Notes from the Basement: Responding to Claims of Sexism in Maren Morris Coverage
So there was a little drama last week. And though the result was not much more than a tempest in a teapot that probably most of you were perfectly unaware of since it was primarily relegated to the purview of media personalities, unfortunately some fallacious and irresponsible accusations were laid at the feet of Saving Country Music, and so there is a need to respond.
The issue surrounds how I claimed Maren Morris was “not all that” in a Down With Pop Country dissertation for her Target commercial/pop single with EDM producer Zedd called “In The Middle.” Some took the comment as sexist, and accused me of as much shortly after the comment was originally posted on January 31st. But the issue seemed to pass—primarily because the “sexist” assertion seemed suspect at best. So we all went about our merry way until the evening of Sunday, February 11th, which was nearly two weeks after the Maren Morris article was originally published. That is when the controversy started anew, and with a fervor that attempted to discredit me completely out of the country music journalism pool, at least by some.
The reason this is being addressed now as opposed to when it first boiled over is because over the last two weeks, I drove nearly 4,000 miles to cover three separate music events, traveling from Austin to Florida to cover Mile 0 Fest, driving from Florida to Memphis to cover the Ameripolitan Awards last Sunday and Monday when the flap began anew, and then drove to Folk Alliance in Kansas City on Wednesday. Furthermore, on the day the controversy was swirling, it was the same day Daryl Singletary died, which instantly became the priority—along with having to drive some 1,200 miles to Memphis in 48 hours, cover an event when I arrived, and then having to drive another 450 miles and cover/participate in an event the very next day and for the impending week at Folk Alliance.
That may be too much information for you, but the idea that I was “shut down” over the issue as asserted by Taste of Country and others is to misconstrue how my priorities were elsewhere at the time. Also, I don’t see the value in participating in angry flame wars primarily spun via social media. Such exercises are simply vehicles to vent anger, and sow division as opposed to solving problems. So I decided it was best to live in the musical moment I was in, which was on the road covering important events, while letting tempers die down to potentially broach a more pragmatic discussion in the future.
Former label executive and journalist Beverly Keel touched off the melee on February 11th by posting a note on Facebook of why she felt the “not all that” comment about Maren Morris was sexist. Like so many of the angry comments that would ensue, the basis for why the comment was being considered sexist was formed upon completely incorrect assumptions about Saving Country Music.
For example, in the note, Beverly Keel says the opinion on Maren Morris comes from a “traditionalist writer.” As has been said many, many times before, Saving Country Music is not a “traditionalist” outlet. It may be more traditionalist than the mainstream, but most true traditionalists vilify Saving Country Music regularly for talking about artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Chris Stapleton, who all sit well outside the traditionalist ideal. This very point was made in response to another article posted by Texas Monthly recently criticizing Saving Country Music. Furthermore, I was interviewed by Beverly Keel for The Tennessean in July of 2015, and I expressly stated to her that I was not a traditionalist, did not want to be couched as a traditionalist, and that I go out of my way to make that distinction out of respect for the true traditionalists out there who hold to a more firm ideal for country music than I do.
But the primary basis for my “not all that” comment about Maren Morris being sexist according to Beverly Keel was that it illustrated a double standard. “I don’t recall male artists being criticizes (sic) for being confident,” Keel says. “Indeed, swagger is celebrated in rock, rap pop and country. Has an ‘outlaw artist’–especially those praised by Saving Country Music– ever been chided for being confident? Cocky male rock stars are a dime a dozen.”
First off, there is a big difference between confidence and arrogance. Maren Morris was never being criticized for having confidence. The words “confidence” and “swagger” were never used. I would never criticize the confidence of anyone, especially a woman. Confidence is vital for all music to succeed. Arrogance and self-importance is what was being criticized.
But taking the the question on face value of whether Saving Country Music has criticized male artists for being cocky, the answer is a resounding and unequivocal “Yes,” and on many, many occasions, and many more occasions than women. I’m sure regular readers are laughing right now at the ridiculous notion that Saving Country Music doesn’t regularly rail against male artists for being too full of themselves. Criticizing male artists for their cockiness is one of the cornerstones of this website. Saving Country Music has posted entire series of articles slamming artists such as Brantley Gilbert, Florida Georgia Line, Eric Church, and others for their ridiculous, arrogant, and over-the-top cocky disposition, both in their songs and in their social media presence.
For example, in the review for the latest Brantley Gilbert record The Devil Don’t Sleep, it was said,
Brantley Gilbert is the Godfather of Bro-Country, the Master of Rural Machismo … he’s puffing his chest out and digging deeper into the well of cliché and self-ingratiating affirmation than ever before … He’s a roided-out, tatted-up, tribal Tap-Out truck-nutted horn-flashing Jesus-praising great American meat head who makes no apologies for himself and has built an entire army of fans that are just as hard headed and proud…
The Devil Don’t Sleep is the name of Brantley Gilbert’s latest record, and for 15 of the 16 tracks … there is no let up, no quarter given to the onslaught on your earholes and inner psyche by Gatling gun rock guitars screaming wildly over waves upon waves of bellicose, testosterone-pumped, carnal yawps about how totally cool and incredibly badass Brantley Gilbert and his compadres are.
Most of what I hear is the self-centered, braggadocios barking of a bulldog that uses spiked collars and brass knuckle microphone stands…
That seems like a much bigger indictment of Brantley Gilbert’s arrogance than a passing “ain’t all that” comment about Maren Morris.
It’s hard to know where to start with Saving Country Music’s Eric Church coverage to prove the point that men don’t just get criticized for their braggadocios behavior, but to a much greater degree than the women. How about the article entitled, Eric Church is Awesome, Just Ask Him (a Bragging Montage), which took various arrogant, cocksure quotes from Church and put them all together to illustrate just how full of himself he was. Saving Country Music has also been publicized for attacking Midland’s image-based cockiness and attitude in a manner that has stirred its own controversy.
Okay, but these are all mainstream artists. How about “Outlaw” artists that Saving Country Music has otherwise championed, as Beverly Keel questions. Have I also criticized them for being too arrogant and cocky?
Of course I have, and on many occasions.
For those of you who can remember back that far, Saving Country Music sprouted from an organization called Free Hank III. Hank William III was the very basis for the start of this website. In the decidedly negative review written for Hank3’s subpar album Ghost to a Ghost, the opinion was given,
The lack of creativity on this album is puzzling, because with the other releases in this cycle, we know Hank3 is capable of it. One of my worries is that he is trying to feed a demographic of core fans that he thinks wants this “cockstrong” attitude.
Okay, but that opinion was shared way back in 2011. How about something more recent? Saving Country Music actually criticizes the arrogance and cockiness of “Outlaw” artists all the time. It’s pretty much standard copy for Outlaw country reviews. Just last month in a review of an album from Outlaw artist Mickey Lamantia, Saving Country Music said about certain Outlaw artists and fans,
They want songs that mention “Outlaw” right there in the verses, and veer towards a bellicose, and sometimes belligerent attitude … Frankly, sometimes it can be a bit much with all the name dropping and the chest puffing.
Here’s another example of Saving Country Music criticizing the “Outlaw” mindset, saying, “‘Outlaw’ today is just as much bravado and fashion as it is anything…”
These are just some of the scores of examples of how Saving Country Music has very specifically criticized male artists and their fans for arrogant, cocky behavior that is unbecoming in the country music space and beyond. Why anyone would assume otherwise about Saving Country Music’s coverage over the past 10 years and thousands of articles without doing some cursory research is pretty astounding, especially when using it as the basis for labeling someone “sexist.”
Beverly Keel also takes another completely unfounded opinion not shared by Saving Country Music, and conflates it with the confidence issue by saying, “…this message to women is clear: Know your place. Stay where you belong. Don’t you dare venture out beyond where we want you to remain.” Saving Country Music never said anything of the sort, towards Maren Morris or any other woman artist. Yes, Saving Country Music regularly criticizes artists who have utilized the infrastructure and institutions of country music to launch lucrative careers for then turning around and releasing pop songs—male and female. But the idea that this Maren Morris criticism was a “know you place” moment degrading a woman for not being submissive is just downright absurd. No such thing was ever ever said, inferred, or implied, though it does make for good buzz on social media.
I have a lot of respect for Beverly Keel as a journalist, former label executive, and as a department chair currently at Middle Tennessee State University. She helps run an organization called Change The Conversation to help advance the cause of women in country music, and I have both reported on and attended functions by Change The Conversation in the past. I consider Beverly Keel a colleague and a mentor, and whenever she shares her opinion, I listen. I respect her opinion and approach on this matter, however in this case, the basis of why the “not all that” comment about Maren Morris was labeled sexist was completely incorrect by her own logic. There was no double standard compared to men, and there was certainly no telling of Maren Morris to “know her place” as a woman.
Much more slanderous accusations against Saving Country Music were made by another well-known and well-respected colleague in the music industry named Tamara Saviano, who after being spurned by Beverly Keel’s missive, decided to take things another step and accuse Saving Country Music of not just sexism, but being part of the “whisper network” to purposefully keep down the women of country music. Saviano is best known as the biographer and close friend of Guy Clark, as well as a producer and publicist who has worked with Kris Kristofferson and others.
Tamara Saviano said in the comments section of the original Maren Morris article on Saving Country Music,
You are so sexist you can’t even see it. I learned that about you when I saw you speak at Americana last fall. What you know about women is exactly nothing and all of the women who work in our music circles know it. You are part of the whisper network and part of the problem. But don’t worry, we don’t count on you for anything so it doesn’t matter. There is an entire industry of women who have Maren’s back, and all the other women in our business.
Characterizing an offhanded and admitted-pointed comment about Maren Morris as sexist is one thing. Saying that Saving Country Music is part of “the whisper network” in mainstream country is something different entirely.
It is a diseased, completely delusional, arguably slanderous, and a beyond irresponsible accusation born of venomous, unmitigated anger and hatred blinding Tamara Saviano from any and all aspects of anything even bordering on reality to assert that after 10 years of unequivocal and insurmountable evidence of Saving Country Music’s commitment to roll up and destroy any and all “whisper networks” in country music—including, if not especially the ones keeping women down—and including very pointed and detailed criticism against labels heads such as Mike Curb and Scott Borchetta, major promoters such as LiveNation and C3 Presents, as well as radio executives and other principles in the industry—that I would somehow actually be in cahoots with these very same individuals and entities behind-the-scenes because of some deep-seeded sexist attitude and agenda.
