the Country Music community! No one would openly attack Mr. Nelson!

[tjdee]

2. Different demographic.

Rock stars and fans are either liberal, or don't really care. Plus, Springsteen is a huge star, and people like his music enough to dismiss his politics.

Country music, however, is chock full of conservatives and Republicans. The fans as well. So that's why the Dixie Chicks got it.
Maybe, a small bit too, because they're young women and not as huge as Springsteen.

[jonnyblitz]

5. Exactly. n/t

[Oracle]

39. "Dismiss his politics" ???

Why would some "dissmiss" his politics?,

Because his politics don't have great magnitude?

Springsteen doesn't know what he's talking about?

People don’t care about politics in general?

I don't think anyone who puts their intelligence, caring, heart and soul into one's politics should be...dismissed.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. He will not be "Dixie Chicked"!

The reason that the DC's were asaulted was because the Country Music establishment is REICH WING all the way! They upset their fan base and paid a price for that action!

The rest of America is much more moderate, in fact, highly moderate or just apathetic!

I believe that he will be safe, ignoring DAS FAUX "NEWS"!!!

Hell with Country! :puke:

[mdmc]

4. the boss is big

and NJ is democratic.
Why would the Right attack him? There is nothing to gain.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. They're not attacking The Boss because it didn't work on the Chicks....

The Chicks' album sales shot up and their concerts were all sold out.

[im4edwards]

30. not really

the concerts were already sold out before the comments were made, there were no more singles released from the album which hurt long term sales and the country fan base of support turned their back to them as did the establishment.

It did work on the Chicks. Time will tell if they can make it as a strictly pop act.

They're not attacking Springsteen because of the nature of what he said. Its apples and oranges really.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

38. Here's a link to an interview of Martie Maguire...

....unfortunately it's on the Freeper website, so take a shower after you read the article.

<http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/986325/posts>

I have to disagree with you in regards to who exactly has turned against the Chicks. It's not their fanbase that has turned away...it's their former colleagues in the country music world. If anything, their fanbase has become even more loyal. As long as the Chicks have their fans, they'll continue to do well.

Excerpts from the linked article:

"SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do your fans accept in the meantime, that at least you're a band with your own opinion?

Maguire: Oh, most of our fans have understood that for a long time. We had, in spite of all calls for a boycott, a very successful year and a sold-out tour. The new "Home" CD has sold well also."

MY NOTE: The tour was indeed sold out prior to the boycott, but how come the purchasers of the tickets didn't demand their money back? If the boycott had truly been successful that would certainly have been one of the more effective tactics that could have been used on the Chicks.

"SPIEGEL ONLINE: In view of the campaign against you, did other musicians show solidarity with you?

Maguire: In the Country-Scene practically no one. These people head for the hills fast when there's trouble, they're not there for each other. That was very disappointing. Oh yeah, a few weeks ago Merle Haggard dropped a few kind words about us, but that was it. We only got support from other areas, from Bruce Springsteen, for example.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: You sound bitter, when you talk about your Country colleagues...

Maguire: Yes, I think, we don't feel a part of the Country-Scene anymore, that it can't be our home anymore. Look, this year in the USA we had the most successful tour in the Country & Western category, the most sold album, too. The Song "Travelin' Soldier" was on top of the Billboard charts. In spite of that, for the next Country Awards we we're only nominated in two categories. This year we didn't get any, we were booed at the awards ceremony. That says everything. We did win three Grammys against much larger competition, though. No, we see ourselves now as a part of the large Rock and Roll family."

MY NOTE: It appears that the Country Music world is pretty rightwing reactionary in nature...what a surprise! Not! We certainly don't want to offend the good ol' boys, now do we? IMHO, the Chicks will do very well in the Rock and Roll category, or at the very least in the crossover world between Rock and Country. By the way, there is not a day that goes by that I don't see one of the Chicks' videos on one or more of the Country video stations. They must not have gotten the memo that the Chicks are dead in the Country Music genre.

One final comment...Clear Channel had to back off their boycott of the Chicks when they attempted to suspend a couple of djs for playing the Chicks' music. The reaction of the rest of the djs was quite vocal, and within a couple of days the djs were back at work and the Chicks' music was being played again.

[im4edwards]

41. yes I read that too

what you don't read in that article is that over the past 3 years while their star rose, the Chicks have been moving away from their original fan base. They got a little highbrow, quit the places and radio that promoted them and then decided to break their contract with the record company. For people who actually believe that a handshake is a point of honor, this was a big deal. Probably sounds a little silly but many people believe that.

The country fans that remained are the pop kids that Garth Brooks got hooked and set up for the Shania Twains and Chicks of the world to take advantage of in his absense. Then they made a specifically crossover oriented records to try and grab more of the pop audience which they did and why they became broadly known.

The political flap cost them whatever country people still bought their stuff and a percentage of the more country oriented Garth Brooks audience. They keep the more pop element and make a possible dent in the international market (the reason for the comment IMHO).

This could work out for them if the pop people stay on board but they were looking forward to a break after 5-10 years largely without one. The pop audience is not long of memory and may not allow them this luxury. If they don't have good material waiting their next album could flop and that probably kills them or relagates them to Vegas.

