Rednecks and Bluenecks

[muchacho]

this is a great and witty book on the roots of country music , politics
and the battle for the soul (and vote) of working class America.

Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music -
by Chris Willman

[Syrinx]

1. Read it a few weeks ago

Very interesting book. Boy that Kix Dunn guy thinks he knows everything.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Don't you think there's a tad bit of depression involved wih

Country music in general?

Depressed people tend to withdraw, but when it's a collective experience, they vote Republican...I guess.

[muchacho]

4. I disagree

all popular music has it's blue songs (I've been jilted/screwed over). The Blues were built on it.

I think it's just a matter of the GOP taking advantage of a popular medium and turning it to their advantage (it helps that the Dems look like the Keystone cops when it comes to strategy).

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Does that make sense?

I don't think so. I don't think Country music would have been co-opted so easily if the roots of conservatism weren't already there.

[muchacho]

11. well..

if by roots you mean love for faith, family and Country..then you have a point. I personally don't see these as the property of either party...the GOP has just been more skillful in co-opting and exploiting them.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Confederacy.

I'm talking about the kind of songs that stir up confederate style, white power emotions.

[muchacho]

15. you mean Dixie?

seriously, your comment about country music being some rally cry for the Klan is bordering on racist and insulting. Go tell it to Johnny Cash and the Dixie Chicks.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Sorry, but that's the way I see it.

I mean really, SEE it.

My daughter has a childhood friend who has decided in the last two years that she is redneck. She wasn't originally, but her brothers went redneck and are into the monster trucks, clothing, car racing, country music, confederate flags and minority hatred.

I even asked her once, I said, you've grown up in this house, you know we're hispanic, you know how we are, but I bet when you go back into your redneck group that when they talk hatred about hispanics, you're right there with them. She smiled and shook her head, yes.

Country music here is associated with rednecks. They're proud of it, too. So you don't really get much trumping leverage pulling the race card on me. They're just laughing at you.

[muchacho]

17. Country may be correlation, but not causation

I grew up i Texas and spent a few years in San Antonio and I would see Anglo girls start to take up Chica hair and fashion styles and listen to Tejano and Hispanic popular music. Then you have the number one buyers of gangsta rap, suburban white boys. And being teens of course they gravitate to the most annoying aspects of their chosen niche.

Cultural confusion is a part of adolescence, I'll give you that. But not all country music fans are rednecks (at least in the pin-headed, dixie-will-rise-again sense).

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. Maybe it's time for country music lovers who are not redneck and/or

racist to come out of the closet? I can only report what I see. My days of taking things on faith are over.

[muchacho]

33. they have..

see fans of Steve Earl, The Drive By Truckers, The Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Rodney Crowell. No faith needed, just a kick-ass CD player.

But like moderate Republicans and real progressives it's hard to get mainstream media's attention if you don't fit the stereotype their peddling at the moment.

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. Maybe they just have never made an issue of it before?

It's not difficult to do. Think of how the Republicans did it. They USE their music at political rallies. Hell, Reagan once used "Don't Worry, Be Happy" as his political theme. Absolutely No clue what that song was about.

[muchacho]

43. so country is redneck music...

because the Dems suck at co-opting it for their cause? Silly....

[Bridget Burke]

20. Which country music have you ever heard?

And where is your "here." I live in Texas--check my profile.

You say you're "Hispanic." Does that mean Mexican? Mexico has lots of country music--it's just a different country. Are the songs of José Alfredo Jiménez particularly cheerful?

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. I'm not the one listening to it, they are.

I can only tell you that they will raise the music level of songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" and act in defiance, in a confederate way.

So, if there are people who love country music who don't associate with racism, it's time to take back the music.

Around here, it's pointless to differentiate to certain people between Mexican-Americans, latinos or hispanics. "Hispanics" are as general as you can get to them. They're not interested in learning more. Christ, this girl has been my blonde daughter for over ten years and it bought me nothing in the way of enlightening her.

I happen to have both latino and Mexican-American blood in me, which makes it even more complicated. Which is also why I sometimes revert to "Hispanic."

[Bridget Burke]

37. Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote "Sweet Home Alabama"--it's Southern Rock

An answer to a Neil Young tune, it was not written to be as racist as some may think. Unfortunately, only sad remnants of the band survived a plane crash some years ago.

It's stupid for people to dump Chicanos, Mexicanos, Cubanos & even actual Spaniards into the "Hispanic" category. It's also non-productive to lump ignorant racists in with those of us who understand the real roots of Southern music.

www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/index.cgi?cat=10043

The only remedy for ignorance is knowledge.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Bridget, bridget, bridget. How old are you?

How many rednecks have you had to live with? Do you go around and lecture to them every opportunity you get? What is their reaction?

Lynyrd Skynrd was liberal, from what I hear from fellow DUers, but that doesn't stop Dixie rednecks from stealing their song as their own.

Are you hispanic? If not, maybe you're not in any position to tell how one feels when they have to fill in a blank and decide between your mother or father when they ask you if you're Mexican-American or latina? When they don't give you a choice, you resort to what worked at the time when you were very young. For me, the only available option was Hispanic, so I feel comfortable with it, rather than to betray one of my parents. Both of them can claim to have Hispanic roots, so it's technically correct. Just like some very older generation blacks still refer to themselves as colored, I sometimes prefer to be called Hispanic. But I claim to be both latina and of Chicano heritage whenever that option is left open to me, or when the person I'm talking to shows the ability to understand the differences.

Hope you learned something today.