What Tamara Saviano’s indolent and irresponsible comment exposes is that this issue has little to do with Maren Morris or a potentially sexist comment to many who joined the fracas. This was Tamara Saviano’s attempt at a take down move, with the accusation of a sexist comment as the vehicle. Saviano said as a comment in the original Beverly Keel thread on Facebook, “That site has always pissed me off.” So there’s no objective weighing of the facts and circumstances here. This an industry professional attempting to destroy or mitigate an outlet by slandering it with fallacious accusations. What has Saving Country Music ever done to Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, or Tamara Saviano that would spurn such unchecked hatred? All Saving Country Music has done is attempt to honor and preserve the legacy of iconic performers and songwriters, and has specifically promoted Tamara Saviano’s work on numerous occasions.
Tamara Saviano says, “You are so sexist you can’t even see it. I learned that about you when I saw you speak at Americana last fall.”
What she is referring to is a discussion panel that I participated in at AmericanaFest in September of 2017 called “Woman is Not a Genre” about the way women are prefaced in music coverage by their gender. The panel was hosted by Marissa R. Moss, who regularly writes for Rolling Stone, and is someone who has been a staunch champion of women’s rights in country music.
For the record, I was the one who had the idea for the panel. I was the one who reached out to the Americana Music Association and submitted a proposal for the panel. I filled out all the initial paperwork to help make the panel happen. I followed up with Americana to bulldog it through the process. Then once the panel was approved, I ceded all power and direction for the panel to Marissa R. Moss to curate and conduct the panel however she wished. And the whole time I insisted I didn’t need to be on the panel myself, I just wanted the panel to happen. And when they did invite me to be on the panel, I purposely sat at the end of the table.
The other panelists and myself received many compliments on that panel, from many different people. Just last week at the Folk Alliance conference in Kansas City, I had numerous people come up to me to compliment the discussion on the panel. This comment by Tamara Saviano is the first time anyone has brought up as there being “sexist” remarks on the panel from myself. The other participants in the panel sure didn’t voice those opinions. A lot of positive progress was made on that panel, even if there wasn’t 100% agreement on all topics. The important thing is we were discussing instead of lobbing accusations at each other via social media, which is how this Maren Morris situation devolved in the aftermath of Beverly Keel’s initial Facebook note.
I completely understand that any definition I may come up with for what is “sexist” may be completely different for someone else’s, especially a woman’s. I don’t even know that it’s my place to define what sexism is as a man, and I understand that no matter what I do, I will never be able to 100% identify with the female perspective and experience. Whatever I say in these matters, I lose, especially in this politically-charged environment. But what I can say is that the comment was not meant in a sexist manner, and all of the rationale I have seen for calling it sexist has been unfounded, and based on assumptions about the nature of music coverage on Saving Country Music that are simply untrue. This has nothing to do with not listening to women’s concerns, or not trying to understand them. Yet to say that the criticism of Maren Morris was specifically attached to her being a woman, or that it was more pointed than the criticism of her male counterparts, simply doesn’t hold water.
If women are to be treated equal, then they have to submit to equal criticism in the music marketplace. As Phillip Seymour Hoffman said in the movie Almost Famous when portraying legendary rock critic Lester Bangs, “If you want to be a true friend, be honest, and unmerciful.” This is what Saving Country Music was doing by pointing out that the arrogant attitude being expressed by Maren Morris was eroding her ability to connect with certain segments of the country music audience.
The intention of the comment about Maren Morris was to be constructive, believe it or not. To myself and many others, Morris appears to be too full of herself in an off-putting, and down-looking way. Again, this is not about confidence, this is about coming across that she believes she’s better than others. It’s a diva, hip-hop attitude. And when she responded to the controversy by calling me, “some cowardly basement dweller (no disrespect to basements) with a keyboard,” she confirmed that she holds this better-than-thou attitude.
All criticism is offered constructively. Whether it is taken that way is up to the subject. But Saving Country Music was founded on the belief that criticism is a vital part of the creative process, and overly-sensitive perspectives conjured in the political vitriol of the modern moment will never be good judges of what is appropriate criticism, and what isn’t. Certain people in the current country music media pool with clear political biases and agendas are attempting to reshape country music culture into their own image through slanted journalism efforts hoping create a battlefield of the genre under the pretense that this is a way to assuage Trump voters away from their principles.
Saving Country Music’s record on covering the issues facing country music’s women—whether it’s the lack of representation on radio and streaming playlists, the lack of gender parity on festival lineups, the characterization of women in country songs, sexual harassment and assault issues, along with other subjects—is unquestionably unparalleled in the country media marketplace, and by a wide margin, regardless of the individual journalist or outlet. Dozens of articles have been published simply on the lack of representation of women on the radio alone, and as a one-person operation.
Of course none of this can somehow make what some consider a sexist comment unsexist, but it does need to be considered when high-profile industry personalities decide to attack and characterize Saving Country Music as a misogynistic outlet, or as Tamara Saviano said and others agreed, part of “the whisper network.”
For example, at the moment, the most clear and comprehensive insight we have into what many believe to be the behavior that persists at country radio when it comes to how women performers are expected to behave is the Katie Arminger disposition first published by Saving Country Music on January 27th, 2016—over two years ago. Though many outlets, including Rolling Stone Country, Buzzfeed, and others have cited elements of the deposition in their coverage of the subject of women in country music, it was Saving Country Music who first unearthed it, labored through the court system to find the right names and numbers to petition for its release, filled out the Freedom of Information Act request to have it unsealed, paid the administration fee to make it available, leaned on the court clerk to get it expedited and released in full, and then published it verbatim to get it out there to the public.
Unfortunately none of the recent stories that have used the Katie Arminger deposition as the basis for their articles have linked to Saving Country Music’s story, or cited it as the originator of the document or information. But if I was truly part of a “whisper network,” would I really go through the effort to expose such inside industry information? However the hatred for Saving Country Music by some is so virile, they truly believe that the some three dozen articles posted specifically on the subject of women in music are all just a diversionary tactic so that two years after the release of the Katie Arminger deposition, I can take a dig at Maren Morris for not being “all that,” and use all that coverage as a shield for my misogyny.
I have tremendous respect for Beverly Keel and some of other music journalists who chimed in on this issue. I have written so extensively about the issues women face in country music because I am passionate about the subject. It’s certainly not because it’s a popular subject that has generated traffic for the website, or that has created a lot of street cred for me. In fact I have lost countless readers after being deemed a “social justice warrior” and “liberal” from my long-winded and frequent deep dives into the subject, and still here I am, the target of an attempt to be ostracized from the country media pool for making sexist remarks. I want to work with these women and men who see the need for all artists to be dealt with equally regardless of gender in country music, but I will not sit idly by and be impugned, or have my words mischaracterized just because hating me becomes the pitchfork and torch cause célèbre of the day without any rationale or context entering into the equation.
That said, I also don’t want to be that guy that everybody hates that you have to invite to the party because he’s an even bigger nuisance if you don’t. Perhaps some of the women who have taken up the cause of women in country feel threatened by the aggressiveness with which I’ve delved into this issue and feel like it is not my place. In fact if I had just minded my business in the first place and never broached the subject, it’s very likely I would have been left alone and never regarded as a sexist. So if need be, I will back off participating in panels and such. But if you expect me to stop writing about it, I can’t make that guarantee. I write whatever I’m passionate about, even if it’s to the detriment of my career or success, or the credibility of Saving Country Music in some people’s eyes. And I am very passionate on the subject of the treatment of women in country.
And while we’re on the subject of speaking out about the issues facing women in country music, what has Maren Morris done to help further the cause of her fellow women performers? Twice when asked about the disparity between males and females on radio playlists, Maren has balked, and said the issue is improving, which it isn’t. Just this week, when asked about Grammy CEO Neil Protnow’s comments on how women in music need to “try harder,” Maren Morris side stepped the issue.
“I think the person that’s won the most Grammys is Alison Krauss so I don’t know,” Maren Morris said about the big disparity between men and women winners at the 2018 Grammys. “I mean, there’s obviously some things that need to be looked at, I think, and maybe it’s just voting members. Maybe we need to like expand on that … I was really proud of Alessia Cara that she won best new artist. I think she really deserved that.”
Saving Country Music has said way more about the issues plaguing women in music than Maren Morris ever has. Cam has spoken out, so has Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, and others in the mainstream. But Maren Morris has been mostly silent, instead focusing on things “opening up” to allow her to record and release pop songs in the country format.
Of course Maren Morris isn’t going to speak out with any teeth about what is happening with women at country radio or the Grammy Awards because she’s one of the primary benefactors of Music Row’s patriarchal system. Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini are used as tokens for the mainstream to create the facade of support for females, while the best and the brightest of the genre are not given a chance because these two are being given the few precious slots for women on country radio’s skewed playlists. Maren’s last single “I Could Use a Love Song” went #1 on radio, but couldn’t inch past #7 on the consumption-based Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Is there really a widespread groundswell behind her music, or did radio just throw women a bone?
But you could also argue it’s not the place of Maren Morris to speak out against the industry, and that’s a fair point. She’s an entertainer, and her job is to do the best she can with her music, and let the media pundits take pot shots and the poor behavior of the industry if necessary. But a lot of what seems to be driving the media circling the wagons around poor Maren Morris over a passing comment seems to be spurned by fandom for Morris as opposed to a true cause for concern. Much of the country media likes Maren, especially because she’s taken a stance on social causes they identify with, and that has compromised the objectivity of some. Fan = fanatic, and we’ve seen some of that fanaticism in the form of attacks and accusations in the defense of Maren that seem to be detached from rational perspective. Combine it with the political witch hunting of the day, and the lack of rational thought is rendered even worse.
And while many media and industry professionals were attacking Saving Country Music for a passing comment, I was at Mile 0 Fest in Florida, seeking out the performances by women on the lineup, meeting with the promoters, putting myself in a position where I could explain to them that I saw the crowds for the women on the side stages and how they deserved to be on the main stage, and can do so with respect and experience because I was there.
I attended the Ameripolitan awards in Memphis, where I was able to report how Brennen Leigh said in her speech after she won the award for Honky Tonk Female, “I think it’s the women of country music that can take it and get it turned in the right direction.” While on the road, I was interviewed by a colleague, Sasha Savitsky, as an expert on the issue of the sexual harassment women are reportedly facing in the country industry. I attended Folk Alliance where I observed a panel about women in music conducted by Erin Benjamin of Music Canada Live, and the specific topic of how men need to be a part of the process of solving the issues with gender parity in music came up as a primary discussion point.
