Canadian government bans "Money For Nothing" on the radio

[ditchdj]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347030/Canada-radio-stations-told-censor-homophobic-Dire-Straits-hit-Money-For-Nothing.html

------Aaaah, so that's why I no longer hear that song on 93.9 The River when I'm in the Detroit area. :confused:

[protege]

It gets played here...without the word. But, I have to ask. Why is it not OK to use that word...but for every rap song to rant about "bitches, hoes, and N-words?" Granted, most of that stuff doesn't get airtime, but still. Gotta love double standards :rolleyes:

[Boozy]

Why is it not OK to use that word...but for every rap song to rant about "bitches, hoes, and N-words?"

The CRTC does not allow radio stations to play songs with the "N-word", either.

I'm not sure that I'm in favour of the ruling, but they aren't necessarily playing favourites.

[ditchdj]

It gets played here...without the word. But, I have to ask. Why is it not OK to use that word...but for every rap song to rant about "bitches, hoes, and N-words?" Granted, most of that stuff doesn't get airtime, but still. Gotta love double standards :rolleyes:

Actually Pro I still hear that word in the song on a lot of classic rock stations today in this area. I know that 93.9 WKTG and 107.5 WABX play it unedited. Back in '85 I remember when the song was played on Top 40 with the whole verse containing that word eliminated. The one rock station where I lived on WIOT played it unedited.

Seems to me that, although the FCC can seem to be Draconian to us, they're far liberal than the CRTC. I hear that Canadian stations have to get formal approval just to change formats! :eek:

[ditchdj]

but for every rap song to rant about "bitches, hoes, and N-words?"

Also, from what I've seen, the majority that listen to it are women! :confused:

[Hyena Dandy]

Well, I still get offended by people tossing the word faggot around, even gay people...

But, still, I don't think the government should ban it. But I'd be fine with radio stations banning it.

[BigGiant]

Holy don't understand the song, Batman....

The whole point of that verse, and the song in general is to portray how the average working man views "rock stars" and deride them for their appearance, yet the guys playing the music are laughing all the way to the bank.

They weren't calling anyone "faggots", they are the ones being called that.


Anyway, much ado.

I'm of the opinion that words don't have any innate power to do any strange magic or curse people.

It is the intent behind them that matters.


Unless of course it is stupefy or avada cadavra.

[Hyena Dandy]

I'm sure that's the intent. However, I still get nervous, no matter what the context of the word is. It feels kind of hurtful, in any context, even in a direct quotation. Although I don't mind puns on it meaning cigarette and homosexual (I don't like tobacco, but I love putting fags in my mouth). But that's off-topic. I understand how people can feel offended, and why they would want it taken off the air. I wouldn't want it taken off, but I wouldn't object to just censoring the word, or changing it.

That said, I object to the government mandate that it be censored. I think that should be the decision of the radio stations that broadcast it. And while I don't want to hear it, I can always change the channel if I don't like it.

[Ginger Tea]

I can't say I've ever heard the offending verse, perhaps the UK just never played that version.
I don't think it's been on a compilation CD in it's original form either, that or I just don't listen to it well when its on, it just washes into the background.

Charlie Baltimor's (not the long kiss good night one at that) Money had an edit version, instead of dropping the vocals only they muted the whole damn song and this wasn't a radio made track, this was from the CD single they had the master tapes they could have just muted the lyrics, mind you the song sans swearing was very juddery.

Governments banning songs movies etc = bad
TV/Radio clipping things due to their own morals tollerable, the bbc doesnt like certain words, but will play songs altered.
Hell they were the reason why "they drank champaign that tastes like cherry cola" in the kinks Lola, cos they weren't going to have them singing coca cola on top of the pops or radio one. Now I'm not too sure if the original version ever ends up on a CD.

And in the UK, don't know about the rest of the world, we have a meat ball (I think) dish called faggots and they never got called out for advertising on ITV

[Andara Bledin]

Seems to me that, although the FCC can seem to be Draconian to us, they're far liberal than the CRTC. I hear that Canadian stations have to get formal approval just to change formats! :eek:
Oh, no, the FCC can be just as bad. Luckily, we have other groups that keep them in check.

