Social Media: Danger Zone

Facebook has been frying on the stove this week in Congress, and disappearing when the whole service crashed for seven hours on Monday.

Social media at your fingertips is like a spy carrying a suicide pill in his hidden shoe compartment.

The internet lasts forever! Just ask Urban Meyer about his week.

Blake Shelton seems to be out of the Twitter business. At least no more Twitter fights.

The Aldeans are the latest to test the waters of tolerance, then jump in the deep end of the pool. Brittany Aldean has posted simple family pictures for months. Jason would sometimes slip in one. Now, he seems like he has the account password himself and is off to the races.

This week on Instagram (the Aldean family’s media of choice), Jason raised concerns about the vaccine mandate in California. “So let me get this straight, it is no longer our decision as parents to make decisions about our kids,” he wrote. “People in California should be outraged, and people everywhere else better start standing up and speaking out now. This is not how America and free works.” Earlier in the week Jason said in another post, “ I will never apologize of my beliefs.”

There has been some blowback reaction, but nothing huge at this point.

On the subject of vaccines, since at least the 1950s schools have required a number of vaccinations before you could attend – from Kindergarten to college. The Covid vaccine is being added to the must have list in California. The shot has been highly politicized, left and right.

John Rich is making a career out of his strong right side feelings. Rich wears out Twitter many times a day. If he was still with us, what would Charlie Daniels do?

Just ask Jane Fonda and The Chicks how dangerous to your career playing in the game of politics can be! Jason and John had better tread softly.

Rolling Stone magazine is pounding out anti-Morgan Wallen material again. This week, there’s a very long, highly detailed story on “Sand In My Boots” and its growing success. The magazine’s writer questions the Wallen boycott and its apparent end. Read the story. They pretty much condemn Country fans and Country radio for allowing Wallen back in the game.

The CMA/ABC combination will try to “woke up” their minus Wallen November show by banning him from attending. His album was the best-selling Country album of the year. Will the dozen very new Country acts likely to perform generate TV ratings in 2021? It’s going to be hard. If NBC’s “The Voice” only draws under eight million viewers, expect to see the CMAs land in that area at best. If it cracks 10 million, will then get the Auburn fans to roll 16th Ave with toilet paper like they do Toomer’s Corner after a big win?

HARDY was asked about the CMA Awards/Wallen ban at the recent Austin City Limits festival in Texas, and replied, “I think it sucks!” So there.

Has Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like” hit the negative test wall yet or is it just getting started? Late adopters are just getting interested, while those on the front end of the craze now want to scream when they hear it. Novelty songs always live that way.

Great book out by Oak Ridge Boy William Lee Golden, “Behind the Beard.” I started reading and can’t stop. It’s not a Katie Couric stab people in the back book; it’s a great story of an at times complicated artist climbing to the top of the show business ladder. The Oak Ridge Boys and Golden have been on some kind of a 50-plus year ride!