Saturday, January 15, 2011

This is getting silly ...

Earlier in the week we had a storm in a Happy Meal over McDonald's filtering the FREE WIFI network which it makes available to customers. Our view of that is that it's McDonald's network, and McDonald's can make the rules over what is and isn't acceptable. The "homophobia" label is getting tossed around far too liberally, in our ever humble opinion.

So it is with this next story - have a read of this:

Canadian radio stations have been warned to censor the 1985 Dire Straits hit Money for Nothing, after a complaint that the lyrics of the Grammy Award-winning song were derogatory to gay men.

A St John's, Newfoundland, station should have edited the song to remove the word "faggot" because it violates Canada's human rights standards, according to ruling this week by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

A unnamed listener to OZ FM in the Atlantic Coast province complained to the industry watchdog last year after hearing the song, which features Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and fellow rock star Sting.

The council said it realised Dire Straits uses the word sarcastically, and its use might have been acceptable in 1985 when the best-selling Brothers in Arms album was released, but said it was now inappropriate.

"The decision doesn't really relate to the Dire Straits song at the end of the day, the decision relates to the word in question," Ron Cohen, the council's chairman, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.


Give us strength! What is going to be the next target for the easily-offended? To put the words in context, one needs to understand the song, and it's well described here. The words are those of a working-class man (is it still acceptable to say working class, or is that elitist?), and Mark Knoffler has said that the words came straight from a delivery guy in an appliance store.

Anyway, Money for Nothing hasn't been banned or censored in New Zealand - yet - so we can still enjoy it in its original form



9 comments:

MacDoctor said...

One wonders what they would make of the Dire Straits song "Les Boys"?

robertguyton said...

MacDonalds is implementing blocks on all right-wing blogs and Christian blogs in it's wifi-enabled outlets.
But of course, MacDonalds can 'make rules over what is and isn't acceptable' so you have no concerns about that, eh Inv2!

Inventory2 said...

No concerns whatsoever Robert. It's their network; they decide what content is acceptable. And I'd like to think that those who visit this esteemed blog aren't Macca's regulars anyway :)

Farmer Baby Boomer said...

This is a joke. There are, however, serious implications.

robertguyton said...

All of the book sellers in New Zealand are removing every book that has positive reference to Jesus from their shelves. You won't know this because they're privately owned businesses and no one is telling.
Any issues Iv2?

Inventory2 said...

@ Robert; most of them already have!

robertguyton said...

How do you feel about that?
Opressed much?

robertguyton said...

Are you supportive of bookshops that remove positive references to Christanity from their shelves Inv2?
If some Christians protested, would you support them on your blog or not?

Inventory2 said...

Christians have been oppressed since .. hmmm ... oh, way back in Jesus' days Robert. It's nothing new, and I'm not going to make a song and dance about it