Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Sluts, Faggots and the Professionally Offended

I have to say I was quite amused by Radio 1's decision to fade out the words "slut" and "faggot" from the Pogues hit "Fairy Tale of New York", with Kristy McColl because the words are apparently insulting (I find it shocking that insults should be insulting!) and offensive.

Sure enough, up pops Peter Tatchell, self appointed representative of the "gay" community (I hear he makes quite a lot of them cringe) to say just how offensive "faggot" is.

It seems to me that there is a group of people who seem to both get a kick out of, and possibly make money from being offended, hence my use of the term "Professionally Offended" as if they seem to think that is a profession. The rise of the professionally offended is not new though, Mary Whitehouse used to be their chief speaker, it is just what these people are being offended about that has changed. Miserable killjoys the lot of them.

Still, Radio 2 carried on with the full unedited version and Radio 1 backed down due to mass ridicule, whilst other gay people I say interviewed were non plused at being drawn into a silly debate on a song which did not offend them in the least.

What is crazy about all this is that not so long ago BBC Radio 1 would broadcast music inciting people to commit acts of violence, in part against the gay community, which regardless of its offence, is a criminal act under the 1986 Public Order act.

The BBC has this.

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