CMT decided to pullthe music video for Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” a video that featured newsreel footage of violent riots while Aldean sings about people in small towns standing up to violent crime, particularly robberies and riots, in a way that people in big cities won’t. Since then, it has started to become the next Bud Light.
The bad turn for CMT was predicted quickly after it made the cancellation decision. Shortly after CMT’s decision, entrepreneur and business consultant Ted Jenkin told Fox News Digital that people are getting fed up with wokeness being shoved down their throats and so are more willing to boycott companies that do so, an inclination that could mean CMT will find itself in the culture war crosshairs that Bud Light found itself in.
Speaking about that, Jenkin said, “What we’re seeing as a trend in America is that people are exercising their free speech on businesses one way or the other. When businesses decide to take these actions, they also need to be responsible for the consequences.
” He added, “We saw it with Bud Light and other brands, and this could happen to CMT.
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Noting that businesses face a decision about entering the political area, he said, “I don’t know whether businesses should be involved in politics, and that’s the real decision they have to make. Do we want to take a political stand or not? Or are we in the business of selling a product or delivering a service?” And entering the arena is a bad decision, he said, because “people are just saying, ‘Enough is enough. Don’t force an agenda down my throat, especially when it comes to the products I buy or the TV that I watch.‘”
But CMT made the decision to enter the political arena…on the opposite side of many of those that listen to country. So now it is facing backlash, with a Nashville restaurant showing where the brand could end up if it doesn’t apologize and reverse course soon.
That restaurant is Nashville’s E3 Chophouse, which announced that it will not air CMT at any of its locations until Aldean’s video is returned to the airwaves. Posting about the decision on Twitter, the restaurant, which is in part owned by Aldean, said, “We stand with Jason! E3 supports the small town because that is who we are! We will not air CMT at any of our restaurants until a formal apology is made and Jason’s music video is reinstated. #ourpartner #owner #jasonaldean #trythatinasmalltown #countrymusic”
Commenting on the restaurant’s post, conservatives expressed their support for its decision and leftists expressed their outrage. A conservative, for example, said, “Good move , this cancel culture has to stop. The people that are upset about his song are the same people ok with Cardi- B lyrics.” A leftist, on the other hand, said, “E3 had been on my list of restaurants to try. As a result of this post, I will now avoid this restaurant like the plague and encourage my law firm colleagues to do likewise
