The Dixie Chicks: God Bless Them
Posted on 02.12.07 by Widge @ 1:01 pm

Their tag line for their movie, Shut Up & Sing is this:

SHUT UP & SING illustrates that freedom of speech is fine… as long as it's not exercised in public.

Is there any better illustration of the fact that free speech works in this country than three chicks who are so blatantly unaware of how free speech works who make a documentary showing off their ignorance?

The way the Dixie Chicks think free speech works, apparently, is that by me using my right to free speech to criticize them for using their right to free speech, I am somehow usurping their right to free speech. Their definition of free speech apparently is the ability to say whatever you want and not get criticized.

Does this qualify as irony at all?

P.S. "God bless them," for those that don't know, translates from Southern into English as "They're so stupid."


Taggification: ,

Filed under: Ranting
Comments:

« The Strangest Thing I Will See This Month | Judd Winick is Lost to Us » 4 Comments »

  1. Their problem wasn't that they were criticized, it's that they were demonized. And this was done for simply not falling in perfect lockstep with the powers that be.

    Comment by Tom — February 12, 2007 @ 1:38 pm

  2. Tom: Okay, so they were demonized. And this was an attack on their freedom of speech how? And no, saying that they were told they shouldn't say that is not a valid answer. The fact they were told to shut up didn't affect, in any way, their ability to say what they said. In fact, being told to shut up got them more publicity than they could have ever dreamed of. Do you really think they would have gotten on as many magazine covers otherwise? See, this is what people who get pissed off at what other people say fail to understand. By trying to shut someone up, you just shine a big spotlight on them, and more people listen. This is true whether you're the Dixie Chicks or Martin Scorsese or Body Count or whoever.

    My only point in all this, amigo, is that free speech is FREE SPEECH. The only defense against free speech you don't like is more free speech. If there was really some kind of attack on free speech going down, then their movie and DVD would be getting banned by the government. Then we would all have a friend to talk to.

    Comment by Widge — February 12, 2007 @ 2:19 pm

  3. Widge, i thought that Southern for they are so stupid was 'Bless their heart(s)'

    Comment by Mr Lowe's Water Man — February 15, 2007 @ 3:39 pm

  4. Indeed, Mr. Man. Either phrase has been known to be used towards the same end.

    Comment by Widge — February 15, 2007 @ 3:48 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment

Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)



John Robinson is a writer of prose, poetry and comics who also writes under the pseudonym of Widgett Walls.

Widgett Walls is the director of Needcoffee.com who also writes under the pseudonym of John Robinson.

Don't ask.


This is my latest book. Short stories written especially for you, or at least someone who reminded me a lot of you at the time.

Read it for free here. Or if you like paper, buy it here.

Then tell all your friends about it. Or all your enemies. I'm not particular either way.


Want a translation? Try these:

They're not perfect, but they'll do in a pinch.







Syndication
Feedburner

Amigos
Sarah Brown
Catalyst
Dindrane
Doc Ezra
Tee Quillin
ScottC
Tibby's Bowl
JM Tuffley

Sites Which Distract Me From Writing
Boing Boing
Cringely
Defamer
Warren Ellis
Engadget
Fortean Times
Long Tail
Porphyre
Reason
Wired

Topics
General BS
Insomnia
Travel
Writing Fodder

Active Projects...
Dark Blue Monstropolis
Magnificent Desolation
Something Else
The Sunday Before You


Recent Entries
  • And Now That I've Upgraded to 2.6...
  • Don't Mind Me.
  • Amazon MAB Replacement?
  • My New Mascot
  • A Nice Coda to the Trip
  • The New Yorker Hotel Business Center
  • Blast From the Past
  • Crossposted From My StumbleUpon Blog
  • Update at Last
  • George Clooney Makes Small Films Profitable. Yes.
  • On the Other Side of the Flu
  • Piano and Trumpet For the Win
  • Gun, With Occasional Weightlessness
  • Tor Nørretranders on Permanent Reincarnation
  • Can I Get a Hell Yeah?

  • Wordpress Archives
    July 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    September 2007
    August 2007
    July 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    April 2007
    March 2007
    February 2007
    January 2007
    December 2006
    November 2006
    October 2006
    September 2006
    August 2006
    July 2006
    June 2006
    May 2006
    April 2006
    March 2006
    February 2006
    January 2006
    December 2005
    November 2005
    October 2005
    September 2005
    August 2005
    July 2005
    June 2005
    May 2005
    April 2005
    March 2005

    Credits and Copyright
    Proudly powered by WordPress. All content © 1997-present by John Robinson.
    Theme by Theron Parlin, but we've mangled it beyond all reason. So don't blame him.