Did you hear that Canada is banning a Dire Straits song from the radio because it contains the word "faggot"? "Money for Nothing" came out 26 years ago and was a number one hit. The word faggot was not used in a deragatory manner, it was used (imo) sarcastically to describe Boy George or maybe a metal hair band (it was 1985). You have to understand the song and the context it was used in. Its a song about a working class guy watching music videos and thinking, "these dudes have it made, I should have been a rock star..."
"See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup, Yeah buddy that’s his own hair. That little faggot got his own jet airplane. That little faggot he’s a millionaire."I think its ridiculous to ban this song from the air. If these lyrics are offensive what about all the other lyrics out there that are no longer politically correct in today's overly sensitive world?
Let's lists a list of all the "offensive" song lyrics we can think of. (Please note - rock and roll type songs only, rap/hip hop doesn't count...which by the way they play on Canadian radio with the N word because that is not offensive.....?)
(I've heard Mark Knopfler was in an appliance store when he thought of this song, that's why the references to all the appliances, but I don't know if that's true).
5 comments:
I always heard that he overheard a conversation between two guys in bar and that was the inspiration for the song. It's hardly offensive to talk about someone being offensive and that's exactly what this song is doing. Mark Knopfler isn't calling anyone a faggot, the subject of his song is.
Mike, excellent point, as always. I am going to try to explain this to the Canadian radio people!!
One person in Newfoundland complained and the Canadian Broadcast standards Council decided to ban the song. The council is not a government body and their only power is through the voluntary membership of the radio stations. No radio station is required to follow this decision and any station can object but risks being thrown out of the group. The CRTC is the government arm (similar to the FCC) whose decisions are binding. But this complaint was never heard by the CRTC.
Ashamed to be Canadian writes: When decisions like these are taken, it is a case of the sublime shaking hands with the ridiculous.
Useless.
About "offensive" lyrics:
"Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore.
Baby got big and baby get bigger.
Baby get something. Baby get more.
Baby, baby, baby was a rock-and-roll nigger"
The one and only Patti Smith.
This is one of my favourite songs.
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