Merrick here…

…with a link to the trailer for SHUT UP AND SING.

For those who don’t know, this is a documentary about the country western group The Dixie Chicks. But, what makes this film interesting is not that it’s about The Dixie Chicks, per se (although they are kinda hot). At its core, this film is about what happens when someone speaks their mind…voicing an unpopular opinion…and how doing so seems to be an increasingly dicey proposition now days.

Maybe this is simply case of someone saying the wrong thing to the wrong group of people at the very wrong time; we’ve all been there. But, there may also be topics to consider here that are much larger in scope.

Either way, The Dixie Chicks’ popularity plummeted after speaking out against George Bush and the war in Iraq – they were forced to cancel many shows on their recent tour due to low ticket sales. They’re now struggling to create a new niche...and find a new audience...as a result of the fallout; time will tell if everything will be okay for them.

Until then, this movie may turn out to be an interesting eye opener about political tolerance and freedom of expression (I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t speak to the movie’s approach with any authority). Come what may, there are interesting issues afoot here.

In the end, the matter may be as clear as: The Chicks have a right to say what they want to say…and their fans have a right to respond with their pocket books. What do you folks think?

Click the image below to jump to the trailer.