The music business people backed away for fear of losing their base with the exception of those guys who have a history of being free spirits and were tolerated.

Time will tell. We'll know in a year.

[Armstead]

8. He's always been that way

Springsteen has always been a populist liberal type as part of his basic persona, so criticizing Bush would not be unexpected opr out of character.

Personally, I wish our side of the spectrum would capitalize on "Boss populism" more. By that I mean, model more of what we do and say on the lind of blue-collar, common sense branch of progressive populism that he reflects.

[Creideiki]

9. Several differences:

The Dixie Chicks are a country group. It's just about forbidden to be vocally non-Republican apparently.

Also, I think the Chicks being squashed is a local thing. They're still getting play time in Chicago, and the concerts are apparently still selling well.

Things that I think would be/are more interesting: 1) Willie Nelson speaking out and seeing what happens. He released a very popular song with Toby Keith earlier this summer, and he's been the force behind Farm Aid from the beginning. 2) The introduction of Sheryl Crow as a country recording artist. After "Picture" with Kid Rock, her new "The First Cut" (think that's the title) is getting air time in Chicago as well.

When you come right down to it, country music has quite a number of liberal voices, they just didn't stand up for the Chicks when the mess happened earlier this year. Disappointing? Yes. I think it comes down to the fear of the rightwing media and the freepers.

[LawDem]

10. Stop getting my hopes up

Stop getting my hopes up. will ya? Going after Bruce would be an absolute disaster for the right wing. But, surely, even they're not that dumb, are they?

[im4edwards]

11. is he outside the country when he's talking ?

and is he talking about political actions he disagrees with or personal dislike of the individual ?

Lets recognize that what the Chicks did was not what many others have done. Moreover, the Boss's message is more likely to resonate in NJ/NY than the Chick's message in heart of country music (not a territory, more an attitude).

To me it was wrong to go political outside the borders of the country.

[Plaid Adder]

14. What, you think no one in England knows that Bush is a disaster?

I 'go political outside the country' all the time. When I was in Europe over the summer I seized every possible opportunity to let people know that Bush and his crowd not only did not represent me, but did not represent a sizeable chunk of the American population. From my POV the traitors are the ones sitting in the WH right now, not the people who are criticizing them.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[im4edwards]

17. England is free to feel however it feels

but I would not find it appropriate for a Brit to bitch about Tony Blair where I live. If he didn't like Blair, complaining here does nothing to change things. More significant, what does England care what I think about Blair (or anything else for that matter) ?

But we don't need to agree on this and I don't expect we will.

[MrPrax]

26. Funny...

I had a rant with a Freeper a few months ago on this rap...
He turtled when I brought up the fact that the manifest destiny of the US of A was to bring democracy anf freedom to the world--after all it did spend itself to death--fighting commies for 40 yrs to keep the world FREE!!

But, apparantly, you, like him, seem to feel that freedom comes with a GPS and social security number

[im4edwards]

28. the guarantee to freedom of speech is limited to these shores

were I to go to North Korea and speak ill of Kim, I cannot expect them to honor the US Constitution.

While we encourage the world to become more free, we cannot require it.

[5thGenDemocrat]

31. False analogy

If you were to go to North Korea or Great Britain and speak ill of George Bush, the reaction would be about the same.
The Chicks weren't criticizing Tony Blair.
John
Similarly, the US Constitution gives you the right to talk shit about Kim, Blair or, to a lesser degree, Chimpy.

[im4edwards]

34. but the fact remains, outside the country you are unprotected

n/t

[Brian Sweat]

35. You may be unprotected from the laws of that country,

but you are still protected from the laws of this country. You analogy is false and your arguments are either intellectually challanged or dishonest.

[haymaker]

29. Aaahhhh geeeeez!

Your slip is soooooooooo showing.

[Plaid Adder]

12. The Boss laughs at danger and drops ice cubes down the vest of fear.

Seriously. He's 54, he's probably enormously wealthy and he has been singing about the evisceration and abandonmment of working-class Americans for 30 years. He doesn't need any fucking corporate sponsorship, and as for Fox News, he was kicking ass before the Fox Network existed, and he'll be kicking it long after Fox News implodes under the weight of its own slime.

As for whether Bruce's fans will give a shit about any boycott organized by Fox or any other RW outlet: I doubt it. Why? Because for Bruce fans, it's about the music. If you get turned off the Dixie Chicks there's plenty of other cute blonde country pop singers you can watch. There is only one Bruce, just as there is only one E Street band.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[stickdog]

24. Not to mention the fact that if you piss him off you might find out that

he was born to run for President.

[Corgigal]

33. TELL it

and he was SO nice to my 13 year old daughter several weeks ago when she got the chance to talk to him after his NC/Chappel Hill show.

It is about his music and he couldn't give a flying flip about Fox news. In fact he will probably laugh at them.

[Ivory_Tower]

13. "gave him the thumbs down"?

Are you speaking euphemistically or does Faux have some sort of thumbs up/down segment? Wouldn't that run counter to "We report, you decide"? (Oh, who am I kidding...)

