Grammys = Democrammys?

[Parkbandit]

I'll admit to my ignorance of the Dixie Chicks.. but is their latest album really all that? 5 Grammys? I don't think I've heard of one of their new songs.

So is this 'award' show really about celebrating the best music.. or is it more of a political message? Did their album really sell that well? Last I heard, they were cancelling concerts because no one wanted to go to them. Now they are the toast of Hollywood.

[Hulkein]

Look at the people who choose the winners. They're obviously political.

[zhelas]

Of course they are winners since Bush bashing is now the new Political Correctness.

[peam]

And everyone bashes on Backlash for being crazy.

[Hulkein]

Peam, to say that those who win the Grammys, SAG, etc awards aren't chosen by the Hollywood liberal elite is crazy, not the other way around.

[Skirmisher]

I own it along with all their other cds.

And the Grammy's DO have a history of awarding people/groups for a body of work as often as for a particular years effort.

[Sean of the Thread]

Sadly my wife is a big fan of theirs and a bleeding heart.. and even she says she wasn't overly impressed with the album. It wasn't as overrated as OSU football but it's up there.

She does say the "not ready to make nice" song or wtf ever is the good song on the album.

[Miss X]

Haha, look at Sean trying to act like he hasn't listened to the entire album on repeat.

;)

[CrystalTears]

I'm inclined to not want to watch the Grammys or the Oscars anymore, mostly because of how people win. It's mostly them voting for each other. I'd listen to the People's Choice Awards than I would those two anymore. I hardly ever agree with who wins, and pine for those who never do because they're not "popular" enough, even though they deserve it more.

[DeV]

Politics aside the real question is who do YOU think should have won in their category. If you can answer that one I'll consider your question truly valid.

My opinion on this is that anytime there are votes needed to decide a winner there will be politicking involved.

[xtc]

I didn't watch the Grammys and I can't say I am a fan of the Dixie Chicks. I thought it was a little ridiculous when country music stations starting banning their music however.

I couldn't stand their old music and I found some songs off the last album more palatable. I know they had slow ticket sales in the backwards parts of America, however sales in other cities were quite brisk. I believe they sold out their concert dates in Canadian cities.

Perhaps their wider appeal contributed to their grammys. 5 does seem over the top however.

[Parkbandit]

Politics aside the real question is who do YOU think should have won in their category. If you can answer that one I'll consider your question truly valid.

My opinion on this is that anytime there are votes needed to decide a winner there will be politicking involved.

My point was that I normally know some of the songs on the Album of the year... I don't know one this year. And last time I checked, the Dixie Chicks were having to cancel alot of concert dates due to not enough people buying tickets.

Not exactly the recipe for Album of the Year.

[DeV]

Not exactly the recipe for Album of the Year.But their sales never exactly plummeted the way people say they did. Hell, even Skirm bought the album, and although that isn't saying much apparently they still have a fairly big audience even though they lost quite a few along the way.

I just don't see them as political visionaries. One of them made a poorly thought out statement to a sympathetic audience and to say their awards are nothing more than a slap in the face to the Bush administration just seems to be far reaching and hugely ineffective.

I'm probably correct in saying Bush and Co. don't really give a fuck what the entertainment world was gesturing when they supposedly awared the Chicks medals in all 5 categories because of their comments. That's more so a slap in the face to the other nominees in the country music categories. Perhaps time will tell.

[zhelas]

http://cagle.slate.msn.com/working/070213/lester.jpg

[Parkbandit]

But their sales never exactly plummeted the way people say they did. Hell, even Skirm bought the album, and although that isn't saying much apparently they still have a fairly big audience even though they lost quite a few along the way.

I just don't see them as political visionaries. One of them made a poorly thought out statement to a sympathetic audience and to say their awards are nothing more than a slap in the face to the Bush administration just seems to be far reaching and hugely ineffective.

