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More Lefsetz Articles

[2] comments


The Lefsetz Letter

More Chicks

by Bob Lefsetz

If I get one more e-mail from a bleeding heart liberal who's never been to Nashville and is afraid of anybody with more than four wheels on his pickup truck I'm gonna PUKE! It's self-righteous people like you who got George Bush REELECTED, by expressing contempt for your "ignorant" brothers south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I've got no problem with Natalie Maines' comment in the U.K. about being ashamed of George Bush. I LOVED it. What's got me in a tizzy, what I can't understand, is THIS:

"'I'd rather have a smaller following of really cool people who get it,' Martie Maguire told Time magazine, 'who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith. We don't want those kinds of fans.'"

http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/music/stories/MYSA062506.3P.dixeichicks.4974837.html

Would you buy the CD of an act that said THAT?

Not if you were in the target demo, as opposed to all you northerners who laugh at "crackers" and adore everything Rick Rubin's ever done. This is not John Lennon saying the Beatles are more popular than Jesus, this is an act DIRECTLY attacking its fans. I don't hear you same bending over backwards in the name of fairness progressives coming down on the side of the makers of Cristal.

But maybe you've got no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe you don't realize that Jay-Z called for a boycott of the champagne after the company's head seemed to disdain the rappers who popularized it (he was not accurately quoted, to boot).

And I'm sure all of you people e-mailing me weren't aware of Martie Maguire's quote above. And THAT'S the story here. EVERYBODY'S OUT OF THE LOOP!

You think you know what's going on, but you've got no idea. But you weigh in on stories like it was the old days, when there were three TV networks and no blogosphere.

But just because YOU'RE clueless as to Maguire's faux pas, have no illusion the Chicks' old fans are. Because the target demo, the people INVOLVED, find out. Just like Jay-Z. Do you think he's actually following the British press to see what the maker of Cristal has to say? But if something negative IS said, he finds out. And word on the street, amongst their OLD fans, is the Chicks hate them, for who they are.

Hell, how many of those red state people are now WITH the Chicks, are questioning their devotion to George W. Bush, and if they were treated nicely would come back into the fold. I'd bet TONS!

You don't put gasoline on a fire unless you don't give a shit about burning up what you once had. The Chicks wouldn't have booked these large tour venues in southern states if they didn't care about their old audience.

These guys need Michael Sitrick. Some kind of media expert. To get the REAL story out. To SPIN the press. To THEIR side. How they were crucified for being out front, but now the country is with them. Just check the polls. And that they're as country as they get.

And they are.

Never run from your roots. You can never leave behind who you are.

And don't try to live in a world you don't understand. Like all the rock fans e-mailing me who've got NO IDEA what's going on here.

Bob Lefsetz, Santa Monica-based industry legend, is the author of the e-mail newsletter, "The Lefsetz Letter". Famous for being beholden to no one, and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: downloading, copy protection, pricing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to EVERYBODY who's in the music business. Never boring, always entertaining, Mr. Lefsetz's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels.

While Rhino may occasionally disagree with some of Bob's opinions, we certainly agree with his right to state them. At the bottom of each column we give you, the reader, the opportunity to respond and we encourage you to do so. We will post select comments.


LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

A word about submissions: We post what you give us, so please don't include your email address or any personal info. Your comments reach Rhino, not necessarily the writer, so don't expect a reply from them (or us, see our help section for contact info). We gather and post your submissions in batches, so do expect a short delay. And don't get bent if we edit your comments. We probably won't, but we reserve that right.


Comments:

What exactly is the source of your anger with the Dixie Chicks? That they don't care that they're not going to be as rich and famous as they once were? Is that what all this ranting is about? Does it always have to be all about PR and marketing and maximizing profit? Typical of an ex-record company stooge. I guess you can take the boy out of the biz but you can't take the biz out of the boy. You're not running their career, so calm down, will you? Why are you foaming at the mouth about this? If they want to f**k it up, what do you care? And who has contempt for southerners if not you? "Gee, I was really startin' to question all this stuff what George W. is doin' and then them Dixie Chicks went and said what they said and done me wrong. Now I'm standing by my man." Jerk.

CHICKS SUCK! (in this case is a bad thing)




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