The Spectacle Blog
… and now they’ve come for the rock band Dire Straits, the third verse of whose 1985 No. 1 hit, “Money For Nothing” is now banned from Canadian radio for using what officials called an “extremely offensive” word. The Washington Times explains:
In the song, Dire Straits’ lead singer Mark Knopfler sings in the persona of an appliance-installer looking at his store’s TV section and gawking “at them yo-yos [who] play the guitar on the MTV.”
The manual laborer expresses a mixture of admiration, dismissal and envy about the musicians’ occupation as “ain’t working” but allowing them to get “money for nothing and your chicks for free.”
The offending line occurs in the third verse, where the worker gawks at MTV showing “the little faggot with the earring and the makeup.” Two other uses of the word occur, referring to the performer having “his own jet airplane” and being a millionaire. At the time such MTV male stars as Boy George, Softcell and the Human League either dressed as women or wore sexually ambiguous makeup.
I think every intelligent person familiar with the song got that this was merely an accurate portrayal of working-class resentment toward the privileged life of the glitterati. And man, what a rocking guitar riff!
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Big Jim| 1.14.11 @ 10:22AM
This is worse than the Huck Finn situation. That involves acedemics changing the words of a great writer. That's bad enough. The Dire Strait's situation involves government censorship. That's worse. Soon Canada will not be recognizable as a free country, if indeed it can be said to be a free country now.
TheSoo| 1.14.11 @ 3:19PM
I was born and raised in Canada. Moved to US at age 17 in 1955. Served 57 months active duty USAF. Became US citizen in 1964. Had to give up my Canadian citizenship. However I can now have it back due to a change in laws. BUT - I don't want it back. Canada has gone, Godless, Socialist, and left wing Liberal.
I am a proud to an American.
There are only 2 countries on this planet - The USA and all the others.
SC Mike| 1.14.11 @ 10:57AM
Just one more reason not to listen to Canadian radio…
But what about the proscenium inscription at the Art Institute of Chicago? Emblazoned across the proscenium is the inscription, "You yourself must set flame to the faggots which you have brought."
That place also has this: http://www.artic.edu/aic/colle.....earch_id=1
Mel Torme| 1.14.11 @ 11:34AM
That's it, Carolina Mike, I will not grace that establishment again, not now, not ever.
Seriously, is that an artsy-fartsy way of saying "No Smoking"? Are they saying I can't bring my faggots inside the building? If so, I will drop them off at the gay bar and pick em up on the way back from said Art Institute.
Mel Torme| 1.14.11 @ 11:31AM
"That ain't workin'; that's the way ya do it,
push global warming on your N - P - R.
Yeah, that ain't workin; that's the way ya do it,
get a Nobel for nuthin'; be a movie star.
"That fat-ass faggot with the earring and the make-up;
yeah, buddy, that's his own hair.
That left-wing faggot's got his own jet airplane;
that left-wing faggot - he's a millionaire.
"We got to install green-energy light-bulbs,
custom home deliver -e -ee -e eeees .....
We have to got to move that human refrigerator,
we got leave Cancun before the big freeeeeze ...
"muvamuva
"I shoulda' learned that community organizing,
I shoulda' learned to get them grants,
maybe get a blister on your little finger,
maybe get a bulge in your pants.
"We got to install green-energy light-bulbs,
custom home deliver -e -ee -e eeees .....
We have to got to move that Gorefrigerator;
we got leave Copenhagen before the big freeeeeze.
"muvamuva
"Looky here, that ain't workin'; that's the way you do it.
You talk your bullshit on your Public T V.
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it.
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
"I want my, I want my, I want my Public TV.
I want my, I want my I want my Public TV.
("money for nothin'... " - Sting backing vocals)
I want my, I want my I want my Public TV. "
Sung to the tune of Money for Nothing by Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler* with apologies to NO ONE.
* 2nd greatest rock lead guitarist of all time (#1 is Jerry, of course.)
albert constantine jr.| 1.14.11 @ 2:21PM
If Canadian radio has a problem with "Money For Nothing", I can't imagine "Les Boys" from the Making Movies album stands a chance there.
Ben Boychuk | 1.14.11 @ 11:48AM
Ham-handed Canadians aside, I remember when "Money for Nothing" came out. As I recall, a couple of L.A. radio stations would not air the song with the third verse. It's possible to hear it now, on a classic rock station like KLOS. But when the song was in the top 40 back when, radio stations would only broadcast an edited version. That may or may not have been true in other cities. I simply do not know.
Wayne | 1.14.11 @ 12:57PM
How about "Soul on Ice" which is the most vulger book I have ever read. It is still on the curriculum for the 8th grade at many schools.
Chris| 1.14.11 @ 1:44PM
This isn't news. There has always been a radio edit with the entire second verse cut out. That's even the version that appears on the greatest hits CD "Sultans of Swing." The radio edit also changed the line "banging on those bongos like a chimpanzee" because it was deemed racist.
JamesJ| 1.14.11 @ 2:41PM
Back then, a faggot was a bundle of sticks, now called kindling. The Brits later used the term for cigarettes
Warrior | 1.14.11 @ 3:01PM
Fag was brit slang for a cigarette. Regardless, I believe fudge packer and rump wrangler are two more politically terms that may be used. Accurate yet fully acceptable in a grocery store. I also believe this will end the chivalrous activity of assisting to push a dates stool in at an establishment.
JimH| 1.14.11 @ 3:07PM
Also pillow biter, ass bandit and turd burglar come to mind.
Jamie| 1.15.11 @ 1:27AM
Thanks for sharing your Urban Dictionary goodies. Yuck.
jimH| 1.15.11 @ 9:53AM
Why do you say urban? Or do they just content themselves with sheep in the country?
astorian| 1.14.11 @ 3:22PM
I love Dire Straits, but this wasn't one of the best songs on the "Brothers in Arms" album, let alone one of their best overall. The "great riff" is pretty much lifted from the Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash."
I like almost everything on "Making Movies" much better.