KEY POINTS:
I don't like the Dixie Chicks' music. They shouldn't have won five awards at the Grammys this week, including the big three - best song, best album and record of the year.
But I love the good Southern girls' attitude, especially outspoken frontwoman Natalie Maines. She's the one
who said in 2003: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."
The comment riled the hell out of country music fans across America and radio stations boycotted them. It turned nasty on the golden girls of country for a few years, yet didn't affect sales of their latest album, Taking the Long Way, which won best album at the Grammys and includes the single Not Ready To Make Nice, where the lyrics hit back at their critics.
At the ceremony, Maines was staunch, in a cheeky way, with her response to winning best country album: "That's interesting. Well, to quote the great Simpsons, 'Ha ha'. A lot of people have turned off their TV sets now."
Priceless.
But Maines did end the night with the words "I'm ready to make nice."
Her early quip was one of the only slightly dangerous moments of a very "nice" ceremony.
Seeing the Police back together was pretty cool and Justin Timberlake fought back the flu for his usual hot performance. And Beyonce, well, she's Beyonce, so what do you expect except anything but pure hotness. Sorry, Jay Z.
And I say, old chap, did you see that poor old James Blunt didn't win a sausage, even with five nominations. He couldn't even nab best newcomer, which went to country singer Carrie Underwood. It didn't seem to matter to Blunty, who said: "I'm here to see who gets the most drunk. That's the real competition."
But in terms of winners, what a load of rubbish. If ever there was an example of why the rest of the world doesn't - or shouldn't - care about the Grammys it was the dominance of the Dixie Chicks and the accolades heaped on Mary J. Blige's latest album, The Breakthrough.
Unbelievably, Blige led the list of nominations with eight and she'd never won a Grammy. Well, it was pretty safe to say she was going to win one.
She's had quite a life, going from a rough upbringing in the Bronx to become one of the most successful female artists, and deserves some respect. But The Breakthrough is hardly a classic - and it won best R&B album. It's laboured and pales compared with her 1992 debut What's the 411? and My Life from 1994.
Adding to this mockery, the album wasn't even up against Beyonce, Janet Jackson and Chris Brown, since they were in the contemporary R&B category (in which Beyonce was the clear winner).
What a joke. Okay, that's more to do with the fact the Grammys need to be more streamlined and get rid of clumsy categories such as best rap/sung collaboration or best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals.
And when will the Grammys start recognising the best rather than the charity case or the most popular?
All I can say is thank you to acts like Gnarls Barkley and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (who, while they might be getting on, can still come up with a crazy double album), for bringing a sense of unbridled nuttiness to today's music scene.
For the most part, the Grammys were as weak as a kid's butter chicken. Yes, the John Mayers, James Blunts and Daniel Powters are popular. But is that quality? They're not exactly exciting. And what about the young music fans? Mostly, they can forget about it because the Grammys are for the baby- boomers.
I'll leave the last words to John Mayer, who was keen on an early night after the ceremony: "Music is my bitch and she keeps a short leash on me."
Crikey, mate, it's one night out of the year. Live a little.
