Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing!

Kari Chisholm

Last night, I saw the Dixie Chicks documentary Shut up and Sing. I'm not a fan of their music (though my wife is), but the documentary is definitely worth seeing.

It starts on the eve of war in 2003. On a stage in London, the lead singer - Natalie Maines - off-handedly says between songs, "Just so you know, we're embarrassed that the President is from Texas."

From there, it covers the massive reaction - first, by the right-wing crazies at FreeRepublic.com; second, by pro-war country music fans; third, by the country music industry (who immediately stopped playing their music); and finally, by the many old fans and new fans that stood by the Dixie Chicks in their feud with the President.

It's definitely not a concert video. Rather, it's one of the best political documentaries I've ever seen. If you work in politics or public relations, see this film.

It's chock-full of behind-the-scenes footage of the decision-making process that the band went through: Should they apologize? Should the other two Chicks, the sisters who started the band, denounce their bandmate? What if their major corporate sponsor threatens to pull their sponsorship? Should they conduct a media charm offensive? Should they go overseas? Or come home? Should they take the stage in the face of a detailed death threat? What about the next album? With millions of dollars at stake, should they just shut up and sing? Or continue to speak their mind?

Oh, and our very own Gordon Smith makes a brief appearance. I won't spoil it for you - but let's just say that he sided with the bad guys on this one. Even John McCain stood up for the Dixie Chicks and their right to free speech. But not Gordon Smith.

As I said, I'm not a fan of their music - but this film made me stand up and cheer. There really is a place in America for free speech. Here's the trailer:

Go see it. It's playing at the Fox Tower in downtown Portland, but it won't be there long.

By Kari Chisholm Dec. 07, 2006