Boycott Toby Keith!

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:00

Stargazer

I wasn't sure where to put this so please feel free to move it where you want mods.

I don't know what it is about country and western songs ( a lot of them anyways) or people to whom the music appeals to (many of them) but this ass, Toby Keith, needs to be boycotted.

Max Blumenthal, for the Huffington Post reports that Steve Colbert had Toby Keith on to sing and to interview. Colbert had Keith play a song as well. Before I post the lyrics I think it should be pointed out that Colbert and the audience (and Colbert)seemed to have no issues with this. Maybe I'm missing the irony or something but here you go:

quote:

Grandpappy told my pappy back in my day, son
A man had to answer for the wicked that he'd done
Take all the rope in Texas
Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys
Hang them high in the street
For all the people to see

and:

quote:

We got too many gangsters doing dirty deeds
too much corruption and crime in the streets
It's time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send 'em all to their maker and he'll settle 'em down
You can bet he'll set 'em down...

If it wasn't clear enough by the above lyrics exactly what this racist redneck had in mind, the video for the song, as described by Max is thus:

quote:

Those who doubt the presence of racist undertones in Keith's "Beer For My Horses" should see the song's video. (The embed link to the video's Youtube version was disabled by Keith's record label so you have to click here to watch it). Cue ahead to 3:00 and watch as Keith intones, "We got too many gangsters doin' dirty deeds." The singer's words are not-so-subtly accompanied by the image of a swaggering black man sporting short dreads and baggy clothes. Thus the profile of Keith's ideal lynching candidate is revealed.

Thoroughly disgusting. Next this ass will be playing at a Rethuglican convention while the crowd longs for the glory days of the old west.

[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/toby-keiths-pro-lynching_b_... Keith's Pro-Lynching song.[/url]

Edited to clean up grammar and pst the link...

[ 31 July 2008: Message edited by: Stargazer ]

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:06

#3

Stargazer

Jebus, the "progressive" people on the Huffington Post side apparently have no issues with this. Looks like the US is in serious denial.

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:15

#4

remind

I hear you stargazer, what is with these "cowboy" songs and their incessant propaganda lyrics? Take Canada's latest singing cowboy Jaydee Bixby, and his song "Old Fashioned Girl" for example.

quote:

She flies me away over that mountain
Way up higher, than I’ve ever been
She takes me down, down to the water
To the river of love, yeah and I’m jumpin’ in
She’s an old fashioned girl
A little bit like Mama
A little bit like Minnie Pearl
In the middle of a new, crazy world
She’s an old fashioned girl
She rolls down the road, hand out the window
Not in a rush, just taking her time
She ain’t that worried, that there ain’t a lot of money
She knows we’ll get buy on just a dollar or a dime
She’s an old fashioned girl
A little bit like Mama
A little but like Minnie Pearl
In the middle of a new, crazy world
She’s an old fashioned girl
Yeah the way she looks always makes me smile
And the way she loves never goes out of style
When my soul flies away, over that mountain
Way up higher than I’ve ever been
I’ll be looking around for my sweet angel
And the old fashioned dream I’ve been livin’ in
She’s an old fashioned girl
A little bit like Mama
A little bit like Minnie Pearl
In the middle of a new, crazy world
She’s an old fashioned girl
A little bit like Mama
A little bit like Minnie Pearl
In the middle of a new crazy world
She’s an old fashioned girl
She’s an old fashioned girl

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:24

#5

Ghislaine

quote:

Originally posted by Stargazer:
[b]Jebus, the "progressive" people on the Huffington Post side apparently have no issues with this. Looks like the US is in serious denial.[/b]

I read the HuffPost piece and my impression was that they had a serious problem with it and outlined some historical facts about racist lynching in the South. (including a very disturbing picture or a public hanging).

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:24

#6

jrose

Toby Keith is the worst of the worst when it comes to country music. He wore his right-wing politics on his sleeve in the middle of the whole Dixie Chicks fiasco.

His lyrics are horrifyingly sexist, and so are his videos.

How about holding your girlfriend captive with a heavy-duty shovel in your hand and her arms bound behind her back? [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEV87q5Onqk]A Little Too Late[/url]

Or the disgusting [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYrlzEUuBIM&feature=related]Talk About Me [/url] video, which is beyond hateful to women.

