BBC Radio 1 censors the word "****" from Fairytale of New York

Snake Plisken

Are they right to censor the song or is it political correctness gone mad?

Radio 1 censors Pogues' Fairytale
BBC Radio 1 has said it will stand by its ban on the word "****" from the Pogues' 1987 Christmas hit Fairytale of New York to avoid offence.
The word, sung by the late Kirsty MacColl as she trades insults with Shane MacGowan, has been dubbed out.
But MacColl's mother, Jean, called the ban "too ridiculous", while the Pogues said they found it "amusing".
The BBC said: "We are playing an edited version because some members of the audience might find it offensive."
A Radio 1 spokeswoman said the station's management had met on Tuesday morning to discuss the issue.
The song is a duet between MacColl and Shane MacGowan
She said they "had made their decision" and would not be going back on it.
But the ban does not apply across the BBC. Radio 2 said it would be playing the full version of the track.
MacColl, who was killed by a speedboat off the coast of Mexico in 2000, brands Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan "you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy ****" in the song, which reached number two when it was first released.
She continues: "Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last."
Another line, where MacGowan calls MacColl "an old slut on junk", has also been edited.
Jean MacColl told BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast: "These are a couple of characters - not in the first flush of youth, I would have thought.
"This is the way they spoke. Today we have a lot of a gratuitous vulgarity and whatever from people all over which I think is quite unnecessary.
"They are what they are. These are characters and they speak like that."
A spokesman for the Pogues, who first formed in 1982 and reunited in 2001 after a five-year break, said they "found it amusing that a song that has been one of the best-loved Christmas tunes should suddenly have been deemed offensive".
Listeners have also been criticising the ban on the Radio 1 Newsbeat website.
Denise Venn said it was "a complete over-reaction" and Simon from Southampton called it "political correctness gone mad".
Dean in Southampton added: "I'm gay and it certainly doesn't offend me.
"I find it more offensive that the BBC has tampered with this track which hopefully will be number one this Christmas."
However, veteran gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said Radio 1's actions were right.
"The word **** is being sung as an insult, alongside scumbag and maggot. In this abusive context it is unacceptable," he said.
"It is shameful that BBC Radio 2 and other radio and TV stations are continuing to play the full version with the word **** included. It shows that they don't take homophobic language as seriously as racist language."

Cathmandooo

was bound to happen some day. It is political correctness gone mad


Happy Holidays bleeeeeh

constitutionus

ah those crazy brits ! (he say's knowing full well its only time before it happens here )

Latchy

Still havent forgave the bbc for banning staus quo from the play list ..........B'stads :rolleyes:

Dudess

Ridiculous. That's how tough Irish immigrants spoke - like it or lump it. In the context of the song it's not a homophobic insult anyway.

They may as well just play the Ronan Keating "cover" which features "you scumbag, you maggot, you're cheap and you're haggard." :rolleyes:

Red Hand

They should censor that whole f*cking song! Its the worst thing about Christmas tbh.

Mossy Monk

They are censoring it because someone might be offended. For shame. Bundles of dry sticks everywhere, unite against censorship. Can't say I listen to BBC Radio 1 anyway. I am more of a BBC Radio 2 person.

pickarooney

Wonder what they replaced it by? If only there were alternative words for '****' and a comprehensive listing thereof...

Latchy

Its a very British establishment thing to meddle and interfere with stuff ,.Remember that dj mike read refusing to play ' god save the queen'

He is now an establishment luvvie

Trojan911

Cathooo wrote: »

was bound to happen some day. It is political correctness gone mad. Happy Holidays bleeeeeh

That's the Beeb for you. All one big happy smiley family. Er.. Merry Christmas, now I'm off to look at my PC Nativity set......... in case it offends er, er, somebody.

The Real B-man

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

They should censor that whole f*cking song! Its the worst thing about Christmas tbh.

Ahh liven up!! its a great song

leninbenjamin

haven't BBC1 been censoring it for a while now? i remember something like this happening before too...