I'm probably correct in saying Bush and Co. don't really give a fuck what the entertainment world was gesturing when they supposedly awared the Chicks medals in all 5 categories because of their comments. That's more so a slap in the face to the other nominees in the country music categories. Perhaps time will tell.

While I think you are correct when you say Bush couldn't give a shit about the 'awards'... I think looking at the winners, that it's a little naive to think it was based solely on the work and not about any political message.

[Alfster]

I laughed when I heard the dixie chicks were the big wieners. The last I heard they couldn't give tickets away to their shows.

[Sean of the Thread]

Song of the year prolly earned... the others not so much imo.

P.s. their sales DID plummet like they said they did. I doubt radio stations lost any ad revenue either without fattali in their lineup.

[DeV]

While I think you are correct when you say Bush couldn't give a shit about the 'awards'... I think looking at the winners, that it's a little naive to think it was based solely on the work and not about any political message.
That didn't really work for Kanye West, but that's beside the point.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and remain naive in thinking that their wins had less to do with the political statement of one member and more to do with their body of work as a whole, regardless of how many albums didn't sell. That's just me though.

[Some Rogue]

Here's a recap of the top-grossing concert acts of 2006, according to Pollstar:
1. The Rolling Stones, $138.5 million
2. Barbra Streisand, $92.5 million
3. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, $88.8 million
4. Madonna, $85.9 million
5. Cirque du Soleil's Delirium, $82.1 million
6. Celine Dion, $78.1 million
7. Kenny Chesney, $66 million
8. Bon Jovi, $59.7 million
9. Dave Matthews Band, $51.3 million
10. Elton John, $48.9 million
11. Billy Joel, $47.2 million
12. Rascal Flatts, $43.6 million
13. The Who, $40.9 million
14. Def Leppard and Journey, $38.7 million
15. Shakira, $38.6 million
16. Toby Keith, $38 million
17. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, $37.3 million
18. Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe, $35.4 million
19. American Idols Live!, $35 million
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, $33.5 million
21. Nickelback, $30.3 million
22. Barry Manilow, $29.2 million
23. Coldplay, $28.6 million
24. Mariah Carey, $27.9 million
25. Dixie Chicks, $27.1 million

[Parkbandit]

Hun...

I'm not saying it was because of Natalie (or whoever their lead singer chick is) and her Bush bashing... I'm saying that the people who vote for the awards may have taken into account the political environment and maybe given the Chicks a vote instead of another album more deserving. I did a little searching and was very surprised that this album did so well financially for them.. since I never once heard of any of their songs. I have 3 women who listen to the radio nonstop in my home.. and they've never heard of any of the songs either.

Granted.. country music isn't their genre.. but I heard plenty from them prior to 2003... and country music wasn't their genre back then either.

Just makes me wonder is all.

[Drew2]

I can't think of an album "more deserving", and I listen to the radio a lot. The people who decide these awards have never given them out based on what's mainstream currently, because 80% of the shit they give out are for songs/albums that don't even play very often.

Mary J. Blige is an example. She's talented, but I don't hear her name come out of anyone's mouth ever. Her time has gone as far as I can tell, yet she's still winning shit.

The fact that JT only walked away with 2 should tell you the whole system is fucked up

[Hulkein]

What has 9 arms and sucks?

Def Leopard.

I can't believe Def Leopard and Journey made that much money touring.

[DeV]

I'm saying that the people who vote for the awards may have taken into account the political environment and maybe given the Chicks a vote instead of another album more deserving. I did a little searching and was very surprised that this album did so well financially for them.. since I never once heard of any of their songs. I have 3 women who listen to the radio nonstop in my home.. and they've never heard of any of the songs either.

Granted.. country music isn't their genre.. but I heard plenty from them prior to 2003... and country music wasn't their genre back then either.

Just makes me wonder is all.Political statement as opposed to a political environment surrounding a political statement or stance or whatever... it's all one in the same, IMO. Sorry, but what is the major difference there? Everyone is defintiely entitled to their own opinion, but I'm just smelling conspiracy theory alert when it comes to this one.

