Money for nothing.

[clockout]

Dire straights "Money for nothing" has been banned from Canadian airwaves/radiowaves for the following lyrics.

"(See the little ****** with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that?s his own hair
That little ****** got his own jet airplane
That little ****** he?s a millionaire)"

here's the link

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347030/Homophobic-Dire-Straits-hit-Money-For-Nothing-banned-radio--26-years-release.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

It took only one person to complain after 25 years to get the song banned.

 

[Shivarage]

oh nooo you mustn't be jealous of the rich guy /sarcasm

 

[WolfThomas]

Huh, I've listened to that song hundreds of times and never noticed the word "******"

 

[Skorpyo]

Oh snap. Some jerk got upset.

Oh well. Here's to the Canadian Escapist's, "******" and all:

 

[BlumiereBleck]

WHAT!!!! That is utter evil! RADIO HAS NO RIGHT TO CENSOR!!!! Unless it is private government secrets! BUT unless it's a children's radio station they have no right to censor that word!!!

 

[StBishop]

Good.

I think the original should still be available for purchase in iTunes and obviously it'd still be available in all of the albums or singles but that version shouldn't be on broadcast radio.

WHAT!!!! That is utter evil! RADIO HAS NO RIGHT TO CENSOR!!!! Unless it is private government secrets! BUT unless it's a children's radio station they have no right to censor that word!!!

I think what you mean is that the Government has no right to censor a publicly owned radio station, because the radio station has every right to censor themselves. They are a business and if they feel a song will either lose them listeners or give them a bad image they have every right to play a radio edit.

The radio edit already exists, it's all that plays on radio and TV here in Australia.

Also, the governing body that dictates what is and is not acceptable to be played on broad cast radio kind of exists for exactly this reason, to protect people from this kind of thing.

Imagine if you couldn't listen to the radio with your kids in the car because you don't know what kind of language your 4 year old is being exposed to.

 

[viranimus]

I really like Canada some days. Most days the Canadians truly impress me with how right they get it. Other days, I just end up sad and alarmed. This is one of those days.

 

[StBishop]

Wait, people are actually upset by this? Why?

 

[Cheesepower5]

"This video contains content from UMG, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."

Well, so much for us Canadian escapists.

 

[Saltyk]

Oh snap. Some jerk got upset.

Oh well. Here's to the Canadian Escapist's, "******" and all:

Okay, so my eyes bled. The CGI was just so bad. But the song rocked as always.

So, um the context of the word doesn't matter? Because the song is from the point of view of a person insulting the musicians. Self-depreciating at the least.

Anyway, this is one reason I love XM. No censorship.

 

[muckinscavitch]

This is why I love my local radio station, they sensor nothing.

F-bomb in Who are you? by The Who. Not censored... Among other examples...
And now they are openly saying they are going to refuse to censor Money for Nothing as well, they said this on the National news


Note for British Escapists: In your version, the original release, of the song, the word "Queenie" is in the place of our "******". It was changed for the North American release since us here in North America wouldn't know what Queenie means.

 

[Empireth]

And my chicks for free?
(No? Not anymore?)

Now, that ain't workin', that's not the way you do it.
Let me tell you, them guys are dumb.

...Song lyric'd feelings aside: Whaaaat. Seriously? Bloody hell, people. I grew up with that song. It's 26 years later, yes, the lyrics aren't "politically correct," but really. They are aware that Knopfler wrote most of the lyrics down based on some dude in an appliance store, yes? He wasn't advocating hate against homosexuals, he was taking on a persona in his lyrics. A bit like acting, but in music.

Let's build on that link. Acting and music.

Say, for example, there is a play. In one scene, they're in an appliance store. And as a man is staring at the walls of televisions set to MTV, he comes up with all these ridiculous lines. If Knopfler had written a play based on the events, they would not ban it. Not even if someone complained. Yes, those lines are "extremely offensive to gay, lesbian and bisexual people." I am not denying that. But were they to go see the play, they would realize that a character is saying these lines. The key to a good character personification is to make them believable. And hell, I am not going to deny that there are still people like this out there.

Honestly. I'm a little disappointed about the reaction to ban this song. Yes, it's offensive. But people, people! Research things before blindly censoring! Even on wikipedia it tells you about how he wrote down the majority of those lines based on that one guy in the appliance store.
I'm definitely disappointed in the fact that they're banning the song simply due to the word '******' though it was written in character. It was not advocating the band's position on gay, lesbian or bisexual people, from what I understand.

 

[kakaomasse]

so much for PC.

 

[StBishop]

And my chicks for free?
(No? Not anymore?)

Now, that ain't workin', that's not the way you do it.
Let me tell you, them guys are dumb.