It seems to me that all the energy that was expended attacking Saving Country Music for a passing comment could have been better off building bridges and crafting solutions to some of these deeply-rooted and institutionalized problems facing women in music, especially since most of the criticism devolved into nothing more than social media trolling.
I’ve never said I was perfect. I’m an emotional individual who gets very heated about certain issues and speaks freely regardless of the ramifications. I don’t run a popularity contest. Attempts to discredit me are fruitless. The people who love Saving Country Music read it religiously. The people who hate Saving Country Music read it even more religiously. But without underwriters or ties to the industry, Saving Country Music is in the unique position of being able to speak freely and delve deeper into issues like women in music than other outlets.
I want to work with the women who called for my head last week on pragmatic solutions that will solve some of these issues facing women in country music once and for all. Or, we can continue to fight with each other while the true sexists embedded deep in the industry as part of the actual “whisper network” who never have to speak publicly on anything and run the risk of being labeled “sexist” sit back, laugh, and continue to do their worst. I’ve done nothing but show my willingness and ability to work with others, even if I’m on the outside looking in to certain industry cliques who are distrusting of me.
If any of the problems facing women in music are ever going to get solved, it’s going to take a headstrong effort across a unified front, and data-based insight underpinning rock-solid logic, not infighting over semantics using unfounded assumptions.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:29 am
I still want to see actual examples of Maren being as you called her arrogant or big headed. She was called those exact same word by jealous Miranda Lambert fans before the CMAs but none of them had examples either.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:32 am
He’s not sexist bc he says so. 😂😂😂
February 21, 2018 @ 10:42 am
Seems like a reduction of the 50+ paragraphs posted above that I spent the last week writing, and where I tried to remove the emotional component to the story and chart a way where we could hopefully move forward and actually solve some of these problems.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:47 am
Trigger no offence but you’re a guy who likes to hear himself talk and that was a lot of talking and still no actual evidence of what makes Maren arrogant and big headed.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:53 am
Just scroll through her damn twitter for starters!
February 21, 2018 @ 10:57 am
Read below. Calling someone a “basement dweller” seems pretty big headed. But understand, this isn’t just about one instance. It’s about the entire attitude that makes people feel like they’re being looked down upon by her. It permeates a lot of what she does. It’s in her marketing and body language. You and others can disagree with this all you wish, but if many people are expressing this feeling (and they are), then there’s something there, and something Maren and her team should consider moving forward. Or continue to look down at everyone and consider any criticism as “sexist.”
February 21, 2018 @ 11:09 am
The only people who I see other than you and your defenders calling her big headed were a bunch of jealous Miramda fans because they were worried she would awards over her.
There isn’t an angry mob beating her down on social media to be more like them. An again if she’s such an arrogant big headed person all over social media, then surely you can find examples to post.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:51 pm
“No offense” – proceeds to insult, it seems you are doing the same thing you are accusing Trigg of doing.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:31 pm
Trigger prides himself on his rants and being offensive. He’s even admitted courting drama because that’s what pays his bills.
If it bothers him so much being offended while he dishes it out himself on a constant basis, that makes him a massive hypocrite and very thin skinned.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:32 pm
Trig, you genuinely seem like a sincere, good-hearted fellow. But you’re playing a zero sum game. You’ve written far too many pieces about how women aren’t represented enough in country, yet you’re getting blamed for being sexist. Your pieces on women in country music come from a good place, but they’re part of the problem. Women aren’t underrepresented because they’re women. There are other things in play. But we live in a world where blame has to be cast, whether it be on sexism, racism, etc. Now, in spite of your best efforts, this type of silliness is being used against you. You criticized MM for certain things, but not for being a woman. But every situation now has to be viewed through sex, race, gender identity, sexual preference, etc. Don’t play the game from either side. You won’t win.
February 27, 2018 @ 10:05 am
What he said.
February 22, 2018 @ 6:24 am
Shooter, could you kindly review a female artist I happened across who is both talented and humble, Samantha Fish.
She released two albums in 2017, Belle of the West and Chills and Fever.
Thank you
February 23, 2018 @ 3:54 pm
“She thinks she’s all that. And she ain’t all that. At all. And you can apply that to mean whatever you wish. Maren Morris conducts herself like she is an absolute superstar and hot shit. And she’s not. I’m sorry. There’s no humility, or even dignity.” – You
See, you don’t know her and probably have never met her. Those who have, know that she is humble. Can’t wait to see you trash Stapleton for his collab with Timberlake. I’ll be waiting for a while, I bet, you verbose gasbag.
February 23, 2018 @ 4:15 pm
What are you waiting for? My negative review of the Timberlake/Stapleton collab. was posted a month ago:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/song-review-justin-timberlake-chris-stapletons-say-something/
Just like others over this issue, you fail to do even the most cursory research before sticking your foot in your mouth.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:50 am
There are numerous instances that have been cited of where Maren Morris comes acorss as too full of herslef, with possibly the biggest one being Maren calling me a “basement dweller,” which alludes that she up high, and I am down below in a basement because she is so much better than me and everyone else.
Look, if so many people are saying they agree with the assessment that Maren Morris thinks she’s “all that” in a way that turns them off, that is valuable information for an artist and their team. Yes, some mean it as a cut down, but regardless, take that information and use it to understand other people’s perspectives and take it to heart. That is what Eric Church did. Eric Church faced similar scrutiny, and decided to strip all the braggadocios stuff back when he released “Mr. Misunderstood,” and let the music speak for itself. And the result was a Platinum certification, and a CMA Album of the Year win.
Nobody’s asking Maren to be less confident. But this is not hip-hop. We don’t want to look at our favorite artists as if they’re on a pedestal, like Maren regularly does in her social media feeds. We want to know that country stars are like one of us so we can relate to them.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:04 am
You’re pissed off because she called you a basement dweller AFTER you made an entire post attacking her and insulting her? You don’t get to do a, see I told you so! after the fact. This isn’t Minority Report.
Where does Maren elevate herself over others on SM? Examples please.
Sunny Sweeney, Ashley McBride, Miranda Lambert, Angeleena Presley, Kacey Musgraves. Maren is no different than any of those women when it comes to confidence and speaking their minds but for some odd and suspect reason you chose Maren to attack personally.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:15 pm
That is supposed to be one of the things that makes Country artists different, being able to relate to them. Great article Trig. One of your best yet.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:45 pm
Still waiting on these numerous instances of Maren acting big headed. I’m sorry she hurt your feelings calling you a basement dweller. Stinks when the people you attack personally and professionally bite back.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:52 pm
CountryCharm- can ya leave Lambert out of your post once. Good Lord this is about Trigger & Maren. Miranda likes Maren, praised her songwriting many times. They have cowritten together recently, Texas girl mutual support society.
Let’s all get behind new music from Ashley Monroe & Kasey Musgraves that comes out Friday!! Can’t wait👏🏽
February 21, 2018 @ 1:50 pm
If you bothered to read what I actually said, Miranda FANS who attacked Maren. Not Miranda.
February 21, 2018 @ 9:21 pm
It’s fairly well known by country music fans just how aggressive and mean spirited Miranda s fans can be on SM . Miranda has to be aware of it. If you don’t believe that than go check out out ran fans twitter accounts. So Ran Fans did not want Maren to awards cause than Miranda won’t.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:21 am
So Ran fans did not want Maren to “win” awards cause than Miranda won’t. So petty of them but true.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:32 am
You should write an article about mainstream women in country not supporting other women. Here’s some source material. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sd-et-miranda-lambert-interview-20180131-story.html
February 21, 2018 @ 10:34 am
Very well explained, Kyle. I just hope your antagonists read and understand your position.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:38 am
The level of sensitivity these days is mind blowing to me. People who find sexism in everything they read and voice it so constantly are just taking away from comments/remarks that are actually sexist and should be getting attention. Not everyone has to agree with your opinion. Just because someone feels a different way than you doesn’t mean they’re sexist. Trigger constantly writes for the advancement of women in country music. This wouldn’t have gotten any attention if he had said “Luke Bryan is not all that”. Give me a break people…
– A woman who disagrees with everything sexist and unequal playing fields based on sex, but really thinks people need to get a grip
February 21, 2018 @ 10:45 am
Good post. The hypersensitivity and posturing to be more politically correct and woke than thou is doing tremendous harm to actual legit causes by ensuring that anything resembling middle ground or reconciliation is impossible.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:04 am
Sexism is a very real problem in society and is institutionalized in certain industries, including country music. That said, you can’t just call anything you disagree with “sexist” or “racist” or you risk these words becoming ineffective, and losing your audience when actual sexism and racism rears its ugly head. It the boy who cried wolf syndrome.
If I had never broached the issues facing women in country music in the first place, nobody would have even cared what I had to say about Maren Morris.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:42 pm
Those words are already lost their meanin—— the definition of racist, homophobe, bigot, sexist, etc. : someone who won an argument with a liberal
February 22, 2018 @ 11:05 pm
Yeah, the Klan and the alt-right are all guys who won arguments with liberals. Just because you’re louder doesn’t mean you’ve won the argument. A fact most neocons fail to grasp.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:11 pm
I think I need your last line on a t shirt! lol
February 21, 2018 @ 10:45 am
I can’t believe you spent that much energy and ink on these people. I’ve been following SCM for several years. That anyone would imply that you’re sexist, part of a whisper network, or a basement dweller pisses me off. You’re the polar opposite. And a damn good writer.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:46 am
The idea that Saving Country Music is sexist is absolutely ludicrous. I found this site by looking for articles about Ashley Monroe. Trigger’s review of the album Like a Rose turned me into a reader. Over the years past I have discovered female artists that I never would have found otherwise. Rhiannon Giddens and Lindi Ortega are now some of my favorite artists all because of Saving Country Music.
If music media paid as much attention to female artists the way SCM does, it would be in a much better place for equality of the sexes in the music industry.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:03 pm
I agree Sam. This is one of the few sites I’ve found that give artists of all races and sexes equal footing based on staying true to delivering Country music for those of us who can’t stand the Nashville system and their latest definition of Nashville music. Regardless of Maren’s attitude or ego (which I don’t know anything about), she has a terrific singing voice and an incredible lead-in single (“My Church”) that was completely ill-represented and drowned out by the rest of the songs on the album and the Nashvillian production. For my money, I prefer Caitlyn Smith’s “Starfire”, which Nashville and “Country” radio seem to be ignoring.
