Free Republic

Producers of Sunday's Emmy telecast bleeped drama actress winner Sally Field in the midst of a controversial acceptance speech attacking U.S. involvement in Iraq. "If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any god -" she said when the sound went dead and the camera suddenly turned away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Chopped off were the words "goddamn wars in the first place." (The phrase was not censored in the Canadian telecast.) "This belongs to all the mothers of the world -- may they be seen and valued," she added when she won for outstanding actress...

Pop singer Barry Manilow, a major Democratic fundraiser, said on Monday he has scrapped plans to appear on the television talk show "The View," because he did not want to be interviewed by its conservative co-host. Manilow was scheduled to appear on the ABC morning show Tuesday, the same day his new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies" hits stores. But those plans fell through because of his issues with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, an abortion opponent and supporter of the Iraq war. "I had made a request that I be interviewed by (co-hosts) Joy (Behar), Barbara (Walters) or Whoopi (Goldberg),...

If only it was the beginning of a media trend. Studio execs know that people from both sides of the political spectrum watch their shows. Considering the statistics, two-thirds of the country doesn't pay attention to politics, ever, so your actors are more likely to lose you money and advertisers when they spout off, then attract any net gain, (unless bad publicity is considered a gain). Just blacking out their inappropriate remarks helps keep attention on the actual show, not some self-important actors latest pet project. If the actor has a problem with that, go on the news and talk...

"Valley of Elah," Lions for Lambs", "Redacted"...Sheesh. Doesn't anybody make movies anymore?

WASHINGTON - One of the many bands that passed through the Live Earth stages around the world Saturday put it best. “It’s not really important what goes on here tonight, but what happens in the future,” said Pete Wentz of the band Fall Out Boy, who appeared in the New York concert. For many who participated - as performers or spectators at the massive global music event - it was an inspiring night, perhaps the biggest concert broadcast in history, all dedicated to confronting what organizer Al Gore has called “the greatest threat mankind has ever faced.” Saturday’s musicians were...

PARIS - Barbra Streisand performed her first-ever concert in France this week — and was rewarded with a medal of the Legion of Honor. French President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded the medal to Streisand in a ceremony Thursday, the first time he has bestowed the honor since taking over from Jacques Chirac last month. "You are the America that we love," said Sarkozy, who is seen as more U.S.-friendly than Chirac. "Women like you ... do a lot to bring our two peoples together." Onlookers included French crooner Charles Aznavour and actor Alain Delon. Sarkozy's wife, Cecilia, went to Streisand's sole...

Thousands of sunburnt fans roared in unison and pumped their fists in the desert air Sunday night as reunited political rockers Rage Against the Machine took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. [SNIP] Stomping, shouting into his microphone, grabbing his curly hair and inciting the audience to "keep fighting," de la Rocha powered through songs ranging from the bass heavy "Bulls on Parade" to the anthem "Killing in the Name." He also railed against the war in Iraq and likened Bush administration officials to Nazi war criminals. "This current administration is no exception. They should be...

Dish Network offered the Dixie Chicks' movie "Shut up and sing" as a $3.99 pay-per-view. While I was reluctant to send the money to the subversive organization, I decided I would do it in the name understanding the enemy. It is clear from the movie that the DC know that screwed up and screwed up badly with their comment about George Bush while on tour in England. They know they screwed up but that are not taking any responsibility for their screw up. They are deeply into blaming FreeRepublic.com for their troubles. They say that FR is a well organized...

The Dixie Chicks have a movie, Shut Up & Sing, coming out today, and, to keep things lively, they're staging a grudge match with the worst site on the Internet, political-rhetoric division. "The fat chick will only drive traffic to this site," writes one poster to the site. "The Frenchy Chix can't get a gig in a gay bar in Ithaca," writes another. Others chime in with more corruptions: Chubby Chicks, Ditsy Twits, Vichy Chicks. "Yep typical liberals," says someone else. "No character." This is Free Republic, an exercise in political extremism that, despite being and something of an anthropological...

