Don't mess with Texas

We've all heard about the Dixie Chicks' front-woman Natalie Maines' oh-so-controversial comment, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." Riots, of course, ensued, CDs were smashed, radio play ceased. Well, it's four years later, and the Chicks just won like, five Grammys.

In a story on CNN.com today, I saw that yesteryear's bon-bon shaking popstar, Ricky Martin had a very similar run-in with free speech. While performing a song called "Asignatura Pendiente" in a concert Martin performed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he flipped the bird when he sang the line of the song that mentions President Bush.

No riots. I haven't smashed my "Livin' La Vida Loca" single. And I'm fairly certain that if one listened to Mix 106.5 or KBAY that one of Martin's hits from the 90s would eventually play.

Puerto Rico is a United States territory. Shouldn't they have the same sense of nationalism that the mainlanders have?

Perhaps some of them do. But perhaps the fact that Puerto Ricans can be drafted into the military, but cannot vote for President and have literally no representation in Congress keeps their torches and pitchforks safely tucked away when a disrespectful finger is flipped. The same cannot be said for Texans.

So basically, if you're from Texas you don't get to exercise your freedom of speech when it comes to criticizing the government without suffering massive public backlash. But! if you're from a land of disenfranchised people, have at it.

The Dixie Chicks were more apologetic in their official statement than Martin was. Martin, who performed at Bush's inauguration ball, by the way, basically said, "you can't tell me what to do." A commendable statement, in my opinion, but perhaps a PR flub.

Talent and voting rights aside, the Dixie Chicks and Ricky Martin were in the same boat. The lesson here is that if you "mis-speak" apologize quickly and exaggeratedly. At least that way you can come back years later and clean-up at the Grammys.