Lyrics changed by the BBC so nobody can be offended

[Carl the Llama]

It's a shit song anyway so even if the faux outrage brigade were being serious about their emotional need to hear slurs on daytime radio when the kids are listening, at least it's not a banger being outrageously destroyed with the shocking use of a brand new recording made before I was even born.

[urban.spaceman]

1 minute ago, Carl the Llama said:

It's a shit song anyway so even if the faux outrage brigade were being serious about their emotional need to hear slurs on daytime radio when the kids are listening, at least it's not a banger being outrageously destroyed with the shocking use of a brand new recording made before I was even born.

[Kopic]

Dis is igzakleh y I dnt ware a mask. Dey r takin are libertees. Stand up ppl!!!*

 

*a variation of this was spotted on my facebook wall this morning.

[Buce]

Just now, Kopic said:

Dis is igzakleh y I dnt ware a mask. Dey r takin are libertees. Stand up ppl!!!*

 

*a variation of this was spotted on my facebook wall this morning.

 

I honestly thought that was German when I first read it.

[Carl the Llama]

Just now, urban.spaceman said:

 

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

They will however be playing the unedited WAP in all its glory

[Blue ROI]

Philip Chevron, a member of the Pogues was openly gay.

 

It seems he didn't have a major issue with the lyrics.

[Finnegan]

4 minutes ago, Carl the Llama said:

need to hear slurs on daytime radio when the kids are listening

 

This has been the bit that's always done it for me. 

 

Used to work in a pub that had a Wacky Warehouse when I was a kid. I distinctly remember it was the first time I realised what the lyrics to the song were and it was blaring out in a kids play area and I'm like... umm? 

 

Naturally at that age I found it hilarious but I mean it has always been a bit ridiculous. 

 

Nobody bats an eyelid when Eminem or Green Day or something gets censored on daytime radio but out comes the pathetic faux outrage because, about thirty years down the line, people have cottoned on that maybe Fairytale isn't the most family friendly song. 

 

 

[Carl the Llama]

And while we're on the subject wtf is all this "Miles Morales" stuff everyone keeps talking about.  SPIDER MAN IS PETER PARKER STOP TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY.

 

 

That's what you guys look like right now.

[ealingfox]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

Yeah, this is bollocks though isnt it? Just basing your argument on an imaginary premise.

 

In fact this viewpoint is in itself born of determination to be offended.

[StanSP]

Anyone else not bothered? It's a song that won't be played on a specific radio station how it used to be. They're playing an edited version. 

 

I bet most people don't even listen to Radio 1 anyway

 

If people want to listen to it so badly, there are so many platforms you can use to listen to the unedited original. 

 

Really isn't much of a big deal that 3-4 minutes of a song won't be played on a radio station for a few days around Christmas. 

[urban.spaceman]

I remember having a discussion on Facebook with an old friend of mine a few years ago when people first started to complain about the song. He's gay so obviously has an invested interest in standing against homophobic slurs. I tried to explain the context of the song, the meaning of the word in Irish culture and the actual intent of the lyrics, but he just wasn't having it. Then last Christmas the debate arose again between him and one of his friends, I think because of Gavin and Stacey using the song uncensored. THE SAME GUY was now saying "FFS It's just a lyric and it doesn't even mean what people think it means". Point is, just because people are offended it doesn't mean they're right. 

[Dunge]

This whole debate to me is an interesting demonstration of society changing to me. Back when the song was written, there would probably have been more upset around the word “arse” or the brazen drug-taking.
 

The song itself is a difficult one to me. I feel inclined to give it a pass, but that’s probably biased because I just like it. I tend to feel with things like this that people focus too much on the words themselves rather than the intention behind them. With the Fairytale of New York, I’ve never considered it to be degrading to people, despite the language. To me it’s just a song about a couple of obviously flawed and damaged characters arguing and lamenting, with the backdrop of Christmas time and happy memories of the past stirring the emotions. The insults aren’t aimed to degrade a particular group, they’re merely in character. I think that’s different to a song where, for instance, the same words might be used by a singer to try to paint a more deliberate message. However, the comments about whether it’s suitable for kids and family audiences in general are entirely fair.

 

On a related note though, does anyone else remember the times under Ian Holloway when we were playing Oliver’s Army pre-match over the tannoy and the stadium announcer would always time an announcement mid-song to talk over the N word in it?

[Babylon]

20 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

I honestly thought that was German when I first read it.

Ha ha same

[Nalis]

Just now, StanSP said:

Anyone else not bothered? It's a song that won't be played on a specific radio station how it used to be. They're playing an edited version. 

 

I bet most people don't even listen to Radio 1 anyway

 

If people want to listen to it so badly, there are so many platforms you can use to listen to the unedited original. 

 

Really isn't much of a big deal that 3-4 minutes of a song won't be played on a radio station for a few days around Christmas. 

I love the song but it does need censoring on the radio, its only a few words anyway so its not a big deal. As you say the uncensored version is available on youtube etc anyway if people want to listen to that version.

[Innovindil]

29 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

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'.

Of course there have been cases, you'll find it censored in many places. However it doesn't mean the word itself is offensive, and never has. 