...Song lyric'd feelings aside: Whaaaat. Seriously? Bloody hell, people. I grew up with that song. It's 26 years later, yes, the lyrics aren't "politically correct," but really. They are aware that Knopfler wrote most of the lyrics down based on some dude in an appliance store, yes? He wasn't advocating hate against homosexuals, he was taking on a persona in his lyrics. A bit like acting, but in music.

Let's build on that link. Acting and music.

Say, for example, there is a play. In one scene, they're in an appliance store. And as a man is staring at the walls of televisions set to MTV, he comes up with all these ridiculous lines. If Knopfler had written a play based on the events, they would not ban it. Not even if someone complained. Yes, those lines are "extremely offensive to gay, lesbian and bisexual people." I am not denying that. But were they to go see the play, they would realize that a character is saying these lines. The key to a good character personification is to make them believable. And hell, I am not going to deny that there are still people like this out there.

Honestly. I'm a little disappointed about the reaction to ban this song. Yes, it's offensive. But people, people! Research things before blindly censoring! Even on wikipedia it tells you about how he wrote down the majority of those lines based on that one guy in the appliance store.
I'm definitely disappointed in the fact that they're banning the song simply due to the word '******' though it was written in character. It was not advocating the band's position on gay, lesbian or bisexual people, from what I understand.

It's not banned though!!

It's just not allowed on the radio. How is this bad?

If you want to use the theatre example it's more like a street performer who acosts people going about their business using the word ****** "in character".

They're not banning the song, just stopping it from being played on the radio.
You can still get the song on CD or digital copies. Which is more like going to a play because you know what you're going to.

I think a lot of Escapists tend to forget that there are other people alive beyond themselves and their social groups.

I would hazard a guess that not a single person complaining about this has young children. Do you really want to have to explain to little Timmy why he can't use the word ******?

I just don't see how censoring fowl language (Yes it is fowl, you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother[footnote] yes I know some of you would[/footnote] that makes it fowl) on radio is bad.

 

[Empireth]

It's not banned though!!

It's just not allowed on the radio. How is this bad?

If you want to use the theatre example it's more like a street performer who acosts people going about their business using the word ****** "in character".

They're not banning the song, just stopping it from being played on the radio.
You can still get the song on CD or digital copies. Which is more like going to a play because you know what you're going to.

I think a lot of Escapists tend to forget that there are other people alive beyond themselves and their social groups.

I would hazard a guess that not a single person complaining about this has young children. Do you really want to have to explain to little Timmy why he can't use the word ******?

I just don't see how censoring fowl language (Yes it is fowl, you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother[footnote] yes I know some of you would[/footnote] that makes it fowl) on radio is bad.

Okay, I know it's not permanently banned. That would make my copy of the song illegal. Which, it isn't, I have it on LP.

What I'm getting at here, though, is that it's banned on the radio. Yes, I know, it's a radio, who cares, right? Wrong. I, among many other people still listen to the radio. It's why there are still so many radio stations in business. And I like that song. I'm going to miss it when it's not played.

And no, it wouldn't be more like a street performer. Because street performers actually catch you by surprise. It'd be more like an improv troupe. People know they're going to listen to a certain radio station - say the classic rock one (I don't know about you, but that's what I listen to). They aren't 'suddenly accosted' by a station they didn't realize was going to be playing. If they are, well, they should talk to the people that are around who might have touched their dials.

And no, I'm well aware there are other people alive beyond my social circle. I'm just amazed that the people that will listen to the radio stations that play the music all written with the 60s, 70s, and 80s mentality don't stop to think about the mentality that those songs were written in.

You're right, I don't have young children, and I never will. But what I can say is that I grew up listening to the song. [Although, I also grew up often getting awoken to the machine guns blaring in The Friends of Mr. Cairo by Jon & Vangelis early on Saturday morning...]
And I can honestly say I never even knew it contained the word '******' until I looked up the lyrics. And really, you just have to look at the education system these days... I know there was going to be a survey conducted in the high schools and elementary schools around me that asked kids as young as grade seven (so, twelve/eleven year olds) what their sexuality was. I don't think that survey ever happened, but that's besides the point. The kids these days know what the word '******' means by the age of seven, six... just ask one. And they also know that it's impolite and they should never use the word.

...And I think you mean foul language, unless you're trying to say I wouldn't talk about birds around my grandmother?
Again, my point is, you choose to listen to that radio station. You know what type of music they play. If you don't like the music, just listen to a different channel, it's that simple. It's the same reason why I don't listen to the new music station in town - I just can't stand it.

 

[TWRule]

Radio censorship?

That ain't workin'...