[Brian Sweat]

16. I don't actually watch Faux, so I don't know.

I just heard that they gave him the thumbs down for expressing views that were counter to the Schleprock administration.

[kodi]

15. size matters, so does being a man. attacks on dixie chicks were sexist

the retards on the right would hardly be able to call springsteen a wussy in the same manner they attacked the chicks for being weak-kneed gals.

the boss has opened up another front in the battle against alleged masculine conservativism, it is bare-armed, tough-knuckled working class populism, which was a linchpin in the democratic party in the 30's against native fascism.

more clearly than anything else, if america is to be saved, the working class will have to do it.

bruce has for years spoken out as a populist, since the early'80's he has promoted food banks at concerts, employment for the working person, and support of forgotten veterans.

these are traditional american and democratic party principles.

[loyalsister]

18. Tough enough to humiliate Reagan

When Reagan wanted to use "Born In The U.S.A." for his theme sone in "84, the boss said "no."
Then started publicly asking things like, "Does he seriously know what my music is about?" "Has he ever listened to the songs on "Nebraska?"
That was back when the media would report such things. It made Reagan look like a fool. Noone could picture him actually listening to Springsteen.

[Kamika]

19. id LOVE to see them try

oh that would make my day.. some 10 freepers standing burning his cd's when theres millions upon millions buying them all around the globe, showing how pathetic their lives are

[dolstein]

20. If you're asking whether Bruce will appear naked on the cover of EW

the answer is no.

Bruce has had critical things to say about Reagan, both Bushes, Jerry Fallwell and other figures on the right. He's had some good things to say about Clinton. He gave money to Bill Bradley's presidential campaign.

He's not a partisan Democrat like Bon Jovi, but his political views are clearly of the left-of-center variety.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. He Specifically Requested That The Reagan Re-election Campaign

not use "Born In The USA " during their campaign stops... He said something to the effect that "Reagan doesn't speak for him"....

And I doubt, if the R's listened to the words they would want to embrace it anyway....

[w4rma]

22. In general big media ignores what big money doesn't want folks to hear.

Attacking the Boss will backlash and I think they know it. They didn't think that attacking the Dixie Chicks would backlash since the Dixie Chicks are relatively new.

[stickdog]

23. Nobody crosses the Boss. (NT)

[zls44]

25. Lyrics

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up


Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man



Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"



I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

[AndyTiedye]

27. I Don't Think the Dixie Chicks Are Hurting Either

BTW, some of their lyrics aren't exactly the sort of thing that the wingers would like.

[LanternWaste]

32. His fan base is too big to allow him to become a target

Just now loaded up his live cover of "War" and listened to his monologue during the song's anti- war, anti-administration intro. This was recorded (I think) about '83 or '84 when pretty much everyone was wrapping themselves in the flag and dousing it with doses of Pres. Reagan.

And prior to that, Springsteen loudly denied Pres. Reagan to brand himself with, "Born in the USA". In '95 I saw him in concert and he spent about five minutes basically trashing Gingrich and then emphasized his statement by launching into "My Hometown".

I don't think he's gonna keep quiet after all this time. His fan base is too big and his politics have stayeed pretty damn consistent throughout the years. There should be absolutely no doubt to anyone who's grown up listening to his stuff that he's one of the biggest fans of this country and feels a responsibility to lay out criticism to the people he thinks needs it.

He's just too dominating for the Neo-Cons to take shots at him; they'd be spitting in the wind on this one.

[Brian Sweat]

36. Like I said, the Boss is just to powerful.

They are scared of him.

[rocktivity]

37. If Bruce wasn't the first musician to defend the Dixie Chicks

He was definitely among the top two. And it's precisely because he knew that nobody was going to take HIM on.

The same thing happened to Luther Campbell of the 2 Live Crew. Some lawyer was filing all kinds of things against him because of his lyrics. My friends claimed it was rascism, but I said, "No, it's because he's on his own independent label. This guy could just as easily complain about Eddie Murphy's comedy albums, but he's on a major label." They didn't believe me until Atlantic Records announced that they had bought a stake in Luther's label and would be assisting him legally. That lawyer hasn't been heard from since!


rocknation

[ProfessorGAC]

40. Not Too Powerful

It's not a matter of power. However, he's too high profile, too long standing, and too financially meaningful.

Look, his last album cost the record company $300k to produce, start to finish. (Britney's cost $1.2 million). A guy this efficient, almost sure to gross at least $8 million has some financial leverage.

This company probably put another half-million into promotions, tour support, and distribution, plus a half million into videos.

They put up $1.3 million cash, and in a year, they're sure to get $8 million. With Bruce probably at the 40% of gross range, he gets $3.2 million, they get the other $4.8 million. They split the costs of production, tour support and videos probably 80:20, so he gives back $800k.

They walk away with $5.6 million on a $300k investment. NOBODY is going to screw with a cash cow like Bruce.

Lastly, his audience is a different one. Probably a touch older, more aware of their tastes, more loyal (because they've been fans a long time), and most already know his political leanings.

So, for the pragmatic reasons, he's bulletproof. For the softer reasons, he's unlikely to experience fan backlash.

I think he's quite safe to say what he wishes.
The Professor