Before the usual suspects get all atwitter about fascism in the United States, this is NOT censorship:
Country station KKCS has suspended two disc jockeys for playing the Dixie Chicks, violating a ban imposed after the group criticized President Bush.
Their boss told them not to do something, they did it anyway, they were suspended. The end.
JKC
It ain’t censorship. But it is dumb.
Brian
If you mean ignoring your boss is dumb, I’m inclined to agree.
Steve Malynn
Speaking of agreeing with you John, your take is exactly correct. JKC, speaking of sause for the gander?
JKC
I’m not saying the station wasn’t within their rights to fire these guys. They did break station rules. But… it gives the band more publicity as “those poor picked on girls” and gives the station (and their parent corporation) more bad publicity. What was the point?
barney gumble
“and then they came for the disc jockeys, and I did not protest…”
Steve Malynn
Barney, didn’t you just quote:
“Are people happy to pile on when someone so preachy takes a hit? Yes, of course, they are.”
I like the Dixie Chicks music, but thats because the music is cross-over. Hard Core country fans liked it until the chicks got preachy. I’ll bet the radio station has a better handle on their audience, and the reaction to the Dixie Chicks, than JKC.
As a conservative I’ve long given up on entertainers holding my views, so the Dixie Chick’s idiotic and spiteful remarks were par for the course to me. Country Fans still demand at least lip service to that quaint notion of loyalty.
JKC
Steve-
With all due respect, and not wanting to get in a Dixie Chicks debate, please remember that dissent DOES NOT equal disloyalty.
If it did, there’d have been an awful lot of Republicans guilty of treason in the 1990’s.
wes
I agree. I disagree. Who the flip cares what entertainers think about politics anyway, the right has never had any problems in the past dismissing hollywoods babble as idiotic dribble, why the hubbub about the Dixie Chicks?? A perceived betrayal by the stoic defenders of traditional american values? Come now!! Plastic castle, bubblegum booooolshit, that’s all the country music industry is. The dixie chicks are one of the few genuine talents in that dirthick beauty padgent going on down in Nashville, Tennessee. Country music fans should embrace this rare talent and their unwelcome politics as the saving grace for which they are. An indication to the rest of the world that all country musicians don’t wave the same flag. Some are not necessarily “proud to be americans”, some are proud to voice opposition to their government’s actions, some see it as their patriotic duty to say, STOP!!! I THINK IDIOTS ARE MAKING BAD DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE FUTURE LIFE IN AMERICA MORE DANGEROUS AND PARANOID!!!! All that I can be is thankfull that a country music act spoke out, otherwise a great chunk of the american populous habitually trained by mainstream media would remain unaware that any domestic opposition to the Bush administration exists whatsoever.
Sal
So, when the majority of your callers/listeners want to hear them and you refuse because they expressed their political beliefs (as an American use to have the right to do without fear of harassment before the Birch society took over), that isn’t even heading toward Fascism is it? That’s not getting your little goose-stepping feet in the air at all, is it?
Might want to change the blog name to ‘stretch’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19571-2003May6.html
“We pulled their music two months ago, and it’s been a difficult decision because how can you ignore the hottest group in country music,” station manager Jerry Grant said……
The station has received a couple of hundred calls and 75 percent favored playing the music.
shane
they didnt get suspended; they’re out playing golf. It’s simply a stunt. It gets your radio station mentioned around country, and someone probably got a bonus for thinking of the idea too.
Steve Malynn
Given, dissent does not equal disloyalty. The Chicks did not dissent, they just pandered to an anti-american audience with a personal attack against President Bush. Yes it was an anti-war statement, was it a thoughtful critique, no; did it add to the debate, no; was it gratuitious, yes. JKC, you must admit that in some instances dissent can be evidence of disloyalty.
Of course in this country mere dissent is protected from government sanction. It is not protected from private sanction, if you think the radio station is dumb, don’t listen to it. Your right. Sal, if you’ve never supported a boycott or a strike, I might forgive you the “goosestepping” slur; but as I suspect you to be a liberal union loving PETA/ELF/Greenpeace supporter, I would bet that your hypocracy is as boundless as your partisanship.
Phil
“So, when the majority of your callers/listeners want to hear them and you refuse because they expressed their political beliefs . . . that isn’t even heading toward Fascism is it?”
Maybe, maybe not, although programming decisions have been made for dumber reasons. In any case, surely radio stations have First Amendment rights as well, no? And therefore they have the right to determine what they will and will not put over their airwaves, no?
Believe me, if, when the spring and summer books come out, these stations have lost ratings points, they will re-add the Dixie Chicks to their playlists tout de suite.
(I don’t want to get into a diversion over spectrum as a limited resource and barriers to entry in station ownership. It’s a legitimate topic but irrelevant to this particular issue.)
Dean
IIRC, it is the fiduciary responsibility of the managers of a corporation to make money. (This is one of the things that a lot of economic Leftists hate, since they’d like corporations to do lots of other things instead.)
IF a company’s management is interfering in its functions to the point that it is no longer making money, then the management is liable to legal action by the share-holders, including law-suits, as well as being voted out.
This is hardly fascism, but is instead, what the American set of corporate law would seem to allow.
Ironic, isn’t it, that the same laws that the Left argues so vehemently against (i.e., corporate responsibilities) would be the basis, IF the Dixie Chick ratings are correct, for stopping a ban on airplay?
JKC
Steve- I don’t want to get into a Dixie Chicks debate other than to say that they’re musicians: I don’t expect them to be nuanced critics of foreign policy any more than I expect Drew Carey to provide an acedemic thesis supporting supply-side economics.
