F****tale of New York
The BBC bleeped the word “faggot” in the Christmas song Fairytale of New York because they feared that it might offend some gay viewers. The offending passage goes:
This obviously and deservedly produced a hell of a lot of criticism from listeners and DJs alike, and the BBC has since backtracked from their absurd position. It’s hardly as if the word “faggot” was used as an attack on gay people in this context, or as if the BBC has not played some far more offensive lyrics masquerading as “music”.
The BBC have at least reversed this decision. But it is far more worrying to me that it could even be considered offensive, and thus worthy of being bleeped out. Political correctness gone stark raving bonkers!
It does fill me with some sense of hope for the future of society, however, quite how roundly they have been criticised for doing it. Long may this attack of common sense continue.
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I was amused following this story in the hourly music news bulletins on BBC 6 music.
So clearly have the days of one BBC gone. As Radio 1 were censoring the song, 6 music were reporting:
“Radio 1 have censored the word faggot”. Obviously, the listeners to 6 are less easily offended.
After the ban was lifted, they then had an interview from an irate gay rights campaigner - saying it’s wrong that the Beeb have lifted the ban. I’m guessing that if it hadn’t been banned in the first place, he wouldn’t have even noticed it.
Still, no publicity is bad publicity. See Relax. Could help it making Christmas No1 after all…
I just read about this on Shades’s blog. I happened to be listening to the song on CD this morning and was struck by the words. At one point they talk about handsome and pretty, and I thought ‘Shane McGown handsome?!!!!!’
She was pretty though…
They didn’t actually bleep it out, by the way, they just snipped it out and substituted another snippet that almost fitted.