Robbo

I heard they were banning the phrase "political correctness gone mad" it's highly offensive to minorities who prefer not to converse solely through banality...

Red Hand

The Real B-man wrote: »

Ahh liven up!! its a great song

Its one of the worst songs ever created. I absolutely loathe it. Honestly! Jesus, if only the lot of them singing it had a bout of laryngitus when recording it and temporarily forgot how to play their instruments, my Christmas would be alot happier.

Creature

Oh no Christmas is ruined!

Dragan

*always thought a **** was a small piece of dry firewood*

WindSock

Yeah, the should change it to you scumbag, you bundle of sticks, shuve it up yer hole, you cock-sucking prick.

constitutionus

Dragan wrote: »

*always thought a **** was a small piece of dry firewood*

health and saftey issue prehaps? remember kids only use expensive sturdy faggots to start fires !

ScumLord

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

They should censor that whole f*cking song! Its the worst thing about Christmas tbh.

Agreed, it's not that I think it's a bad song I'm just sick of listening to it.

MagicMarker

You think that's bad?

Paramount censor ''ass'' from the likes of That 70's Show. :rolleyes:

Anyway... who cares exactly?

Pj!

They did what????

Faggots!

ScumLord

constitutionus wrote: »

health and saftey issue prehaps? remember kids only use expensive sturdy faggots to start fires !

actually isn't a **** a cheap losey piece of chipper food in the UK.

Latchy

ScumLord wrote: »

actually isn't a **** a cheap losey piece of chipper food in the UK.

You can also buy em frozen in tescos

constitutionus

latchyco wrote: »

You can also buy em frozen in tescos

what the hell has the BBC got against tescos! elitest feckers

Pj!

latchyco wrote: »

You can also buy em frozen in tescos

Tesco is full of faggots???

I heard ya!

ejmaztec

It's a real bummer all this messing around with Chrimbo!

xOxSinéadxOx

Dudess wrote: »

Ridiculous. That's how tough Irish immigrants spoke - like it or lump it. In the context of the song it's not a homophobic insult anyway.

They may as well just play the Ronan Keating "cover" which features "you scumbag, you maggot, you're cheap and you're haggard." :rolleyes:

ughh is that cover by ronan keating? they play that ALL the time instead of the original. why? why did he do it?

Dragan

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

why? why did he do it?

Because he's a ......... you guessed it!

Pigman II

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

They should censor that whole f*cking song! Its the worst thing about Christmas tbh.

Nah I think the worst thing about Christmas is all the dead puppies and old people.

Mr. CooL ICE

I find Shania Twain's lyrics offensive. Her sometimes male-bashing or over exaggerated stereotypes are not 100% representative of the common male opinion. What are the BBC going to do?

Latchy

Forky wrote: »

Tesco is full of faggots???

I heard ya!

They also sell edible ones to ......?

Dragan

LordChessington wrote: »

I find Shania Twain's lyrics offensive. Her sometimes male-bashing or over exaggerated stereotypes are not 100% representative of the common male opinion. What are the BBC going to do?

It depends, if your a straight white male you'll be told to go and **** yourself and stop being so sensitive.

If your anyone else they'll pay attention.

lynchie

Dragan wrote: »

*always thought a **** was a small piece of dry firewood*

It is.. if ya forget to spell it with 2 g's!!

Pherekydes

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

They should censor that whole f*cking song! Its the worst thing about Christmas tbh.

+1000

Odious rotten song. I loathe it.

Pigman II

Dragan wrote: »

Because he's a ......... you guessed it!

.... unscrupulous charlatan who has no reservations about rewriting a classic tune to fit his target market of wholesome families and pre-teen girls?

Oh and he's also a **** btw.

BrookieD

BBC Radio 1 controller just on the radio to say its reversed this stupid act and the un edited version will play on the air from this evening

Earthhorse

What I'd like is I'd like to hug and kiss you.