There’s also no point in reminding our fellow readers that pandering to the crowd and making personal attacks against sitting Presidents is not a Democratic or liberal monopoly.
The point I was trying to make is that dissent does not equal disloyalty. Yes, dissenters can be disloyal, but so can people that keep their mouths shut. Who’s a better American: Natalie Maines or accused FBI spy Robert Hanson?
Steve Malynn
Hansen is in jail as an answer to your question. Maines is asking people to pay to hear her sing, I don’t have to if I don’t want to, neither does a radio station, for whatever reason. Interesting you mention Drew Carey, veteran, who keeps his public appearances rather apolitical, you’ll have a hard time finding him spouting nonsense not related to his schtick.
Sal
”In any case, surely radio stations have First Amendment rights as well, no? And therefore they have the right to determine what they will and will not put over their airwaves, no?”
And so corporations with the power to chill/silence debate based ONLY on your political views is just ‘good old American values?’ Corporation who have the power to control your ability to make a living, …you don’t see it?
And when business hops in bed with the government to push its theo-fascist agenda, that is good? We are talking about BUSINESS which controls a leg of the media, we aren’t talking about your neighbor refusing to to buy a record. Astounding what lenghths theo-fascists will go to rationalize this. If you don’t see where this is headed you have a narrow view of the world and no foresight and certainly NO understanding of who pulls JR’s srtings….which is why the world is in turmoil now, you believe if you can beat somebody up it makes you strong and right.
So, now let’s see how much money we can funnel to the group who financed your takeover of the government. Family Values my ass.
The left could load up the wagons with all the hypocricy they can muster and wouldn’t come close to the rights’ working with Moon to reach his goals.
Republiocans are selling out your liberty and you don’t see it, you won’t learn about who is behind them because you aren’t allowed to read some tyhings because you are trained NOT to listen to certain sources of info. Remember how you were trained to hate Clinton for allowing foreign influence of our dovernment. hahha Family values my ass.
http://www.au.org/churchstate/cs6013.htm
The “faith-based summit” itself was sponsored by Watts (R-Okla.), Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and other top congressional Republicans, but efforts to promote it at the grassroots level were turned over to a Moon organization.
Why is the Republican Party working hand in glove with Moon front groups? The partnership stems largely from Moon
Brian
Hey Sal,
You misspelled “Corporations”, it should be “Universities”.
HH
DJs are to adhere to the playlist with some exceptions… if the Dixie Chicks weren’t on the playlist and they played them, they’re canned, end of story.
Sal
I mispeel a lot. haha
Colleges, gosh, don’t you just hate those teachers and intellectuals. I mean I hate what they have doen to us. WOW that’s JUST like what they were thinking in Germany a few decades ago. Damn who would a thunk it.
Well trained rationalizations…
hey, is this getting closer to censorship for ya? How about it? HUH. I know some aren’t allowed to read, listen, or think about anything not on the ‘approved’ list…but what the heck I’m in a good mood, I’ll share…
http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2003/santorum.html
hey this is a companion piece. You’ll love this.
http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2003/moonienet.html
Phil
Sal, you’re a funny guy. EVERY SINGLE ASSUMPTION you made about me is false! Let’s see . . .
“Astounding what lenghths theo-fascists will go to rationalize this.”
I’m an atheist who votes for Democrats, moron.
“Remember how you were trained to hate Clinton for allowing foreign influence of our dovernment.”
I voted for Bill Clinton.
“Your party is bed with the moonies and you talk about hypocrisy.”
My party, to the extent that I have one, has always been the Democrats. I also have a subscription to the Washington Post, the non-Moonie paper in Washington.
” . . . I am sure your particluar brand of Christianity will be making the rules when all is said and done”
Again, atheist here.
So, you agree that employees of a company should be able to completely defy their job duties and still retain their jobs?
Sal
First Phil, my time here, may be short. After the first part of my reply, the message was for the blog in general, not just you. Sorry, I wasn’t clear, I assure you the majority was directed only at that those with the proper shoe size ;;;
‘So, you agree that employees of a company should be able to completely defy their job duties and still retain their jobs?’
Break out the dramamine I’m spinning here….you can couch this anyway you like, the theo-fascist Birchers are trying to silence anyone who disagrees with the boy king. No they haven’t got complete control but if you think that isn’t where this is headed you are wrong. They are not disagreeing they are trying to intimidate.
So, you think it is right for business and government to be one and the same? And, as long as you have the money to own the airways, to hell with free speech? Grab the drammamine…
HH
Conwebwatch? Howzabout you link to Bartcop next time? Or Democratic Underground’s forums?
Sal
HH, how about you just keep your mind closed so you don’t learn anything you aren’t allowed to…jump HH jump HH, now speek, arf arf arf.
JKC
Steve is afraid to answer my question.
Who’s a better American: Robert Hansen or Natalie Maines?
Stop hiding behind the phony “free market” argument crap, Steve. You originally implied that calling GWB a dimwit was disloyal. (Dissent = Disloyalty) You’ve failed to answer the question: how does expressing a political opinion make one disloyal? Selling out intelligence assetts is disloyalty. Disagreeing with the President is not.
Dr.Johnny Fever
I remember this time when my new program director came in and said I could finally play rock and roll.
He also said I could say “boger”, and you know what…..I did.
Boger!
Sal
‘Robert Hansen” aren’t you proud of Robert Novak for admitting he used lies fed him by Hansen to smear Clinton? Too, bad everybody still thinks they are true. But Novak did admit he fed the echo chamber with more BS. Proud of him.