Country Music Television's (CMT) decision to ban Jason Aldean's music video continues to have repercussions according to a new poll, in which a majority of respondents said they disagreed with the ban.
After releasing the video for his song "Try That in a Small Town" in July 2023, some viewers and social media users complained about "racist undertones," "very scary lyrics" and the location in which the video was shot.
It did not take long for CMT to confirm it had removed Aldean's song from rotation on the channel. In turn, Aldean's fans started to call for a boycott of CMT, comparing them to Bud Light, which also faced the wrath of consumers after teaming up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
A new poll commissioned by Newsweek shows more than half of the people asked oppose CMT's decision, with the majority also disagreeing with a recent politician's reaction to the video calling it a "heinous song calling for racist violence."
Of those who took part and were aware of the music video, 52 percent of people disagreed or strongly disagreed with CMT's decision to ban the video. Only 33 percent agreed with CMT's decision, while 15 percent neither agreed nor opposed the decision, or didn't know.
The sample was divided by voting habits, with 70 percent of those polled who voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election opposing CMT's ban, while just 24 percent of Joe Biden voters opposed it. CMT's decision to ban the video was supported by 61 percent of Biden voters.
When comparing genders, marginally more women opposed CMT's ban (54 percent) compared with men (51 percent).
The music video for "Try That in a Small Town" was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse, where a young Black man, Henry Choate, was lynched in 1927. In February 1946, the city that houses the courthouse was the site of a race riot in which two Black men were killed.
Polling company Redfield & Wilton Strategies surveyed 1,500 adults on behalf of Newsweek. Of that number, 35 percent had seen the video and were aware of the controversy surrounding "Try That in a Small Town."
When asked if they approved or disapproved of the filming location, 51 percent of adults polled said they approved, with only 21 percent disapproving.
In July, Democratic Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones told CNN that "Try That in a Small Town" is a "heinous vile racist song that is really about harkening back to days past."
Redfield & Wilton Strategies asked participants if they thought "Try That in a Small Town" was indeed a "heinous song calling for racist violence."
Some 50 percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed, while 34 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. Another 14 percent neither agreed nor disagreed, while 2 percent didn't know.
Breaking the numbers down further, of the people who disagreed with Jones, 66 percent of Trump voters did not believe the song is a "heinous song calling for racist violence" while among Biden voters, only 24 percent disagreed with the statement.
Newsweek has contacted CMT's press team for further comment via email.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
