"Controversy and Country: Jason Aldean's Impact on the Music Scene"
The history of reactionary country songs, from Merle Haggard to Hank Williams Jr. to Toby Keith to Aaron Lewis, is explored in the context of Jason Aldean's "Try That in a Small Town." The article discusses how Richard Nixon recognized the right-wing potential of country music and invited Johnny Cash to the White House, leading to a narrative disruption when Cash played his anti-war song "What Is Truth." The podcast episode also highlights other notable reactionary country songs, including those by Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr., Toby Keith, Clint Black, Darryl Worley, and Aaron Lewis.