Whether it was or wasn’t intended as a homophobic slur in the context of the song is debatable - when the song was written it was very much a common homophobic slur. The writers of the song were very much aware of the implications, even to the point where they changed it when singing it live in later years. If you’re not in favour of censoring, would you be in favour of hearing racial or antisemetic slurs on Radio 1 during the day, out of interest?

 

The more pressing issue is how it’s perceived at the moment. I can tell you that when you’re a gay guy in a room with a bunch of straight people and they’re singing the lyrics with glee, they aren’t taking the word as anything other than a homophobic slur, which they’re now given licence to say, because, hey, it’s played on Radio 1 at 3pm on a Sunday.

 

As a gay person, it’s exhausting having to continually explain why this word is offensive. But I’m over just “ignoring it”. This is 2018, there really is no excuse for people to pretend not to understand, or even acknowledge, how this word has been used to humiliate and degrade gay people over the last few decades.

YAAASS this!

 

As a white person, I would never sing along with the N word in a song just because it was played in a public place (for example, in the case of Bodak Yellow when I've heard that out), it's not suddenly acceptable in that situation. It's the same with this word, you can say all you want it's just a word but you cannot dictate to others that it's "just a word", particularly when you are a straight person (or a white person in the case of the N word) who hasn't had these experiences. If it's "just a word", who on earth cares if it is censored or you just have to be mindful of screaming it out loud?! It's always "just a word" or "just a joke" until something doesn't go the way of the straight, white, male majority, and then they scream snowflakes ad nauseam, when really they're getting more offended about simply being decent mindful people than anyone is of anything else.

 

As said by others, having had the word targeted at me as a teenager particularly, it's just one of those words that goes right through and I find it really jarring in songs, or in any piece of media, whether it's by a straight or gay person. I don't think we're at a stage where it's been "properly" reclaimed so a lot of us still find it stings a bit to be used so flippantly.

I’m not offended by the word being in this song. It’s not being used in a homophobic way and faggots is also a food let’s not forget!

My favourite tweet of the day was the one suggesting that the line should be changed to "You scumbag you maggot, you taped over Taggart".

 

I liked that one too, but the only problem is I don't think that Taggart had made its way to the USA at the time that "Fairytale of New York" was released.

 

*edit*.

 

Hang on, the more I think about it, that line could still work. If the song's sung by two immigrants to America, they could have asked their family back home to send over VHS copies of Taggart to them in NY so they don't miss it, and she's angry that he's taped over the episode before she's had the chance to watch it. In hindsight, this lyric is genius, and whover came up with it deserves an Ivo Novello Award.

Why does it matter if the word is in a decades old song? Are they saying it directly at you?

Why do you feel you need to be offended on someone else behalf? If he happily accepts being called it in the song why do you need to be offended?

Read the responses in the thread where people have discussed why they're offended by it :)

faggots is also a food let’s not forget!

I'm sorry, but this is such a Facebook stay at home mum's response.

Tbh I feel like there is also an element of people being mad at this song nowadays because it isn't 'their' nostalgic Xmas song any more, instead Mariah Carey is.

So for that reason they don't feel it has pride of place so shouldn't be exempt.

 

Personally as an LGBT person I'm happy for it to be the exception to the rule for reasons of nostalgia and because it wasn't intended as offensive homophobically in the first place.

I feel like on that point this debate could have been had say, 5 years ago, about a song with the word queer in it and people would have insisted that must be banned, except now, plenty LGBT folk are happy to use that word to describe them (our)selves.

Why does it matter if the word is in a decades old song? Are they saying it directly at you?

Why do you feel you need to be offended on someone else behalf? If he happily accepts being called it in the song why do you need to be offended?

Because it's a word that so many people find offensive in any context. If I heard a gay friend being called a f*****, should I not care because it's not towards me? If he said it was okay, does that mean I am okay with it? No of course not.

 

I’m not offended by the word being in this song. It’s not being used in a homophobic way and faggots is also a food let’s not forget!

Bitch is a female dog, bast*rd means you were born out of wedlock, they still get bleeped for being offensive words. Besides, that is quite clearly not the context anyway so how is it relevant?

Whether it was or wasn’t intended as a homophobic slur in the context of the song is debatable - when the song was written it was very much a common homophobic slur. The writers of the song were very much aware of the implications, even to the point where they changed it when singing it live in later years. If you’re not in favour of censoring, would you be in favour of hearing racial or antisemetic slurs on Radio 1 during the day, out of interest?

 

The more pressing issue is how it’s perceived at the moment. I can tell you that when you’re a gay guy in a room with a bunch of straight people and they’re singing the lyrics with glee, they aren’t taking the word as anything other than a homophobic slur, which they’re now given licence to say, because, hey, it’s played on Radio 1 at 3pm on a Sunday.

 

As a gay person, it’s exhausting having to continually explain why this word is offensive. But I’m over just “ignoring it”. This is 2018, there really is no excuse for people to pretend not to understand, or even acknowledge, how this word has been used to humiliate and degrade gay people over the last few decades.

 

I don’t think the context is *that* debatable. Yes, it was a known homophobic slur at the time but in the context of what’s going on in the actual song, it seems clear to me that wasn’t the intention. Kirsty MacColl was not homophobic and actually stopped performing that word years later because of those connotations. I’m fairly certain we’re it intended that way, she’d never have agreed to record it.

