Dire Straits Banned In Canada

[Levee]

Dire Straits Banned in Canada

Seriously? This is still the 21st century, isn't it? Or, did I fall asleep and wake up in some weird alternate universe?

It used to be pretty common back in the '60s and '70s for a rock song to be banned from radio airplay, usually due to some lyrical treatment of sex and/or drugs. That was kind of ironic, because mostly it served to stimulate sales of the banned recordings.

Now, Canada's Broadcast Standards Council has deemed a Dire Straits song released 26 years ago to be unfit for Canadian ears. Why? Because "Money for Nothing" dares to contain the world "faggot" in its lyrics. Mind you, the word "fag" is acceptable on Canadian radio as is the word "nigger" (a virtual requirement in current rap/hip-hop lyrics.)

How did this come to be? Somebody (literally, one person) complained to the Council about "faggot" and nobody has complained about the other words. One person. And we're talking about a song that went to #1 in Canada when it was released in 1985.

Is it just me, or is there something very wrong with this picture? Discuss.

Dave White-Classic rock.com

[feather in the wind]

our local station had a gay man call in and express his thoughts and he summed it up nicely "would you use that word in everyday conversation?"

also, what was deemed acceptable back 30 yr ago isn't acceptable in this day and age.

although i don't agree with the banning of the song, i do understand these people's points of view.

the world is becoming thin skinned!

[spidersandsnakes]

Holy cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will they ever try to ban The Lemon Song for that"......squeese my lemon....." bit?????! Hope not.....bl**dy censors :)

[ally]

Maybe the government should start up a record registry for the pocession of offensive music. A single song on an album would be considered acceptable but a multiple array of songs could be deemed dangerous to the well being of the state.

[BIGDAN]

Is this the Nazificatation of the West? whatever next? Book Burnings? ah we already have that don't we?

I believe in calling a Spade a Spade, maybe that's not acceptable nowadays either?

I blame all the Tarts, Fagots and Niggers who are being so sensitive, or cant I use those words either?

This is what happens when the Liberal Minded Politicians and their Minnows get in to Power, I want to live in a Land where I can Say what's on my mind in a way of my own choosing and if I offend someone then, as any Psychiatrist worth his pay check would tell you, its their problem not yours, some chance hey?

Regards, Danny

[JTM]

There's "Nowt as queer as folk" as they say in some parts 'ere oop North.

[Electrophile]

Fake outrage is fake.

I'm not saying this was smart, I'm saying I don't know why people are so up in arms over it. So you can't hear Money For Nothing on the radio in Canada. It's called the internet. Or go buy Brothers In Arms and listen to it on the album. Songs get censored for language all the time -- if you don't want to hear the censored version, go listen to the original. I think it's lame that you can't hear Money or Jet Airliner without the word "shit" being edited out, but it hardly pisses me off. If I want to hear those songs the way the artist wrote them, I'll put the song on. Same goes for a whole host of other songs that have been censored not necessarily for profanity, but for other "objectionable" content.

Yeah, this was stupid and whoever complained has too much time on their hands, and should take up pottery or stamp-collecting or something that isn't going to waste a court's time.

I think it's time to let terrestrial radio die the slow, painful death it deserves. If you listened to satellite or online radio, you wouldn't have this issue since there's no FCC or like-minded government body overseeing it. You can hear Money with the word "bullshit" and Money For Nothing with the word "f----t."

[The Pagemeister]

HALIFAX—Rock stations in Halifax and Edmonton plan to play an unedited version of “Money for Nothing” on repeat for a full hour Friday after the song was deemed unfit for Canadian radio because of a gay slur in its lyrics.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/921855--canadian-radio-stations-to-play-unedited-dire-straits-tune-on-repeat?bn=1

[danelectro59]

give a big shout out to the MC5 for "Kick Out The Jams, Motherfuckers!" Got the whole thing rolling over 42 years ago.

