David Giesbrecht/NBCMiranda Lambert, Jennifer Nettles and Martina McBride seem more than ready to match wits with the Texas-based radio consultant who recently compared female country artists to tomatoes.
In an article for trade publication Country Aircheck, Keith Hill extolled the virtues of playing fewer women on the radio, going so far as to say “If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out.”
“Trust me, I play great female records and we’ve got some right now; they’re just not the lettuce in our salad,” he went on to say. “The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”
Hill’s salad analogy provoked a firestorm of comments on social media.
Jennifer Nettles’ Twitter comments threatened to match Hill in the controversy department.
“Don’t worry babe. I see an opportunity here. [A] big ole vagina shaped opportunity. #yesisaidvagina #trynottofaint,” she tweeted.
Martina McBride asked her Facebook followers if they agree with an assertion Hills made in the article that female listeners would prefer to listen to male artists.
“Wow…..just wow,” she commented. “Do you not like to hear other women singing about what you are going through as women? I’m really curious. Because to me, country music is about relating. Someone relating to what you are really going through on a day to day basis in your life. Did you girls (core female listeners) know you were being ‘assessed’ in this way? Is this how you really feel? Hmmm….”
Perhaps Miranda Lambert came closest to having the final word on the subject, in a series of tweets. “This is the biggest bunch of B*LLSH*T I have ever heard,” adding “I am gonna do everything in my power to support and promote female singer/songwriters in country music. Always.”
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