For some unfathomable reason, Charlie Rose apparently had John Mellencamp of all people on his show to talk about the US reaction to terrorism after 9/11. What followed, was the pacifistic, left-wing view of foreign policy at its worst. Read it and weep (I transcribed this from the video). Charlie Rose: So, After 9/11 what was inappropriate for you... John Cougar Mellencamp: It was inappropriate from the beginning. Charlie Rose: Afghanistan was inappropriate? John Cougar Mellencamp: Everything was inappropriate. Charlie Rose: If we knew where Osama Bin Laden was, to have bombed his hideout would have been inappropriate? John Cougar...

Did the Dixie Chicks win more for the quality of their music or for their political stance? Their music Their politics

CNN) -- The Grammy Awards were nice to the Dixie Chicks, who won song of the year, a songwriter's award, for "Not Ready to Make Nice." The Chicks -- Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison -- shared the award with Dan Wilson, formerly of Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare. "I, for the first time in my life, am speechless," said Maines, who became a controversial figure in 2003 after making critical comments about President Bush. "Not Ready to Make Nice" was a response to the controversy; after Maines' comments, the Chicks' songs were pulled from a number of country music...

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - Sean Penn hunched alone over his coffee Monday in a Starbucks shop, a stone's throw from the DuPont overpass where supporters of Lt. Ehren Watada held their signs aloft and a much smaller number of foes counter-protested.The actor had been out there with the Iraq war protesters in the chilly fog, which dampened the air but not their spirits. Watada was inside Fort Lewis, his first day in a military courtroom for a court martial that will decide his fate for refusing to go to Iraq and for talking publicly about his reasons.Penn was about to...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Everyone needs a soundtrack - even politicians. The presidential candidates who addressed the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting Friday got to choose their tunes, and it was an eclectic mix that reflected personal favorites and not-so-subtle messages. Some candidates requested two songs, one that blared as they approached the stage and another that played as they left the podium. The selections: _John Edwards: "This Is Our Country" by John Mellencamp. _Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut: "Get Ready (Cause Here I Come)" by the Temptations and "Reach Out," also by the Temptations. _Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New...

Rocker David Byrne has accused US President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for leading the country the same way the late Saddam Hussein led Iraq. Byrne is stunned at the Iraq war and is vehemently against it, said contactmusic.com. He said: 'It's like we are in shock. At least I am. The majority of Americans don't want to commit more troops, Congress doesn't want to commit more troops, but George and Dick do and by god they are gonna have it. And I thought, 'Can they just do this?' I thought only people like Saddam Hussein could...

After a rash of fawning, poor-widdle-victims media blitzing, and eight weeks in theaters, the Dixie Chicks documentary, Shut Up and Sing, has finally passed the $1 million mark in box office receipts. Woo. Hoo.

Natalie Maines has always been the Dixie Chicks' mouth. As lead singer, she not only fronts the band on stage but is often its spokeswoman. She was known for speaking her mind well before the now infamous comment that started a backlash against the popular country music group. Back in 2003 at a London concert on the eve of the Iraq war, Maines was just being herself when she said: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The reaction that followed stunned Maines and bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. Suddenly, the...

Back in 2003, Natalie Maines spoke her mind and lived to regret it. Just days before the Iraq invasion during a London concert, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks stated: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." It was a thunderbolt that reverberated throughout conservative factions of America where country music is a bastion. Almost immediately, the Chicks, who are all against the war, became the most loathed band in the United States. What followed that now infamous statement is chronicled in Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck's new documentary, "Shut Up...

WASHINGTON - Think of the Dixie Chicks and you should be reminded of their extraordinary musical talent and best-selling CDs. Instead, thanks to “Shut Up & Sing” — a new documentary about the group’s foray into politics — the Chicks will likely be famous for flying their self-proclaimed victim banner once again. The documentary accurately and intimately portrays the Chicks’ tumultuous battle with angry Americans since lead singer Natalie Maines proclaimed from a London stage that she was ashamed that President George W. Bush hailed from her home state of Texas. The conservative blog Free Republic first focused attention —...

In 2003, the Dixie Chicks, (pictured left to right) Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines, were the most popular female group in country music history, with a number one single, millions in sales, multiple Grammy awards, legions of fans and sold-out concerts across the world. Then, during a concert in London on March 10, 2003, just days before the U.S. military would invade Iraq, Natalie felt she had to say something about what was happening in the world. To those English fans—whose own government joined America's Iraqi invasion—she said, "We do not want this war, this violence. And we're...