...because I'm shrinking.
At my bi-decade physical my very able doctor informed me that I'm a half-inch shorter and four pounds heavier than my last physical. By my math I will become an oompah-loompah by the year 2025.
Heavier I understand, but shorter? I never really thought that happened. I'm quite certain I will not be America's next top model.
With the Badgers making their premature evacuation from the NCAA tourney, I had no interest in watching hoops this weekend so I caught up on a few movies I wanted to see that I missed when they were in theaters.
"Shut Up and Sing" is the story of the Dixie Chicks journey from top of the world to persona non grata to the release of their very successful cd "Taking the Long Way" which recently won 5 Grammy Awards.
The story spans three years but the trouble starts with Natalie Maines' now infamous line about President Bush on the eve of a the War in Iraq, "Just so you know (she says to a London audience) we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."
She giggled. Most country music fans in America did not. The reaction to her comment and the Chicks' reaction to the reaction makes for a fascinating look at how the media, the public and the band members themselves think, react and plan what's next.
Was it an immature comment to make? Maybe. The better and bigger question is did their critics overreact? I have my opinion on that and you probably have yours. Did an off-the-cuff comment warrant boycotts,protests and death threats? It raises a great debate on how much we value free speech and how some people say they love free speech--until someone says something they don't like. And then they want that person silenced.
As I've stated in these blogs before, I love the First Amendment more than I love free scotch and this movie really points out how hypocritical people can be when it comes free speech. I understand boycotts are a form of free speech--people excercising their right NOT to listen or buy something. The protests that crack me up are the ones where people destroy items like, in this case, the band's cds and dvds. How is that hurting the artist? You've already paid for them, it's not like you get your money back for every Dixie Chicks cd you run over with a steam roller. Besides, the Nazis did their fair share of book burning and as a rule I always think if the Nazis did something,it's clearly something we want to stay away from.
The funny thing is the person who seemed to have the least problem with her comment was President Bush himself. There's clip of him saying "They have a right to say what they want but they shouldn't get their feelings hurt if people stop buying their music." He's right about that--say what you want but understand the consequences.
The clip that shows how small-minded people can be takes place outside their first concert back in the States when a mullet-sporting Southern woman is holding the American flag in one hand and a toddler in the other. "Screw them" she says in a drawl and then turns to her frightened child and says in a stern voice, "Say it! ...Screw them!" Good luck growing up in that home Ricky Bobby.
I have to admit I like country music a lot but I don't listen to much country radio so the whole flap never really grabbed my attention at the time. It seemed like a petty sidebar to the real story of the time:the beginning of the war. I also didn't own a Dixie Chicks album until the latest one came out. It's a fantastic collection of songs and the story of how they came about makes for a pretty good film.
The other movie I saw was "Stranger Than Fiction" with Will Ferrell. I like him and I thought he was great in this movie even though it's far away from his Ron Burgandy style of comedy. It's worth your time as well and that's all I have to say about that.
