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CMT pulls Jason Aldean video: What to know about 'Try That In A Small Town' controversy

Coyote Starrk

Coyote Starrk

The Fallen
Oct 30, 2017
54,437
Country Music Television is no longer airing Jason Aldean's music video "Try That In A Small Town," which sparked criticism after its release Friday.

The TV network pulled the video from rotation, a CMT spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY in an email Wednesday.

The network stopped showing the music video after Aldean, who survived a mass shooting while he performed in 2017, faced backlash for the song, which many perceived as being in favor of gun violence and lynching.

Not long after the video's release, online critics highlighted the song lyrics as emblematic of songs heightening gun violence and lynching sentiments upon many in his rural, small-town fan base.

"Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you're tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won't take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don't / Try that in a small town," Aldean sings.

Viewers also noted that scenes in the video were shot at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where a Black man named Henry Choate, 18, was lynched in 1927. The site is also where the infamous Columbia Race Riot occurred in 1946.
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www.usatoday.com

CMT pulls Jason Aldean video: What to know about 'Try That In A Small Town' controversy

Country Music Television is no longer airing Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town" after the video and the song's lyrics sparked criticism.
www.usatoday.com


LYRICS
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk
Carjack an old lady at a red light
Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store
Ya think it's cool, well, act a fool if ya like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, ya think you're tough
Well, try that in a small town
See how far ya make it down the road
Around here, we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't
Try that in a small town
Got a gun that my granddad gave me
They say one day they're gonna round up
Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck
Try that in a small town
See how far ya make it down the road
Around here, we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't
Try that in a small town
Full of good ol' boys, raised up right
If you're looking for a fight
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
See how far ya make it down the road
Around here, we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
Ooh-ooh
Try that in a small town
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Aldean's statement

View: https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1681382697875144717?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.

As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91-where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.

Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I've hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don't agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that's what this song is about.
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Not exactly hard to read between the lines here. Especially with the whole courthouse thing. He knew exactly what he was doing and saying in my opinion.
 
Foot

Foot

Member
Mar 10, 2019
11,562
Look, all I'm saying is we'd fucking murder you for any perceived transgression. It's not a big deal.
 

Deleted member 171

Oct 25, 2017
19,888
Literally 100% song about "mob justice" , and not even about folks committing actual crimes.

First amendment only applies to not being asked to be a fascist at a college speech.
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
55,295
"We used to take care of our neighbors in the good old days as long as our neighbors were white and believed the same thing we did"

All of these assholes and corporations have monetized white fragility to a staggering degree.
 
OP
OP
Coyote Starrk

Coyote Starrk

The Fallen
Oct 30, 2017
54,437
I also like how one of his arguments is "My obviously racist and violent song has been out since May guys."


As if that means it's been out long enough to no longer receive criticism.
 
arimanius

arimanius

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,370
Make a song about mob justice and then act like the victim when you get called out about it. Yup sounds about white.
 
bangai-o

bangai-o

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,527
Growing up in a small town, those lyrics are bullshit. No one there cares about each other. And they sure a shit don't care about cops. Lol.
 
steejee

steejee

Member
Oct 28, 2017
9,115
Full of good ol' boys, raised up right
If you're looking for a fight
...
See how far ya make it down the road
Around here, we take care of our own
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Yeah, sure, just a total misunderstanding, totally innocent lyrics.

Pardon me, I need to see the optometrist as my eyes have rolled up into my skull.
 
krazen

krazen

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,661
Gentrified Brooklyn
It's interesting the chud defense force focuses on the song which is cliche'd and non-offensive (as far as dogwhistle country goes, lol) on its own and not the video that got pulled; even the artist tried to dance around it saying it was a variety of 'real' footage and up for 'interpretation'.
 
CanadianGoose

CanadianGoose

Alt-Account
Banned
Mar 23, 2023
587
Small towns are where folks go to hide from the law tho. Good ol Terry across the street? He moved to the town so he could abuse his kids and keep em from their mother. Janis? oi, nice lady who just happens to like a white hood.

Like jfc, the romanticization of rural towns is far from the reality.
 
Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
94,885
I know when someone says "Don't let dark catch your black ass around here"
 
Bengraven

Bengraven

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Oct 26, 2017
28,474
Florida
He's literally saying what a lot of rural white people tell each other. I've heard all these said in person.

Also the same people who openly show their guns and say they'll murder someone for making their daughter cry online.
 
Spehornoob

Spehornoob

Member
Nov 15, 2017
9,381
F0HjN7GXoAASQPb
 
poptire

poptire

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
10,437
Add CMT to the boycott list that has to be longer than the US Constitution at this point
 
Volimar

Volimar

volunteer forum janitor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
40,378
Coyote Starrk said:
I also like how one of his arguments is "My obviously racist and violent song has been out since May guys."


As if that means it's been out long enough to no longer receive criticism.
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You missed your window. Not allowed anymore. Mods shut down the thread. Do you even have a permit for song criticism OP?!?!?!?
 
Walter White Walker

Walter White Walker

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,863
Disingenuous clown isn't even from a small town like he's pretending to be. He was born and raised in Macon, GA, which has a population over 150,000.
 
Tbm24

Tbm24

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,720
Those lyrics aren't even remotely subtle. Hot damn, good for CMT chucking it.
 
Lionel Mandrake

Lionel Mandrake

Prophetic Lionel Mandrake
Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,755
scare_crow said:
T-minus zero until he becomes some sort of country martyr of "cancel culture."
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Unfortunately, this is bound to happen. I barely heard about Morgan Wallen until he started dropping slurs and racists deified him. I always feel bad for the much more talented and much better person Morgan Wade, because I'll see her name and scroll on by, only to realize "Oh, wait... Wade is the good one."
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
55,295
This dude probably sleeps at night in a McMansion in Nashville talking about "small town" 🤣 Its a grift. Making money off convincing sad ass white people that they are the true minority in America.
 
Violence Jack

Violence Jack

Drive-in Mutant
Member
Oct 25, 2017
42,829
Walter White Walker said:
Disingenuous clown isn't even from a small town like he's pretending to be. He was born and raised in Macon, GA, which has a population over 150,000.
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Hold up, he's from Macon saying this bullshit?!

LMAO

This dude is just pulling a conservative, good-ole-boy, redneck grift.

I'm from an actual small town in GA where I couldn't walk to school some days because of the KKK holding rallies where they would throw rocks at my black ass.
 
Älg

Älg

Banned
May 13, 2018
3,178
look brother i am not in favour of mass shootings. in fact, some of my best friends are mass shooters.
 
Spehornoob

Spehornoob

Member
Nov 15, 2017
9,381
Real talk, speaking as someone who grew up in a small town (circa 1000 people) and even has fond memories of it (while understanding that a large part of that is due to my own privilege), this is all pandering bullshit to the absolute worst sides of that kind of community

Also Jason Aldean grew up in the Georgia and Miami suburbs.
 
RoaminRonin

RoaminRonin

Member
Nov 6, 2017
5,874
Yeah, small town values like a little girl playing hide and seek in your yard, and you come out blasting. Like when someone usese you driveway to make a U-turn, and you come out blasting, like when a black child come to your door because he was lost, you come out blasting. Fuck small towns.
 
teruterubozu

teruterubozu

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,272
I love how his fans on his social media are like "Thank you Jason for saying what we really think!"
Jason: "But it's not about that!"
Fans: Thank you!! You're our hero!
 
louiedog

louiedog

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,647
I grew up in a rural area. Several non-white families moved into the area and left after 1-3 years while I was there. I think the only person in my school who lasted longer than that was biracial and lived with his divorced white mom and I know he had a rough time.

So, I guess being a POC is something you don't want to try in a small town.

A neighbor was running a drug ring and using high school kids. It got busted, he got away with it, and the kids all took the fall and had their lives ruined.

Where are the good ol' boys to help? They were the perpetrators.

Most of that was when the place was still somewhat liberal. Democrats helped the farmers, the union factory workers, etc. People are fleeing, the jobs are gone, yet people go harder and harder red because of guns and abortions. Those topics aren't fixing the place, but boy do they make people mad.
 
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