Maines Still Not in Fashion With Keith

CMT.com ^ | 5-23-03 | Calvin Gilbert

[Paul Atreides]

The Academy of Country Music Awards took place in Las Vegas, but the biggest fashion statement of the night was made 1,500 miles away. And given the way things have been going for the past three months, maybe it's not so surprising that the statement was made by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks.

Maines sported a shirt emblazoned with the letters "F.U.T.K." while the trio performed "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" via satellite from a concert in Austin, Texas. The special segment was part of the ACM Awards show televised live from Las Vegas. Later in the show, Vince Gill opened the envelope to learn that Toby Keith had been named entertainer of the year and said, "Well, I think his name was on somebody's shirt tonight."

Maines' shirt became a hot topic on radio talk shows and Internet message boards, thanks to previous comments she has made about Keith and President George W. Bush. After experiencing a backlash from fans and radio over a comment she made about Bush during a London concert in March, Maines wore a shirt carrying the message "Dare to Be Free" when the U.S. leg of the Dixie Chicks world tour kicked off earlier this month in Greenville, S.C.

When asked if Maines intends to explain what the letters "F.U.T.K." meant, a publicist at Front Page Publicity -- the firm responsible for the Dixie Chicks' media relations -- told CMT.com Friday (May 23), "I don't know."

Assuming that the last two letters of the acronym refer to Keith, it's easy to speculate the meaning of the first two. And if that's the case, then Maines' shirt appears to be another jab in a dialog that began almost a year ago when she criticized Keith's flag-waving song, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)." On the other hand, Chicks supporters on Nashville's Music Row have offered a kinder, tongue-in-cheek definition of "F.U.T.K." -- "Friends United in Truth and Kindness."

Following Wednesday's (May 21) ACM Awards, Keith traveled to Los Angeles for a Thursday appearance on the ABC late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Keith said he doesn't know what the letters on Maines' shirt meant. "I have no idea," he said. "It happened during the [ACM] show when I was already gone."

With several members of Kimmel's audience wearing shirts with the letters "F.U.D.C.," Keith explained the history of what has become a public feud.

"She attacked me about nine months ago over the 'Angry American' song," Keith said. "I took the high road for a little bit and then she didn't think that she got the fight, I think, that she wanted. So then she attacked our president on foreign soil and got the fight she wanted, I guess." Keith added, "She's still not done. If y'all think she's done, you're crazy. Stuff comes out of her blowhole daily."

Keith may disagree with Maines' comments, but he likes their music. However, he also expressed concern for the other members of the Dixie Chicks -- Martie Maguire and Emily Robison.

"They make great music," he noted. "I think it's too bad for the other two that … it has to be what it is, because they do make great music."

[LaraCroft]

I read something that seemed to indicate that they looked down on Country Music fans anyway, but thought that was the best way for them to succeed. Wish I could remember where.

[Clara Lou]

Dignified
You're right. I'd forgotten about the magazine cover. [I never heard their interview.] That was crossing the line. At least 2 of the 3 have children, too. Won't it be nice when the children are teens and their mothers have to explain what appearing nude on a magazine cover has to do with Natalie's stupid remarks?

[Paul Atreides]

I think that Gnatalie is seizing on the opportunity to become the country version of Madonna. She certainly is becoming the loud-mouth, obnoxious, self-absorbed, bore that is Madonna. I find it funny that the Bill Mahers and the Janeane Garofalos of the entertainment industry are leaping to their defense when, if they were conservatives, they would otherwise be the butts of many a derogatory joke or comment. Also, I have a strong feeling that, if Rush Limbaugh's or Sean Hannity's audience turned on them and started burning their books, the Dixie Chicks and Hollywood would see no wrong in it. In fact, they would be front and center egging it on.

[Paul Atreides]

Gnatalie is a petty child. She behaves like a spoiled 13-year old. After the intitial publicity had died down, she used this stunt to keep her name in the papers. She is trying to make a martyr of herself.

[TXBlair]

"Don't get me started," Maines told the Los Angeles Daily News. "I hate it. It's ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant. It targets an entire culture - and not just the bad people who did bad things. You've got to have some tact. Anybody can write, 'We'll put a boot in your ass.' But a lot of people agree with it. The kinds of songs I prefer on the subject are like Bruce Springsteen's new songs."

