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Canada bans Dire Straits song!!!!

#3
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#4
My recollection of that history of that song was it was written based on what Marc Knoffler heard a guy at an electrical goods shop say when a band, possibly Motley Crew, came on the tv at the store. He apparently went and wrote the guys phrasing down. Although the F word is very offensive, I think it works well in the capturing the story of the song and think its sad that it gets edited out. That said, if these stations can't play other four letter words, I don't see why the F word in Money FOr Nothing should be allowed to be broadcast either.
 
#5
Mark Latimour said:
My recollection of that history of that song was it was written based on what Marc Knoffler heard a guy at an electrical goods shop say when a band, possibly Motley Crew, came on the tv at the store. He apparently went and wrote the guys phrasing down. Although the F word is very offensive, I think it works well in the capturing the story of the song and think its sad that it gets edited out. That said, if these stations can't play other four letter words, I don't see why the F word in Money FOr Nothing should be allowed to be broadcast either.
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I think it's kinda late to be trying to put the genie back in the bottle!
FIshheadjoe
 
#6
Classic rockers upset over ban on Dire Straits song
Tony King
1/13/2011

A Calgary DJ calls it politically correct craziness. Twenty-five years after its release, the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" has been deemed unfit for Canadian radio.

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council yesterday ruled the song violates human rights clauses in the broadcasters code of ethics. The council says the song can still be played, if radio stations edit out a lyric that's been deemed discriminatory to gays.

Terry DiMonte, morning show host on our classic rock sister station q-107, compares it to last week's controversy over the Mark Twain novel Huckleberry Finn. DiMonte says rock songs are also art and should be presented as the artist intended.

The issue arose following a complaint from a listener in St. John's, Newfoundland last year.
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Dire Straits Money For Nothing Lyrics

I want my MTV (X 16) Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it You play the guitar on the MTV That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb Maybe get a blister on your little finger Maybe get a blister on your thumb We gotta install microwave ovens Custom kitchen deliveries We gotta move these refrigerators We gotta move these color TV's (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) Gotta install microwave ovens Custom kitchen deliveries We gotta move these refrigerators Gotta move these color TV's I shoulda learned to play the guitar I shoulda learned to play them drums Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera Man we could have some And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises? Bangin' on the bongos like a chimpanzee That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free We gotta install microwave ovens Custom kitchens deliveries We gotta move these refrigerators We gotta move these color TV's Look a' here That ain't workin' that's the way you do it You play the guitar on your MTV That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Money for nothin' and chicks for free Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Look at that, look at that Money for nothin' and your chicks for free I want my, I want my, I want my MTV Money for nothin' and chicks for free (Fade) I want my, I want my, I want my MTV
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#7
Brethern, we must all bow down and worship at the altar of political correctness.
No parody, no comedy, no personal opinions allowed.
There are groups of people that are more important and more easily offended than you and I.
They seek out opportunities to be offended, or claim that your words, your thoughts,
your way of life offends them.

And they will make you conform to thier parodies, their comedy, and their personal opinions.

I'm convinced that soon they will have re-education camps set up for those of us who do not conform.

End of rant.
 
#8
I've heard of some countries getting albums later than others...but this just occurred to them NOW? I mean, it's only been 26 years...

wake me when Canada bans something relevent...y'all with your beedy eyes and floppy heads...
 
#9
The thread title is inflammatory and incorrect. Censoring a word =/= banning a song. Our public radio has been censored for ages.

"The panel noted that "Money for Nothing" would be acceptable for broadcast if suitably edited."

So just like every other song with vulgarity, they bleep it out. Oh noes. Do people even listen to the radio anymore?
 
#10
Smokin' Toaster said:
Brethern, we must all bow down and worship at the altar of political correctness.
No parody, no comedy, no personal opinions allowed.
There are groups of people that are more important and more easily offended than you and I.
They seek out opportunities to be offended, or claim that your words, your thoughts,
your way of life offends them.

And they will make you conform to thier parodies, their comedy, and their personal opinions.

I'm convinced that soon they will have re-education camps set up for those of us who do not conform.

End of rant.
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I dont see the big deal here to be honest, this isn't even political correctness. The fact of the matter is that there is censorship on the radio. You can't say "fornication" or "poop" (using slang terms) and all that's happened is they've decided that the "f" word falls into the same category. Bleep the word out of the song and the song is okay. Now, you may have a general disagreement with censoring songs on the radio and things like nudity and swearing on TV (personally I'd prefer if they didn't), but if you accept that you are going to censor stuff that is acceptable to play on the radio, I don't see what the big deal is in deciding that a term which is now very offensive should fall within that same category.
 
