Dixie Chicks vs Hank Williams Jr

If at work one of these people called the owner or Boss a Nazi in a public forum.. Would they be fired? Should they be fired?

Just because Hank Williams thinks he is above being fired.. I guess he now realizes he isn't..

If you are being paid to represent a brand and you knowingly express something publicly that goes against their mission/vision/political viewpoints then you should no longer be their spokesperson.

He lost his job because he made a completely idiotic, insulting statement about the president of our country. Total lack of respect for our elected president will cause you to lose a company tie.

I can guarantee you my relatives who lost their lives to Hitler would not understand Hank connecting Obama to Hitler in any remote way. It's disgusting and insults everything my family went through.

ETA: MissouriMK, you missed his final comment. He first made the golf comparison and then when asked for clarification, said Obama would be Hitler.
Fox’s Gretchen Carlson addressed the comment, saying, “You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the president.” Williams replied, “Well that’s true. But I’m telling you like it is.”

When representing a company or organization, you were selected for a reason, you fit their "brand" or the message they want to convey. It's a job, with expectations and agreements. If you say something that muddies the message or is different than the brand, they have every right to discontinue using you as their representative. It's not left-leaning media to find offense in comparing Obama to Hitler. Pretty much any time you make a public statement using Nazi or Hitler as a focal point, you are going to upset people, both liberal and conservative. It's ridiculous and offensive, unless you are comparing another murderous dictator to Hitler. But a president from a democratic country? Hate-bating and off the mark.

So the company who hired you wants distance from you, doesn't want to be associated with your message. NOT stopping your free speech, you get to say it, that's the beauty of the country we're in. But people also get to be offended, and companies are allowed to back away from you.

UPDATE: this is the story:
Mr. Williams, a tea party supporter, appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Monday morning. When asked about his pick for president next year, he pointed to a golf game between Mr. Obama and House Speaker John Boehner this summer, saying it was "one of the biggest political mistakes ever."

"It'd be like Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu," he said, adding that he considered Obama and Vice President Joe Biden "the enemy."
---
In his story: Boehner is Netanyahu, and Obama is Hitler.
He didn't directly correlate them, but it's fairly silly to use those names in an analogy and expect people to think it's no big deal. You simply can't throw that name around and expect it not to create a serious reaction. You just can't, its insensitive.

Added - Oh please!!! After reading Cheryl's remarks, I googled to see what Hank did. He didn't lose his job because his remarks didn't fit with left-leaning media! He lost his job because it was an entirely inappropriate comment to say during Monday Night Football! President Obama hasn't killed 12 million people, Cheryl!!!! Good LORD! And your update isn't fooling anyone.

I don't remember what the Dixie Chicks said. I sure hope it wasn't comparing President Bush to Hitler. SOOOO inappropriate!

Original:
Oh man, T., I am SO with you on the Cowboys loss! I was IN Texas, right outside of Dallas, to witness this embarrassing defeat. I have to love the Cowboys now because my son goes to college in Texas. But I swear, it was like watching a slow motion train wreck! (Well, maybe not that slow!)

And my two main teams, the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers played each other - hard for me to pick between the two - I live near Chicago now, but hail from NC - which do I choose?

LOL! Oh, your question? Never mind!!

Dawn

I love how you can so easily see people's politics in their answers. Almost all the comments that are pro Williams-against chicks are clearly conservatives and vice versa. I agree with the people who are saying this is about money and representation. He said something volatile and insulting to our president, ESPN doesn't want to be associated with that. He wasn't intelligently expressing an opionion he was using inflammatory and divisive language to make his point. Different words used to make the same point, we wouldn't have even heard about it.
The Dixie Chicks lost a big part of their fan base simply because people who bought their records were mostly conservatives and supported GWB. Had they been in pop or rock it never would have happened. What they said was no better or worse than Hank, just the opposite political side.
I think all of this just underscores the sad divisions in our country. There is so much hatred and anger. We should be coming together at this time of great struggle but it seems we can't even stand to be in the same room together. People that refuse to talk intelligently, compromise and respect other ideas are part of the problem, not the solution.

His comment was very idiotic, and I wouldn't want him to represent my brand (if I had one.) Just as Gilbert Goddfrey lost his role as the Afflac voice for his ill-timed and insensitive jokes immediately after the Japanese quake & tsunami, so should the NFL look out for their own best interests. Free speech is a two way street. Yes, he has the right to speak his mind, but the NFL also has the right to show that they don't agree with his views by dropping him.

ETA: Dixie Chicks-they should have known their audience wouldn't take their comments too kindly. Because they are very talented, I can see a successful comeback, but not in the Country music genre. I'm a country music fan, and, although it doesn't change my opinion about the music they made before the comments, it DOES change my opinion on whether I'd drop $ for their album or concert tickets.

If your job is selling music or any product to the general public and you are making that kind of money ... yes, you should keep your mouth "politically" shut or face the consequences. Right or wrong with the comments, it's pure stupidity to say it publicly ... of course, they aren't famous for being smart!

If you use the "Hitler" comparison, you're the idiot. Why? Because, like Godwin's law states: "overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact."

And incidentally, Hank Jr. did use the "Hitler" analogy to describe Obama. He admitted it in the interview:

Gretchen asked Hank if he is interested in compromise and he stated "NO." Then she clearly asked him if was using the most "hated people in all the world to describe the, I think, the President?" He said clearly, "That is true and I am telling it like it is."

If someone behaves in an abhorrent manner, they should be canned. Hitler was one of the most evil people in all of history and these outspoken morons that make these idiotic, hateful statements should be canned.

Lot's of people lose their jobs because of stupidity. Celebs shouldn't be held to a "lower" standard than the rest of us.

