Clay Jones for July 24, 2023

No doubt he’ll always have an audience, losers the lot of them.

“Try that in a small town”?

Ahmaud Arbery tried “jogging while Black” in a small town.

Matthew Shepherd tried being an openly LGBTQ+ person in a small town.

“Small town”?

Jason Aldean does not now, nor has he ever, lived in a small town.

Many of the country-western stars, notably Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks, who actually did rise from humble rural beginnings, are much better moral role models, and none of them felt the need to shoot the footage of their performances in front of infamous lynching sites, such as Aldean did in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, an infamous lynching site.

I found Waldo! AND Pizza Rat. But who’s that in the 10 gallon hat?

I’m nothing at all like a country fan, having grown up where and when there were two radio stations, one of which played Country and Western full time and the other of which played Country followed by Western. The music at our house was classical, which I did and do like… Episcopal hymnal music (my mother played piano) which I did tolerate and do barely tolerate and my mother’s idea of “good popular”: Harry Belefonte, Yma Sumac, The Kingston Trio… All of which (well, except the hymnal) had music that was both good and interesting AND different from the next tune up on the long-play turntable.

All that said, when I DO hear C&W, perhaps from the 4th of July fireworks show or when someone’s being added to a hall of fame, it mostly seems to be… not too bad. Backward, some, and for some that WILL hearken to racism and sexism, but mostly pretty okay.

Tony Bennett was a genuine, kind, and loving human being. From the heart, all the way.

Kilroy is in the front row.

I forget. Is John Deere supposed to be MAGA or ANTIFA these day.

I grew up in a small town which seemed very friendly but I later found that they weren’t nearly as friendly to “outsiders”. They sort of live in a “bubble” and you are either “family” or an “outsider”. I came to this realization after moving away.

The pizza rat is there listening to country music? How could he/she/it do that?

I can see how this song/video chafes at the gossamery sensitivities of leftists. The video focuses on the rampant violence the has besieged large blue cities each and every day due to their lax leftist policies, but they wish to ignore that uncomfortable truth. So instead they focus on a building in Columbia TN and what happed there 96 years ago.

On top of that, they see this as an opportunity to trash all small towns as racist. Smart move!

Psssst…….leftists……Columbia TN mayor Chaz Molder is a Democrat!

macon ain’t no small town and try that in a small town is just one more in a long line of american hate ballads that basically say, “we don’t like your kind”…

So where’s Hank Williams Junior?

Small towns, where nepotism is the ‘norm’ and railroad is ‘just another Tuesday. Just like it is depicted in "The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia(both versions).’

Singing what people want to hear does not make it true. Mega-corporations have already destroyed the things — music, food, crafts — that made small-town radio stations, restaurants, and other businesses unique. City dwellers seeking the peace and quiet of small towns have destroyed the rest. https://soapboxie.com/misc/Is-Small-Town-America-Completely-Disappearing

Racism, sexism, intolerance of gays, etc. is hardly limited to small towns. As for the animosity in the song towards big urban areas, it’s hardly new, it’s been a prevalent theme in CW since its inception. We also see it today in the efforts of southern state legislatures to control their big cities’ voting (if too “liberal”), law enforcement practices, tolerance towards minorities/gays/persons of color, etc.

A song about a small town, well, John Cougar Mellencamp had a nice one. Give ’er a listen and see the difference.

https://youtu.be/3bo9U8G4BCU?t=61

Just no comparison. None at all.

Nailed the tongue, teeth and hat.

Jason’s next video venue. Tulsa?

I grew up in a small town in the upper south. There was a lot to like about it, and a lot not to like. In my adult years I have mostly lived in big cities. There’s a lot to like about a big city and a lot not to like. Small town: I liked having a big plot of land to live on. We had about four acres, and we were in the center of town. I liked being close to the food we ate. I liked being able to take long walks (with my dog) through the country. I liked knowing every one in town. I didn’t like the narrow-mindedness. I had to be careful not to say that we were socialists and atheists. I didn’t like the racism, which was pretty blatant in our town and in the schools. Big city: I like the freedom to believe and say what I believe. I like the access to cultural resources—libraries, museums, concerts, and so on. I don’t like living within a few feet of the houses on either side of us. I like the mix of lots of different people from different cultural backgrounds. I don’t like the lack of plants and animals around us. I don’t like the racism, which is different from the racism in a small town, but still evident. And by the way, I really like (a lot of) classical music and I also really like (a lot of) country music.

The South has produced two of the most vital developments in American music, black and white—blues/jazz and country music. Also great writers, both black and white. The South has a lot of problems, but it also has contributed a lot.

I just went back and flagged all the trolls. I’m going to do that from now on.

Oh honest to god-beer, country music, a cartoon mouse, among others!! Get a grip people! Y’all are up in arms over NOTHING!!! There are so many more issues that need attention.

There is more violent crime per capita in red states than in New York City.

Woody Guthrie,where are you?

Columbia, TN is a city of over 41,000. That makes it larger than Atlantic City, Fort Lee, Princeton… and that’s just NJ. It’s only claim to fame is multiple lynchings and a history of racially motivated violence.

If you’re looking to represent “small-town America,” this is not the place. However, if you’re looking to send coded messages to bigots and conservatives, it’s spot on.

I was born and raised in a small rural town. Jason Aldean and his attitude would not have been at all welcome there. His upfront and loud brand of racism would have been very offensive to the quietly casual and tasteful racism of my town. He would have been labelled “trailer trash” with a disdainful sniff. We may have been hicks, and just as racist, but we had standards.

Urban crime rates are higher than rural crime rates, and this has been true for several centuries. It’s those darn Dems, of course.

I don’t agree with his political views whatsoever. I mean, I LIVE in a small town and people are all kinds of respectful to you here, showing he’s all smack talk. That being said, suffering from heatstroke is not funny. It’s not justice, it’s not even karma (karma for him, to me, is his songs don’t sell well and he fades into obscurity). The heat this year is a literal killer and it’s not letting up. Personally, I’m glad he’s on the mend.

I checked out the JA video. Suffice it to say, I prefer John Mellencamp’s “Small Town”, and not just because my wife went to high school with him.

CMT gave Aldean a gift of publicity. Those of us who live in small towns should thank him, because if it keeps even one rich WOKESTER from invading my town it’s a win. Stay in the cities you created with your policies, don’t come here unless you leave those bad ideas behind.

Jason Aldean NEVER lived in a small town. His thinly veiled threats are disgusting. Ammo (above) doesn’t realize this is nonsense propaganda that makes small towns look like they are all havens for racism. which is NOT true.

It would appear everyone on the left seems to think small towns are a southern thing. The woke riots and mayhem does not do well in any small town. Southern or northern.

It would appear that arist / squiggles ignores the very important PER CAPITA with crime / violence / murder rates.

Good job vilifying all small towns across America Jones. Real hero for this toon today. Really showed us.

Clay, you did it again; generated lots of discussion with your excellent artwork — thank you!

that our rightwing brethren don’t understand that today’s strip is about the song and not about small towns (see IndyW’s comment above, for example) is an indication of what an uphill climb we have ahead of us…

Rate-a-record: It ain’t got no beat and you can’t dance to it.

Jason’s new song is in praise of RFKjr. What cartoon will draw to please your Police State masters?

There was not one racist line or imagery in the song.

Where is Clay’sTuesday cartoon? Hope he’s ok.