Keeping It Wholesome? That Takes Balls.
It’s a good thing Faith Hill didn’t marry Steven Tyler. If she had, she’d have spent Monday night (Sept. 24) following him up and down the catwalk, chastising Aerosmith fans in Chicago for groping his crotch. She’d have to give hundreds of people the “somebody needs to teach you some class, my friend” lecture every night of the tour. Even Tyler himself could use good talking-to. Not only does he put his stuff out there for fans, he touches himself suggestively and repeatedly. A few times, he even reached inside his tight (I think they were a size 6X) purple tie-dyed jeans to emphasize a lyric or two.
And this is why I love country. I mean, yes, someone reached out to touch Tim’s McGraws. But look at the drama that ensued. That shows you how wholesome country has remained in a world consumed with sex. It takes a brave genre not to fall prey to that sin-is-in mentality. Country music is not completely sexless. We have guys who allude to their XXL parts. And ones who lament those parts that don’t work as good as they once did. But after taking in two hours of Steven Tyler’s mic-stand erotica, I now realize how tame country really is.
I’m well aware that Tyler’s rock star status buys him some leeway sexually. But you could argue that a guy like Tim McGraw is a bit of a rock star too. So we should all be grateful that he’s more guarded during his shows. It’s not that McGraw doesn’t have balls. He just keeps them to himself.
Since most country fans aren’t likely to check out an Aerosmith show, and most Aerosmith fans wouldn’t be caught dead at a country show, there’s only one way to demonstrate my point. What we need is a CMT Crossroads with Tim McGraw & Stephen Tyler. Maybe some of McGraw’s modesty would rub off on Tyler. And if that doesn’t work, we could always bring Faith in.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
B.W. LaRoy says:
My boys say “Thanks fer the TMI.” If anyone has ever been in the men’s locker room at the YMCA anywhere in the USA…those old farts standing around scratching like Steven Tyler…are a dime a dozen. B.W. LaRoy
OutlawSteph says:
Yeah, TMI is right. What the heck does ANY of this have to do with COUNTRY music and why is it even mentioned? Buck Owens and Chet Atkins would NEVER take our traditions and drag them through the mud.. but leave it to Nashvegas. Bring the CLASS back. STOP THE GOSSIP and National Enquirer atmosphere. That goes for everyone.
Amy says:
You are right. Country is still very tame. And since my 13 year old daughter is all about country music, I am thrilled! I saw Trace Adkins for the first time just about a year ago. My impression was that his was the most overtly sexual country show I had seen. (Not that I didn’t enjoy the heck out of it!) And if you’ve ever seen Trace, you know he’s tame.
Size 6x pants and a crossroads with Tim!! You crack me up!! (and crack’s what you were doin when you were crackin jokes…)
hotelmotel says:
Country may not have a Steven Tyler, but country music is extremely sexually charged. And not just the new stuff — the “traditional” artists were often more blatant than today’s stars.
Country music is about sex much of the time. Songs about affairs, one-night stands, infidelity pervade the genre.
Country has given us songs about falling in love with a prostitute (Merle Haggard - Living with the Shade’s Pulled Down), casual drug induced sex with stranger s(”Love in the Hot Afternoon, Gene Watson), hooking up with a friend’s girlfriend (The Fireman, George Strait). Country music often views women as mere body parts (”The Shake,” “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk)or even as cars (”Cowboy Cadillac, a Garth Brooks album cut and “The Corvette Song,” a Jones tune)
Country music often gives explicit instruction in sexual technique. Conway Twitty’s “Slow Hand” is just the most direct Twitty song of this nature.
A 2001 Hank, Jr song is about his love of strippers who have hundred dollar bills sticking out of their underwear. This song “Big Top Women” also praises women who are well endowed in a certain area. Hardly wholesome stuff, and perhaps it even teaches a very bad message about relations between the sexes.
Country music often has crass double entendres. Thus Alan Jackson doesn’t need booze to get turned on because his girlfriend leaves him “higher than a Georgia pine.”
Maybe country music is “wholesome” compared to Stephen Tyler, but here “wholesome” is a relative term. A lot of country music is extremely, extremely salty. Songwriters often use language that kids won’t understand, so perhaps that makes country seem a bit more wholesome. But if you understand the double meanings, you can find a lot of salty country songs.
hotelmotel says:
By the way, I’m not complaining. I don’t need wholesome music. If I wanted wholesome, I’d turn on “Barney and Friends.” I’m glad country music isn’t always wholesome.
