What would planet Earth be like without music? Music is a means of communication through the subconscious thought procession; the emotions people feel when listening to music are extremely distinctive perceptions and cannot be repeated exactly as before. Music is also an essential way of expressing the character of various social groups. America alone has multiple social categories and each category has a specific framework. In every framework, there are certain icons and indexes that help build that culture’s identity. For instance, the idealistic music of America according to American society is country music. One would think American music is melodies created in the United States by an English speaking American, but that’s not the case. The reason for why country music is largely understood as “American music” has a great deal to do with its function in society. Most of the roles country music must exemplify are the ideal Americans as white, hard working southerners, and patriotic no matter what. The Dixie Chicks fit this profile perfectly; their appearance and musical messages clearly emphasize country music, thus, they are icons.
A culture’s belief system is in charge of what or who should be considered as an icon. The Dixie Chicks were icons of country music because society appointed them into that position. Just as society has the power to accredit, they also have the power to reject. During the period of the 9/11 attack, the United States was in a state a fear and revenge. The government did everything in its power to assure the people of America that we needed to have war on terror because of the possibility of being in danger once again. Through the manipulation of the media and innuendos of living in an unsafe country that believed it had no other choice than to go to war in order to regain safety, the government gained control and support of its citizens.
Although the Dixie Chicks were huge icons of country music, they also had individual identities that did not necessarily go along with their stage characters. For instance, Natalie Maines stated her controversial statement against the war on terror while touring in Europe and that caused her career and all involved to involuntarily become politically involved. The result of her opinion pushed forth a huge outcry from the American people; how could Natalie Maines disagree with going to war on terror? Is she even American? Although Natalie is just as American as George W. Bush, her lack of sensitivity to the situation of the war on terror cause her to be a primary target for dissension. What’s worse is that the Dixie Chicks were not the only artists to speak against the war on terror, however, they were made examples of simply because they were huge country icons; in the face of all adversaries, the Dixie Chicks were the last people on Earth to be considered as the enemy.
Consequently, the Dixie Chicks were forced to try to make amends with the president, their fans, and overall the American society. From their experiences, which included the dismissal of their music from country radio and ostracized by almost everyone, one could understand when to speak, what to say, and how to say it in times of division among a country. In Natalie’s case, there was no correct way to state her position on the war on terror without having the comment backfire. The only way she could have been appreciated for her comment was to have stated it around the time when the rest of the world believed the war on terror was a mistake, yet, she would not have been able to change her iconic position from country to varied artist.
The Dixie Chicks have become more than just the American country music icon and there is something more to be grasped from what happened to them in the past. Their music is recognized as the epitome of American spirit in country music, therefore, they must uphold their visage in order to sustain their cultural appraisal. Music is essential to winning the favor of the people in contemporary American political debates; it exemplifies the idea of what position the presidential candidates wish to uphold. What better way to win an election than to paint a picture of who you want people to think you are rather than show your true colors.
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