The viral Alabama riverboat brawl, an incident which saw pontoon boaters and riverboat employees throwing fists in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, is being combined with the controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” by country singer Jason Aldean.
The situation unfolded over the weekend after video surfaced showing a group of men refusing to move their pontoon boat that was blocking the city-owned riverboat the Harriot II. One of the men associated with the pontoon boat kicked off the brawl after attacking the riverboat employee attempting to get him to move.
The chaotic scene saw everything from another employee jumping in the water to aid his coworker, a metal folding chair being used as a weapon, and responding police desperately attempting to bring the crowd under control.
Memes regarding the incident have since exploded online, with endless comparisons being made between the fight and Marvel’s the Avengers. But the hottest meme so far appears to be the one that adds the controversial country song to the footage.
Just last month, Aldean faced criticism after releasing a music video for the song that many felt contained racial undertones. Specifically, given the video’s footage of Black Lives Matter protests, allegations were made that the video was calling for violence against the Black community.
Although Aldean vehemently denied the insinuation, the song has now taken on a life of its own. And given the racial aspects of the brawl, which saw the white pontoon boaters fighting with Black employees and onlookers, the incident is being used to highlight what happens when you “try that in a small town” and throw the message back in Aldean’s face.
Some memes using the song even contained images of assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who lived for several years in Montgomery.
“Try that in a Small town in Montgomery Alabama,” one user wrote.
Montgomery is steeped in civil rights history. The Montgomery bus boycott began there when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.
“They done added ‘Try that in a small town’ lol,” another said of the footage.
Multiple arrests were made in the wake of the incident, although Montgomery police have not released the identities of those involved. The incident is currently under investigation and charges are expected to come in the coming days.
