A Small Town
 

I watched this video yesterday, "Try That In A Small Town". It was moving but I didn't see anything wrong with this, other than the memory of 2020 riots. I was born and raised in rural town and that is so true that we always would help others.

It's mild compared to a Rap song.....Rap songs are violent, degrading, and radical. But nobody says anything about them, I wonder why that is ?

I agree.

I have read some of the articles explaining the controversy and I have watched the video. While I acknowledge that the the historical perspective may be accurate, I don't believe the casual viewer would recognize it or follow it to the conclusions drawn by the detractors. Most viewers will find the video moving, particularly those who grew up in small towns.

If anything, I'm a little uncomfortable with the challenge offered by the song itself. The small town that I grew up in would rather not have anyone trying that, they don't need that kind of challenge on the table. I also believe current society is confrontational enough and we don't need to encourage any more "tough guy" attitude. But that's the song and not the video and it's just something that makes me uncomfortable.

Not my preferred style of music but a nice song and a good video to accompany it.

The hypocrisy of the singer is astounding and profound. A little background:

He performed in 2017 in Vegas. A series of shots were fired into the crowd from a single shooter at Mandalay Bay, killing 58 people and injuring over 200. That was the BIG "Vegas mass shooting" and yes he was the one performing on stage when it happened.

Did he, or anyone in his crew, take up their arms and shoot the killer? Nope. Not a one. What did Jason Aldean do then, you might ask? Glad you asked. He ran from his spot, ducked behind stage equipment, and ran off stage from there.

He wrote his current song knowing full well that it would divide people even further and knowing full well that he wouldn't do any such thing as take up arms against an enemy. He would run from the enemy. He already showed that's what he would do.

And frankly - he was right to run. Standing still and trying to shoot back would've been stupid, and potentially even more lethal than running.

But he would have everyone ELSE shoot back. That's what the problem is. It's false bravado intended to rile up someone's base.

None of what you wrote is true... Nothing but a false narrative...

Shoot back? Did he (or his crew) have rifles (or any type of gun) onstage? Of course not? I'm sure the Mandalay Bay Hotel had a strict "no firearms policy" at the concert... Exactly WHO would he have "shooting back"?

He ran? Nope. His security team did their job and came on stage and grabbed him, dragging him to safety...

He wrote his current song KNOWING FULL WELL it would divide? Were you in on the creative process? You know this how?

“Try That in a Small Town” was written by songwriters Kelley Lovelace, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy and Neil Thrasher. The video features Aldean performing in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn.
Henry Choate, 18, was accused of assaulting a white 16-year-old girl. He was jailed, but a mob of hundreds of white people kidnapped him from his cell. He was tied to the back of a car and dragged across town, and eventually hanged in front of the Maury County County Court House.
Choate was one of at least 20 Black men in Maury County to be lynched or kidnapped and presumably killed by the KKK or white mobs, according to local historian Elizabeth Queener.
Let's rewrite history?

Las Vegas is not a small town. His song speaks to small towns.

Wow! You have an entirely different take on this song and video
than I do.

Your statement claiming Mr. Aldean is a hypocrite is absurd.
Your third paragraph suggests he, his band members and staff are wimps for not carrying concealed weapons and firing back at the unseen assailant yet your fifth paragraph praises him for sheltering in place which is what law enforcement suggests. This is your basis for labeling Mr. Aldean a hypocrite? Your entire claim of hypocrisy is based on nothing more than assumption and supposition.

I lived on a bayou in Louisiana. Neighbors looked out for each other. In my opinion, Mr. Aldean has a hit on his hands.

Just what history is anyone attempting to rewrite?

As I wrote earlier:

Thanks for the history lesson...

What does that have to do with the song, the courthouse (which has been used in multiple videos, movies and TV shows) or the music video?

It's the #1 song on iTunes...

Again, listen to a Rap song, and lets compare notes.....

He could have used the Capitol in DC as a back drop...

I am a bit amazed at how some will really streeeetttccchhhhhh to find something to be outraged about.

Nice song. Don't play stupid games in a small town. Unlike big cities like Seattle and Portland, we don't put up with that nonsense.

Probably not. At a minimum there are rules and regulations but it is likely that there are also hefty fees.

There is a certain type of person who wakes up each morning thinking, what can I find to offend me today. If nothing is obvious, they will do backflips and contort reality to find something they can be outraged by. Must be a sad existence.

