Radio stations told to censor Dire Straits "Money for Nothing"

[Rage for Order]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110114/od_nm/us_canada_song_odd

Canadian radio station have been warned to censor the 1985 Dire Straits hit "Money for Nothing," after a complaint that the lyrics of the Grammy Award-winning song were derogatory to gay men.

A St. John's, Newfoundland, station should have edited the song to remove the word "faggot" because it violates Canada's human rights standards, according to ruling this week by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

A unnamed listener to OZ FM in the Atlantic Coast province complained to the industry watchdog last year after hearing the song, which features Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and fellow rock star Sting.

The council said it realized Dire Straits uses the word sarcastically, and its use might have been acceptable in 1985 when the best-selling "Brothers in Arms" album was released, but said it was now inappropriate.

"The decision doesn't really relate to the Dire Straits song at the end of the day, the decision relates to the word in question," Ron Cohen, the council's chairman, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

[Quantess]

1. It's always annoying to me when song lyrics get bleeped out,

but I suppose it's fair to delete "faggot" sice they probably already delete "fuck". The bleeping kind of ruins the songs, though.

[DontTreadOnMe]

2. If I was Mark Knopfler, I would re-release the song

with something comical in place of the "faggot" word... the song could have a huge comeback

[Kolesar]

12. Play that funky music, white boy ... eom

[Doc_Technical]

3. The local oldies station, KHIP 104.3 ,

has been censoring this song for the last 6 years
of which I'm aware by eliminating the entire stanza
that contains the offending word.
I understand the reason this was done but I have trouble
with modifying, and censoring art.

[Rage for Order]

20. I'm guessing they don't play much rap on the radio in Canada

N-word this and N-word that

[alp227]

29. yeah they do albeit censored just like with this DS song

based on my experience traveling to/around Canada and listening to their stations and that rap is popular music that does get lots of radio airplay

[boppers]

4. Wow, they're really going to have problems going down this road.

I mean, really, they still play Dire Straits?

[Codeine]

5. Especially that song.

I mean "Sultans of Swing" is almost forgivable, but "Money for Nothing"? Damn.

[Webster Green]

7. Two great songs by one of the greatest bands ever.

Oh, did I mention that the music you enjoy sucks fucking donkey balls?

You guys think you're just too fucking hip for words, don't you? :boring:

[boppers]

8. "hip"? Heh. Is that like "cool" or "daddy-o"?

Knopfler's not bad as a musician, but Dire Straits was formula pop music, so much so that they openly mocked themselves for doing it (in the OP song in question, no less).

The music I enjoy doesn't *just* suck donkey balls, it rips them off the donkey, throws it in the audience, and then sprays them with blood from the injured donkey, while challenging views on gratuitous animal abuse... or, as us "hip" (lol) cats call it, "art".

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb0jb_skinny-puppy-worlock_music

[Webster Green]

10. Yeah, yeah whatever.

Your stuff rules, mine sucks.

Saw Dire Straits many times. The audience was always every bit as clueless as I. We thought they totally rocked the fucking house, and many of them were not old beatniks like me.

Perhaps it's subjective. Jeez, I don't know...it's all so confusing. :smoke:

[Kolesar]

13. The video where Knopfler reworks the riffs in Sultans of Swing is truly amazing

It used to show up on MTV.

[boppers]

14. As a way of explanation...

I came of age as non-corporate music started happening on a large scale, while, at the same time, corporate music reached its peak. Pop acts filled stadiums, non-pop filled a coffeehouse, but was taped/copied like mad, and later, digitized.

If Dire Straits started today, I think they'd be an iTunes/MP3 band, not a label band, and the music would be much, much, better.

Of course, right now, artists have both options... which is kind of cool.

[Webster Green]

18. I came of age watching bands like Hendrix, the Who, Jethro Tull...

....playing in acoustically flawless small venues that usually hosted the local symphony orchestra. They weren't sponsored by Bud Light either. Yeah, I'm a 1st wave hippie.

IMO, there is nothing that can compare to Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull's live shows in the 60s and 70s. Of course the acid helped, but I saw them many times later, not tripping, but certainly not straight. I still go to see Ian if he's within 100 miles of me, and he never fails to disappoint. One of the greatest showmen ever!

Kind of got off topic, but I'm getting senile, I guess.

I love Lady GaGa too. I can't figure out why. I should hate that stuff, but she fucking rules. :P

[boppers]

19. 40 years ago....

That being said, GaGa gamed, and won. She released pop, and music, at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CUYvWTd6oA

[walldude]

22. Knopfler's not bad as a musician

See this is where you lose all credibility. You are in such a hurry to "label" old music that it shows your lack of knowledge. Knopfler while granted, made some Pop music, also played jazz, country, bluegrass, blues... He did duets with some of the greatest players who ever lived, he is loved by many musicians, and when I had a conversation with Les Paul about his favorite players, Knopfler was one of his top 5.

So let's see, the man who invented the Electric Guitar and Multi-Track recording thinks Knopfler is one of the 5 best ever, and you call him "not bad" and a few posts down espouse the thing called Lady Gaga. Famous for crappy pop music and a meat dress.

Lady Gaga is "ART" and Knopfler is "not bad"... Yeah.. right.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. I'm blown away that someone is killing Mark Knopfler.....

....and yammering on about their brilliant taste in music.....ponderous.

[Webster Green]

28. Dude, don't be puttin' down my GaGa.

Try turning it up louder or something. }(

[SidDithers]

15. You must have really loved "Twistin' by the Pool"...

:hi:

Sid

[Ex Lurker]

9. Knopfler is one of the greatest guitarists of all time

as I recall, there was some controversy upon its original release, prompting an alternate version shortly after.

[donheld]

6. Blame Canada

I haven't heard the offending portion in many years. I hear the song all the time on KBCO.

Per Wikipedia:

When the song is included in rotation as part of a music feed played in stores or restaurants, "faggot" is usually edited. The entire second verse was edited out, for shortened length and to remove objectionable content, for radio and video airplay. This edited version, as on the 7" vinyl single, is the one included in the compilation albums Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits and Money for Nothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_for_Nothing_(song)#Controversy

[social_critic]

11. 1984

It's the beginning of 1984, my friends. Big Brother wants to control EVERYTHING. And they want to do it via grammar and the use of words. Am I being sarcastic?

[SidDithers]

16. OK, Jared...nt

Sid

[blueamy66]

17. 1984 began in 1984....

when my Mother wouldn't let us listen to a few songs with "questionable" lyrics.

Lighten up Francis.....

[fishwax]

21. The radio has been censored for decades, so how is this the beginning of 1984?

[KamaAina]

23. Wait a minute! What about "What's that? Hawaiian noises?"

Isn't that offensive to First Nations (indigenous) people? :P

[boppers]

24. Only when they're "banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee."

You see, "that ain't working".... clearly insinuating that first nations peoples are lower primates, taking advantage of pop cultures to escape poverty.

:P

[Electric Monk]

25. "I shoulda learned to play the guitar" (obviously it's a CHARACTER's words, not Knopfler)

It's like wanting to ban All In The Family because Archie Bunker was such a bigot. That's kinda THE POINT of the show, and of that song.

The CHARACTER in the song is a manual laborer, and a homophobe, and unappreciative of the arts and what it takes to be good at it.

That's why it's a good song.

[Webster Green]

30. You nailed it with the Archie Bunker comparison.

It is exactly the same. Censoring this kind of stuff is PC at it's very worst.

Fucking idiots!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. They must be playing the album version

The single that was a hit edited out that part along with the extended Sting open.