[Bridget Burke]

40. I'm in my 50's & I live in Texas. I've met a redneck or 2 in my day.

I was criticizing those who insist on the word "Hispanic" to describe many different groups of people. Not those who use the word to describe themselves. Sometimes it's the only option.

But you consider all the people who listen to country music to be ignorant rednecks. Or you criticize some of us for not "taking it back" from the inbred idiots. Of course, I shouldn't lecture anyone, either.

Did you read the link I provided? It's a chance to learn something. And--if you find sad songs proof of Republicanism--what's your opinion of the songs of José Alfredo Jiménez? Not that you need to like Mexican music, either. (Country is not the only genre I like.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

41. You're in Texas. Maybe that explains it all.

The music you're exposed to isn't going to be the same as what I hear over here. We don't have as strong a Mexican-American community, so though there have been inroads in Spanish music on the radio, it's mostly geared toward latin American music. I'm more inclined to hear Regeton, than Jose Alfredo Jimenez.

And I don't listen to Country music at all. Not intentionally, anyway. Like another poster said on this thread, it's strictly redneck music around here, or worse, that Evangelical stuff.

But people who do play it loud in public places, do so defiantly, and generally are making a statement which doesn't embrace diversity.

Now, this is not how it was when I was younger. I use to love country music and even have an oldie called, "Deep South." But that was then, and now is now. If you want to change my mind about what I hear and see, then I suggest you find a way to play it on Air America, for a start.

[muchacho]

44. let's be nice...

[muchacho]

34. hey Bridget

Good to have another Texan in the fold.

[bee]

27. The same is true here - sad as it is

If youre ever in NH & hear country music... follow it & chances are you'll find a pro-war, gay-hating, redneck republican 9 times out of 10. And if you hear it while sitting in traffic - just look for the "kill 'em all, let got sort 'em out" bumper sticker often accompanied by Nascar, NRA, or Bush/Cheney '04. Sorry country fans... but thats just how it is here.
Country music = redneck-o-rama (in NH).

[The Backlash Cometh]

31. That's what I find here.

There are no exceptions. And if there are exceptions, they are very quiet about it.

[muchacho]

42. uh huh

and this is part of the progressive big-tent thinking? No wonder we can't plane a two car parade.

[formernaderite]

18. which ones would that be?

sorry, I don't recall any recent songs like that....but please, enlighten us. I realize about half of the country artists are repubs, but it only seems strange because most of popular music is full of democrats. I enjoy blue grass and traditional country, less the new stuff which just sounds like 70's bubble gum pop songs. I'm just not familiar with the songs you're referring to. Unless you're mistaking some of the redneck ballads as anti-anything.

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. Sorry, but if there are any liberal country music singers out there,

I must have missed their performance. Enlighten me. Who out there is a country music singer who has popular appeal with White America and who openly supports a liberal agenda?

[formernaderite]

36. Tim Mcgraw and his wife Faith Hill for starters

And they're big libs, and not afraid to express it. There's a whole bunch of female singers who's names I never remember. As far as I know Garth Brooks is still a dem....the Dixie Chicks if you recall....geez, I'm not up with the whole celebrity crowd, but some DUers posted a list not too long ago.
BTW: I'm an occassional country music listener...but not an expert.

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. Maybe it's time to start a liberal country music station.

Surely would drive the point for us who only get to hear it when someone is sneering at us.

[formernaderite]

38. you never answered "WHO" or "what" you heard that offended

I just can't think of any "racist" country tune. Unless you're counting the pro-US tunes that came out after 9-11. One of them was song by a democrat...Toby Keith, who intially supported Bush(like alot of people did after 9-11), but has since wavered on the war etc....he's a Fritz Hollings sort of democrat, which is what most of the south really is.

But seriously...what songs were you intially referring to?

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. They've co-opted the music.

But you bring up a good point. I really haven't heard many Country songs that dish out brotherly love the way that Black Eyed Peas can. If country music singers talk about love it's about unrequited love, or love of a child, wife or to God. Hardly ever to a neighbor of different strokes.

Diversity doesn't seem to be a theme in Country music, does it?

[formernaderite]

45. true I haven't heard many songs about ladies humps

and lumps either....

[QC]

19. Clearly it's because country music fans are EEEEVUL!

Does that make you feel better?

[The Backlash Cometh]

25. No, just gutless. They just sat there and allowed the Repubs to co-opt

their music. That makes them gutless.

[QC]

26. Yeah, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, etc. are known for their

gutlessness. :eyes:

[mongo]

28. Not to mention Woody Guthrie

the Grand-daddy of American country music.

[muchacho]

35. seriously...

read the book I mention at the post of this thread, it might show you just how complicated and creative the genre really is.

[Syrinx]

9. I don't think so necessarily

I like a good bit of country music. There's a lot of "happy" country music, and much of the depressing stuff is so over the top that it's funny. I like Pink Floyd, but that is some seriously depressing music.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Good story about this in Alternet / In These Times last week. . .

http://www.alternet.org/story/30810/

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2455/


:kick:

[muchacho]

5. Thanks

[rucky]

6. So is Toby Keith a Democrat or not?

Flanders contradicted herself tonite.

[Syrinx]

10. he's a Democrat

Kind of like Zell, I guess. :crazy:

[muchacho]

12. yes and no..

he's what might call a Dixie-crat. See Zell Miller.

[mydreamcametrue]

7. Cool...

[Bridget Burke]

21. Another non sequitur.

?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

13. Thanks for the heads up -- sounds interesting. nt