Dire Straits song "Money For Nothing" Banned from Canadian Radio

[OG_Wretch]

It's like I've mentioned, people choose to be offended or not.

Shock comedy has lost most of it's appeal to me anymore anyway.

The dry wit and comedies of errors like in movies such as "The Wrong Box" are far funnier to me.

 

[blaaah]

This means that freedom of expression cannot ever, morally, be limited in public places (including state-run radio channels). It means you can call me a :censored:ing 🤬 in a public place and not be a criminal (you might even be right). It means you can deny the holocaust, or global warming, or evolution and not be a criminal. It means a song with the word "faggot" in it can be played on the radio regardless of whether it upsets someone.

In the UK if someone swears at you you can call the police and get them arrested, it's an offence. But I understand you can swear at someone not face to face, through a 3rd party i.e. on television or the press.
I believe it's also a criminal offence to deny the holocaust in at least one European country but I forget which.
In the real world freedom of speech get's overruled by the public. In the UK the BBC has just had to change the storyline in the countries number 1 soap 'Eastenders' as the public complained about it.
It may be in law an individual can publish or broadcast any legal opinion freely, but anything frowned upon can quickly be stamped down, as you can't really argue with multiple death threats, unless that individual really does want to risk their own or family's lives.

Just an example I was reading about recently was concerning Stanley Kubrick's film A clockwork Orange, for decades this film was withdrawn from UK showing due to the public's outrage of the violence and rape scenes, Kubrick apparently made the request personally to the distributors not to show it in the UK, he wished to protect himself and his family from death threats, decades later he died and straight away the film was then able to be broadcast. Great film.

 

[Famine]

A lot of people are now a bit bored of this particular comedian. His last TV series was highly bizarre and largely not at all funny - but then most of it was designed not to actually be funny at all, more a test of exactly what he (and the channel) could get away with.

The sketches were primarily surreal and extremely poor taste, with the point seemingly to be to get you to laugh a little bit but, ultimately, examine what exactly your limits and boundaries were - to point out the hypocrisy of finding one person's misfortune funny, but being offended by another person's misfortune simply because theirs was closer to a cause or issue you're sensitive to. In essence it was one very gross test of the limits of freedom of speech - though one not quite within the remit of "comedy".

In the UK if someone swears at you you can call the police and get them arrested, it's an offence.

Nope. It can be considered a public order offence to swear, depending on the context, but it's not automatically an offence to swear at someone.

I believe it's also a criminal offence to deny the holocaust in at least one European country but I forget which.

Germany.

In the real world freedom of speech get's overruled by the public. In the UK the BBC has just had to change the storyline in the countries number 1 soap 'Eastenders' as the public complained about it.

Please check your facts. They opted to change a minor part of the filming, as a charity dedicated to the cause featured (SIDS) complained that it was unrealistic. The storyline aired unchanged and an actress reportedly quit.

It may be in law an individual can publish or broadcast any legal opinion freely, but anything frowned upon can quickly be stamped down, as you can't really argue with multiple death threats, unless that individual really does want to risk their own or family's lives.

Ironic that those complaining about too much freedom of speech resort to death threats, isn't it?

Just an example I was reading about recently was concerning Stanley Kubrick's film A clockwork Orange, for decades this film was withdrawn from UK showing due to the public's outrage of the violence and rape scenes, Kubrick apparently made the request personally to the distributors not to show it in the UK, he wished to protect himself and his family from death threats, decades later he died and straight away the film was then able to be broadcast. Great film.

Kubrick chose to not have his film approved in the UK. No idea what that - or the BBC's decision to change a part of EastEnders - has to do with the morality of free expression, since neither were legally enforced repression of expression - rather artists' decisions on controlling their work.

 

[Touring Mars]

I've always had the view that this particular verse is practically self-parody. Given that Dire Straits were originally an unfashionable pub rock band from London, who became a stadium-filling act on the verge of mega-stardom with "Brothers In Arms", one could interpret this song (and this verse in particular) as the type of thing their former selves may have said about their present and future selves. The same goes for Sting who co-wrote and co-performed the song, who was a humble school teacher before he found mega-stardom and collosal riches.

One thing is for sure, if the song "Money For Nothing" is enough to get anyone upset and/or angry with the world, I sure as heck hope they don't watch the news. I want my MTV...

 

[OG_Wretch]

A lot of people are now a bit bored of this particular comedian. His last TV series was highly bizarre and largely not at all funny - but then most of it was designed not to actually be funny at all, more a test of exactly what he (and the channel) could get away with.