Keep up the good work Trigger!
February 21, 2018 @ 1:07 pm
Caitlyn Smith “Starfire” received 2 GUNS UP, btw. 🙂
February 21, 2018 @ 1:52 pm
SCM pointed me in the direction of Dori Freeman recently, for which I am much obliged, along with many other recommendations that have resulted in me happily draining my pocketbook to support quality country and roots artists from across the spectrum.
Now, as for the main subject, I went back and re-read the referenced article, the main thrust of Trigger’s attack on Marin Morris is that her arrogance stemmed from crossing over fully into pop before properly paying her dues into country. Anyone who’s read his reviews of Sam Hunt or Jarrod Niemann should be familiar with the argument, and to call it “sexist” in the slightest is insultingly stupid. Men and women in the country genre should both be held to high standards, and giving Morris a pass based on her gender is much closer to actual sexism than anything Trigger’s written.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:07 pm
Genres are so smeared. One music site lists her as Pop and another as Alternative Rock! I wonder how country music fans find her if not for a site like this one.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:46 pm
Trigger, Thank you for introducing me to Sarah Shook.. Let’s face it, there is a backstory with her that you have been nothing but positive and supportive on.
That speaks large to you.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:47 am
I blame social media
February 21, 2018 @ 10:51 am
Her’s and others response to you is not only intellectually lazy, it’s a textbook example of unearned moral superiority. It brings to mind the latest hoopla with ‘Black Panther’. No one is allowed to criticize it. Unless of course you’d like to be “shutdown”. By the way, when people say you got shutdown it just means they don’t have a strong argument to counter your statements. Which again is the conundrum so many young millennials are facing in today’s world. They don’t have the necessary tools to think for themselves. Just a survival pack of hashtags, illiterate sounding catch phrases and the book on identity politics.
February 22, 2018 @ 10:25 am
Of course…if you do dislike Black Panthers writing, acting, plot or direction, it’s almost certainly because you have terrible taste.
February 22, 2018 @ 12:21 pm
Taste is subjective.
And most Marvel films are downright forgettable and written to appeal to the masses instead of actually telling a good story.
That being said, I haven’t seen Black Panther
February 22, 2018 @ 12:58 pm
Yeah, BP is an unabashed Ryan Coogler movie that happens to star IP belonging to Marvel, haha.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:55 am
I’ve been reading your work for what seems like years now. I’ve agreed with you a lot, disagreed at times, but most of all, respected what you’re doing. It’s a shame you have to write such long piece defending yourself. Your track record speaks for itself and the work you do. Keep it up.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:56 am
I’ve lost all respect for Beverly Keel. She comes from a time when fact checking was important as a journalist yet it appears she’s abandoned that and jumped on the “21st Century Facts-Be-Damned” journalism train.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:02 am
I found more female artists on this site than anywhere else. Stop trying to negotiate with the femenazis, it’s a waste of time.
I mean you COULD of said that everything about her,from her pissy attitude,singing, horrible pop songs,squatty features,and face looking like someone flattened it out with a frying pan are all overrated,but hey, you didn’t. So screw em and keep us posted when the next Lindi or Dori comes around.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:34 am
Four likes for attacking a woman’s looks. Yep nothing wrong here.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:59 pm
CountryCharm, you choose that to respond to and comment on rather than all the people who say they found new female artists from this site and have felt Trig has done a good job representing female artists on a fair and equal platform. Continue to look for things to piss you off so you can complain.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:29 pm
You listen to some women’s music so it makes it totally okay to attack a woman’s looks, call a woman a crazy bitch for defending herself, call a woman arrogant and big headed without being able to point to any examples.
Let’s not forget Trigger getting pissed off because Maren insulted him right back after he wrote an entire article insulting her. Know your place Maren!
February 21, 2018 @ 3:32 pm
All those things you noted are definitely wrong. I was just trying to point out that your nitpicking the minuscule negative things you find wrong instead of conceding that this site is overwhelmingly positive in how it approaches fairness among artists of different gender, race, ethnicity or any other category that can divide groups of people. He goes out of his way so much that, even though I’m all for equality, I’ll sigh when I hear him going out of his way to champion women again and again when I’m really here just hoping to find new good music. I understand where he’s coming from though and am glad there are voices out there pushing for equality. That’s why he notes that the regular readers here have to be surprised when they see allegations of sexism thrown his way.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:33 pm
If you can recognize those things are wrong you don’t need to write paragraphs trying to find excuses for them.
You don’t have pit some women down to elevate others. Trigger had no reason to personally attack Maren. He did it for controversy and clicks.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:50 pm
News flash. Trigger’s not just like you. If I thought he was, I would have stopped reading this site years ago.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:48 pm
Maybe…but she sure looks good in the picture Trigger used for the article.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:05 am
Maren Morris is so clearly talented but she’s releasing dimwitted nonsense.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:15 am
I do think there are times when you are a little mean, especially to Cole, FGL, and Sam Hunt. But you have that right and wouldn’t it be more sexist to never say a negative word about a female? This kind of thing makes it difficult to be a fan of any female country artist because they are constantly complaining. A big part of it is totally justified but I just don’t want to hear about an artist’s problems constantly. It feels like they want to alienate me as a fan.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:28 am
Yes, the ones cutting women slack when it comes to online criticism are the REAL sexists!
February 21, 2018 @ 11:26 am
Fwiw, I had never of Ashley Monroe, Sunny Sweeney, Margo Price, Sarah Shook or Nikki Lane before hooking into this website. Trigger calls them as he see’s them, and I’ve never seen anything here that makes me think an artist’s gender has anything to do with his opinions.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:26 am
Hey, just a couple of corrections here:
1) when a women in music mentions a “whisper network”, they’re not referring to labels whispering to each other about hardheaded women. A whisper network is what women use to stay away from folks they can’t trust professionally, say a producer that is known to get handsy. In this case, reading between the lines, they probably mean that female artists shouldn’t take anything you write too personally.
2) when someone calls an online writer a “basement dweller”, that isn’t meant to hint at their being in a higher place than you. It’s referencing the stereotype that blogs are usually written by grown nerds still living in their parents basement.
And this isn’t so much a correction as a recommendation: if a group of highly respected women are calling a man sexist, I’m probably gonna lean on the safe side of assuming he did something sexist. You could have taken this time to have looked over what you had written and said, ‘Alright, maybe I was off base with this or this…’ Instead, you tripledowned as hard as you could. I guess the thing I take most exception to with your argument is in your examples of “outlaws” that you’ve come down on for being too cocky. You know it, I know it, Bob Dole knows it that the first names that come to mind when someone says “outlaw country” aren’t going to be Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Brantley Gilbert, or Hank III. You know that the recording careers of Waylon and Willie are full of songs where their chests are puffed up and shit. The difference being, of course, that they are Willie and Waylon, and we’re talking Maren Morris, so a contemporary that you’re on record as saying you also dislike would of course be the easier comparison.
I dunno, dude…I mean, you’re not a writer I think of when I think of writers that are known to change your mind on a lot of things (cue Eric Church speech again), so I doubt anything anyone could say to you would make you stop your “I’m not sexist, THEY ARE!!!” campaign you got going here. I guess I’d just point out that, at the time I wrote this, one of your only defenders is a guy saying, “Yeah, I can’t complain about Black Panther without people knowing I’m…uh, I mean, LABELING ME, a racist!”
Have fun on this hill.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:53 am
“I’m not sexist, THEY ARE!!!”
Never said that. Just like I never said Maren Morris should know her place, even though those words were put in my mouth to impugn me. It’s these type of exercises that unfairly mischaracterize people and create unnecessary conflict. Are people on the same side of an issue going to continue to twist words and use pull quotes in an attempt to gain the moral high ground on people they agree with 90% of the time for some sort of sense of superiority? Or are we going to chose to see a more common purpose and work together moving forward?
I haven’t called anyone sexist except the assholes in the country industry who are clearly marginalizing women.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:48 pm
Just a quick correction. I haven’t seen Black Panther. But I have been reading about and hearing about people who criticized it, receiving quite the backlash online for being critical.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:02 pm
” full of songs where their chests are puffed up and shit. The difference being, of course, that they are Willie and Waylon, and we’re talking Maren Morris…”
Yes, by all means, Maren’s chest is more puffed up than Willie’s. Honest.
I just won the internet. You’re welcome.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:37 pm
While I am not about to assume anything about someone’s character based on what a bunch of OTHER people said,
I do think there is a little something to the idea that, when called out, many of us could do better to consider it a little rather than immediately jumping to discredit it. I think self-reflection when it comes to things like this is really underused. And I do get the impression that Trigger went with the knee jerk defense.
now, All of the defense here is accurate. Like, I was one of the regular readers whose jaw dropped when I read he was accused of not criticizing cockiness in men! HA!!! etc.
But I’ve read things on this website more than once that are problematic from a feminist perspective. And I’m not sure that just immediately jumping to “but I champion women!” and not reflecting a LITTLE on whether there’s any truth to some sexism on this site is really wise.
Now, the occasional kinda sexist comment does not get me all worked up and write someone off. Nor does it make me assume that the person saying it is truly a sexist person. Thank God, because I have gained a lot from reading this site! And I’ll take a few sexist comments when Trigger’s, on the whole, is actually DOING something to promote women in Country music and their cause.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:11 pm
“I think self-reflection when it comes to things like this is really underused. And I do get the impression that Trigger went with the knee jerk defense.”
I can’t speak on if this articles comes across as a “knee jerk defense,” but I can say that one of the reasons I waited until 10 days after this all erupted before addressing this is because I wanted to take the time to reflect on the accusations and what others had said, and compose my thoughts and then reflect on them before I shared them. I also talked extensively with colleagues and a couple of artists about this issue when I was attending the Folk Alliance Conference last week. I feel like I did everything I could do to measure myself and not be reactionary.
Again, I won’t necessarily say that someone who thinks something I said was “sexist” is wrong from their perspective. But what I can say is that it wasn’t meant to be sexist, and that the reasoning of why it’s being labeled sexist in this instance (a double standard) just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
February 22, 2018 @ 1:01 pm
Yeah, Trig can come off a little patronizing sometimes (any and all of my female friends would smack me upside the head for a few of the turns of phrase I’ve seen him use), but his heart is always firmly in the right place.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:35 am
I was really excited to find this site, but after at least a year checking in here, it seems the same over and over again.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:45 am
I had a similar reaction to her Target commercial.