B.W. LaRoy says:
hotelmotel, easy on the temper, but a werd to the wise…you might be making a point with lots of words here for the edumacated fan, but please try to use less werds we o-schoo country no-sex hounds have ta look up in the Dikshunery er God ferbid…the Thesaurosaurus. B.W. LaRoy
hotelmotel says:
hey B.W. LaRoy — I hope my post didn’t come across as angry. I’m certainly not upset at all. I think this is a pretty good thread and discussion.
mjayhill says:
Any other 59 year old man seen fondling himself in public would’ve been immediately arrested and viewed by society as some old pervert. I’m not quite sure why Steven Tyler thinks he’s exempt.
Give me the Allman Bros., Skynyrd, ZZ Top, CDB, or the Marshall Tucker Band. No groping themselves onstage. Too busy kicking out some serious Southern style jams!
hotelmotel says:
mjahill, if Tyler did that stuff on the street he would likely be arrested. But since he did it as part of a concert, he should have little problem. His conduct is pretty tame compared to some theater production. You our I could also act like Taylor if we were giving a concert.
So if Tyler was arrested for this the judge would dismiss the charges. Moreover, if some cop arrested Tyler the cop would be giving Tyler just the kind of publicity that a group like Aerosmith loves.
B. W. LaRoy says:
10-4 HotelMotel. In a nutshell…Pun Intended…Aerosmith still sounds and looks better on 8-trak. Now that I mention it…8-Trak was an era when musicians and producers had some kind of idea …that it was about the music…and BALLS was term used in describing a sound. B.W. LaRoy
T-RexTerra says:
I was surprised to see this topic and Aerosmith on CMT’s Country Music Blog. But it is amusing. Country and Rock are overlapping more and more these days. The Country Star today has the persona of Rockstars. In the past, that wasn’t true.
Ash says:
I just wanted to say that I am a fan of more than just country music. Am I really in the minority here? The author said that she thought most country fans wouldn’t attend an Aerosmith concert, but I can tell you that this country fan has, and I enjoyed it just as much as any country concert I have been to. I don’t think I’m the only one that listens to music other than just country.
And I have to agree with hotelmotel, country can be just as bad as rock when it comes to being “wholesome.”
B.W. LaRoy says:
O.K….rock goes the country…big dang deal…O.K….ball rubbing bonanza…big dang deal…but say I’m having to decide if I wanna hang out and play Bingo at the nursing home down the street or go see Aerosmith…Helllloooooo Bingo!…but hey…who knows…maybe this entire Ball Scratching Blog was simply a precursor to get us ready for some concert tour Viag’s going to sponsor. Who’s down…or up widdat? B.W. LaRoy
Ryan Kaldari says:
B.W. LaRoy gets the award for funniest blog comment ever.
T-Rexterra says:
B.W. that’s dayum funny. I think you may want to vote that you are ‘up’ with that. Ball rubbin Bonanza, sounds like a name for new tour! LOL….
And Ash, I am a fan of Rock and Country. Just look at the crossovers here on this CMT board, Nickelback and Bon Jovi to name a few.
Billy Bob says:
What’s worse than the sex in country music, is how it promotes drug and alcohol aabuse. They sing and laugh about it - make it look cool and fun. They even tell young people to get drunk and be somebody. How can they do this?
Mr. Lane says:
Well I don’t agree with all that’s in Country music but at least there are songs like “Let Them Be Little” by Billy Dean, and “Remember When” by Alan Jackson. And “Thank God For Kids” by the Statler Brothers etc. And while some do have offensive language at least they don’t refer to their wives or girlfriends as their “hos” …
Jamie Bradshaw says:
I like all sorts of music including Rock and Country. My favorite artist is Jason Michael Carroll, but I grew up with steven Tyler (Aerosmith) and Bon Jovi! I would love to see any of the above in concert (I have seen Jason many times)! The best CMT Crossroads would be Jason Michael Carroll and Steven Tyler/Aerosmith!!! Not only would the concert totally rock, but Jason is a HUGE Steven Tyler fan!!!
HELLO OUT THERE CMT….HERE IS THE BEST CROSSROADS EVER…. JASON MICHAEL CARROLL WITH STEVEN TYLER!!!! TRUST ME, THIS WOULD WORK!!!! JUST ASK ANY HONKY TONK FRIEND (JASON MICHAEL CARROLL FAN)!!!!