CMA 2024: “They Don’t Want Us”

by John Bernard, ©2024 

(Nov. 21, 2024) — “Country Music” award show??

In fact it’s become just one more homogenous gaggle; earrings, face tattoos, ditty-bopping, rock/blues/hip-hop/rap all being sold as a “maturing” of Country. BS! It’s a very one-sided putrifying of a unique musical form, an active effort to subsume an entire segment of society and erase it.

What’s next: a societally approved clothing line of Nehru collars, Sandals and “Soylent Green“?

I wonder how accepting a Hip-Hop award show crowd would be if their show and musical style were infiltrated and overshadowed with rhinestones, Tony Lama boots, Stetson hats and double-neck steel guitars?

Rhetorical.

The Arts and Music folks seem incapable of understanding the difference between being accepting of all variations and being naturally drawn to one or another.

I listen to Country & Western music for the same reason I own a Dodge truck, Smith & Wesson revolvers and Powermatic tools. I have no interest in Subaru, Ryobi and Taurus and further, I acknowledge that others do.

And just to be clear, this has nothing to do with a desire to see a unified National Identity/Melting Pot. As individuals, we have very distinct tastes in clothing styles, colors, living environments, et al, ad infinitum.

When vendors of goods and services insinuate their lofty ideals into their product line, it would do well to remind them that the only reason we bought their unnecessary schlock was because it was unique.

Or maybe that’s the point; they don’t want us.

Rant over…

SF

John Bernard

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A lifelong New Englander, John Bernard spent 26 years in the USMC, both active and reserve, and 50 years in the woodworking trade. See his website here.