I also wasn't aware that grammy's were awarded based on record or concert sales, but going off that chart SomeRogue posted they didn't have too bad a year considering the number of cancelled engagements and earnings lost as a result.

If they were good enough to win song of the year, why not album of the year? I'd like to know who people feel deserved to win in those respective categories in place of the Dixie Chicks. I was actually disappointed that they won song of the year in place of Mary J. Blige, but if they earned it more power to them.

[Parkbandit]

Perhaps.

Last years winner, another BHL was U2. Now I agreed with that, since I like the band, heard the music and they were all over the radio.

I don't see the same things for Dixie Chicks... but that might just be because I don't like their music.

Who knows.

[Sean of the Thread]

Here's a recap of the top-grossing concert acts of 2006, according to Pollstar:
1. The Rolling Stones, $138.5 million
2. Barbra Streisand, $92.5 million
3. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, $88.8 million
4. Madonna, $85.9 million
5. Cirque du Soleil's Delirium, $82.1 million
6. Celine Dion, $78.1 million
7. Kenny Chesney, $66 million
8. Bon Jovi, $59.7 million
9. Dave Matthews Band, $51.3 million
10. Elton John, $48.9 million
11. Billy Joel, $47.2 million
12. Rascal Flatts, $43.6 million
13. The Who, $40.9 million
14. Def Leppard and Journey, $38.7 million
15. Shakira, $38.6 million
16. Toby Keith, $38 million
17. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, $37.3 million
18. Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe, $35.4 million
19. American Idols Live!, $35 million
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, $33.5 million
21. Nickelback, $30.3 million
22. Barry Manilow, $29.2 million
23. Coldplay, $28.6 million
24. Mariah Carey, $27.9 million
25. Dixie Chicks, $27.1 million


Without going back to look it up I think they were a top 5 or 10 tour before their whole foot in fat mouth syndrome.

[Sean of the Thread]

I can't think of an album "more deserving", and I listen to the radio a lot. The people who decide these awards have never given them out based on what's mainstream currently, because 80% of the shit they give out are for songs/albums that don't even play very often.

Mary J. Blige is an example. She's talented, but I don't hear her name come out of anyone's mouth ever. Her time has gone as far as I can tell, yet she's still winning shit.

The fact that JT only walked away with 2 should tell you the whole system is fucked up

Gnarls comes to mind.

[Latrinsorm]

The Cat Empire.

[Stanley Burrell]

Barbra Streisand
Celine Dion

W3t434trreegegre43w4rrgttrer.

On the real, those two names should not be mentioned in the. Same. Anything. Existing. Whatever.

[Snapp]

I don't get all the fat jokes. None of them ever looked fat to me? Granted, I have idea which one is "Natalie" either.

[Back]

If anyone deserves a Grammy for writing a song about, or having, a different viewpoint than our President... you’d have to include about 1 billion other artists.

If I had to name a best for 06 it would have been either Zero 7 for The Garden or Jet for Shine on.

[Jorddyn]

Granted.. country music isn't their genre.. but I heard plenty from them prior to 2003... and country music wasn't their genre back then either.


But, country was bigger back then, and was constantly on most top-40 type stations. Now, notsomuch. Country music is mostly on country radio.

This is just an opinion, I have no numbers to back it up, just my general radio-listening experience.

Jorddyn

[Sean of the Thread]

Uhm no .. country is just as big as it always has been.

[Hulkein]

Yeah, from what I've noticed it's more popular now; getting more popular every year.

[ElanthianSiren]

If writing political songs about Bush gets you Awards now, I want to know why Pink got gip'd out of "Dear Mr. President." And if awards are the biggest attack the hollywood left can manage with all that money, I feel sorry for them.

-M

[radamanthys]

none of the aforementioned bush-bashers were suitable martyrs that needed awarding.