Who the hell is this with the in my face attitude?
Very different from the NPR Tiny Desk concert I watched.
I didn’t enjoy it, and found it off putting.
I dig your columns, I’ve discovered multiple female artists through your posts.
I became aware of the disparity on the country radio world because of SCM. I simply don’t pay attention to them.
Keep doing you, Trigger. You’re an equal opportunity offender. That’s how we like it.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:48 am
As I recall, I disagree with your assessment about Maren, but I didn’t think it was sexist. You’re right, if women want to be treated equally, we should he the same treatment as men. It’s supposed to be about equality, not entitlements. There are also some people who see sexism everywhere, especially in today’s environment. I’m a woman and have been shut down by people like this so I wouldn’t take it too personally.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:08 pm
Well said.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:48 am
Thank you Trigger. You’re on the right side of this. Keep bringing it to the forefront. It has been said “when people talk about your work,it gets attention. when they Stop talking is when to
Worry. Keep bringing the great articles on Country music artists that are not given any chance on radio.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:02 pm
Is this bitch crazy? My only beef with Trigger is pushing the female artist agenda too much. Lazy people label others with an -ist when they don’t agree.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:53 pm
Now she’s a bitch and crazy for daring to speak up. Sexist people label women as crazy bitches when they don’t like what they’re saying.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
I would have preferred the article focused on what a mediocre shit song “The Middle” is and her rapid decline in music quality rather than her personality. That said, it didn’t strike me as sexist, more just like “she’s acting like a pop star.” Because that’s what she is. She had like, one countryish song, I’m happy to just let her go. The last thing I would call this blog is sexist. I’ve seen much worse things said about male stars here than Maren Morris, not to mention the last article I read was an 8/10 review for Brandi Carlile.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:14 pm
And the article before that was “Miranda Lambert: Champion of Cool Songwriters.” Yeah, sooo much sexism here… 🙄
February 22, 2018 @ 7:02 am
Actually that article is a good example of just because an artist is a female doesn’t mean you like her or agree with SCM’s promotion of her. Case in point Miranda Lambert. She’s very overrated and wins all those awards because she’s a chosen female in a male dominated country music industry. Not fair to the far more talented female singer songwriters in Nashville. I like Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini for that matter. If you like Miranda s kind of music Ashley McBryde is much better. Promote and support her. Miranda s been unfairly given enough.
February 22, 2018 @ 10:20 am
“just because an artist is a female doesn’t mean you like her”
Very true. You’re not gonna like every artist, male or female, and shouldn’t feel obligated to support an artist based on gender. What’s important to me is that both are presented equally, so people can decide for themselves what they want to hear.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
I went back to the article because I thought I might have remembered the context of that comment incorrectly, but I was right. Here’s the comment inside its paragraph:
‘And let me say something else about Maren Morris. She thinks she’s all that. And she ain’t all that. At all. And you can apply that to mean whatever you wish. Maren Morris conducts herself like she is an absolute superstar and hot shit. And she’s not. I’m sorry. There’s no humility, or even dignity. This is supposed to be one of the young woman leaders in country music helping to reshape the paradigm in the format for females, and who is willing to speak her mind in a traditionally stuffy format. But she couldn’t have burned through whatever street cred she accrued from her decent “My Church” debut any faster than she has. At least try to establish yourself a little bit more in country before you pivot to pop. Now country feels like a stepping stone for Morris, though rest assured, she’ll be expecting the genre’s support when she releases a new record, even if just like “The Middle,” her music has nothing sonically akin to country whatsoever.’
If you go back and read the preceding and proceeding text around that, it becomes even more clear, if that’s even possible. The comment was just a small part of a larger point Trigger was making regarding a rising “country” star who very obviously has no interest in country music and is just using the industry to become a pop star. Her “attitude” is just part of the pop marketing plan.
I still don’t understand why she didn’t just start out in pop music. Unlike Sam Hunt and others, she undoubtedly has the talent to make it in that bigger fish bowl.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
‘..if a group of highly respected women are calling a man sexist, I’m probably gonna lean on the safe side of assuming he did something sexist.”
Add Issac to the list of people that don’t fact check.
Or, I should say, ignore the factchecking.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:41 pm
Gives me shit for fact checking = doesn’t bother to double-check to make sure they spell my name right.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:55 pm
The classic “You got me. I got nothing” response.
#factsoverfeelings
February 21, 2018 @ 12:14 pm
It’s thanks to SCM that I am even aware of supremely talented women like Margo Price, Dori Freeman, Sunny Sweeney, Brandi Carlile and many many more. If I relied on mainstream radio (I’m Irish and you just don’t hear them on radio here) for finding new music none of these artists would be on my radar.
Frankly I am sick of manufactured drama over the slightest thing and it’s not unique to country music or even music. We are living in the era of click bait journalism where facts and rational thought go out the window in favour of rhetoric, hyperbole and outright lies.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:20 pm
Thank you. It’s not just in music either. This over policing language and thought is actually alienating
men who are our allies, like Trigger, who promote and celebrate women. I too am very sick of it.
February 22, 2018 @ 1:04 pm
Can you REALLY call yourself a progressive if you don’t spend more time punching sideways at allies for not being perfect, than actually effecting change?
February 21, 2018 @ 12:19 pm
welcome to the world of identity politics. I told a black guy the other day that I wasn’t interested in seeing the new Black Panther movie because I never got into the comics. I shit you not, he looked me right in the eye with a straight face and said I must be racist….I was so dumbfounded, I couldn’t even respond. Make no mistake about it my friend, this is what progressiveness has led us too. I’m sorry this happened to you man. I’ve read you enough times to know that you are though provoking, fair and a true champion to women in country music. Keep up the good fight man, you have the high ground here. you did nothing wrong.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:09 pm
today in shit that never happened…
February 21, 2018 @ 1:31 pm
huh?
February 21, 2018 @ 2:25 pm
are you suggesting that identity politics isn’t a thing?
February 21, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
I’m saying that your exchange re: black panther never happened
February 21, 2018 @ 4:01 pm
Wait what? dude, you don’t know anything about me or who interact with on a daily basis. Why the f**k would I make something like that up? You are a prime example of the point I’m making. I said something you didn’t like so you call me a liar never once considering that it might be true.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:54 pm
It’s not my problem your fake sounding story sounds exactly like the very fake stories going around about black people confronting white people about black panther
February 21, 2018 @ 5:41 pm
I don’t know about these stories you speak of. I wasn’t confronted, I was having a conversation with a group of people at bar. I Happen to mention that the movie didn’t interest me. One of the people in the group, who i found out later is very politically active in the community decided to take exception to my comment. Not sure what his gripe was with me, but it happened. Sorry you don’t believe me, but it’s true. Maybe he thought he was being funny, but I didn’t take it that way. Sounds like you ‘re the one w/ the problem Not me.
February 22, 2018 @ 6:18 am
lmao
February 22, 2018 @ 10:34 pm
Pull it together, Kross. Stop letting Seth Wilson trigger you.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:30 pm
pretty funny how you think whisper networks are some kind of country illuminati and not women quietly informing each other about men who make them feel unsafe. kinda places your comment about wanting to tear them down in context, albeit probably unintentionally.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:15 pm
See, this is the exact type of semantic argument that is completely fruitless when trying to address the very real issues facing women in country music. Since there is no basis for calling me sexist, this article will be poured through to try and find marginal, nuanced arguments about how words and phrases are used to attempt to discredit the entire work, and myself in the process.
According to Wikipedia, a whisper network: “describes a chain of information privately passed between people, typically a list of powerful men in an industry alleged as being sexual harassers or abusers.”
Who have I sexually harassed or abused? Where is that accusation from anyone? I work from home. I don’t even have the opportunity to personally interact with these artists, or anyone in the industry. I don’t even do interviews anymore. When I do interact with people, it’s at festivals and conferences when there are many other people around.
What Tamara Saviano accused me of through her “whisper network” comment was basically being an abuser of women. That is an extremely irresponsible falsehood with absolutely no basis in any fact or even accusation against me. And when I said it was potentially slanderous, I meant it. You can’t just go out there and say, “This person abuses women” without any basis, especially if it results in very direct damage to a person’s career, which very well might have happened in this instance.
I can disagree with the assessment of Beverley Keel and others. We don’t all have to agree. But a direct attempt to slander me with the purpose of trying to hinder either the standing of this website, or myself as a media professional due to falsehoods is libel and defamation by definition. I have called for a direct apology from Tamara Saviano, and if one isn’t forthcoming, then I will have a tough decision to make on how to move forward with her attempt to end my professional career with a completely unfounded falsehood. One way or another, her inappropriate accusation WILL be rectified.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:22 pm
Don’t back down, Trigger. I’ve noticed men who back down keep getting flayed alive, those who stand up for themselves don’t. Good for you.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:42 pm
And not to harp on this subject, but just so folks understand:
If I go to get a job, for example, in the music industry or anywhere else, and someone Googles my name, which will invariably happen, and they find a direct accusation from someone who is respected in an industry such as Tamara Saviano, who has directly accused me of being the target of a “whisper network,” they they will have no choice but to assume that I am a sexual abuser and harasser, or at least potentially so, and I will lose that job. Otherwise, that potential employer could be held liable for my future behavior.
Potential sponsors, underwriters, partners, or anyone else who may want to work with Saving Country Music may see this accusation from Tamara Saviano and decide to pull their support. In fact, this has already happened to some extent. Some readers have stopped reading, and stopped following me on social media after Saviano’s accusations, resulting in lost revenue and support.
For all the extremely pointed, scandalous, sarcastic, over-the-top copy I have composed on Saving Country Music over the past 10 years, believe it or not, I know where the line is, and have never crossed the line like Tamara Saviano did into defamation. It is essential that I know where that line is because I sometimes veer so close to it.
You cannot accuse people of being sexual abusers with no basis. And I meant it when I said an apology must be forthcoming.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:52 pm
It’s not my problem your fake sounding story sounds exactly like the very fake stories going around about black people confronting white people about black panther
February 21, 2018 @ 5:05 pm
shit wrong thread. this comment system sucks.
Someone you’ve presumably been helpful to in the past has less incentive to speak out about you. There is no semantic argument here, there’s a woman with no reason to lie and every reason to stay quiet saying she’s heard about your behavior through the grapevine. Please please please for the love of God please try to sue her over this because I don’t think you’ll like the discovery phase of the trial.
one last point: you don’t even have to leave your room to harass women dude
February 21, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
Why are people so upset? I personally enjoy Maren Morris although (other than “My Church” and “Dear Hate”) I wouldn’t classify her as country music.