"HOW DARE YOU go to a gym and work out, when in MY MIND that is racist!" Not making that up. They actually say that now. As I said, they MUST be outraged.

DC's not a "Small Town"...

:agree::agree:Good post with factual info!

So memories
 

And these memories would be of muggers, thieves, looters, burning buildings.? And now a major city is going to reward these people who were arrested with $10000 each! Hold on to your real memories of what America was, it will never be the same.

Really
 

That happened in 1927 almost 100 years ago. With the way history is being erased, no one remembers anything. How about all the people who were killed in the Christian wars in the name of religion

The furor surrounding Jason Aldean's music video is just the latest example of selective outrage practiced by the Cancel Clowns. Where are the Clowns when rappers and hip hoppers "sing" about murdering police officers and degrading women? Talk about hypocrites. I give Aldean a lot of credit for having the stones to put his video out there, given the climate in the entertainment industry.

You mean that same concert where we never really heard who was the shooter or why? Just waxed over as an upset gambler, yea right. And you wonder why people don’t trust the alphabet agencies any longer. The king is naked and I’m not buying the new clothes look great. They couldn’t even figure out who brought cocaine into the Whitehouse. And yet crickets from the mainstream media on Amy issues that don’t support their agenda

Speaking of courthouses, whose side are you on?

Rioters barricaded DHS officers in Portland courthouse and tried to set it on fire

Stephen Paddock

The musician who wrote and sang the song comes from a town that had/has a history of racism and violence toward minorities. You may have come from/ grew up in a nice small rural town with no history of racism and or violence toward minorities but that is not the case in many small southern towns.

Funny how it is ok to sing about killing police, open sex and even using the N word. We are upside down.

Why is that? What does a Chicago gain by no cash bail, at all. Or portland with legalizing all drugs? Why do this?

I thought the writer(s) and the singer were different.

Mostly peaceful.

Four people are credited with writing the song and none of them are the singer, Jason Aldean.

One could argue that the small town the song refers to (if it refers to any one small town) would likely be the home of those who wrote it, not the artist who sings it. But even given that, what part of the "history of racism and violence toward(sic) minorities" that you mention happened in the last 40 years when Aldean would have been around to notice it?

I agree with everything you said, I always do, but slight correction.... he didn't write the song. Four people actually wrote that dreck, and he wasn't one of them. Kelley Lovelace, Kurt Allison, Neil Thrasher and Tully Kennedy wrote it.

Two questions worthy of their own threads.

You’re entitled to your opinion but you’re off base on this one IMHO. It’s a bridge way too far to make “something” out of this song that’s just not there. It’s just a typical country song like thousands of others. Not all country songs make any money but it appears this one will!

Aumahd Arbery tried jogging in a small town and he was chased and murdered.

Just for the record, Aldean is not the writer of the song. He did not pick the location of the filming, the production team did. I do not know if it was an intentional choice or not, likely it was. What I do know is that he was on stage when the mass shooting in Las Vegas took place. Yes he ran. Who wouldn’t have? The slightest suggestion that he and his band would have taken up arms and shot back is ludicrous.

Incidentally, there was no controversy over the song until the video was snubbed by CMT and in doing so his song became controversial not to mention increasing the purchase of his recording. As they say, no publicity is bad publicity. Aren’t we all tired of gun violence and isn’t it always on our minds when out in crowds or even in church. His song is saying he is fed up with it and it’s time to stop. I propose that he makes another video of this song at a different location.
It was unfortunate choice of locale to begin with. What happened there many years ago is unforgivable and hence the controversy.

Surprised you agree with "Did he, or anyone in his crew, take up their arms and shoot the killer? Nope. Not a one. What did Jason Aldean do then, you might ask? Glad you asked. He ran from his spot, ducked behind stage equipment, and ran off stage from there."

You understand he was on stage and the shooter was floors up in a hotel.

People who earn a living with words know the power of words and they know their target audience.

That’s a fact and it applies across the board. He knew what he was doing. And so do rappers.

Words matter.

Boomer

Because, of course, he had a rifle on stage to shoot back with. What nonsense.

It's only bad if people of color sing or rap them. If a good ole white country boy sings it, it's patriotic.

The words are fine................it's all the media, assumption, fake news that has created the issue and people jump on.

The Words as C&P:

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 **** 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