 

And I’ll put my hands up here that I probably didn’t word the censoring bit properly. I don’t listen to much radio and what I was really saying when I said people could ignore it was more in reference to the fact that I listen to my own curated playlist and that I would choose to listen to the uncensored version. Just like I do with any song in my collection be it containing any swear words or offensive words. My thoughts were, if you don’t like it, don’t play it which doesn’t take radio into consideration. So apologies for that, I honestly wouldn’t bat an eyelid to hear the censored version on the radio and can understand that those who regularly listen to radio would be bothered by constantly hearing the word.

 

 

I'm quite torn on the issue afte reading both arguements tbf - have to remember the tone of the song and the fact it's describing a hard Christmas for both people and art can be offensive gritty and real life - it's not all about singing about All You Want For Christmas.

Read the responses in the thread where people have discussed why they're offended by it :)

 

I asked you seen as you responded to me. They are having an argument, he calls her a $l*t. They are saying it to each other and anyone offended by that when the artists singing it aren't is looking for things to be offended by.

 

If she sang saw a guy buying a Britney CD what a f***** or a line in which the word f***** generalised gay people for doing something then fair enough be offended.

 

Context is always key.

I find it really cringy, they really should censor the word. If the original singer censored the word herself years later, it should clue you in...

Edited December 2, 20186 yr by Euphorique

Despite the opening of the thread maybe reading that way; I have no issue with people actually enjoying the song, I’ve enjoyed it on and off over the years myself. The argument that is mainly being discussed here is why THIS song is allowed to use the word on radio.

 

And i don’t really get why, just because some of you aren’t offended by it, why you can’t respect or understand why other people are? It’s literally a known swear word. In film it’s an automatic 12 rating if it’s used once and a 15 if it’s used more than once, (no, not when talking about food...), you can’t use it on daytime TV either. So it’s odd why this song it is allowed. Does it really take away from your enjoyment if one or two words are bleeped out of a song on the radio? You can still listen to the normal version on your own?

I asked you seen as you responded to me. They are having an argument, he calls her a $l*t. They are saying it to each other and anyone offended by that when the artists singing it aren't is looking for things to be offended by.

 

If she sang saw a guy buying a Britney CD what a f***** or a line in which the word f***** generalised gay people for doing something then fair enough be offended.

 

Context is always key.

Sorry, I'm just finding it draining having to defend myself finding the word use in the song offensive.

 

Context is important, yes, but I imagine a lot of people who listen to the radio - especially those of a younger and more impressionable age (even as young as 18-25) will see the word 'f*****' being used in the homophobic sense and that's why it's important, in my eyes, for it to be censored.

Because it's a word that so many people find offensive in any context. If I heard a gay friend being called a f*****, should I not care because it's not towards me? If he said it was okay, does that mean I am okay with it? No of course not.

 

Of course you should be fine with it if your friend is, stop being offended on others behalf! Me and my friends regularly call each other the C word, I'd be more annoyed by someone being offended on my behalf when I'm ok with it than ever being called the C word.

 

Let others decide what they are happy with and stop imposing your morals on others.

Sorry, I'm just finding it draining having to defend myself finding the word use in the song offensive.

 

Context is important, yes, but I imagine a lot of people who listen to the radio - especially those of a younger and more impressionable age (even as young as 18-25) will see the word 'f*****' being used in the homophobic sense and that's why it's important, in my eyes, for it to be censored.

 

And a lot of people who are "silent" homophobes will just revel in the free pass to say the word every Xmas....

Of course you should be fine with it if your friend is, stop being offended on others behalf! Me and my friends regularly call each other the C word, I'd be more annoyed by someone being offended on my behalf when I'm ok with it than ever being called the C word.

 

Let others decide what they are happy with and stop imposing your morals on others.

I too use the C word amongst friends, but I'd have the decency to apologise if people found it offensive even though I find it okay, because it is a derogotary term and offensive. Same logic applies here with the f word.

And a lot of people who are "silent" homophobes will just revel in the free pass to say the word every Xmas....

Exactly! It's akin to when you're a kid and you'd say shih-tzu and be like "I can say shit because it's a dog!!!!" :lol:

I liked that one too, but the only problem is I don't think that Taggart had made its way to the USA at the time that "Fairytale of New York" was released.

 

*edit*.

 

Hang on, the more I think about it, that line could still work. If the song's sung by two immigrants to America, they could have asked their family back home to send over VHS copies of Taggart to them in NY so they don't miss it, and she's angry that he's taped over the episode before she's had the chance to watch it. In hindsight, this lyric is genius, and whover came up with it deserves an Ivo Novello Award.

 

There was no NYPD choir at the time, but that's never been considered a problem :lol:

I think for me while I personally, as a gay man don't find the word offensive in the context of the song offensive but also I feel like all insenstive slurs in song such as rasict, sexist, and homophobic/other LGBT slurs should be censored especially if the person who says them is a straight man or woman because it could teach that word to a younger generation who might not understand the word in the context it was used and use it about the LGBT community instead.

There was no NYPD choir at the time, but that's never been considered a problem :lol:

 

Thankfully factual inaccuracy has never been grounds for banning a song. Such a ruling would sink songs like Chesney Hawkes' "The One and Only".