In a world where intellectual property laws and “fair use” often run amuck, we’re left scratching our heads at the latest controversy involving Fox News and country singer Jason Aldean.
If you’re looking for a tale of blurred lines and what appears to be last-minute decisions, buckle up because this story has it all.
Apparently, the production company behind Aldean’s music video, “Try That in a Small Town,” dared to dip a toe into the murky waters of media usage, only to have it snapped off by a media shark.
The offending footage?
A SIX-second clip shot by Fox 5 Atlanta, depicting violence at a BLM rally.
The production team, playing by the rules (or so they thought), reached out to Fox, asking for permission to use the clip.
Fox, in turn, requested more information. Now, this is where it starts to get a little hairy. Fox asked for the lyrics of the song, which seems reasonable. But instead of sending over the lyrics, the production company sent a link to the song.
Fast forward to the video’s release, and there’s the contested footage, projecting on a courthouse as Aldean croons away.
But here’s where the real questions begin: Fox didn’t act immediately.
Why the delay?
Were they waiting to see the public’s reaction first?
Or maybe they wanted to see if they could gain something from this situation?
Then, a whole week after the video’s release, Fox suddenly grew fangs.
They reached out to the production company, requesting the removal of the clip to “avoid any legal action.”
A “polite ultimatum,” if you will. The production company, rather than risking a potential legal kerfuffle, complied. And guess what? It took another week for anyone to even notice.
Jason Aldean reportedly quietly edited the "Try That In A Small Town" music video to remove footage of BLM rioters.https://t.co/xIVJzasJNN
— OutKick (@Outkick) July 26, 2023
So @Jason_Aldean, millions of people stand up for you, they stand up to @CMT for removing your video, and they praise you for being true to your fans. So what do you do? You turn into a POS cuck and edit your video now that you've made enough money from it. No one has balls…
— Degenerate Paratrooper (@OlBroken82nd) July 26, 2023
Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' Video Undergoes Edits, Loses Footage of BLM Protests Used Without Permission https://t.co/vnqiYQCcm0
— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2023
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Are big media corporations too eager to flex their muscles?
Is this a classic example of corporate bullying? Or maybe it’s Fox trying to appease some invisible ‘woke mob’?
Either way, it leaves a sour taste in our mouths.
After all, what’s a music video if not a form of creative expression?
And when did asking for forgiveness instead of permission stop being a viable strategy in the creative arts?
It’s all a little bit baffling, isn’t it?
The folks over at TMZ have the scoop:
We now know why Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” music video was edited … because the production company skirted the rules and used FOX footage without permission.
Sources connected to the music video production tell TMZ … back when they were producing the video, the company that produced it reached out to FOX on May 8 and asked for permission to use the 6 seconds of video shot by FOX 5 Atlanta … showing violence at a BLM rally.
[…]
Our sources say a week ago, FOX reached out to the production company and asked them to remove the video to avoid any legal action — which was described to us as a “polite ultimatum” — and the production company complied.
So the new, edited video has actually been online for an entire week before anyone noticed.
You would think that in an era where the public is more media-savvy than ever, journalism would be dedicated to uncovering every angle, every aspect of a story.
Yet, when it comes to the controversy surrounding Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” it seems the prevailing narrative is skewed heavily in favor of painting Aldean as a man backpedaling in response to public criticism.
The media, it appears, is only interested in one side of the story – they’re portraying this as Aldean retreating, his tail between his legs, under the pressure of backlash.
Jason Aldean subtly edits ‘Try That in a Small Town’ music video following backlashhttps://t.co/3VO5QSPEqB
— WSFA 12 News (@wsfa12news) July 26, 2023
Jason Aldean edits music video for 'Try That in a Small Town' as controversy swirls https://t.co/bvr7rMuONX #JasonAldean
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2023
However, this narrative misses a significant part of the situation – the legal issue at hand. Aldean didn’t just wake up one day and decide to edit his video.
Fox News requested the removal of their clip to “avoid any legal action.”
Yet, the media is notably less vocal about this.
The depiction of Aldean backtracking might be the juicier narrative, but it’s hardly the whole truth.
In reality, Aldean is caught in a legal tussle, a situation that could potentially escalate into a court case.
If that doesn’t deserve the same level of media coverage, we’re left wondering what does.
Here’s how the Hollywood Reporter covered the story:
Amid the storm of criticism over Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” it appears the music video to the controversial track has been quietly edited to remove some of the racially incendiary imagery.
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that the video for “Try That in a Small Town” currently featured on YouTube was now six seconds shorter than the version uploaded on July 14. The Post reports that a news clip from Fox 5 Atlanta about the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 has been removed, although it is unclear when the changes were made.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Aldean’s reps for comment on the edits to the music video.
Aldean has faced widespread condemnation for both the lyrics to “Try That in a Small Town” and the accompanying music video, with critics lambasting the song for promoting gun violence and taking direct aim at the Black Lives Matter movement, with some commentators suggesting that the song and video were pro-lynching in their coded references.
So here we are, watching the media spin their narrative, feeling the frustration mount.
Did you notice how they refused to acknowledge that Fox demanded that the footage be removed?
Aldean is not just bending to criticism.
He’s facing a legal battle.
That’s the real story here.
It’s not just about a controversial song and its video – it’s about copyright, legal rights, and the complexities of artistic expression in the age of mass media.
Based on all available evidence, Aldean did NOT cave to the woke mob, but did what was legally requested of him.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!