This podcast explores how right-wing forces shaped country music to promote illiberalism, racism, and anti-intellectualism. It discusses the historical connection between conservative politicians and the genre, including the influence of figures like Henry Ford and Roy Akoff. The hosts analyze the themes found in contemporary country music and its relationship with the Trump administration. They also explore the shift of country music from left-wing origins to its current right-wing association, as well as the failures of liberal institutions and the recent increase in political content in the genre.
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Quick takeaways
Country music evolved from a racially diverse genre to being associated with white, working-class culture due to the rise of Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry as industry pillars.
The deliberate incorporation of cultural signifiers like fishing and rural living reinforces anti-intellectualism in country music, appealing to an audience that seeks simplicity and familiarity.
The alignment between country music and conservative politics can be traced back to Nixon's presidency, with deliberate efforts to consolidate racism, American chauvinism, and conservative values.
The commercialization of the country music industry has led to a lack of innovation and a focus on simplistic and reactionary themes, perpetuating stereotypes and neglecting the diverse musical landscape within the genre.
Deep dives
The Origins and Scope of Country Music
Country music has a diverse history, rooted in a fusion of blues, folk, and other genres. It evolved from being a racially diverse genre to becoming associated with white, working-class culture. The labeling of country music as separate and the rise of the Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry as industry pillars contributed to its association with conservatism. The genre's politics were shaped by segregation, commodification, and the deliberate attraction of conservative politicians. However, it's important to note that not all country music aligns with conservative values.
Anti-intellectualism and Cultural Signifiers
Country music has increasingly embraced anti-intellectualism by promoting uncomplicated, nostalgic themes and glorifying a simple life. This rejection of intellectual pursuits is framed as a virtue and aligned with conservative ideologies. The deliberate incorporation of cultural signifiers like fishing, rural living, and working-class experiences reinforces this anti-intellectual narrative, appealing to a broad audience that seeks to appreciate the small, familiar aspects of life.
The Alignment with Conservative Politics
The alignment of country music with conservative politics can be traced back to Nixon's presidency, when deliberate efforts were made to consolidate racism, American chauvinism, and conservative values through appeals to morals, culture, and evangelical Christianity. This alignment continued through subsequent Republican administrations, with artists performing at White House events and adopting right-wing positions. While there are exceptions and varied political views within the country music industry, the relationship between country music and conservatism remains pervasive.
The Influence of Segregation and Fracturing Politics
The associations between country music and conservatism were influenced by historical factors like segregation and the fracturing of the New Deal coalition. The deliberate appeal to racism and American chauvinism, coupled with the perceived alignment of country music with working-class values, resonated with conservative politics. This trajectory also coincided with the realignment of American politics, as the conservative movement gained traction and redefined conservatism itself.
Country music's connection to conservative politics
Country music has been consistently associated with conservative politics, reflecting a deliberate political project. The genre has become synonymous with right-wing values, with notable artists embracing conservative ideologies and aligning themselves with Republican presidents. The association between country music and conservatism has been perpetuated through a concerted process, erasing the radical origins of the genre and promoting a sanitized, narrow version of folk that distances itself from leftist politics.
The erasure of rural white radicalism and working-class politics
The radical roots of country music and the white rural labor movement have largely been forgotten. The history of rural white radicalism, which included unionism, anarchism, and even communism, has fallen into a memory hole. This erasure is linked to a larger political project that severs working-class traditions and promotes a middle-class, conservative agenda. The politics of rejecting work and the navigation of exploitation were often explored in country, folk, blues, and gospel music, challenging racial capitalism and settler colonialism.
The commercialization and commodification of country music
The commercialization of country music industry has led to a lack of innovation and a focus on simplistic and reactionary themes. Top-down gatekeepers and record labels play a significant role in defining and promoting a narrow definition of what constitutes 'real' country music, often driven by market incentives and perpetuating a conservative agenda. The industry tends to prioritize profit over artistic expression, perpetuating stereotypes and neglecting the diverse musical landscape within the genre.
By now, it's largely taken for granted that country music is a racialized signifier, interchangeable with right-wing politics. And it’s not such an unreasonable generalization: the political currents of twanged and drawled patriotic paeans like Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)," and Brooks & Dunn's "Only In America" leave little to the imagination. But how, exactly, did this come to be? After all, country music, a descendant of the blues, folk, Tejano, and other genres, with connections to labor organizations like the Industrial Workers of the World and social-justice movements, has historically attracted musicians spanning the political spectrum, and didn’t necessarily emerge from such a staunchly right-wing political tradition. Rather, popular conceptions of country music have long been deliberately shaped by a series of broader ideological projects. Throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, conservative politicians and other right-wing forces have exploited the genre to promote illiberalism, racism, revanchist politics, and runaway anti-intellectualism where not giving a shit about the world beyond one’s own cold beer, pickup truck, old lady is not only acceptable, but actively encouraged and flaunted. On this episode, we examine how the genre of country music has been wielded as a tool of reactionary politicking in the US, from the machinations of Henry Ford in the 1920s to the Nixon administration’s Southern Strategy in the 1960s and ‘70s to the heady Shock and Y’all days of the Bush years, and how a once working-class tradition became a cultural cul de sac of worn-out tropes and middle-class, white grievance politics. Our guest is writer, editor and artist Alexander Billet.
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