BrookieD

ok whatever floats your boat

phasers

as a spokeswoman for the love a maggot association, I am thoroughly offended by these lyrics

ejmaztec

I find it odd that someone is trying to get the UK Christmas Number 1 with "Hava Nagila", the Jewish folk song. Christmas has been hijacked by everybody.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/935420.html

Dragan

Pigman II wrote: »

.... unscrupulous charlatan who has no reservations about rewriting a classic tune to fit his target market of wholesome families and pre-teen girls?

Oh and he's also a **** btw.

You got my first lol of the day.

I salute you.

Genghiz Cohen

And now they are playing the un-censored version.

Is this a sign that there is absolutely nothing else happening in the world?

connundrum

Its nigh on impossible to censor a **** methinks.

GLaDOS

http://www.ljudmila.org/siqrd/oznanila/29_december_slika%20meseca-6faggots-mala.jpg

Dudess

latchyco wrote: »

Its a very British establishment thing to meddle and interfere with stuff ,.Remember that dj mike read refusing to play ' god save the queen'

He is now an establishment luvvie

Yep, he ran for Conservative Mayor of London. But wasn't it Frankie's Relax that he refused to play?

Robbo wrote: »

I heard they were banning the phrase "political correctness gone mad" it's highly offensive to minorities who prefer not to converse solely through banality...

Hee hee. God how I hate that expression...

MagicMarker wrote: »

You think that's bad?

Paramount censor ''ass'' from the likes of That 70's Show. :rolleyes:

Anyway... who cares exactly?

Ah it's a pain in the arse when lyrics to a great song are bleeped out.
But yeah, re That 70s Show: I find it amusing the way MTV etc bleep out the word "ass" at 2am but have no problem actually SHOWING a load of female ass at... any time of the day really.

Slow coach wrote: »

+1000

Odious rotten song. I loathe it.

But you'd prefer it to, say, Shakin' Stevens' Merry Christmas Everyone or Cliff's Mistletoe and Wine or Boney M's Mary's Boy Child... wouldn't you?

Earthhorse wrote: »

What I'd like is I'd like to hug and kiss you.

Dragan wrote: »

You got my first lol of the day.

I salute you.

It took until 6pm for you to lol? And on Christmas week? You are one serious dude!

Dave!

Surprised it was allowed for so long to be honest... It's an offensive term for homosexuals (as well as being a bundle of sticks). If the song was "you cheap lousy n*gger", I wonder would it still be "PC gone mad."

You're either allowed to use those kinds of words on the radio, or you're not... Can't pick and choose.

Dudess

But would you not make allowances for context?

Dave!

Dudess wrote: »

But would you not make allowances for context?

I'm sure you would... Like if you were having a discussion on how offensive the term "f*ggot" is, then you would probably be permitted to use the term...... Not sure this song qualifies though! The context is that she is using "f*ggot" in the same sentence as scumbag, maggot, cheap, and lousy.......

Dudess

But, while it's being used as an insult, I don't think it's necessarily a dig at gay men.

BrookieD wrote: »

ok whatever floats your boat

I can't BELIEVE there are still people on this earth who don't get Simpsons references! Come on, Brookie, start watching those yellow people!

testicle

DaveMcG wrote: »

Surprised it was allowed for so long to be honest... It's an offensive term for homosexuals (as well as being a bundle of sticks). If the song was "you cheap lousy n*gger", I wonder would it still be "PC gone mad."

You're either allowed to use those kinds of words on the radio, or you're not... Can't pick and choose.

It's allowed again now, Auntie has reversed her decision

I've heard this censored for a few years now, one of the Sky music stations was bound to do it at some time over the Christmas period. The "offensive" lyric was simply blanked out. But I've heard worse, not even the word "ass" ... I've heard "gun" being censored in a couple of songs over the last year or so. Absolute madness "eh, I heard Rihanna say gun so I'm gonna whip out a glock at me oul one"

As much as everyone attempts to hijack Christmas number ones, I think they're already the forte of "reality TV" manufactured artists and groups. I wouldn't be surprised if the new X Factor winner gets it.