#11
My .02?

If this tune were released to-day the F-word would have to go the same way the N-word wouldn't fly.

BUT this song is OLD. It hails from a different time. History should be remembered accurately IMO if it is to retain its relevance.

What's more, to my knowledge, Dire Straits wasn't in the habit of scribbling hateful lyrics (but then I only ever listened to Mark Knopfler's Strat.) :)

It's this sort of politically correct cry wolf stuff which serves to undermine LEGITIMATE concerns re discrimination against LGBT'ers like.., for example, Uganda's Kill the Gays Bill.

I really wish that those who take umbrage over this or that would do some research to establish a bona fide contextual basis for their complaints prior to making them.
 
#12
MIJ-VI said:
BUT this song is OLD. It hails from a different time. History should be remembered accurately IMO if it is to retain its relevance.

What's more, to my knowledge, Dire Straits wasn't in the habit of scribbling hateful lyrics (but then I only ever listened to Mark Knopfler's Strat.) :)
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It's worth noting (again) that the referrence to f***** was intended to be a person making a reference to a feminine looking rockstar. It was intended to be a hateful slur equating rock stars with "f******" in the sense that the word was used to mean homosexuals at the time it was written. However, the song was written from the perspective of a "working joe" commenting on the excesses of the metal bands at the time.

Would people feel the same way if it was a reference to black jazz musician and the song said "Look at that n-word"?
 
#13
Mark Latimour said:
It's worth noting (again) that the referrence to f***** was intended to be a person making a reference to a feminine looking rockstar. It was intended to be a hateful slur equating rock stars with "f******" in the sense that the word was used to mean homosexuals at the time it was written. However, the song was written from the perspective of a "working joe" commenting on the excesses of the metal bands at the time.

Would people feel the same way if it was a reference to black jazz musician and the song said "Look at that n-word"?
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Likely not but then the F-word doesn't conjure images of public lynchings. (Persecuted gays tend to hang themselves in private when & if they're driven to that extreme.)
 
#14
hover said:
I've heard of some countries getting albums later than others...but this just occurred to them NOW? I mean, it's only been 26 years...
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+1
I remember listening to this on stations in my hometown (chez and the bear, for you Ottawa TBers) while I was growing up and never once heard any controversy over the use of the word. I think most people are just too busy rocking out to that dirty-sweet guitar riff and trying to sing "I want my MTV" like sting in their cars to worry about it...
 
#18
That's funny because my wife (who is 43) just the other day noticed that that word was in the song. She never really liked it, so didn't really pay attention before, I guess. So she asks me, "Has that word always been in that song?" I said, "Yes, and when the video first came out, they played it UNEDITED on MTV quite a bit."

Whatever. Satellite radio FTW! :cool:
 
#19
MIJ-VI said:
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Is that one of those sites where people post what they think the lyrics are? Because those look close, but not quite the way I learned them.

That little ****** with the earing and mink coat,
yeah buddy, that's his own Lear.
That little ****** got his own jet airplane,
that little ****** he's a millionaire.

I hope I didn't offend anyone here, but if we're going to discuss lyrics, we might as well get them correct, true?

The point made earlier about the perspective is exactly true. It's the way guys on a loading dock muscling kitchen appliances around would talk, especially back then. If it's offensive to some, but accurate, should it be banned/censored?
 
#20
mid_life_crisis said:
The point made earlier about the perspective is exactly true. It's the way guys on a loading dock muscling kitchen appliances around would talk, especially back then. If it's offensive to some, but accurate, should it be banned/censored?
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Assuming you are going to censor offensive words, I don't see why not. I mean just because its an accurate description of what a guy would say back then doesn't mean it should be played, uncensored on public radio (in an evironment where censoring on public radio is the norm). I mean if I made a song from the perspective of me playing a hard level on Call of Duty, you'd have swearwords flying left right and centre in the lyrics. Its accurate, but would you play those lyrics at 5pm on public radio? Probably not.

I don't think Canada is suggesting that the "song" is banned or that it the word can't be used. They are just saying that the word "f*****" isn't acceptable for public broadcast. People (not you in particular) need to bear that in mind. That is the issue here, not the banning of the song generally.
 

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