Shut up and Sing”: the Dixie Chicks and the State of Free Speech in the United States Catherine L
Communication Law Review Volume 10, Issue 2 “Shut Up and Sing”: The Dixie Chicks and the State of Free Speech in the United States Catherine L. Langford Ph.D., Texas Tech University “…if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true.” John Stewart Mill, On Liberty, pg. 64 “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it.” Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrase of Voltaire In a 2003 article on the Country Music Television website, editorial director Chet Flippo concluded his commentary with a message to lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, “Memo to Natalie Maines: You’re an Artist? And you have a message? Hey, put it in a song. We’ll listen to that. But, otherwise—shut up and sing.” The phrase “shut up and sing” would reverberate across the nation following Maines’ controversial statement at a concert in London. “Just so you know,” Maines shared with the crowd, “we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas” (DemocracyNow!) The band who sold more records than any other female band in the United States within weeks would see their records burned, their music banished from country radio, their concerts canceled in the United States, and their lead singer receive a death threat. Maines’ remark at Shephards Bush marks a break in the public identity of the band. Prior to public criticism about Maines’ comment, the Dixie Chicks were American sweethearts.
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