'Homophobic' Dire Straits hit Money For Nothing banned from radio... 26 years after its release

Daily Mail ^ | 01/14/2011 | Liz Thomas

[A.A. Cunningham]

The live version I saw at Red Rocks in September of 1985, without altered lyrics, was better.

[Oberon]

What about the term "Turd Burglar"? Can we use "Turd Burglar"?

[dangus]

Is the song it’s accidentally based on still acceptable? (It’s about a teacher trying to avoid the temptation to have sex with his young pupil.)

Young teacher, the subject
of schoolgirl fantasy
She wants him so badly,
knows what she wants to be
Inside her there’s longing
This girl’s an open page
Book marking - she’s so close now;
this girl is half his age

Don’t stand, don’t stand so don’t stand so close to me

Her friends are so jealous;
you know how bad girls get
Sometimes it’s not so easy
to be the teacher’s pet
Temptation, frustration
so bad it makes him cry
Wet bus stop, she’s waiting;
his car is warm and dry

Don’t stand, don’t stand so
Don’t stand so close to me

Loose talk in the classroom,
to hurt they try and try
Strong words in the staffroom;
the accusations fly
It’s no use, he sees her;
he starts to shake and cough
just like the old man in
that book by Nabokov

Don’t stand, don’t stand so Don’t stand so close to me
Don’t stand, don’t stand so Don’t stand so close to me

(The melody of the refrain is the same; that’s why Sting, the composer, sings Dire Straits’ refrain.)

[rdb3]

The first time I heard the song I installed 600 yards of carpet in 18 hours, in a huge room, boombox full out. Played it over and over.

#1

Exactly.

[donna]

Not to mention that song itself vindicates the "faggot" in question... say what you like about him, that little "faggot" is a millionaire. So who's the fool... the "faggot" with the earring and the makeup, or the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day?

Then you think a rich porn star is the pinnacle of a successful life?

[TXnMA]

Use whatever suits you. It's your pen/keyboard.

In case you haven't guessed...

1. I believe in the First Amendment. (It's in the Constitution.)

2. I don't believe in "the right to NOT be offended". (It's NOT in the Constitution.)

3. I abhor anyone who befouls a perfectly good word by using it as a euphemism for a perversion.

4. I have no space on my planet for those who try to force acceptance of that which has been evil since the dawn of civilization as "good".

5. I have no space on my planet for those who try to defile that which has been the ethical foundation of civilization since the dawn of time (marriage and the family).

6. I propose a place for those in 3-5, above: 100 miles from the surface of the Earth (either direction).

7. I have less than zero use for "Political Correctness" -- in any form.

Any questions?

[Colonel_Flagg]

Nowadays it’s tame. But I see your point. Probably not.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"The decision came after a listener complained ..."

It takes only 1 complaint from a leftist to get speech banned.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

That song is a classic. It will always remind me of my first semester in law school. It was everywhere. Great memories.

[UnwashedPeasant]

The FCC should require us to use a browser that automatically replaces offensive words with words that unite us.

It could replace angry white hate speech with Obama quotes.

For example, “unalienable rights” could be replaced with “get in their faces.”

[Oberon]

Then you think a rich porn star is the pinnacle of a successful life?

Why on earth would you think that?

Oddly enough, the "little faggot" on MTV most likely isn't even gay in the MFN scenario... the earring and the makeup are part of a show business persona adopted for the music videos. Your average construction crew doesn't necessarily get this, and from my exposure to such crews I can tell you that the term they would adopt for such a character is nailed dead-on in the Dire Straits song.

Don't construe my answer to mean any more than that, or any endorsement of any lifestyle. In interpreting the song it's important to remember that Knopfler is in fact a rock star, and he wrote the song to remind his self-pitying rock start brethren that as a group they really do have it easy.

After all, they could be installing microwave ovens for a living.

[donna]

I said it because you said “that little “faggot” is a millionaire. So who’s the fool...”

You said “the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day...” Refrigerator guy hasn’t prostituted his morals for money.

[Oberon]

You said “the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day...” Refrigerator guy hasn’t prostituted his morals for money.

That's my perspective, but not the perspective of your typical construction crewman.

And it does not follow that one must be a prostitute if one is homosexual, i.e. a "little faggot." That may or may not be true of rock stars.

[Oberon]

You said “the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day...” Refrigerator guy hasn’t prostituted his morals for money.

That's my perspective, but not the perspective of your typical construction crewman.

And it does not follow that one must be a prostitute if one is homosexual, i.e. a "little faggot." That may or may not be true of rock stars.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: It takes only 1 complaint from a leftist to get speech banned.

---

Yes, and only 1 complaint from an atheistic parent to get God out of schools.

[Kozak]

Too true.

New edition of 'Huckleberry Finn' to lose the N-word

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

He’s gay??

[Anoreth]

No big deal; I own the album.

[Tax-chick]

I used to have it on vinyl ... sold it in Norman when I sold my Steve Earle collection and other stuff that’s probably worth a lot now.

[virgil]

I heard Money for Nothing on the radio a few months ago. The reference to “faggots” was edited out. I don’t remember what they replaced it with. I think it was a station in Milwaukee.