What would Kirsty have said?

I've just read on the BBC website that Radio 1 have censored The Pogues' Christmas song, Fairytale of New York, taking out the word faggot and removing the line an old slut on junk. Fairytale is a slurred love song between two drunks and the joy of it is its cynical sting. So was the BBC right to censor it? Peter Tatchell seems to think so and Lubin agrees but I'm not so sure. Do the words faggot and slut hold so much power that there's a need for censoring?

It's seven years to the day since Kirsty MacColl died. Remind yourself how bloody good she was and listen to one of my favourite Christmas songs, live, complete with faggot and slut.

Comments

Geoff said…
They'll be banning William Burroughs next.
1:45 PM
Old Cheeser said…
That's ridiculous!! I mean I'm a bona-fide faggot, and I have no objection to the word being used, not in the context of that song anyway. It's one of things that makes it so memorable: "You scum-bag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot..." Priceless!

Meanwhile Nora darling - you've been TAGGED!!
1:50 PM
Glenda Young said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
2:43 PM
Glenda Young said…
OC: I've responded to the tag, thanks!
2:44 PM
Steve said…
Un-BBC-lievable. They've just ripped the entire heart out of the song. It's an insult to Kirsty for another thing! Boo to the Beeb! And what person doesn't know the words anyway? I'd rather the BBC just didn't play it all rather than offering up a sorry-assed, bastardized neutered version. Disgraceful. And I bet the Beeb really think they're "down with the kids" too... idiots.
5:44 PM
Glenda Young said…
The BBC have done a U-turn on this now.
12:57 PM
Steve said…
I should think so too!
4:34 PM
The Poet Laura-eate said…
Outrageous! How can they be so paranoid over a 20 year old song, where seemingly 'anything goes' everywhere else (particularly television)???

Whatever happened to the 9pm watershed for example?
10:18 PM
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