My parents wonder why I don't like country. As I see it, a given song falls into one of these categories, and none of them do anything to make me like them:
1. Bush propaganda
Sure, Freedom of Speech is all well and good, but don't try to make excuses for Iraq. The government was wrong. Get over it.
2. Getting drunk and partying
Right. Everyone who is cool does these two things, of course. However, it contradicts number
3. Overly-religious
All well and good, except it contradicts numbers 2 and 4 as to what country is "all-about."
4. Old men in seedy bars trying to seduce (much) younger women.
'Nuff said.
5. "Women rule the world" feminist bullshit
Does anyone else think feminism is full of shit? Songs like "Girls Lie Too" in which all men are liars and women "learn from them." Don't lump me in with all the other men, bitch (my opinions on feminism are another story for another day).
6. Men trying to explain themselves to women
Sort of like number 5, but it's a man trying to explain to women how men are all [stereotype] [stereotype] [sports-related stereotype]. Don't lump me in with you, you jackass. Songs like "Work in Progress" where the man is singing his confession to his apparently disgusted wife.
7. Sappy inspirational feel-good trash
Songs usually sung by some woman (Martina McBride, for example) where she calls teen girls angels with broken wings or whatever. Barf! That skydiving song by that one guy is another example.
8. Hyper-romantic balladry
Music for hopless romantic chick-flick watchers.
9. "Intimate" songs about a couple and their sex life
I don't want to hear how you had nothing on but the radio, you tool.
10. Sex sex sex.
That "Stays in Mexico" song. Please. If I wanted it, I could go on the internet and download Spring Break movies.
11. Redneck pride
What are rednecks good for, anyway? Well, job security, high government positions, and for laughing at when they wave their Stars n Bars around. Speaking of rebs, why do they still have so much pride for the Confederacy? Didn't they have concentration camps for Union prisoners?
The only two country songs I like are that Gambler song (I like Westerns, and the "The Gambler" series were good movies) and "Friends in Low Places" (it's a fun song, damn it). I guess if you want to be really successful in music without annoying people with your "message," then you just don't sing at all; this is why jazz is my favorite genre: mostly music, and the lyrics are never politically charged or full of Lifetime crap.
My point? You're not selling your country to me. Oh, and I felt I just needed to rant about country music since Sven is a country writer, and there would probably be a lot of anti-country in the days ahead (at least in the forums). Besides, I was just trying to make conversation.