Celebrity critics and defenders pile onto the uproar over Jason Aldean’s controversial song
Heather Hunter
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The new country song “Try That In A Small Town” is driving a heated debate among entertainers and political figures across the country.
Country star Jason Aldean‘s latest song and music video highlights mass violence, carjackings, rioting, arson, theft, physical assaults, and clashes with police happening in big cities, while also suggesting that a “small town” would not allow those activities.
Variety described the song as “close to being the most cynical song ever written about the implicit moral superiority of having a limited number of neighbors.”
Jason Aldean’s new song “Try That In A Small Town”
Singer Sheryl Crow, who grew up in a small town in Missouri, weighed in on the song.
“@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence,” she said in a tweet directed at Aldean while responding to a tweet by gun control advocate Shannon Watts.
https://twitter.com/SherylCrow/status/1681485292425867264
She added, “There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), who grew up in a rural town in South Dakota, responded in a social media video.
“I am shocked by the people in this country attempting to cancel this song and cancel Jason, and his beliefs,” Noem said.
https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1681656212499079172
The governor added that the Aldeans are being “persecuted” and shared her support for the song, inviting him to perform the song on the governor’s residence front lawn.
Star Trek actor LeVar Burton posted a tweet Wednesday morning wishing everyone a “good morning” except Jason Aldean.
https://twitter.com/levarburton/status/1681297751232102403
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy defended the song as being about the values that everyone shares in America
“Jason Aldean writes a song defending the values that ALL Americans used to share — faith, family, hard work, patriotism — only to be immediately sacrificed at the altar of censorship and cancellation,” the presidential hopeful said.
https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1681650837569904640
Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president, asked, “How on Earth is this video controversial?”
https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1681688634389561345
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Country Music Television recently pulled the video from its network. Aldean responded to CMT and other critics on social media.
“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,” the singer tweeted.