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boots60

Lyrics changed by the BBC so nobody can be offended

By boots60, in General Chat

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boots60

boots60

Posted
Posted

Our moral guardians the BBC have announced that Fairytale of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty McCall will still be played on the network this Christmas.

After 33 years there is now no need to be offended as the words faggot, slut & junk will be replaced by something more "appropriate"

It seems the modern version of Winston Smith in the “Ministry of truth” is alive, well & beavering away.

 

Any other songs the BBC can feck about with so as nobody is offended?

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foxile5

foxile5

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Just now, AKCJ said:

Faggot and Slut are just outright offensive words. Rightly removed, they don't have a place in modern society. 

Aye. I'll tell that to bundles of sticks and meat offal products.

 

In the perjorative these are words that are offensive, sure. That is outlined in the horrible nature of the folk in the song and it isn't designed to insult or offend. We don't sanitise art because of precious sensibilities. It's ridiculous and is quite literally culture shaping. I don't require art to be sanitised and governed by the moral compass of the state for me to know right and wrong, thank you. 

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AKCJ

AKCJ

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Posted
1 minute ago, foxile5 said:

Aye. I'll tell that to bundles of sticks and meat offal products.

 

In the perjorative these are words that are offensive, sure. That is outlined in the horrible nature of the folk in the song and it isn't designed to insult or offend. We don't sanitise art because of precious sensibilities. It's ridiculous and is quite literally culture shaping. I don't require art to be sanitised and governed by the moral compass of the state for me to know right and wrong, thank you. 

That's good for you.

 

There are plenty of people that struggle with their sexuality enough as it is that don't need these words broadcast on national radio and TV.

 

Ultimately, i'd sooner "offend" the people that want to use nigh-on archaic language for pork offal than the gay community.

 

Words change meaning over time. There is no point in living in the past. Ask 1000 people what the word "faggot" means and you'll get a handful of people telling you it means minced pork.

 

 

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Voll Blau

Voll Blau

Posted
Posted

It's amazing that people are whinging about this in an age when you're literally never more than a click away from hearing any song you want in any way you want. Plus, it's not like the Beeb are the only radio station/TV channel to do this.

 

If this helps a few kids struggling with finding out who they are in life, then who cares? I'll still listen to the original but I'll just do so on Spotify, YouTube etc.

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Voll Blau

Voll Blau

Posted
Posted (edited)

Also, I'd be amazed to hear how the BBC has managed to "change" the lyrics to the alternative version recorded by someone who died 20 years ago? Are we going to accuse the late Kirsty MacColl of being our "moral guardian" too? :rolleyes:

 

Besides, it's just Radio One doing it. Wouldn't fit the narrative being offered up here though I guess...

 

Quote

BBC Radio 1 will not play the original version of Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl this Christmas, because its audience may be offended by some of the lyrics.

The station said young listeners were particularly sensitive to derogatory terms for gender and sexuality.

It will instead play an edited version with different lyrics sung by MacColl.

But the 1987 original will still be played on Radio 2, while 6 Music DJs can choose between the two versions.

 

Edited by Voll Blau
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yorkie1999

yorkie1999

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

quote-those-who-are-determined-to-be-off

It's not just the fanatics though, everyone seem to be offended by something these days, even when the argument is nothing to do with them. 

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last.

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Nalis

Nalis

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, fazzyfox said:

Can't wait for the cleaner version, probably something like:-

 

"You ninny"

"you rotter"

"You old fashioned codger"

 

"You're ugly"

"You're smelly"

"You have a big belly"

Disable-ist

Unhygienic-ist

Age-ist

 

Looks-ist

Smell-ist

Fat-ist

 

Mods, ban please.

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Xen

Xen

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19 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

It's horrifying the level of censorship that has been implemented to faux moral outrage.

 

Who here has been offended by the use of fruity language by fictional characters in this song? Show yourselves!

Oh, hi. Gay man here who has often had these words thrown at my at various stages of my life. Now, I'm not so sensitive that hearing the words spirals me into some sort of breakdown, but its still not nice to hear those words played so casually on the radio for 2 months every year. 

My own experiences were pretty tame compared to a lot of people who have had much worse thrown at them, so I can fully understand why someone might be even more viscerally opposed to the 'traditional' lyrics.

 

 

17 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

Aye. I'll tell that to bundles of sticks and meat offal products.

If that's what the song was about you might have a point. As it stands, bore off.

 

 

17 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

In the perjorative these are words that are offensive, sure. That is outlined in the horrible nature of the folk in the song and it isn't designed to insult or offend. We don't sanitise art because of precious sensibilities. It's ridiculous and is quite literally culture shaping. I don't require art to be sanitised and governed by the moral compass of the state for me to know right and wrong, thank you. 

No, but we can recognise when 'art' is having a negative impact and act to reduce its influence, whilst maintaining it within context. There are plenty of other situations where things which were once seen as culturally appropriate have fallen out of popular use because they're no longer acceptable for the current times. As a society we're allowed to learn and fix mistakes where they've proved harmful (and they are, even if you don't see it), not tether ourselves to them and refuse all criticism.

 

 

 

 

Ultimately, it's a minor change to a song which will have a tangible benefit to a group of people, and be pretty inconsequential to everyone else (unless you choose to allow yourself to get angry at something like this). There's no real downside, so what's the harm in making the change? If the BBC hadn't said a word and just made a silent decision to remove it from all playlists this year, no-one would have batted an eye, or even noticed.

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Buce

Buce

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

I’m struggling with this, how many people are actually offended by lyrics in songs? It’s just someone in an office making silly decisions and “saving” the supposed insecure British public from being offended.

 

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, but would you say the same if the word was N****r (so offensive to some that it can't even be used in the context of this conversation)?

Edited by Buce
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urban.spaceman

urban.spaceman

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

It's not just the fanatics though, everyone seem to be offended by something these days, even when the argument is nothing to do with them. 

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last.

Thought you were having a go at me for a minute before I realised they were the ****ing lyrics in question :D

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Innovindil

Innovindil

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, but would you say the same if the word was N****r (so offensive to some that it can't even be used in the context of this conversation)?

Well it can be used in the context of this situation, just like it can be used in rap songs. I think the real point is should it be used.

 

Which brings us back to a lyric change in a  now offensive song. Personally, I wouldn't change a thing. If the song is so offensive by today's standards then they should simply not play the song and condemn it to history, not change how it originally was to pass today's standards. 

 

The same way looney toons doesn't change its originals to suit today's standards. It's unnecessary. 

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Buce

Buce

Posted
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1 minute ago, Innovindil said:

Well it can be used in the context of this situation, just like it can be used in rap songs. I think the real point is should it be used.

 

Which brings us back to a lyric change in a  now offensive song. Personally, I wouldn't change a thing. If the song is so offensive by today's standards then they should simply not play the song and condemn it to history, not change how it originally was to pass today's standards. 

 

The same way looney toons doesn't change its originals to suit today's standards. It's unnecessary. 

 

Not so, there have been numerous cases of academics and the like being censured for using it in a non-perjorative way; when referred to at all it is sanitised as the 'N word'.

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Finnegan

Finnegan

Posted
Posted (edited)

OH MY GOD I CAN'T HEAR MY FAVOURITE FUNNY CHRISTMAS SONG WHERE THAT WOMAN CALLS SOMEONE A FAGGOT ON RADIO ONE, I'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO HEAR IT IN EVERY SHOPPING CENTRE AND SUPER MARKET FOR SIX WEEKS INSTEAD

 

I'M SO OUTRAGED IT'S PC GONE MAAAAAAD

 

 

OK, snowflake. 

 

Edited by Finnegan
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