BBC censors Pogues song after 20 years of not doing so

[Hillary]

Wasn't sure whether this was N&P, SLAM or OT.

From here

BBC Radio 1 has said it will stand by its ban on the word "faggot" 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.

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 faggot" 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 faggot 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 faggot included. It shows that they don't take homophobic language as seriously as racist language."

Posted without comment for now.

[Darth Wong]

What's wrong with censoring the word "faggot" out of a song? People routinely censor words like "fuck", "shit", "cock", and "cunt" from TV shows, movies, and songs before airing them.

[Dartzap]

Radio 2 are not doing it, though. It's just the under twenties that are being protected, heh.

Technically, over here, a faggot is a type of welsh meatball, the other meaning comes from a certain place whose culture has similarities to flatulence: It can be loud or quiet, and a fair amount of it smells and its spreads everywhere.

[Hillary]

Nothing at all in my opinion. I was just interested that:

1) it has taken them 20 years to do so;

2) they have only done so on their "yoof" station - obviously, they are not doing this through "morality" reasons, but pandering to their audience. Surely a topic like this should be looked at on a BBC wide basis, rather than station by station

[Dartzap]

Nothing at all in my opinion. I was just interested that:

1) it has taken them 20 years to do so;

2) they have only done so on their "yoof" station - obviously, they are not doing this through "morality" reasons, but pandering to their audience. Surely a topic like this should be looked at on a BBC wide basis, rather than station by station

Does this decision effect 1Extra and the Asian Network as well? Both are offshoots of R1, after all.

[Hillary]

Nothing at all in my opinion. I was just interested that:

1) it has taken them 20 years to do so;

2) they have only done so on their "yoof" station - obviously, they are not doing this through "morality" reasons, but pandering to their audience. Surely a topic like this should be looked at on a BBC wide basis, rather than station by station

Does this decision effect 1Extra and the Asian Network as well? Both are offshoots of R1, after all.

1Extra probably yes. Asian Network, no as I suspect the song wouldn't get within a million miles of their playlist.

[Flagg]

What's wrong with censoring the word "faggot" out of a song? People routinely censor words like "fuck", "shit", "cock", and "cunt" from TV shows, movies, and songs before airing them.

I think if you're gonna censor words, then that should be on the list. I find that censoring racial and sexual slurs is far more justified than simple curse words, which are harmless.

I really despise censoring songs, movies, and TV shows. I have more of a reaction to a bleep than to the words themselves. That's why I never watch movies on network or non-premium cable TV. I rarely listen to the radio, and when I do it's classic rock or talk. For the most part I just listen to CD's. I had satelight radio for awhile, but I just didn't drive enough to justify the $12 a month to myself.

[Molyneux]

What's wrong with censoring the word "faggot" out of a song? People routinely censor words like "fuck", "shit", "cock", and "cunt" from TV shows, movies, and songs before airing them.

Yes, and that is a shitty thing to do, too.

[Darth Wong]

What's wrong with censoring the word "faggot" out of a song? People routinely censor words like "fuck", "shit", "cock", and "cunt" from TV shows, movies, and songs before airing them.

Yes, and that is a shitty thing to do, too.

As long as you're consistent about it, I agree. What drives me nuts are the people (usually rural white conservative types) who get mad about "political correctness" when they hear that racial slurs are frowned upon, yet who encourage the censorship of "dirty words" or anything that might offend Judeo-Christian sensibilities.

[Flagg]

What pisses me off is that it's not like we all don't know the fucking word being bleeped. Even as a kid I knew exactly what was being said when they would bleep out the words to some R-rated movie edited down and shown at 3pm on a saturday afternoon.

[Molyneux]

What's wrong with censoring the word "faggot" out of a song? People routinely censor words like "fuck", "shit", "cock", and "cunt" from TV shows, movies, and songs before airing them.

Yes, and that is a shitty thing to do, too.

As long as you're consistent about it, I agree. What drives me nuts are the people (usually rural white conservative types) who get mad about "political correctness" when they hear that racial slurs are frowned upon, yet who encourage the censorship of "dirty words" or anything that might offend Judeo-Christian sensibilities.

I had a radio show for a year or so. That experience, always worried I'd let a dreaded profanity slip through and get a) kicked off the station or b) get the entire station in trouble with the FCC, was enough to convince me that censorship both governmental and in general is a really damn bad thing.

Anyone who worries more about a naughty word than about the content of what's said isn't worth a dirty nickel.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I don't agree with this at all, but am glad I wasn't imagining Radio 2 keeping the words in (I can only assume the retards who still like Radio 1 would never dare touch the dial anyway). Why they suddenly decided this is beyond me, and quite why they allowed it in the first place is a mystery.