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:45

#7

Scott Piatkowski Scott Piatkowski's picture

quote:

Originally posted by Ghislaine:
[b]I read the HuffPost piece and my impression was that they had a serious problem with it and outlined some historical facts about racist lynching in the South. (including a very disturbing picture or a public hanging).[/b]

My impression was that her disgust was directed at the people posting comments, many of whom didn't see a racist element to the song (or to lynching, and -- in one case -- to slavery).

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:51

#8

Stargazer

That's exactly what I was referring to. The commentators on the piece, not Max's analysis of the song itself.

I'm afraid to click on the Toby Keith lyrics to the other songs.

Remind, don't you long to go back to the days of baking cookies, washing dishes and getting by one a dime? [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img]

Thu, 2008-07-31 10:58

#9

remind

What really gets me is Bixby's inference that "modern" women do not know how to love properly!

Thu, 2008-07-31 11:04

#10

Stargazer

I think they are afraid of the rubber and latex smells. Okay, that was in bad taste, but funny!

Thu, 2008-07-31 17:22

#11

Doug

I'll just continue watching him with the sound off.

Thu, 2008-07-31 17:37

#12

remind

quote:

Originally posted by Doug:
[b]I'll just continue watching him with the sound off.[/b]

Okay, that was objectifying, but yet funny on another level.

[ 31 July 2008: Message edited by: remind ]

Thu, 2008-07-31 17:49

#13

Robespierre

[img]http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/9352/boycottrr3.jpg[/img]

Thu, 2008-07-31 18:07

#14

Boom Boom

Toby Keith is an asshole. The Dixies really laid into him in their movie "Shut Up and Sing" and made up t-shirts that read: FUTK (f*ck you Toby Keith). I love the Dixie Chicks. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]

Thu, 2008-07-31 18:30

#15

Stargazer

Ha, nice image of Toby Keith.

Thu, 2008-07-31 18:45

#16

Robespierre

quote:

Originally posted by Boom Boom:
[b]Toby Keith is an asshole. The Dixies really laid into him in their movie "Shut Up and Sing" and made up t-shirts that read: FUTK (f*ck you Toby Keith). I love the Dixie Chicks. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img] [/b]

Oh, yeah, that is so awesome! I didn't know they made that tshirt.

[img]http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/638/futknatimageft9.gif[/img]

Them Chicks is so cool, right? (martin---context, buddy, context). I just had to make me this here tshirt for my Second Life guy to wear. And, now I'm gonna be talking with a country twang till I git my fix of the Dixie Chicks.

[img]http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7973/futktshirtrl1.jpg[/img]

Good OP by Stargazer, I am activated against this fool Toby Keith now. I had no idea that he was getting away with shit on TV.

One of my fave Dixie chicks tunes, [i]Sin Wagon[/i]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBn1R5kRq1s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

F.U.T.K. can't even come close to laying the hammer down like these ladies, not even remotely.

Thu, 2008-07-31 19:15

#17

TemporalHominid TemporalHominid's picture

Isn't the Colbert Report satire? I missed that episode

was the song Toby sang satirical? I'm not familiar with his work, I'm not a country fan.

I'm a Dixie Chicks fan though, loved their song "Not Ready to Make Nice" and the other tunes on that album.

Colbert has had O'Reilly on as a guest in the past. He'll have anyone and everyone from all spectums on the show and roast them all [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

[ 31 July 2008: Message edited by: TemporalHominid ]

Fri, 2008-08-01 00:21

#18

Catchfire

There is nothing 'satirical' about rounding up black folks and hanging them by their neck. It's called race-motivated murder, and it's still going on.

At any rate, Toby Keith is not a satirist. At least not a self-aware one.

The only time I hear about Toby Keith is when I should be boycotting him. I do it naturally, I guess.

Fri, 2008-08-01 01:22

#19

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

quote:

Colbert has had O'Reilly on as a guest in the past. He'll have anyone and everyone from all spectums on the show and roast them all

I think the point was that Colbert [i]didn't [/i]roast Toby Keith, which is disappointing - though I've seen him act somewhat deferential on occasion before; generally he's softer on musical celebrity. Hard to fathom in Keith's case, given that he is so overtly political. I didn't see this episode, though. Did any of us?

I think there is a good basis here for making certain that Toby Keith never enters Canada again. We've barred others for hatemongering; Toby Keith has clearly crossed that line. Let's give him some humiliation at the border next time he tries to cross the line into our country.