 

[spartan1077]

snip

Funny I love the song and figured;
I'll listen to it
And then it came up as banned in my location. Fucking censorship things. I've never noticed that word in the song!

 

[StBishop]

Snip

Okay, I know it's not permanently banned. That would make my copy of the song illegal. Which, it isn't, I have it on LP.

What I'm getting at here, though, is that it's banned on the radio. Yes, I know, it's a radio, who cares, right? Wrong. I, among many other people still listen to the radio. It's why there are still so many radio stations in business. And I like that song. I'm going to miss it when it's not played.

And no, it wouldn't be more like a street performer. Because street performers actually catch you by surprise. It'd be more like an improv troupe. People know they're going to listen to a certain radio station - say the classic rock one (I don't know about you, but that's what I listen to). They aren't 'suddenly accosted' by a station they didn't realize was going to be playing. If they are, well, they should talk to the people that are around who might have touched their dials.

And no, I'm well aware there are other people alive beyond my social circle. I'm just amazed that the people that will listen to the radio stations that play the music all written with the 60s, 70s, and 80s mentality don't stop to think about the mentality that those songs were written in.

You're right, I don't have young children, and I never will. But what I can say is that I grew up listening to the song. [Although, I also grew up often getting awoken to the machine guns blaring in The Friends of Mr. Cairo by Jon & Vangelis early on Saturday morning...]
And I can honestly say I never even knew it contained the word '******' until I looked up the lyrics. And really, you just have to look at the education system these days... I know there was going to be a survey conducted in the high schools and elementary schools around me that asked kids as young as grade seven (so, twelve/eleven year olds) what their sexuality was. I don't think that survey ever happened, but that's besides the point. The kids these days know what the word '******' means by the age of seven, six... just ask one. And they also know that it's impolite and they should never use the word.

...And I think you mean foul language, unless you're trying to say I wouldn't talk about birds around my grandmother?
Again, my point is, you choose to listen to that radio station. You know what type of music they play. If you don't like the music, just listen to a different channel, it's that simple. It's the same reason why I don't listen to the new music station in town - I just can't stand it.

I also listen to the radio but I don't just listen to one station. Quite regularly songs come on that I don't like so I change channel, if my nephew was in the car I don't want to have to worry about exposing him to foul (Thank's for catching that) language and then have to explain to him about what it means and why he shouldn't use it.

I just don't think it's a problem for the radio to be censored. They'll still play the song, they'll just play a different edit of it. Similar to what happens when you listen to rap music and 5% of the words are replaced by scratching, "wicka-wicka" sounds because they're profane.

Or you'll get a version where the word is replaced with nancy or something.

 

[Empireth]

I also listen to the radio but I don't just listen to one station. Quite regularly songs come on that I don't like so I change channel, if my nephew was in the car I don't want to have to worry about exposing him to foul (Thank's for catching that) language and then have to explain to him about what it means and why he shouldn't use it.

I just don't think it's a problem for the radio to be censored. They'll still play the song, they'll just play a different edit of it. Similar to what happens when you listen to rap music and 5% of the words are replaced by scratching, "wicka-wicka" sounds because they're profane.

Or you'll get a version where the word is replaced with nancy or something.

Fair enough, I just tend to sit through them. Most of the stuff on the radio I rather enjoy, so I'm happy with just the one.

And that brings up a question: How old is your nephew? [You really don't have to answer that. Please don't.]
Because depending on his age, I'd probably sit him down and talk to him about it. And hey, if you're already in a car, you can skip right to the talking to him about it! What a lot of people tend to forget is that kids are really smart. They're annoying little buggers once they reach the stage of cockiness or when they're still really loud in public places when they're really little and are just starting to talk, but don't get me wrong. They're amazingly smart. They're inquisitive, and they think. And hey, you never know, it might bring about an interesting conversation with him asking 'Why do we want to treat different people badly?' "Well, that's a good question. People are silly sometimes." [etc]

However, I guess you would have to go along with what his parents want him to know... but to be honest, I wish I'd had that type of person to converse with when I was younger. All the adults I knew and know like to shy away from potentially touchy topics such as bad words and why people should use not them, and how they'd originated. However, I knew from the get-go that I shouldn't use words like that based on actions when I was younger... Mum used to chastise me whenever I used the expression 'Oh my god!' [Even in writing. Even when writing a character. Even if I didn't capitalize it. Or if I used 'gawd.' I stuck with 'Oh my goddess!' or 'Oh goodness!' from then on...] But still, it would've been nice to have had frank discussions about it, rather than skirting the topic. However, I am not your nephew. It really does depend on the child.

And those versions always annoy me to bits: "That's not how the song goes! I know how the song goes! Stop mussing with my music!"