Talk:Try That in a Small Town

problematic sentence

"Aldean's attempt at whitesplaining only drew further criticism." -- Quoting someone who said that would be fine, but it's problematic as part of unquoted article text. It says in WP:NPOV: "Do not editorialize." AnonMoos (talk) 23:15, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

To add to article

To add to this article (ideally in Aldean's own words): exactly why Aldean selected the Maury County, Tennessee courthouse as the setting for his music video for this song. 173.88.246.138 (talk) 02:06, 21 July 2023 (UTC)

Bias

The opening paragraph states this song was widely condemned. While that's true from left-leaning media, it's also true it was widely praised by right-leaning media. Also, objectively, there are no words in the lyrics that mention race or lynching. This article seems heavily biased towards one side. CandleinDarkness (talk) 03:09, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

That is basically always the case as wikipedia is strongly left-leaning from what i have observed over the years. I tried to reword it more neutral --FMSky (talk) 05:13, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

Wikipedia deals with facts, and reality has a bias towards the left. Healpa12 (talk) 20:17, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

You don't have to use the specific word for a concept to evoke it. In fact, in a well crafted lyric, that's where the power and beauty lies. _signed, Willondon (talk) 14:27, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

If you have reliable sources covering the right-wing viewpoint, please add them! –dlthewave ☎ 15:22, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

The song is only controversial to liberals. It isn’t objectively controversial. For the sake of accuracy, this article should call the criticism “liberal backlash,” just as the Bud Light boycott article mentions conservative backlash. Also here’s a source that explains why that particular courthouse was used, but it’s not a mainstream leftist outlet so you probably don’t consider it to be reliable. In case you don’t read it, it mentions that Aldean didn’t choose the location the production company did and it was chosen because it’s a popular filming spot near Nashville, which is where he’s based. But this Wikipedia article, along with the leftist media critics, paints the use of this location as a dogwhistle as though that is objective fact.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jason-aldeans-controversial-courthouse-location-small-town-music-video-defended-production-company.amp 2600:4041:78DE:3C00:CCCC:5363:C40D:821 (talk) 18:18, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

Two whole sections with nothing but negative criticism and yet it's #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course the critics don't actually explain how the song is racist or hateful but per WP:VNT we're required to give WP:UNDUE weight to their bellyaching. --24.125.98.89 (talk) 17:55, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

Too bad so sad. If you don't like the way we do things, I hear Conservapedia is nice ... –dlthewave ☎ 18:53, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

As a more substantive response to the anon: The critics do in fact explain in great detail how it is racist dogwhistling and a bunch of hate/violence mongering, and we're already quoting and paraphrasing some of that. The fact that right-wingers don't bother to read the criticism doesn't mean that the criticism lacks detail. And more right-leaning media coverage could be added if it said something substantive, but all of it I've seen so far simply A) praises it for supporting gun rights, which isn't critical commentary but simply repeating the message of the song, and B) praises it for supporting "small-town and family values" and other vague expressions of approval which are effectively meaningless for being entirely subjective hand-waving. Show us some right-leaning media saying anything analytical and meaningful about the content and context of the song. There may actually be some, but someone has to do the work to find it. Whining isn't work.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  06:01, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

What "racist dogwhistling?" That's a baldfaced lie, but this is Wikipedia. 2605:59C8:4F4:5400:6091:FCF3:4C7C:A6B8 (talk) 21:23, 5 August 2023 (UTC)

Charts

Can we leave charts as a second-level heading and not a subsection of "Reception"? There have been three editors now (myself, @SNUGGUMS:, and @TenPoundHammer: upon creation of the article [1]) who prefer it that way, and SNUGGUMS has presented points that I agree with as to why it should remain one [2], so I think that's starting to be a majority decision/rough unspoken consensus @Smuckola:. I'm not starting this thread to have a debate, I'm saying there's starting to be a preference against it being a subsection. Let's stop the slow-motion "it's part of reception", "no it's not" edit war please and leave it be. Ping @Martin4647, FMSky, and Reflecktor: as editors who've been regularly editing the page since its creation. Ss112 08:58, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

