NBC Somehow Deems Dixie Chicks More Offensive Than “Studio 60”

Above is a commercial for new Dixie Chicks documentary, Shut Up And Sing, which the Weinstein Company is previewing this Saturday night. Maybe you were interested in going to see it, or maybe you were planning on going out for a Halloween party that night dressed like Suri Cruise, because that’s really funny. Either way, you won’t be seeing any Shut Up ads on NBC:

[Harvey] Weinstein said NBC wrote that the network “cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush.” The CW also rejected the ads, Weinstein said, saying in a letter that it did “not have the appropriate programming in which to schedule this spot”…

“It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America,” he said.

That last quote is typical Harveyehment bluster, one that’s even more eye-roll-inducing when the CW counters that Weinstein never actually attempted to buy the ads. But could NBC really be this wussed-out? After all, Sing is a documentary about a legitimate news event–one that NBC’s own programs no doubt covered (and promoted) extensively. We knew everyone gets the pre-election money-clip jitters these days, but come on, NBC! Strap on a pair. After combining the Killers with Dane Cook on SNL a few weeks ago, it’s the least you could do. Band’s film ads hit sour note [L.A. Times]