[Levee]

Mark Knopfler wrote this song after an brief encounter in a New York store:

Knopfler described the writing of the song in a 1985 interview with critic Bill Flanagan:

The lead character in "Money for Nothing" is a guy who works in the hardware department in a television/custom kitchen/refrigerator/microwave appliance store. He's singing the song. I wrote the song when I was actually in the store. I borrowed a bit of paper and started to write the song down in the store. I wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually used when I heard him, because it was more real....

In 2000, Knopfler appeared on Michael Parkinson's interview program and explained again where the lyrics originated. According to Knopfler, he was in New York and stopped by an appliance store. At the back of the store, they had a wall of TVs which were all tuned to MTV. Knopfler said there was a man working there dressed in a baseball cap, work boots, and a checkered shirt delivering boxes who was standing next to him watching. As they were standing there watching MTV, Knopfler remembers the man coming up with classic lines such as "what are those, Hawaiian noises?...that ain't workin" etc. Knopfler asked for a pen to write some of these lines down and then eventually put those words to music.

[leddy]

JESUS CHRIST

[Silver Rider]

Maybe they'll record an edited version.

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

It is at times like these that I thank my lucky stars that I have the sense not to listen to the radio.

[dazedcat]

This is just more nonsense for an "enlightened" world.

[spidersandsnakes]

Is this the Nazificatation of the West? whatever next? Book Burnings? ah we already have that don't we?

I believe in calling a Spade a Spade, maybe that's not acceptable nowadays either?

I blame all the Tarts, Fagots and Niggers who are being so sensitive, or cant I use those words either?

This is what happens when the Liberal Minded Politicians and their Minnows get in to Power, I want to live in a Land where I can Say what's on my mind in a way of my own choosing and if I offend someone then, as any Psychiatrist worth his pay check would tell you, its their problem not yours, some chance hey?

Regards, Danny

:D :D

[leddy]

Is this the Nazificatation of the West? whatever next? Book Burnings? ah we already have that don't we?

I believe in calling a Spade a Spade, maybe that's not acceptable nowadays either?

I blame all the Tarts, Fagots and Niggers who are being so sensitive, or cant I use those words either?

This is what happens when the Liberal Minded Politicians and their Minnows get in to Power, I want to live in a Land where I can Say what's on my mind in a way of my own choosing and if I offend someone then, as any Psychiatrist worth his pay check would tell you, its their problem not yours, some chance hey?

Regards, Danny

If you cannot say what you want on this forum, then you have no chance outside of here without them having a fit ( can you say fit, it might upset the epileptics, oh I am one so that ok then ).

[Electrophile]

If you think it's okay to use slurs against people, then it's not the people who are bothered by it that have the problem -- it's you for not having the common sense or internal filter to recognize that believe it or not, some words are offensive. It's called knowing your audience. This is something you learn as a child, that you're supposed to remember as an adult. I wouldn't give a speech about quantum mechanics to a room full of 5th graders, and I wouldn't give a speech about coloring inside the lines to a room full of astrophysicists. You tailor what you're saying to the people you're saying it to. Again, this is common sense.

BTW, you can't say whatever you want here. This is Sam's "house" so to speak, he graciously allows us to post here. He makes the rules. At any time he can shut the forums down, or ban someone or whatever, as is his prerogative.

[leddy]

If you think it's okay to use slurs against people, then it's not the people who are bothered by it that have the problem -- it's you for not having the common sense or internal filter to recognize that believe it or not, some words are offensive. It's called knowing your audience. This is something you learn as a child, that you're supposed to remember as an adult. I wouldn't give a speech about quantum mechanics to a room full of 5th graders, and I wouldn't give a speech about coloring inside the lines to a room full of astrophysicists. You tailor what you're saying to the people you're saying it to. Again, this is common sense.

BTW, you can't say whatever you want here. This is Sam's "house" so to speak, he graciously allows us to post here. He makes the rules. At any time he can shut the forums down, or ban someone or whatever, as is his prerogative.

