Spartacus, I pretty much agree with you on this one. It's crass marketing of a very predictable sort that the Dixie Chicks have done with that magazine cover.

Given the fact that that's what pop singers do, though, it's a clever piece of crass marketing...and will probably sell lots of records.

I agree if you want to recognize a real representative of protest in music...listen to Ani DiFranco...or Joan Baez...or Joni Mitchell ("sex sells everything...and sex kills").

Meaningful protest must be aimed at the very marketing game itself or it is missing the boat.

- LH