Fri, 2008-08-01 03:31

#20

Maysie

Racism sells music.

Sexism also sells music. (Can we please limit the focus in this thread to racism? Thanks.)

I remember an anti-Chicks singer from the film "Shut Up and Sing", I guess it was Keith. Can't boycott someone I never would have supported, but thanks for starting the thread, Stargazer.

Edited to add: Re Huffington Post: I don't read unmoderated comments, but it no longer surprises me to see the ways white so-called "progressives" don't get the severity of racism in the U.S. It pisses me off/makes me sad though.

[ 01 August 2008: Message edited by: bigcitygal ]

Fri, 2008-08-01 08:05

#21

Blairza

Boycotts can only work if you can actually influence the oppressor's market. Toby Keith's audience is by definition Racist sexist and jingoistic. Nobody on this thread seems to ever have been in danger of buying Toby Keith album, so we represent little threat to his market. If however we turn our attention to his label,Universal, we might create some pressure. I also see that a movie titled Beer for my Horses is being promoted on his web site.

Fri, 2008-08-01 08:15

#22

Stargazer

You're right (and hello!). Universal should be the target and thanks for the head's up on the movie.

Fri, 2008-08-01 08:48

#23

remind

You're correct BCG, my aplogies for initiating the drift.

And thank you for the excellent suggestion Blairza, of putting pressure on Universal about Toby Keith's racism. However I wonder if they will just dismiss any complaints, as being nonsensical do to "artistic" expression afterall, they have numerous POC, that are signed to them too.

Here is a link to Universal phone numbers and feedback form.

[url=http://new.umusic.com/contactus.aspx]http://new.umusic.com/contactus.asp...

Wed, 2008-08-20 13:55

#24

Krago

[url=http://www.bostonherald.com/track/celebrity/view/2008_08_20_Toby_Keith_p... Keith praises Barack Obama[/url]

Wed, 2008-08-20 14:05

#25

Stargazer

Well ya know, some of those Democrats aren't very democratic.

Wed, 2008-08-20 15:43

#26

Aristotleded24

The song for me made me think about the Old West, where the "bad guys (almost all of them white cowboys)" were dealt with frontier-justice style. Back to the so-called "good ole days" when criminals were hung. I didn't see a racial connection at all at the time. What is clear is that the song does advocate vigilante justice, so on those grounds alone it should be criticised.

(By the way, that first quote Stargazer mentioned in her opening post is actually sung by Kucinich-campaigner Willie Nelson.)

Wed, 2008-08-20 15:58

#27

Stargazer

Willie Nelson?? Hopefully it was meant as satire. I always liked Willy nelson.

In related news, Angelina Jolie, her with the adopted children from Vietnam and Africa, is still on the fence over who to vote for.

Rosanne Barr tore her a new one with this blog entry:

quote:

Also miss jolie says she likes mccain too and hasn't decided who to endorse....huh? Aren't you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the african daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the republican party's worldwide economic assault on africa over the last few decades since reagan? whaaaa...??????!!!! (for that matter, the thai and cambodian sons you are photo'd with weekly too who's pictures you sell to raise money to help the poor? Their families are victims of America's right wing military incursions too. Mccain wants to continue with the idea of war for profit...the americans are over that thinking now! They have drugged our troops and lower classes into supporting their oil business atrocities for long enough. We want to save not lose our souls thank you. Now go back to making your movies about women who love to handle big guns that shoot hundreds of people to death. Ps....it might be good for your asian and african children's self esteem to know you support a brown man for the leader of the free world.)

Pretty close to perfect. Here is what she had to say about Toby Keith:

quote:

thank God you saved your ass by coming out as a democrat for Obama. You have done our country a great service, and I am so glad you did! I was wonderin about you lately with your "beer for my horses- swilling the old right wing grog" there for a minute. But, now I see you did it just right, and I am proud of you, son!

[url=http://www.roseanneworld.com/blog/]http://www.roseanneworld.com/blog/[/url]

Wed, 2008-08-20 16:20

#28

Aristotleded24

quote:

Originally posted by Stargazer:
[b]Willie Nelson??[/b]

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_For_My_Horses]Yep[/url]

Wed, 2008-08-20 16:34

#29

Boom Boom

Willie Nelson has taken to making crappy movies with Jessica Simpson. I forget the name of the last one, but Simpson plays his daughter and involved in corporate intrigue. [img]rolleyes.gif" border="0[/img]