There was nothing said regarding her gender. This is a site where one of the main components is to bash on “Pop Country.” Maren Morris is a growing superstar in “Pop Country.”
Wouldn’t it be more sexist if he bashed on Luke Bryan, Brantly Gilbert and Florida Georgia Line and ignored the female stars (like country airplay does) of Pop Country?
What if SNL didn’t mock Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin because they were female politicians?- same concept
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion..
February 21, 2018 @ 12:51 pm
I just stumbled upon this site i don’t know 3 months ago. It just screams hear me bitch. Moreen Morris ain’t my cup of tea. I listened to the album and went to next trite feces that some friend told me to listen to. I do agree with the line that she is full of herself. I saw her on award show in the past year and the gloating was cringe worthily.
I am not saying that does not have in society; high school is full of those moments; i like to have a little more substance to my music. all i can guess Mz. Morris is the flavor of the era, will she make a statement that will shock or shape the world time will tell. but Mz Morris would have a hard time holding Angalenna Presley’s bra.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
You make a good argument.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:53 pm
If a woman had said this about a man would it be sexist? Hell no. Because in today’s society mainly only men, and mostly white men, can be labeled as such.Whether it be racism, sexism, or any other ism that people like to throw out whenever they disagree, it is usually always toward white males. This was not a sexist statement. Good job Trigger!
February 21, 2018 @ 5:01 pm
Men: the REAL victims!
February 21, 2018 @ 5:47 pm
Haha no I just feel like people get “offended” way too easy. It’s become cool to call people out for being racist or sexist or whatever the flavor of the day is and it’s gotten out of hand. Go to a Muslim country and you’ll see what real sexism is.
February 21, 2018 @ 12:55 pm
You tell it like it is, without being cruel. That’s why I love reading your articles. Being an honest journalist comes with a price though. You become a target. Much like Michael Cocoran got blasted by Nanci Griffith years ago for a mediocre review and it blew up into a big deal of her never calling Austin home again…..True that Maren Morris doesn’t hide her ego as much as other artists do. But when you have a million people telling you how great you are, it’s a hard thing to learn. It goes back to how they were raised, I think. And why she would care about one little line that you wrote? It shows that she is really am insecure child, and that the pretense of being greater than others is a facade. As far as Tamara, she’s good people but she’s got a cause and will go out of her way to speak out about anything she hears that goes against women. She’s seen a lot of mistreatment of women in Nashville (according to her social media posts) and that has made her ready to lash back at any little thing, even without knowing all of the facts. There are thousands and thousand of female artists trying to make the big time. I would like to see more in other areas of music – sound engineering, record producing especially….why don’t you write an article on why we don’t see more women in these fields? Your doing a great job Trigger. Don’t let ’em get to you.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:03 pm
Trig,
While I appreciate you writing the above, it really wasn’t necessary. You’ve done more to promote women in Country Music than anyone “in the business”, despite their claims to the contrary. Even CMT (I’ve since cancelled it) on their stupid top 20 countdown was all bro – all the time. (Probably not 100% of the time but you get the point)
Had it not been for you, I would not have discovered (and listened to) artists like Brandy Clark, Ashley McBryde, and others. (Street cred to Eric Church here as well for inviting Ashley McBryde to sing with him on his tour last year, and inviting Brandy Clark and Maren Morris to open for him in years past. THE IRONY…)
You consistently do the following:
– Call out mainstream country music for not giving women the publicity and airplay that men get.
– Introduce us to new artists – both men and women.
– Fairly review albums by women and praise and criticize equally as you see fit.
– Identifying real sexism and objectifying of women in songs AND LYRICS when Nashville shoves it into our ears. I never see anyone in mainstream country music doing this.
For crying out loud – If any of these critics or experts would simply search the word “women” in the search field of the SCM website, they’ll be faced with the reality of how foolish they sound.
Maren Morris is fine, and she is doing what she’s being told to do. Good for her. I’m not a huge fan, I’d rather she stay country because there is a need for someone like her and she has a bright future in the space if she stays.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:08 pm
Aside from the main issue, I’m more impressed with the amount of work Trigger has put in to get facts and information directly from the source.
This is what journalism is. This is why i read this website. It doesn’t matter what opinions people have, as long as they are based on research, facts and logic, they are worth listening to.
February 22, 2018 @ 8:21 am
And the remarkable output, live blogs, festivals, photos, all with very few days off.
Don’t think there are many in any field of journalism that can match him for combination of quantity quality, and humour.
As said so many times above, this site is a relentless champion of woman in music.
February 21, 2018 @ 1:29 pm
i think both you and the two writers who attacked you need to get together and talk. they are reading too much into that morris article because of your past sins which you havnt actually owned up to in this article. while reading the twitter responses i saw that one of your readers posted there that even though she read your blog and agreed with you on some things she has never forgotten you referring to Miranda lamberts breasts as funbags back in 2011. im not a woman so probably i missed many instances that while not as crude as the funbags remark are just as offensive or off putting to women.
i don’t know how many instances there are in your blog similar to the funbags comment but considering are the great writing you’ve been doing recently concerning women being played on radio and dealing with radio creeps im really angry at how over the top the fury has been with the morris article. if their issue is really based on your past they should say so because this feel very dishonest on their part.
i wonder if the overreaction isn’t due to some of the people who comment here who are really trollish in my opinion. i actually like that you allow people the freedom to comment even when its offensive but some people trigger easy and maybe they hold you responsible for opinions you don’t agree with.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:40 pm
WORD on the comments section. There is some hard core bigotry in the comments on occasion. So I can see where that might give someone visiting the site a bad taste.
But I sometimes get as much out of the comments here as the articles, so I’d hate to see it too heavily moderated.
February 21, 2018 @ 2:52 pm
Where , I’ve read all the comments and haven’t seen a single instance of bigotry
February 21, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
Let me guess. You’re the least bigoted person we’ve ever met.
February 21, 2018 @ 7:08 pm
No, but I think I’m fairly tolerant
February 21, 2018 @ 8:39 pm
Every person who comments here is a bigot. If you’re not a bigot, you’re a corpse.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
Don’t censor a thing. Let the undesirables identify themselves.
What irks me about this whole controversy is that none of these other writers are acknowedging the truth–Trig said what he said because much of Morris’s music is underwhelming and, quite frankly, fucking annoying.
And she’s quite obviously full of herself
February 21, 2018 @ 1:38 pm
Trigger, I read your initial article about Maren crossing over genres too early in her career and, as a female, I did not find it derogatory or sexist at all. Like you mentioned here, you didn’t address about her confidence in a negative way at all – just her potential level of arrogance. I wish people would look at the whole story before jumping to rash conclusions about someone’s intentions. That seems to be something that, as a society, we’ll always need room for improvement in, unfortunately. Keep writing about what you’re passionate about and I sincerely hope (and doubt) that this whole incident will negatively impact peoples’ opinions about your judgments or character. 🙂
February 21, 2018 @ 2:38 pm
Most journalists, at this point, are just fiction writers with guaranteed printing.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:00 pm
Also the wait for the Solid Ground review is killing me, at this point.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:30 pm
It’s not Trigger, or a traditional style review, but I have a review of it with my fellow writer in conversation form. Great album.
http://countryexclusive.com/collaborative-review-wade-bowen-solid-ground/
February 21, 2018 @ 3:00 pm
Luke Bryan is an nerd trying to be cool. Wade Hayes is a clueless fratboy gay icon. Maren Morris has a punched-in face and thinks too highly of herself, bless her heart. Sturgill Simpson needs vocal lessons. Chris Stapleton is a one-trick pony, even if it’s a good trick. There are a dozen or more interchangeable bro-country buffoons with interchangeable names. Florida Georgia Line is embarrassing. Kenny Chesney could grow up more if he spent less time in the gym. Hank III needs to feel better about himself and use more toothpaste. Joshua Hedley should embrace the bald thing. Shane McAnally should leave us all alone and go back to recording in his little over-wrought musical dollhouse.
And any of you who take “umbrage” at any of this? Yeah, no.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:31 pm
Calling someone gay as an insult? 2003 called, they want their insults back.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:07 pm
Amethyst, I can’t tell if you challenge or illustrate my point. The ideer is that people today are insanely prickly about what people say. I know it sounds totally crazy, but people have “views.” And even crazier, they are free to express those views. You can try to denigrate them any way you wish, but you are not, in a free society, allowed to tyrannize over views you personally find distasteful. I know this sounds incredible, but in the not too distant past, this lack of tyrannical and exterminationist force was considered “healthy.” Wrong ideas were countered with true ideas. Bigotry was revealed to be a harmful form of sheltered ignorance. And so on. But even more shocking, people could laugh at themselves. There were problems, but because people were psychologically healthy and stable, those problems could be resolved.
Start by believing better of your fellows, even on the internet.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:11 pm
LOL @ being mildly called out being “tyrannical”. Sounds like you’re the oversensitive one, but ok.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
mwah
February 21, 2018 @ 5:04 pm
To the person above saying “what bigotry in the comments?!?” This ain’t bigotry, buts it’s something.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:13 pm
The level of this insight is so intimidating, I don’t know how to reply.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:42 am
LOL….. I wish I could post memes here. You’re head and shoulders above many here in the insight arena.
February 22, 2018 @ 8:17 am
Yes, but it’s done in service to a higher, moral purpose. It’s for our own good. No, really.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:34 am
So what about Miranda Lambert? A very overrated female country music artist who unfairly wins all the awards for years. Could write much more negative about her but I will leave it at that. Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde are very talented singer songwriters. What’s wrong with them? I would mention Maren and Kelsea but it’s obvious they aren’t liked here at SCM but they do just fine without the support so who cares. Lol.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:26 pm
Trigger,
As a woman, I can say I’ve read this site regularly for several years and randomly at times before that as well, and I will be the first to say that I don’t agree with everything you have to say; I will also say that I understand that as a man, you are not going to fully ever understand the female perspective, and to that end, I can understand passing comments that others may take out of context that were never meant as sexist, or else comments that you may have regretted the wording of later. I think it is always good to listen to each side of the argument, and that not only goes for you, it goes to the people who attack you for these things and pull isolated comments out of articles, arguing about semantics rather than seeing the entire picture, or being unwilling to see the entire picture.