It's not productive how Smuckola disregarded my comments and still tried to make that a subheading. Regardless, an edit war won't help things either. SNUGGUMS (talk / edits) 12:10, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

Literally every other article I've seen has the chart info under a level 2 header. Ten Pound Hammer • ^{(What did I screw up now?)} 16:03, 25 July 2023 (UTC)

Destinee Stark

I see that someone removed the coverage on Destinee Stark's analysis of the video's content. The situation is covered in multiple news sources and concerns analysis of the claims Aldean has made about his video, so I think it is relevant to this article. [3][4][5][6][7] Emmmm.Ayyyy. (talk) 18:07, 26 July 2023 (UTC)

These sources establish due weight and tie it directly to the topic. I restored it and will add sources when I'm at my PC. (feel free to do this if I don't get to it first) –dlthewave ☎ 00:54, 27 July 2023 (UTC)obably

CMT cancellation causing popularity

Several reliable sources make clear that the controversy caused a significant increase in popularity. The lede should reflect this. 23:25, 26 July 2023 (UTC) DenverCoder9 (talk) 23:25, 26 July 2023 (UTC)

Which sources? –dlthewave ☎ 00:55, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

Do any of the sources support using "cancellation" in the lead? (Aldean saying it isn't enough.) -- Pemilligan (talk) 03:54, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

Speaking of source material, there's a pretty good, neutral piece at NPR here, some of the quotes from which may be usable, though the piece isn't focused on cancelation (and it doesn't use that word: 'Country Music Television (CMT) says it will no longer air the music video "Try That In a Small Town" by Jason Aldean after critics ...'). Anyway, it summarizes a lot of reactions from different quarters (and names the quarters).  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  05:53, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

NPR and other coverage are the reasons I removed the language from the lede. The real media coverage says CMT's pulling the video from play is part of the backlash but it isn't the root of the backlash. Emmmm.Ayyyy. (talk) 14:12, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

Sundown town

There is a discussion about this song at Talk:Sundown town#"Try That in a Small Town". Your input is welcome. Magnolia677 (talk) 22:06, 29 July 2023 (UTC)

Controversy? More like nontroversy.

Is the so called "controversy" surrounding this song actually real? I'm seeing people in right-wing bubbles talking about how this song "triggered the wokies" but I've yet to encounter any real sign of an actual controversy outside of people on the right telling me that there definitely is one. I'm getting the impression that criticisms of the song are being taken out of context to build some kind of narrative about "outraged leftists", to play into the so-called culture war and use that to promote an otherwise unremarkable country song. 46.97.170.32 (talk) 09:49, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

That's an interesting take on things. You would of course need to identify a reliable secondary source that draws this conclusion if you want to introduce it into the article. _signed, Willondon (talk) 13:12, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Uhm... no I don't. I would, if I wanted material to be included, but as things stand, the article is already bloated as it is, for a mediocre country song that is only notable because some people are trying to capitalize on its generally unfavorable reception. The article should be trimmed significantly, the reception section should be condensed because much of the information there is redundant, and the Response from Aldean and other artists subheading should be deleted entirely, as it is nothing more than irrelevant fluff. (in fact, now that the article isn't protected, I might remove it myself, but I want to reach some consensus before I try that. 46.97.170.235 (talk) 10:58, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

Yes thar is generally the way conservatives operate. Spin criticism into moral outrage. 73.149.64.233 (talk) 20:17, 21 August 2023 (UTC)

Wrong Version

@FMSky: Your restoration removed the mwntion of the death threats received by the tiktoker who debunked Aldean's false claim that the clips from his video are real news footage. I don't know about you but that sounds a bit more important than Aldean and his friends taking criticism poorly. 46.97.170.235 (talk) 11:19, 1 September 2023 (UTC)