Talk about exposure: The Dixie Chicks, who bare their souls to Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime Thursday," are baring all on the cover of the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, where the Texas trio appear nude.
Okay, so they have strategically placed their arms and hands over certain areas. They also have various contrasting labels painted on them, such as "Traitors," "Brave," "Dixie Sluts," "Hero" and "Big Mouth."
Apparently this is all being done to help repair some of the damage caused last month when lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience on the eve of war with Iraq that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."
In the wake of the remark, the Chicks saw sales of their record "Home" plummet and fans smash their CDs. Speaking to Sawyer, the Chicks say they fear for their lives amid a backlash that has gone "out of control."
In quotes from the interview obtained by Reuters, Maines also says she criticized President Bush out of frustration and remains "passionate" in her anti-war views, even if she now regrets the remark.
"At that moment, on the eve of war, I had a lot of questions that I felt were unanswered," says Maines, 29. "I think the way I said it was disrespectful. The wording I used, the way I said it, that was disrespectful. I feel regret for, you know, the choice of words. Am I sorry that I asked questions and that I don't just follow? No."
Bandmate Martie Maguire, 33, tells Sawyer that she understands why some fans are upset, yet she still finds much of the reaction to be excessive.
"It's the people who have gone overboard, and done such irrational things that take you back to the days of book burning, that is a concern for me," Maguire said.
"I'm concerned about my safety for my family," added Emily Robison, 29, citing death threats against the band. "At our concerts this year, we have to have metal detectors, and to me that's just crazy. But we have to take precautions because this thing has gotten so out of control."
To EW (which, like PEOPLE, is part of AOL Time Warner), Maguire says of the nude cover: "It's not about the nakedness. It's about clothes getting in the way of labels."
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