The sketches were primarily surreal and extremely poor taste, with the point seemingly to be to get you to laugh a little bit but, ultimately, examine what exactly your limits and boundaries were - to point out the hypocrisy of finding one person's misfortune funny, but being offended by another person's misfortune simply because theirs was closer to a cause or issue you're sensitive to. In essence it was one very gross test of the limits of freedom of speech - though one not quite within the remit of "comedy".

The biggest failing of most of Todays comedians has been to carry on a bit too far.

The greats always have self imposed limits and stay funny forever.
Peter Sellers being one, Terry Thomas another and Jerry Lewis yet another.
Tons of very funny people who were/are funny without resorting to shocking the audience or swearing at them.

Thinking about it those who I see as funny were so funny by simply making fun of themselves or being the butt of the joke.

Way too much seriousness in the wrong places and likewise attempted humor also in the wrong places.

 

[Famine]

I'm reasonably sure he knew what he was doing with the sketches - which is why a third of the show (cut between the sketches) was him doing standup, to alleviate the "Errr... whut?" factor.

Of course one of the modern greats of comedy is someone rarely seen even as a comedian and these days barely even puts himself in front of the camera - Chris Morris. I'm not sure quite what his limits are, but his most recent work - Four Lions - is a comedy about domestic suicide bombers...

 

[OG_Wretch]

Four Lions, I'll have to take a look at that then.
I've seen the title I believe but not sure I know that name.

The subject matter seems a bit much but I try to give everyone at least one shot
before condemning them to a specific Ring of Hell.

EDIT:
Just had a look at a trailer and it does look like a winner.

 

[FoolKiller]

A similar thing happened here where a TV commercial from a series of funny commercials for a local insurance company was banned. It made reference to Indian call centres and ONE person complained. After that SINGLE complaint, it was removed.

Quite ridiculous to me!

Huh, we have a whole TV show devoted to making fun of Indian call centers.

Outsourced

You have no freedoms in a private place besides those granted to you - and that you accept - before you enter.

Off topic, but: One freedom cannot be restricted in a private place in any way, the freedom to leave.
I just wanted to get that clarification out of the way before someone tried using it as a debate point.

But you are correct when it comes to things such as speech in a private place. I an kick someone out of my home for discussing topics I find offensive (you have to try really hard) and if they refuse to leave when I ask them to I can charge them with trespassing. The laws are even loosened a bit on physical violence when it comes to this.

Of course civil lawsuits create a whole new tangle to be wary of when forcing someone off your property.

 

[ledhed]

in my 50 years on earth I have no idea hgow we survived and didn't kill everyone yet and turn into brain eating zombies --without having the GOVERNMENT TO BE OUR NANNY,

but it seems someone has seen a future where thougfht polkice --PC crazy --special interest groups will rule over us all and make everything all better .

I have become comfortably numb.

 

[Jump_Ace]

Can't say I'm surprised, only a matter of time. Heck, I would have though we (U.S.) would have done it before Canada. Not to deter too much here, but recently classic rock songs have been getting edited/beeped over the curse words.

Jerome

 

[FoolKiller]

Quick compromise: Use this version instead. It was officially approved by the Dire Straits and you can even see a couple of members in the video on the instruments.



That little Clampet got his own cement pond
That little Clampet, he's a millionaire

I think that substitution passes the censors, unless they have an issue with mountain-speak and millionaires. Is Clampet offensive?

 

[homeforsummer]

Banning Money For Nothing is surely anti-Geordie (given where both Mark Knopfler and additional vocalist Sting grew up)...

And I've no idea how many times I've listened to that song and never even noticed the aforementioned term. It's all you can do to even make out half the words. Or even notice there are lyrics given how cool the guitar lick is.

 

[Dotini]

Dire Straits
See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup?
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair.
That little faggot got his own jet airplane,
That little faggot he's a millionaire

The song is written from the perspective of a manual labourer jealously talking with a colleague about musicians - how they'd rip on them for looking like "faggots" and wearing make-up, yet they're doing manual labour (installing microwave ovens, custom kitchen delivery) while the "little faggot" is a millionaire with his own plane.

I used to listen to this song in the eighties when I was working hard for a living. The irony for me today is that many of the GTP demographic were actually born in the eighties from working class parents. Very few were born from poofs, rich or otherwise, wasting their seed on each other.