All that said, though I have never claimed to always agree with you, I have never considered your opinions to be rooted in sexism–maybe misinformed or ill-worded on occasion, but the furthest thing from rooted in institutional sexism. I do not think an individual so staunch in sexist ideals would so regularly champion the cause of equality for women on country radio and in the industry, particularly when many of your readers complain that they have to read yet another article about this subject, a subject that has no doubt become tiresome to a lot of them, especially the ones who ignore radio and the mainstream altogether. I could mention the number of women artists you help to promote, but that’s a little akin to saying, “I have a black friend, so I’m not racist,” and I don’t think it will persuade anyone, so I won’t even try making that argument. But I don’t understand how people can read the endless amount of coverage you’ve devoted to leveling the playing field for women, to the treatment of women in the industry by professionals, to the systematic discrimination all across the industry based solely on gender, and not at least come away questioning themselves. All that said, it doesn’t make one passing comment any less sexist, and for the record, I didn’t consider the comment about Morris to be sexist, or anything you haven’t also said about male artists, but even if people consider this to be so, in light of the enormous amount of coverage you’ve given to the issue, perhaps civil discussion would be the answer. Dealing with sexism and all the isms is something we can all be better in, but taking one comment out of context and parading it all over social media is not the answer, nor is it actually the way to solve the problem of real sexism.
And finally, I will say this: as a blind person, I have experienced a lot of discrimination and people unwilling to take me seriously in various endeavors throughout my lifetime. Probably one of the most insulting things to me has not been having my work considered equally, and I don’t just mean an example like an employer’s unwillingness to hire me even though I’m perfectly qualified, or a judge at a music contest point blank asking me how I could play an instrument and keep up with the music without sight, I also mean at the other end of the spectrum, where people tell me I’m a great blind singer or try to avoid criticism in any way because of my disability. To that end, one of the things I respect most about you is your honesty, and the fact that equal opportunity for you also means equal criticism. I may not agree with every positive review, but I know damn well when you give Brandi Carlile and 8/10, you meant that, and it wasn’t because of or in spite of her gender, or as some sort of affirmative action plan. And ignoring your opinion of Maren Morris’s attitude just because she’s a woman is the very definition of sexist and biased.
Anyway, sorry for the essay.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:05 pm
In a just world, this comment would go viral.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
I feel that I should weigh in on this. Okay. Beverly’s comment that you are “sexist” for saying Maren thinks she is all that- not sexist. That is something anyone could say about her, including other women. As far as Tamara’s comment goes, it’s complicated. I don’t think she is saying you abused other women, but I think she is making an assumption that you *know* about males in the industry who have abused women, and promote their music anyway.
But only you know if you know anything. These are my thoughts. I don’t think you are sexist though.
February 21, 2018 @ 3:48 pm
When the rapper Nelly was accused of rape while on tour with Florida Georgia Line, there was only one individual, one journalist, one outlet, one member of the country music industry who called for his removal from the Florida Georgia Line tour at least until the accusations were fully investigated. And that was me. Since then, the accuser has filed a civil lawsuit saying she was slandered by Nelly and the media, and two more women have come forward saying they were sexually abused by Nelly in the past.
When I called for the removal of Nelly from the Florida Georgia Line tour, I was accused of being racist.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/why-is-nelly-still-performing-on-the-florida-georgia-line-tour/
Whatever Tamara Saviano was trying to say, it was completely irresponsible and preposterous, regardless the angle anyone tries to take with it.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:06 pm
Barbara Keel’s post is first and foremost a sneaky way of touting all her wonderful accomplishments and how humble she is at the same time. Of course, at Triggers expense.
Marin Morris’s basement dweller comment is condescending as hell.
And how much of this has to do with Trigger’s vastly superior knowledge of Country Music and the industry and the fact that he can write circles around all of them. Better get used to it Trigger.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:50 am
Yep…. attack the messenger ignore the message- it’s what alleged journalist, talking heads and politicians have perfected.
Envy is a powerful emotion that provokes powerful commentary. It’s also a form of flattery.
Be proud Trigger- you done good 😉
February 21, 2018 @ 4:09 pm
In an era where everyone is offended by everything, being a critic has to be a tough job. You say something about a woman it’s sexist, if the person is a minority you are racist, and so forth. Everyone is just too thinned skinned. It sucks.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:11 pm
I’m sorry, but I could barely make it past the second third paragraph before getting bored. You’re a great writer, but you really need to be more succinct. Spending this much time on some social media backlash is just pointless. People get accused every day of completely false shit like being “sexist”. It means noting because anybody who doesn’t conform to social justice weirdos is Hitler.
Let’s all just move on! Nobody will care or remember 2 days from now.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:27 pm
The fact that you even had to defend yourself over this is sad. I’ve been an avid reader of the website for years. I know that it’s easy for me to be able to tell because I read the articles in their entirety, instead of skimming through them to cherry pick quotes. I can remember when I first found Saving Country Music. I had to drive my siblings to catch the bus one morning before school started. While we were waiting I turned on the radio and the first song to come on was Luke Bryan’s brand new single at the time That’s My Kinda Night. I’d never heard something so ostensively not country in my life up until that point. So I set out to find why the values I had been raised on and why tradition had been eroded from Country Music. I googled something along the lines of why it had gotten so bad. Saving Country Music was the first to pop up. Since then I’ve followed almost religiously. At this current point in life I find myself refreshing the home page through out the day. I had found a wide section of artists I had been oblivious to previously. Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Turnpike Troubadours just to scratch the surface. Which that doesn’t come close to all of the artists that have been championed on this website. Those were just the guys who got really big and I found out about all of them here. The biggest thing to me when it comes to this current situation is Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton plus a few others summed up my attention span as far as women in Country Music. As the years passed my thought process has gradually changed. Before I didn’t give thought to the disparities amongst gender in our music. I didn’t really care being honest but over time I started becoming more conscious of attempting to listen to female artists as a direct result of Saving Country Music and have come to appreciate the music. This is where I found out about Sunny Sweeney, Caitlin Rose, Brennen Leigh, Kelsey Walden, Michaela Anne, Karen Jonas, Dori Freeman and so many others thanks to Trigger. At the end of the day Country Music is a culture, a tradition, and so much more to the people from the regions it comes from. It’s the facade that what’s on the radio is passing for country. When it seems like real country singers are forced into sub-genres and into Americana while pop singers infiltrate and destroy such a beloved institution get by and keep on keeping on. That’s what we’re against, not women. If anything women not named Maren Morris and Kelsey Ballerini are leading the charge as far as putting out quality real country music. Keep up the work trigger I appreciate the sacrifice you take to keep up the cause for the roots of the genre.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:49 pm
Thanks for reading Koty.
February 21, 2018 @ 4:45 pm
Life was so much better when you didn’t write about mainstream country artists.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:40 pm
No it wasn’t, there were no Trigger rants.
February 22, 2018 @ 9:33 am
There was always Shooter to kick around.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:08 pm
In this era of widespred identity politics, backlash seems to be inherent in any detailed piece of criticsm. You say something negative about someone and its inevitable that someone else is going to get pissed and look to discredit you, in any way possible.
While I felt some of the Leon Bridges incident criticism was justified a few weeks ago, this notion that its sexist to simply criticize Maren Morris for being arrogant is absurd, when you constantly criticize men for the exact same thing and go even further to constantly push for the advancement of female artists. If you’re holding everyone to the same standard and being genuinely being sensitive to historical gender/race issues, then these accusations of purported sexism do not and will not hold any merit.
Ultimately you’re one of the few journalists in this day and age that is willing to levy consistent, detailed and reasoned criticism on popular artists, and for this it is inevitable that folks will push back. Unless you want to switch over to puff piece, sycophantism…..keep on doing your thing.
February 21, 2018 @ 6:21 pm
There were a few things I could have done better with the Leon Bridges story. I mixed hard opinion with sarcasm (the Nicki Minaj comment) and it undercut the point I was trying to convey, though the underlying point is one I’m still glad I made. I also fessed up to it. Without an editor, I make mistakes all the time. However I just cannot see how what I said could be construed as “sexist” not just by my own logic, but by the logic of the accusers. Otherwise, I would be more than willing to fess up to a mistake or a lapse in judgement.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:29 pm
I guarantee Maren Morris is reading these comments and I hope she is. Maren is trash with money. Really classless of her to PUBLICLY open her mouth about a critic that spoke the god’s honest truth about her. Kyle/Trigger is NOT sexist, he is a CRITIC and uses constructive criticism on anyone he believes is destructing mainstream country music. Maren is supposed to be a COUNTRY ARTIST, why the F did she release a poppy album and collaborate with pop artists…THAT AIN’T COUNTRY. Saying shes arrogant and has a big ego is an insult, NOT SEXISM. Liberals are destroying this country with their snowflake personalities, pulling race cards and the woman card. Accept the criticism Maren, and stop pissing away your sexy voice and pretty face away on garbage pop music and release something country again like My Church.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:34 pm
I honestly don’t see how you’re sexist towards women since you’re always advocating for them to receive more respect in the mainstream world. If anything, it’s the media and mainstream radio fat cats who are sexist in refusing to award success to any female artists. The only female in the top 25 on the country airplay chart for this week is Kelsea Ballerini at #1 with her Taylor Swift-esque “Legends.” There are only 5 acts in the top 40 with female lead singers (not counting decidedly pop artist Bebe Rexha.) But the media feels the need to accuse you of sexism? Something’s not right here.
On a side note, Danielle Bradbery just released a single called “Worth It” (honestly, not a bad song in my eyes) to radio and I really hope it gets picked up and put into the rotation because it is something country needs right now: a song that may be nonchalantly standing up to sexism. I honestly feel like it would help the cause more than hurt it. That’s just my two cents.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:43 am
Well Gerald part of the problem is country music for a long time chose to just promote 2 female country artists (Carrie and Miranda) when they should have been promoting others all along. Also the money is with female country artists that stream well and can crossover to other genres. Just the way it is now. That would be Maren and Kelsea and Danielle and Carly has potential. Danielle is very good.
February 21, 2018 @ 5:35 pm
Racist? Check. Sexist? Check.
Hell Trigger, you must be doing something right if they’re pulling out those weak old standbys. Keep it up hoss!
February 21, 2018 @ 6:43 pm
Even more than writing about the state of country music, Trigger loves writing about himself. I’m waiting for the day someone starts a new site called Saving Saving Country Music.
