Try What in a Small Town, Now?

On the menu today: Perhaps it's the midsummer lull, but there seems to be an endless appetite for arguments about Jason Aldean's country song, "Try That in a Small Town." Credit Aldean for managing to push a whole lot of culture-war buttons in just a matter of minutes, with opening lyrics that sound like he's narrating some B-roll on a Fox News Channel report on "rising crime in America's cities." Alas, the song's implication that crime thrives in the big cities because of a lack of "good ol’ boys, raised up right" is not borne out by the real-world crime data, and offers listeners a flattering, soothing oversimplification.

A Country-Music Culture War

People really want to argue about Jason Aldean's country song, "Try That in a Small Town," huh?

For those who are completely unfamiliar with Jason Aldean, he is a multi-platinum-album-selling superstar in the world of country music, but perhaps not so well known in the broader pop culture. He's been nominated for five Grammys, won a slew of Country Music Awards, played some of the biggest stadiums in the country ... READ MORE