Personally, I dislike such censorship in any form. When it has no real consistency, it's just fucking bad, like websites that turn "fuck" into "f*ck". Gee, can you tell what it is, kiddies?

[Zac Naloen]

Heh, they've gone back on this decision already.

[Dartzap]

BBC Radio 1 has said it will allow the Pogues' Fairytale of New York to be played on the station uncut, after criticism of a decision to censor it.

The words "slut" and "faggot" had been dubbed out from the 20-year-old festive hit by station executives.

But after a day of criticism from listeners, the band, and the mother of singer Kirsty MacColl, they changed their minds.

Controller Andy Parfitt said the original decision was "wrong".



The BBC had said that an edited version would be played because "some members of the audience might find it offensive".

'Creative freedom'

But sister station Radio 2 said it would play the track uncut, and Mr Parfitt subsequently said that after "careful consideration", the ban on the uncut version of the song would be lifted.

"Radio 1 does not play homophobic lyrics or condone bullying of any kind," he said.

"It is not always easy to get this right, mindful of our responsibility to our young audience. The unedited version will be played from now on.

"While we would never condone prejudice of any kind, we know our audiences are smart enough to distinguish between maliciousness and creative freedom. In the context of this song, I do not feel that there is any negative intent behind the use of the words, hence the reversal of the decision."

He told BBC News 24 the decision to edit the song had been made "some months ago" as part of a review of older records played on the station.

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 faggot" 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", was also edited.

'These are characters'

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".

Radio 1 listeners also criticised the ban on Newsbeat's website.

However, veteran gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said Radio 1's original actions were right.

"The word faggot is being sung as an insult, alongside scumbag and maggot. In this abusive context it is unacceptable," he said.

Indeed they have,

[chitoryu12]

I don't agree with this at all, but am glad I wasn't imagining Radio 2 keeping the words in (I can only assume the retards who still like Radio 1 would never dare touch the dial anyway). Why they suddenly decided this is beyond me, and quite why they allowed it in the first place is a mystery.

Personally, I dislike such censorship in any form. When it has no real consistency, it's just fucking bad, like websites that turn "fuck" into "f*ck". Gee, can you tell what it is, kiddies?

Besides, the only thing that censorship succeeds in is making the "naughty language" more obvious. Chef Gordan Ramsay said something on that whenever his colorful criticisms are bleeped out. Generally you will neither notice nor care about the language unless you are either extraordinarily conservative and "pure" or specifically trying to prevent people from hearing the words, in which case it is a better idea to simply shut off the TV than to put a loud beep in its place. And even then, the kids are likely learning such words on the playground anyway, so blocking, say, an 8-year-old from cursing on television is merely prolonging the inevitable unless he goes to a particularly strict religious school.

[Civil War Man]

Besides, the only thing that censorship succeeds in is making the "naughty language" more obvious. Chef Gordan Ramsay said something on that whenever his colorful criticisms are bleeped out. Generally you will neither notice nor care about the language unless you are either extraordinarily conservative and "pure" or specifically trying to prevent people from hearing the words, in which case it is a better idea to simply shut off the TV than to put a loud beep in its place. And even then, the kids are likely learning such words on the playground anyway, so blocking, say, an 8-year-old from cursing on television is merely prolonging the inevitable unless he goes to a particularly strict religious school.

A point similar to this was from Penn & Teller's Profanity episode on Bullshit. Basically, the so-called "shock artists" use these types of words because they shock, and objecting to the language they use only prompts them to use it more. And if the words stop bothering you, they will find more words that will. I'm sure if they had radio back in the 1840s, then you'd get massive protests for someone doing a reading of A Christmas Carol on the air, due to the extensive use of the word "humbug".

[Straha]

Yes, and that is a shitty thing to do, too.

As long as you're consistent about it, I agree. What drives me nuts are the people (usually rural white conservative types) who get mad about "political correctness" when they hear that racial slurs are frowned upon, yet who encourage the censorship of "dirty words" or anything that might offend Judeo-Christian sensibilities.

I had a radio show for a year or so. That experience, always worried I'd let a dreaded profanity slip through and get a) kicked off the station or b) get the entire station in trouble with the FCC, was enough to convince me that censorship both governmental and in general is a really damn bad thing.

Anyone who worries more about a naughty word than about the content of what's said isn't worth a dirty nickel.

I can echo this. I've almost let some really bad stuff slip on air and it's often a "skin of the teeth" catch. Luckily the station I work for/with is pretty laid back about stuff like this so it works out alright in the end.

In a way I can understand wanting to make sure that if you turn on your radio you're not going to be blasted by something you don't want your children to listen to. But the solution isn't to hide the world from them, the solution is to change the channel quickly, or kill the volume, and explain the situation to your children as best you can. It is the parent's job to be a parent and I shouldn't have to censor myself for you.