^-.-^

[Ginger Tea]

I checked my music folder, I couldn't find many dire straights and only a karaoke of money for nothing, I was sure I got a best of somewhere, that or it was on the pc that died and I never got round to re ripping anything.

but I think the line we get is "look at them yoyo's that's the way you do it ..." yoyo's is harmless (unless it also has some hidden meaning I'm unaware of) so are they banning the song full stop, or just the original lyric version?

Also re what other acts can and cannot say, in the rage against the machine song (I forget which off the top of my head) "they used a club to beat a spade." at the time that line was lost on me, it was only when I re watched "Streets of fire." only for the music and the butterfly? knife scene at the beginning, that it made sense.
Escaping from Willem Defoe's gang in a tour bus of a 4tops esque group they are stopped by the police and Rick Moranis offers to bribe his way pass. I don't know the exact line, but the word spade was used to describe the band members, so upon relistening to the album I understood the line.

Some terms don't make it across the pond and some that do don't last long, when watching the dirty harry box set, I had to stop myself from thinking one character was called Sam Bowe as it was a term that probably died in the 70's
edit:
and I had never heard the term (used in clerks 2 by randal) before or since
I chose not to type it as I really don't want to increase my vocabulary.

[Gravekeeper]

I can't say I've ever heard that version. But then, I live in Canada... >.>

[Rapscallion]

Hmm, only just banned after how long? Damn.

Rapscallion

[lordlundar]

Here's the interesting part.

-The person who complained isn't a homosexual, they complained to champion homosexual rights and did so for good intentions.

-The CBSC issued the ban for political correctness in the best of intentions.

-A number of radio stations are going to be playing it as a show of solidarity and good intentions, despite a solid chunk of them would normally not play it as it's not in their playlists (too old/too recent for the theme of the station)

That said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". This whole thing is a massive mess.

[Ipecac Drano]

To paraphrase Mark Twain, when the world is ending, I hope to be in Canada as they are 26 years behind.

At least in the US (for the squeamish stations), there was a version of the song that had omitted the entire verse.

[smileyeagle1021]

-The person who complained isn't a homosexual, they complained to champion homosexual rights and did so for good intentions.

.

And in doing so gave the bigots even more gasoline to fuel their hate engine... they want to paint us as nothing but a bunch of pansies and ninnies and this guy has proved them right... thanks asshole :mad:

[Ginger Tea]

How many people would have noticed the line untill this?
I didn't, but we could have the edited version on the radio and some compilations.

now we are all aware of it 26 years after its release, now we are kicking up a fuss over it's offenciveness?

Frankie goes to hollywood's relax caused a storm in its day, but I don't recall it ever being heavily censored on radio, just the video.

In the video to Electric Six's gay bar I first saw it around 4pm when you get these shout outs from school kids, war and nuclear war were whip sfx, but the video was un altered. Then later on even in the after dark section, they pixelated out the peppermill and other objects on teh mantlepiece, on the mantle piece not being used phalacly, just a peppermill on a mantle piece.

[Racket_Man]

the keyboardest for Dire Straights says "SO WHAT"

http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/14/dire-straits-canada-money-for-nothing-ban/?icid=main%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl7%7Csec3_lnk2%7C195357

here is an older "edited"version from (I assume) VH1 with the "offensive" verse TOTALLY edited out. cuts about 25 seconds out of the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAD6Obi7Cag

and here is the FULL unedited version (the offensive verse is around 1:55)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnA0ix9hZU&feature=related

and here is the version from the Knebworth music benefit concert June 30 1990. (great concert. I taped it live off of the radio at the time). in this version Mark subsitutes several different words for the offensive word
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPjxz4LGak

[PepperElf]

so really they didn't actually have to ban the song. they could have easily asked the radio stations to play the "clean" edit.

overkill perhaps?

[Racket_Man]

if one has not heard the song for some years, the edited versson might seem like just a slightly short version of the original song. I just seem to remember the "offensive" word/verse.

I had to go back and forth between the Knebworth version, the "full" version and the "edited" version to find exactly where the "missing" verse was. the "edited" video was cut pretty seemlessly. why could they not do that with the audio only version????

[Boozy]

so really they didn't actually have to ban the song. they could have easily asked the radio stations to play the "clean" edit.

overkill perhaps?

The song isn't banned.

Radio stations have to disguise the word "faggot". Otherwise, they can still play the original song in its entirety.