February 22, 2018 @ 6:07 am
There is a lot of meat on this bone. From the moment someone courageously raises his/her voice on social media the clock starts ticking, counting down until someone takes offense to what is said and tries to start a flame war. When the tinder is abundant, as it is for every ‘latest thing’, then the flame spreads quickly. And that little trickle of blog water stands no chance against a roaring groupthink inferno. Thankfully Trigger packs a bigger hose than most.
So I continue to be glad Trigger takes the time to stand up for himself. it does take time away from his true purpose, though. The extra publicity?–not always good when it results in being a branded man.
So count me as Member No. 2 of the Saving Saving Country Music Club. Just don’t count on any help from me on Twitter or Snapchat or Instagram–I don’t do that shit.
#SSCM
February 21, 2018 @ 6:55 pm
“Notes from the basement” I see what you did there
February 21, 2018 @ 7:26 pm
imagine if these women knew Triggerman played drums for The Boomswagglers. their fucking heads would explode. lol
February 21, 2018 @ 7:47 pm
Ok, so the ONE website on my feed that continually exposes the bias against women on country radio and fights to advance up and coming female artists is sexist? Unreal. I actually know a few feminist who come here because you go out of your way to advance issues facing women.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:06 pm
You can’t win this, Trigger. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. “Feminists” say they want to be treated equally until they are, and then they cry about it. Whine whine whine. Yawn.
Thank God the real feminists of the early 20th century weren’t this wesk and whiny or we would never have gotten the vote!
Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t feed the manufactured drama. Her people are using this as just another marketing opportunity to show us gullible women how awesome Maren is, standing up to The Man (in this case, the cliched “man in the basement with his keyboard.” (Which, actually, is kind of a sexiest stereotype…)
It’s her #MeToo moment and she’s going to milk it for all it’s worth. You were just a convenient target.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:55 pm
Amen, sister. Everything you just said.
February 21, 2018 @ 8:51 pm
You know who’s “not all that?” Tamara Saviano. She rides the coattails of talented people and acts like she has contributed something. I’ve watched her at events. She seems hateful and pissed at the world because she probably hasn’t gotten the attention she thinks she deserves from men. A phony in the music biz.
February 22, 2018 @ 12:50 am
That’s kinda rough. She’s did a lot for Guy Clark while he was alive, and still takes care of Kris Kristofferson. She’s contributed a lot to the advancement of women in the music biz. I think you may be mistaking her “hateful, pissed off” look for nervousness. When I’ve seen her she’s been very sweet. Everyone has a cause, and usually a reason for it. I just disagree with her assessment of Trigger.
February 21, 2018 @ 9:04 pm
Maren Morris has a hit or two and she is now the spokesperson for all that is wrong with country and the lack of women in it. She needs to get a few years under her belt before being the latest social pied-piper of all that is wrong with whatever bandwagon she jumps on. Rookies on football teams do not question every play. Get some time young woman before you try to walk in Loretta’s shoes.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:14 pm
It’s so sad to watch Trigger begging to be let back into the social justice fold.
February 21, 2018 @ 10:54 pm
Everything you just said. Amen, sister.
February 22, 2018 @ 1:48 am
Trigger
December 28, 2017 @ 2:36 pm
I don’t review artists, I review albums
false
February 22, 2018 @ 3:17 am
I find this hilarious because I come to you specifically because you champion so many woman I would not hear of otherwise. You certainly do more promotion for female country artists that any mainstream journal or outlet I have come across. I am then in trun play these woman I my show!
To paraphrase Kat Williams, “You don’t need to be racist, or sexist you don’t have to do that and use those words. You can just call somebody out because they ain’t shit!”
And sometimes you do that. But to say you are sexist… LOL! If anything you have a bias against male artists more than female artists. But this is the hot bed of take one little phrase and blow it just to take somebody down because it make you feel like you have power.
Meh- Fuck ’em. I’m still coming here to discover the great female talent radio refuses to play.
Maybe Beverly should take her sexism complaints to where it is really happening on radio. Rail against the programmers. But, nah that is not as satisfying because it is more work with probably less of a satisfying out come.
February 22, 2018 @ 7:37 am
This site is part of the problem of ‘victimhood’ culture that the modern internet age has fostered. This time it came back to bit the blogger on the derriere. He’s usually the one judging and accusing others with claims of sexism and racism. In the words of Willie Nelson, “The world’s gone to hell and I’m sure gonna miss it a lot.”
February 22, 2018 @ 8:08 am
“He’s usually the one judging and accusing others with claims of sexism and racism.”
LOL not even close, Clam Boy.
February 22, 2018 @ 8:24 am
I originally had a lot to say, but after reading 140+ comments I’ve forgotten what I was going to say…LOL
However, being the bearer of bad news- women are women,men are men, there is a difference- one is from Mars one is from Venus- one has “fun bags” (for a *reason*) get over it. We weren’t meant to be equal except in opportunity- entitlement means ‘earned’, rights are inherent- Endowed- no one is entitled to criticize another, nor do they have the right to. Professionally. or. personally. – attack the message, not the messenger- pro or con. Critiquing is not criticizing or vice versa. One is a personal attack, one is analytical on an action/event.
I don’t even really know what Maren Morris is except from this web site, but, from what I’ve seen/heard here that’s the only listen she’ll get from me, why? Because I don’t like her attitude, her music or, (gasp), her looks- hey Maren fanatics (and Trigger) “bad publicity is better than no publicity”.
February 22, 2018 @ 8:36 am
Maren Morris sucks, she has an hip-hop attitude and a #1 song on country radio paid by her label.
Then someone justly criticizes her music and behaviour and she starts to cry. God, I really hope she’ll flop hard and we’ll never hear from her again. We need real country singers such as Kacey and Ashely Monroe, not this mess.
As for SCM being sexist I can’t help but laugh, that stupid journalist just said it to get some likes and attention.
February 22, 2018 @ 10:18 am
I bet she’s a fake nerd / gamer too!
February 22, 2018 @ 10:23 am
Huh? Why would someone pretend to be a nerd?
February 22, 2018 @ 8:43 am
On the one hand, this issue bothers me because people are using it as an invitation to A) share unnecessary (and unfair) gripes about the whole of Saving Country Music and B) make the patently false assertion that this blog hasn’t been a HUGE net positive for women in country music.
On the other hand, this specific criticism is a valid one, to an extent. I hate the way the other “critics” broached it. I hate that it became an “accusation” rather than a “discussion” – particularly because A LOT of people agreed with the “Maren Morris is troublingly arrogant” point. It seems unfair to act like Trigger has some unique anti-woman stance when the issue clearly goes beyond him.
That said, I also hate Trigger’s response, to an extent. I definitely think he went the “I have black friends” route, trying to show that he isn’t a categorical misogynist rather than accepting the notion that perhaps this one thing he said WAS problematic (or at least sincerely contemplating why others think it was).
But the point is that, yes, there does seem to be a different standard between how MALE and FEMALE confidence is portrayed. It’s in the same conceptual universe as the whole “player” vs. “sl0t” discussion. We, as a society, seem to give men more autonomy and empowerment when it comes to their portrayal.
For as much as so many here seem to agree that Maren Morris “thinks she’s all that,” I haven’t really seen many concrete examples. It’s mostly about a “vibe,” and I wonder how much of that vibe is a product of our conception about how women are supposed to behave.
The few examples I have seen largely involve comments that are in no way exclusive to her (or women). Plenty of guys invite keyboard warriors to confront them face-to-face. I’m pretty sure I remember Jason Isbell going on Colbert and suggesting trolls would be physically intimidated by him in person, which is considerably more aggressive (and also requires far more arrogance) than anything Maren said.
That same Isbell, beloved on SCM, also delivered that famous reaction to being offered a spot on “The Voice” (which, justified or not, was certainly not short on confidence).
I do think there’s a different standard (for men AND women) when it comes to projection of confidence in country vs. hip-hop or pop. But A) the audience to you’re writing doesn’t appreciate the divide the same way SCM does and B) there’s still a double standard between genders in other genres.
We can talk about how Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” is pretty much an assertion of confidence. But her off-stage personality – the one everybody loves – is really silly and self-deprecating. If she went around acting like the Bodak Yellow persona – something her male counterparts do all the time – I have a feeling society wouldn’t consider her as charming.
— Of course, there’s another caveat to this whole thing: SCM’s love for artists like Kacey Musgraves. I would say Kacey – for better or worse – presents herself with the same degree of self-assurance as Maren.
She might even go farther with it; I don’t recall Maren ever doing anything like that whole Bobby Bones interview incident.
Again, the very fact that I’m even thinking this way is a statement on society. There’s something “noteworthy” about a self-assured woman.
— Anyway, my overall takeaway:
– To suggest this blog is anti-woman is indeed absurd.
– But Trigger (and any of us who agree) probably should more sincerely question why Maren’s attitude – as opposed to just her music – rubs people the wrong way. Is it HER or US?
February 22, 2018 @ 8:45 am
The Jason Isbell interview I’m referencing may have actually been from The Daily Show rather than Colbert.
February 22, 2018 @ 10:25 am
I don’t know who Cardi B is, but I like this comment a lot.
February 22, 2018 @ 2:05 pm
“I wonder how much of that vibe is a product of our conception about how women are supposed to behave”
Probably not much. Probably has more to do with a) resting bitch face, and b) an air of entitlement. Could it be that those things make her unattractive in the broadest sense? Naw, couldn’t be. I must be a member of some secret misogynist cult.
February 22, 2018 @ 9:46 am
TL;DR
February 22, 2018 @ 3:05 pm
if it’s crap, it’s crap doesnt matter if it has a penis or vagina. bad bad fergie impression, with the fake vibrato
February 22, 2018 @ 3:34 pm
Trig, man this madness needs to be put to a stop. You’re a good journalist,who makes intelligent commentary about our culture few people say, we don’t want you to dissapear because of someone who thinks that being an activist is an excuse to be a bully.
February 22, 2018 @ 10:57 pm
Wait. Why the fuck is there Maren Morris coverage?
February 25, 2018 @ 9:09 am
Damn, I just spent my morning reading all these comments. I should have been practicing bar cords. Wasted days and wasted nights.
May 25, 2018 @ 8:07 pm
A+
March 29, 2019 @ 10:42 am
This is one of the stupidest, fucking things I’ve ever read in my life. Both you and your website make me ashamed to like country.
March 29, 2019 @ 11:17 am
Way to bring it.
March 29, 2019 @ 11:24 am
This person is literally comment hopping to different articles they know will piss them off. It’s an interesting case study into confirmation bias.