Hmmm...Fat Nat is concerned that "The Angry American" makes country music sound ignorant. Let's just have a look-see at some of the profound lyrics of the Dixie Chicks' song "White Trash Wedding", which was penned soley by the Chicks themselves:

"You can't afford no ring/ You can't afford no ring/ I shouldn't be wearing white and you can't afford no ring/ You finally took my hand/ You finally took my hand/ It took a nip of gin/ But you finally took my hand/ You can't afford no ring/ You can't afford no ring/ I shouldn't be wearing white and you can't afford no ring/ Mama don't approve/ Mama don't approve/ Daddy says he's the best in town/ And Mama don't approve/ You can't afford no ring/ You can't afford no ring/ I shouldn't be wearing white and you can't afford no ring/ Baby's on its way/ Baby's on its way/ Say I do and kiss me quick/ 'Cause baby's on its way/ I shouldn't be wearing white and you can't afford no ring."

Whew! I feel absolutely enlightened now. Thanks, girls, for your words of wisdom. Such depth. Who needs "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" when you can have a White Trash Wedding"?

[BamaDi]

That's too funny - however, here in Houston neither of the stations are playing the DC's....but when I was in D.C. last month, WMZQ DID play them - so whenever one of their songs came on I did what you do - I would turn the radio off for 3 minutes. BUT a good friend of mine who lives there said he doesn't just stop listening for 3 minutes - he turns that station off for the remainder of the day and changes it to the Baltimore country station (which IMHO is much better that MZQ anyway!!! Don't cha' love it?

[BamaDi]

Thank goodness Toby's no Merle - Mr Haggard made a statement several months ago in California (where else one would ask!) to the effect that if the Clintoons were still in the White House we wouldn't be at war now - and of course he's right - if Clinton or Gore had been the President, then our answer to 9/11 would have been NOTHING! Go Toby!

[WestTexasWend]

No, they don't believe in other's First Amendment rights.
They were in OKC the night before the awards show and the local news reported that at least two kids at the concert held up pillowcases with "We Support Pres. Bush" on them... and "security" took the banners away. Typical limo libs.

[Publius6961]

BUMP

[DLfromthedesert]

What was it that she objected to about Keith's great song?

Seems to me like this little girlie lacks in patriotism, intelligence, and just plain sense. She is the epitome of white trash.

Too bad she's not from Arkansas; then she needn't have been embarrassed.

[paul544]

Hmmmmm...

[CobaltBlue]

>>nybody can write, 'We'll put a boot in your ass.' But a lot of people agree with it.<<

Au contraire, Ms. Maines, only Keith wrote "we'll put a boot in your ass", but I do happen to agree with it.

I find it a marvelously felicitous way of expressing exactly my own feelings.

[DLfromthedesert]

OMIGOD!!! That's hilarious. Same face, same brain.

[duckbutt]

I know you said that with tongue firmly implanted in cheek, but as I recall, in North Korea each home is fitted with a radio that spews forth communist propaganda 24/7 and it can't be turned off.......

Hope your joke never comes to pass :-)

[shootist]

Fat *ss

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Maines sported a shirt emblazoned with the letters "F.U.T.K."

Class act.

[reagan_fanatic]

Aren't blowholes commonly found on whales?

[Samwise]

"She's still not done. If y'all think she's done, you're crazy. Stuff comes out of her blowhole daily."

At the risk of being edited by the moderators, I'll post a link to my comment instead of the comment itself.

http://www.strangecosmos.com/images/picturejokes/161.jpg

[pepsionice]

Lets face it...if Natalie wasn't in the group...she'd be sitting in a house trailer in south Texas and keeping up the young'ens. She simply lucked out and impressed some folks with her singing capability. Once the DC's finish up their current run...they will break up as a group, and Natalie will find herself with no future after that.

[LibertarianInExile]

Don't buy that crap. She'll be a music industry staple like her papa. Not because she's talented--because they won't toss any old lefties out when they're done if they stick to the party line.

See
http://austin.citysearch.com/feature/3574/6.html
and
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/29224/acousticdigestmu/103-9525622-1229436
for more about her producer daddy--contrary to that horse hockey they spread about her 'just joining up' with the band, she's been an industry girl from day one. That bunch is NOT from Texas--they're from Austin, which is only the same thing if you like vegetarian BBQ.