Even Jason Aldean & Rascal Flatts Know CMA’s Are Rigged
Tonight is 2010’s installment of the CMA Awards, undoubtedly country music’s most important night, but one that is regularly marked by controversy. The kinky sex backroom deals that make mainstream country turn get exposed for all to see as awards are handed out as bribes and paybacks, with quality and talent being the least of criteria, if even a concern.
Last year it was Taylor Swift sweeping the night, getting all us purists in a huff. This year numerous artists are in a huff even before the first Auto-tuned performance begins in a shower of glitter, because of who the nominees are. But it’s not purists crying foul. The CMA’s are such a vulgar display of open-handed collusion by Music Row’s major labels and have been for years, even pop country acts are joining in the CMA nut kicking.
Jason Aldean took some time from rehashing bad rap songs to bitch about getting the razz from the rigged events show to the Associated Press:
The average fan doesn’t understand how all that stuff works and the industry probably doesn’t want them to. Fans watch a show and they get all up in arms because their favorite artist wasn’t nominated or didn’t win an award they were nominated for. Bottom line is it’s not based on anything, man. It’s based on who can rally the most troops for their guy, and sometimes this guy wins and sometimes that guy wins. It’s just kind of the way it all shakes down.
Aldean blames the fact that he’s not on a major Nashville label for being forgotten.
Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus (not the fat one or the superhair one) who sits on the CMA’s Board of Directors and is the Chairman of the Artist Relation Committee can’t even explain why the CMA’s pick who they do:
I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of it for years. I still don’t understand it. I sit in those rooms and say, ‘Can someone explain this to me?’ … There are certainly people who have been denied before and I think it’s something that needs to be addressed and fixed.
“Fixed” is the optimum word here, and about the only thing the CMA’s have done right in the past few years is continuously snub DeMarcus and his spikey blond brothers for CMA’s, but according to DeMarcus, he doesn’t care. “I’d rather be rich than have a trophy.” he says.
Huh.
Tonight is the reason I religiously slip that white paper bag out of the back of the airplane chair into the carry-on, so I am well-stocked for continuous stomach purging. I watch so you don’t have to. A good alternative tonight would be “Anti-CMA Night” on SCM Live with music starting at 7 PM Central. Also you can check out clever musings from Juli Thanki, and quips from myself in the comments on The 9513’s CMA Awards live blog.
November 10, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
The CMA touts a supposed 6000 members who vote for these “special” awards that distort the country music standard of talent. I feel for ya, Triggerman. Stay strong.
November 10, 2010 @ 2:57 pm
Hope you’re stocked up on Tums and Pepto-Bismo!
November 10, 2010 @ 4:56 pm
Looks like the Nashville Rash is gettin round… -D. Watson
November 10, 2010 @ 5:02 pm
CMAs again already huh? I love being out of the loop on things like that. So-called “country” fans around the nation have been talking all day about the CMAs tonight. What was I talking about all day at work today? It’s Outlaw Radio day!!!
November 10, 2010 @ 6:38 pm
Ronnie McCoury is playing with Paltrow’s band tonight..
November 10, 2010 @ 6:45 pm
You know you like it Kyle. Why else would you watch it.
November 10, 2010 @ 8:16 pm
Haha!
November 10, 2010 @ 9:01 pm
CMA = Country My Ass
November 10, 2010 @ 9:42 pm
Nice!
November 10, 2010 @ 9:14 pm
LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT!!!I JUST CAN’T WATCH IT ANYMORE!!!THANKS A LOT!!!
November 11, 2010 @ 9:00 am
Loved the show! It was a clear indication that this pop country/cookie cutter produced shit is in turn 4 of the final lap. This show was the first hit on the final nail in the coffin.
Even the acts that started the craze, i.e. Rascal Flatts, Chesney looked bored with the shit in their performance. Honestly, they almost looked embarassed.
All the shit is being pulled out for one final lap.
Still a long way to go…but Paisley actually sang a song paying tribute to the old gaurd. Miranda Lambert isn’t exactly from the mickey mouse club and she won a few big awards, and the steam is running out of many acts.
When you saw Sugarland, Lady Anteb. win and the song “Hillbilly Bone” win…you could just feel that room’s mood….”this is it? this is what we got? this ain’t country. We have country singers out there, but they ain’t here.”
November 11, 2010 @ 10:17 am
Boy I wish I could agree, but I think this is just a breather for the next onslaught.
I agree it is better for Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert to win, but everything happens on the CMA’s for a reason.
Taylor Swift just put out an album that is going to be the biggest one in a decade, and isn’t it interesting that the timing is perfect to set her up for another sweep of awards next year.
I have more to say about this, but am working on an article right now about it. So hold these thoughts. . .
November 12, 2010 @ 5:27 pm
I’m still waiting for your review of the new Taylor Swift album lol. All the music critics, well the pop critics that is lol, seem to love it. I’m looking for reviews from the country music sites. I find the recent Country Universe’s article “About Taylor Swift” funny but right on the mark.
November 12, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
Working on the review right now.
November 12, 2010 @ 10:07 pm
Looking forward to the review. On another topic, do you agree with the outcome of the CMAs this year? What about last year? Thanks!
November 12, 2010 @ 12:22 pm
I watched this stupid thing with a girl i know who happens to love this crap, it started awful with some douche pretending to play the stand up bass to a back track that was obviusly not a stand up bass and then it went downhill from there all the way up to the three biggest trainwrecks of the night, taylor swift singin as flat as the oklahoma landscape, gwyneth paltrow just making a sham of country music in general, and sugarlands god awful stuck on glue regga song, the only saving grace was gettting to see loretta honored. Oh and by the way kod rock in all his douchy glory murderin a bob seger song. Swear to god if i had a gun on me my friends tv would be in pieces
November 12, 2010 @ 7:48 pm
I went to a bluegrass jam at The 5 Spot in East Nashville & heard players like David Peterson & Paul Kramer pick and sing Jimmie Rodgers tunes (for free). Gee, did I miss anything?
September 5, 2011 @ 9:25 pm
All awards shows are the same…always have been. All major labels have their voting blocks and there’s a whole lot of tradsies going on. Kinda like radio, which is supposed to be driven by what the listeners demand. NOT. Radio, now controlled by a few majors labels, force feeds us crap 24/7 and we eat it up.
If your daddy has enough cash to buy you a career, he probably has enough cash to buy you an award, too.
Let’s hear it for the biz…and of course, pitch correction!
Jason Aldean Forgets CMA’s Are Rigged After Nominations « Saving Country Music
September 9, 2011 @ 10:01 am
[…] just before the 2010 CMA’s, he, along with prickly-haired Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts was panning the CMA’s and their nomination process, calling it rigged. Jason Aldean told The Associated Press: The average fan doesn”™t understand how all that stuff […]