 

One of my favourite jokes of the last couple of years is ironically based around the acceptable use of the word faggot and ends with an n-word. The vast majority of the crowd were black, and I didn't see a single offended person anywhere amongst them. I saw everyone laughing, which I guess is the point of the joke. Now, that isn't to say someone, somewhere wasn't offended, I'm sure there was. The point is the word wasn't meant to cause offense. Anyone that was offended by a mere word, no matter the context, shouldn't be able to decide on what is acceptable for everyone else. 

[Captain...]

1 hour ago, boots60 said:

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?

So many songs have a radio edit and have done for years, it is not exclusively the BBC it is not a big deal. We really all need to just calm down. Being offended by this is no better or worse than being offended by the words being censored. We really are becoming a society of weirdos with absolutely no sense of perspective.

 

In short I'm outraged at the outrage about the reaction to the outrage surrounding some words in a song.

Edited 19 November 2020 by Captain...

[Ashley]

Seems like cancel culture is well and truly taking over. 

 

I get the changing of the lyrics to this however it seems today's generation want something to always be offended by. 

 

Today in the news, students at DMU want the name changing due to Simon De Montfort persecution of Jews back in the 13th century  

 

What he done in terms of democracy goes against their agenda though. Seems people want to rewrite history.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leicestershire-54995643?__twitter_impression=true

 

Not seen an image that speaks volumes for thr current situation. 

 

Edited 19 November 2020 by Ashley

[Babylon]

3 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Anyone else not bothered? It's a song that won't be played on a specific radio station how it used to be. They're playing an edited version. 

 

I bet most people don't even listen to Radio 1 anyway

 

If people want to listen to it so badly, there are so many platforms you can use to listen to the unedited original. 

 

Really isn't much of a big deal that 3-4 minutes of a song won't be played on a radio station for a few days around Christmas. 

No, as I don't listen to the BBC. 

 

Censoring art, whether it's comedy, painting, sculpture, music, film is not a good thing though. Context should play a huge part of the argument and each piece should be judged individually.

 

The writer has explained the context, but he also said he's not getting into an argument about it and that if people want to alter it then they can. So if he's not precious about it, then nobody should be. 

[ealingfox]

4 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Seems like cancel culture is well and truly taking over. 

 

I get the changing of the lyrics to this however it seems today's generation want something to always be offended by. 

 

Today in the news, students at DMU want the name changing due to Simon De Montfort persecution of Jews back in the 13th century  

 

What he done in terms of democracy goes against their agenda though. Seems people want to rewrite history.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leicestershire-54995643?__twitter_impression=true

 

Not seen an image that speaks volumes for thr current situation. 

 

 

But airbrushing anti-semitism doesnt count as not remembering the past?

[Ashley]

3 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

 

But airbrushing anti-semitism doesnt count as not remembering the past?

 

What I'm getting at, is if the name gets changed here let's take down the Ghandi statue on Melton Road and all the other statues of racists/bad people. 

 

You can't have an agenda against one thing then not for another it doesn't work that way. 

[Manini]

28 minutes ago, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

They will however be playing the unedited WAP in all its glory

Absolutely no point in that being played on national radio considering they have to hush out ever other word. Doesn’t stop them through!
 

She’s a piss-taker is Cardi-B, I’m certain she isn’t even bothered about making music she’s just keen to see what she can get away with at this point. And by the looks of it it’s whatever the **** she likes  

[AKCJ]

8 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Seems like cancel culture is well and truly taking over. 

 

I get the changing of the lyrics to this however it seems today's generation want something to always be offended by. 

 

Today in the news, students at DMU want the name changing due to Simon De Montfort persecution of Jews back in the 13th century  

 

What he done in terms of democracy goes against their agenda though. Seems people want to rewrite history.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leicestershire-54995643?__twitter_impression=true

 

Not seen an image that speaks volumes for thr current situation. 

 

Hardly cancel culture is it Ashley. We're talking about not having the words faggot and slut broadcast on national radio and television. In the same way those words would be censored in any other song.

[Ashley]

5 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Hardly cancel culture is it Ashley. We're talking about not having the words faggot and slut broadcast on national radio and television. In the same way those words would be censored in any other song.

 

It is and it isn't. 

 

I get why the words have been changed but there are worse songs out there that don't get this sort of attention which albeit need changing too? We going to change everything for todays soceity? Where is the line drawn?

[Buce]

16 minutes ago, Innovindil said:

Of course there have been cases, you'll find it censored in many places. However it doesn't mean the word itself is offensive, and never has. 

 

One of my favourite jokes of the last couple of years is ironically based around the acceptable use of the word faggot and ends with an n-word. The vast majority of the crowd were black, and I didn't see a single offended person anywhere amongst them. I saw everyone laughing, which I guess is the point of the joke. Now, that isn't to say someone, somewhere wasn't offended, I'm sure there was. The point is the word wasn't meant to cause offense. Anyone that was offended by a mere word, no matter the context, shouldn't be able to decide on what is acceptable for everyone else. 

 

It is, and always has been, perjorative.

 

You may not find it offensive (I'm assuming you aren't black?) but I don't know a single black person who would agree.