I agree with everything you say, I wouldn't use alot of those words to anyone let alone filter, I was merely pointing out to "Bigdan" that if you can't say what you want here then you have no chance outside of here, then saying about "fits", as an epileptic I do get offended when poeple say I have fits, makes me feel like a looney, I have seizures, a different thing, but over the years I have realised that when people say that I guess they don't mean that I am a loon and brush it off, I get offended when Australians call me "pom" or "Poms" hardly the N word I know.

[Electrophile]

When I was a child, if my mother or father told me to "quit having a fit", they were telling me to quit throwing a temper tantrum or quit acting out for attention. The only time I've ever heard the word "fits" or "fit" used in the manner you've described, is if they're talking about someone who actually has a mental illness and is acting out. I've never heard it used to call someone crazy or tell someone they're a loon.

As for "pom", I knew that was a slur against Australians, and I would never use it. I think the problem with most words like this is they're very old, and people seldom understand the significance of the words, or where they came from. So they don't understand why it might be offensive to some people, not necessarily all.

[Hotplant]

So BIGDAN....you wouldn't be offended if someone called you a name....like say....hmmm...littleprickdannyboy?

Love, HP

[The Pagemeister]

CRTC wants Dire Straits decision reviewed

OTTAWA—The CRTC says it has received more than 250 letters about the recent ban of the Dire Straits hit “Money for Nothing” and has asked for a review of the decision.

Last week, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled that the 1985 hit was unfit for radio because its lyrics include an anti-gay slur spoken three times.

The CRTC says the bulk of the letters disagree with the decision, adding that many are under the mistaken impression that the CRTC was the body that imposed the ban.

“The volume of letters and perceived overlap of responsibilities between the Commission and the CBSC has created uncertainty for the public and for radio stations requiring information on the continued appropriateness of playing that version of the song,” Robert A. Morin, secretary general of the CRTC, wrote in a letter Friday to the standards council.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/925999--crtc-wants-dire-straits-decision-reviewed?bn=1

[BIGDAN]

So BIGDAN....you wouldn't be offended if someone called you a name....like say....hmmm...littleprickdannyboy?

Love, HP

Not at all Hotplant, if that's what you think I am then you have every right in my opinion and in my world to call me it, if I think you are right in your assumption then I might be upset with you for Outing Me as whatever you chose to call me, if I think you are wrong then I would rise above your childish attempt at Provocative Insult and laugh at you, then I would Kick Your Arse Outta Town.

Kind Regards, Danny

PS, If you did call me "littleprickdannyboy" then you would have no knowledge of Me, on the other hand if you called Me "Bigprickdannyboy? then you would have had to know Me Intimately.

PPS, Call Me "Late for me dinner" and Me and You are really gonna fall out.

[Walesdad]

If I had my way they'd be banned all over the world,never topped 'Sultans Of Swing',

[Levee]

CRTC wants Dire Straits decision reviewed

OTTAWA—The CRTC says it has received more than 250 letters about the recent ban of the Dire Straits hit "Money for Nothing" and has asked for a review of the decision.

Last week, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled that the 1985 hit was unfit for radio because its lyrics include an anti-gay slur spoken three times.

The CRTC says the bulk of the letters disagree with the decision, adding that many are under the mistaken impression that the CRTC was the body that imposed the ban.

"The volume of letters and perceived overlap of responsibilities between the Commission and the CBSC has created uncertainty for the public and for radio stations requiring information on the continued appropriateness of playing that version of the song," Robert A. Morin, secretary general of the CRTC, wrote in a letter Friday to the standards council.

http://www.thestar.c...n-reviewed?bn=1

Thank you for the link Pagemeister

And thank you Walesdad for putting all the crayons back in the box.

[Jahfin]

If I had my way they'd be banned all over the world,never topped 'Sultans Of Swing',

Great song but it got played into the ground. My favorite Dire Straits albums would be the first three but Love Over Gold also has it's moments, mainly "Telegraph Road". I even like some of Brothers In Arms but by then the band had expanded so much they no longer had that lean and mean sound that made those first three records so enjoyable.