Badgering is exactly what's happening here! The song was written 25 years ago, when the word 'faggot' was an accepted part of colloquial English in this country. Let's not forget that the word itself, taken out of context, has at least 2 other meaning to it, depending on your country of origin. But to ban a song on the basis of 1 - that's right, ONE - complaint seems to me like censorship at the highest level! If you don't like the lyrics, don't listen to the song! I turn down the radio, or change the channel, or simply turn it off when I hit a song I don't like...try it sometime! and stop trying to rewrite music and pop history please!
Frederick Lupul - 13 years ago
When Can I get one of these idiots to come over and tuck me in at night?
kool - 13 years ago
This is absolutely Ridic!!!! They can't just stop playing a hit song after 26 years while today everyother word is used! Simply Outrageous
Rick Bonsteel - 13 years ago
You need a fourth category: This is yet another international embarassment for this eager boy-scout country.
tim - 13 years ago
The word , taken in context with what the song is about , actually derides bigots and intolerance. It pokes fun ,in an Archie Bunker fashion (remember satire???) , of the stereotypical "redneck" idea's that still exist today. However when the song was written it was a "cutting edge" comment about these attitudes and went a long way to changing said opinions.
To change art to meet our perceptions is to lose the message that the art was trying to reveal in the first place. Art above any human endeavor is created to make people "think and feel" and after 25 years this song is still doing this (the evidence to this is the bee's nest this censorship has caused). I am sure Mark and Dire Straights are amazed and pleased that this is so but less than pleased that the "fig leaves" are trying to obscure the "privates" so to speak.
Joan - 13 years ago
This is the same as changing the "N" word in Mark Twain's book. These just show how things were when they were written.
Jen Harder - 13 years ago
This is wrong in so very many ways, as other comments say, it is a SONG. Twenty-five years old and was not gay bashing at all. Even more important, this is opening the gates to ban many, many songs. This is Canada a place I have lived my whole life and I was raised to believe we had free speech and all that good stuff. It seems to be slipping away in so many ways, this is a ridiculous decision. Needs to be reversed before our world goes the way of Mike Burke's thinking. ;)
Janet - 13 years ago
Censorship at it's stupidest!
There are songs on the airwaves with much filthier language.
And lets not forget the videos on TV today which make the outrage of the 80's Madonna look, "Like a Virgin"! ;)
Savva - 13 years ago
I'm from Russia, and i like Dire Straits music.
This decision, - it is very strange...
- And these people accuse Russia for lack of freedoms!
Mike Burke - 13 years ago
Political correctness taken waaaaaay too far. It's just a song. If you don't like the song change the station or turn the volume down. The protest songs of the sixties and some Rap music also contains controversial language. Stop all of them and you stiffle the freedom of expression.Next will be just one radio station in the land, all it will contain is the hiss of static after all songs have been censored into the black hole of silence.
Mike - 13 years ago
Mark Knopler of Dire Straits was using a reverse swing on this song. That is to say, it is from the perspective of an ultra conservative who hates people or ideals that are different. So the "faggots" were anyone with long hair, wearing an earring. At the time we all laughed at the lyrics because he was poking fun at himself and the music industry. CBSC get a life!
Time to abolish the CBSC !! Absolutely useless...
Badgering is exactly what's happening here! The song was written 25 years ago, when the word 'faggot' was an accepted part of colloquial English in this country. Let's not forget that the word itself, taken out of context, has at least 2 other meaning to it, depending on your country of origin. But to ban a song on the basis of 1 - that's right, ONE - complaint seems to me like censorship at the highest level! If you don't like the lyrics, don't listen to the song! I turn down the radio, or change the channel, or simply turn it off when I hit a song I don't like...try it sometime! and stop trying to rewrite music and pop history please!
When Can I get one of these idiots to come over and tuck me in at night?
This is absolutely Ridic!!!! They can't just stop playing a hit song after 26 years while today everyother word is used! Simply Outrageous
You need a fourth category: This is yet another international embarassment for this eager boy-scout country.
The word , taken in context with what the song is about , actually derides bigots and intolerance. It pokes fun ,in an Archie Bunker fashion (remember satire???) , of the stereotypical "redneck" idea's that still exist today. However when the song was written it was a "cutting edge" comment about these attitudes and went a long way to changing said opinions.
To change art to meet our perceptions is to lose the message that the art was trying to reveal in the first place. Art above any human endeavor is created to make people "think and feel" and after 25 years this song is still doing this (the evidence to this is the bee's nest this censorship has caused). I am sure Mark and Dire Straights are amazed and pleased that this is so but less than pleased that the "fig leaves" are trying to obscure the "privates" so to speak.
This is the same as changing the "N" word in Mark Twain's book. These just show how things were when they were written.
This is wrong in so very many ways, as other comments say, it is a SONG. Twenty-five years old and was not gay bashing at all. Even more important, this is opening the gates to ban many, many songs. This is Canada a place I have lived my whole life and I was raised to believe we had free speech and all that good stuff. It seems to be slipping away in so many ways, this is a ridiculous decision. Needs to be reversed before our world goes the way of Mike Burke's thinking. ;)
Censorship at it's stupidest!
There are songs on the airwaves with much filthier language.
And lets not forget the videos on TV today which make the outrage of the 80's Madonna look, "Like a Virgin"! ;)
I'm from Russia, and i like Dire Straits music.
This decision, - it is very strange...
- And these people accuse Russia for lack of freedoms!
Political correctness taken waaaaaay too far. It's just a song. If you don't like the song change the station or turn the volume down. The protest songs of the sixties and some Rap music also contains controversial language. Stop all of them and you stiffle the freedom of expression.Next will be just one radio station in the land, all it will contain is the hiss of static after all songs have been censored into the black hole of silence.
Mark Knopler of Dire Straits was using a reverse swing on this song. That is to say, it is from the perspective of an ultra conservative who hates people or ideals that are different. So the "faggots" were anyone with long hair, wearing an earring. At the time we all laughed at the lyrics because he was poking fun at himself and the music industry. CBSC get a life!