Then he tries to change the context of his answer, later?

In my humble opinion Hank's mouth just got away from him the statement was strong but made for the point- he may recover- but he is Hank Williams and he did issue a statement with some pretty valid points for explanation. BUT ESPN had to do something and I am sure he along with everyone else understands that.
The Dixie Chicks however will never recover, especially in country music, on foreign soil saying how embarrassed you are of your president. To be honest I wasn't a fan of that president but for what they did they got what they deserved.

I suppose if your cow-orkers were in charge of a multi-million dollar corporation with an image to protect, they might change their minds and would agree with the firing of Hank Jr.

If you're paid to represent a company and you make remarks that draw attention in a negative way to your company, then you deserve to be fired. Period.the.end. I don't care who you are.

Hank will survive - I am not worried about him.

I usually stay out of this type of post, but it just makes me mad!

Hank Williams Jr. did NOT, NOT, NOT compare Obama as a person to Hitler as a person. He compared the act of two people HATING each other doing things that people who usually like each other do (such as playing golf together) to play nice. At least, that was the clip I got off of the news (not Fox) this morning.

Not the same thing.

And also not the same thing as publicly admitting being ashamed of the president (or being embarrased about being from the same state as a president).

It's all about context, and I don't think it was there in the way so many people seem to be all up in arms about.

I want to make a couple of corrections. The reason why most people, myself included, got upset with the Dixie Chicks is that they made the derogatory comments overseas. You just don't do that. I was watching Fox and Friends when Hank Jr. made the comments. They were over the top. That being said, because I'm in the tea party, I'm called a tea bagger, terrorist, homophob, right wing zealot. I have heard Bush compared to Hitler as well and no one got fired for that.

I have come to understand that conservatives are held to a different standard than liberals. I don't think he should have lost his job but he should be suspended.

I can't support the Cowboys. I was a die hard fan but when they treated Coach Landry like $@#%, I could not longer support them. Romo must go! My husband does however. That being said, I love the TITANS!!!

Yep.

And by firing him, the company is protecting it's behind from a libel charge.

Libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words) - is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image.

Got to watch that fine print in your contract.
The lawyers certainly do.

For the Dixie Chics, the problem with what happened isn't that they spoke out against the President. For me it was that they spoke out while in a foreign country, in the height of a war. Its sort of like when someone bad mouths a family member. You can do it at home all you want, but in public around strangers you keep your mouth shut. A simple 'I don't agree with him' or some such was all that was needed.

For Hank, I think the big issue isn't that he didn't like the outing, I think its over the fact that he mentioned Hitler. There were, and he agreed later, other similies he could've used that would've had the same effect without the offense.

You also have to remember that the Obama's are in with ABC and Disney, the First Lady was just on Extreme Home Makeover 2 weeks ago. So ABC is going to side with the one that has more power over their business. I.e. the one that can pass laws and exceptions...

Dixie Chicks make me embarrassed to be from Texas.

Whew, had to get that off my chest.

As an entertainer employeed by a company, you are representing that company, so yes, if you are using your talent under employment, it is fair to be fired if you misrepresent the company.

HOWEVER

When you mix politics and entertainment, entertainers don't usually come out on top no matter where they stand.

About the Cowboys, you can always root for that other Texas team, currently 3-1 w/a newly reinforced offensive line...and a healthy QB. Just sayin...

The way I look at it is they are all people when you take off the costumes, put down the microphone or anything else that makes them famous and everyone including them should have a right to voice thier opinions as you and I do.

I think it was wrong what happened to the Dixie Chicks and I never threw thier CD's away, in fact I still have them and listen to them. I don't care for Hank Jr. but even if I did I wouldn't throw his stuff away either just because I don't like his opinion... nor would I go out and buy his stuff if I liked his personal views.

You have to seperate them from thier opinions and thier jobs. Doesn't matter is you agree with them or disagree.

I'll take a stab at this. Hank Jr. is representing a large corporation made up of many facets and he made a personal comment. Everyone is entitled to make/have their comments but when you are the "face" of a large corporation you have major financial backing to consider. There are other people and sponsors that are connected to the program that may not share the views of the spokesperson. Basically what he did was not "politically" correct and could cause the program financially.

Sometimes it is better to keep your comments to yourself. Once spoken it is very hard to retrieve and to "fix" or "correct" what was said the same as in an argument. Now you have to deal with the fallout and what people think of the individual and how they relate to him in the future. Money is power and power is money.

There will be people who agree what he had to say and then there will be others that won't. Whether he should be pulled from this spot is up to the business and how they veiw their future with him. Whether they end his affiliation with a severance (sizable check) is something we will see in the future. So

I would love to read what other have to say. My viewpoint is one of an older person. You (all/individually) may have an insight that I may have missed. Please do fill in the blanks that I may have created. You must remember we are a melting pot society and there are still lumps in the soup that have to be blended.

The other S.

PS Sometimes the truth hurts and sometimes you find out just what someone is thinking and who the real person is.

Let's face it. He lost that job because the media for the most part is totally liberal based. Liberals (that are in the media one way or another) say all the time things that they dont like about other people, make derogatory comments about people or situations, etc and it gets swept under the rug and most people dont react to it, but let a conservative person say something and all Hell breaks loose. For me, you can dislike the POTUS or any other public figure, but I feel that when you get down on that level and broadcast it in the news, it is very juvenile and extremely disrespectful. There are tons of ways to voice your displeasure about things, but you need to do it in a certain way...have some sophistication in what you say instead of shooting your mouth off. Entertainers are held to a certain level whether they want to be or not, and when they voice ill worded opinions, it just makes me wish they would think before they speak (especially during a time of war). My two cents....