Political Correctness Gone Mad?

[mockney piers]

Ooh yes, I'll have a drop of the black stuff, ooops can't use black, stout? hmm, offending the cumbrously challenged... err guinness, naa all those people who have alzheimers and don't miraculously recover after they get out of prison easrly might get annoyed.

Err, lager please.

[Brendan]

I want to say: Reducing dispute resolution to the custom of sharing alcoholic drinks is discriminatory towards teetotalers.

But I won?t

I also want to say: Keef has just admitted to drinking top which is a bit gay.

But I won?t

Is my self restraint ?PC gone mad??

I just don?t know anymore. :-S

[mockney piers]

It is a bit gay though isn't it.

Mind you, I'm still partial to Babycham.

[Keef]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> oooh - just because Mockney put my point better (as usual) you agree with him! ;-)

Ha, not quite, when he said All generalisations like "its political correctness gone mad" serve are to undermine any debate by implying there's some sort of global/national loony-left conspiracy to stop people saying anything at all.

The serve is important, as for me it's an implication. I don't however agree with dismissing it all out of hand...

...Did that make any sense, because I seem to have confused myself, and my brain has just dripped out of my ear on to my desk.

[mockney piers]

Having just read Tatchell's piece and finally catching up with what this row was all about, I can't help but think that all the BBC achieved was draw attention to the presence of those words in the song.

I must have heard it hundreds of times and had no idea they were there previously; at least I can sing along to it now.

One of life's little ironies I guess.

[Keef]

Seriously, you've never head "you scum bag you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot, happy christmas your arse I pray God it's our last"??? I can promise you your missus knows those words, she was shieking them at me when we went to see The Pogues about 3 years ago! :-S

The line I don't know is the bit Shane sings straight after "you're an old slut on junk". I think it involves a drip and a bed :-S

[Brendan]

Here you go:

It was Christmas Eve babe

In the drunk tank

An old man said to me, won't see another one

And then he sang a song

The Rare Old Mountain Dew

I turned my face away

And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one

Came in eighteen to one

I've got a feeling

This year's for me and you

So happy Christmas

I love you baby

I can see a better time

When all our dreams come true

They've got cars big as bars

They've got rivers of gold

But the wind goes right through you

It's no place for the old

When you first took my hand

On a cold Christmas Eve

You promised me

Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome

You were pretty

Queen of New York City

When the band finished playing

They howled out for more

Sinatra was swinging,

All the drunks they were singing

We kissed on a corner

Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir

Were singing "Galway Bay"

And the bells were ringing out

For Christmas day

You're a bum

You're a punk

You're an old slut on junk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

You scumbag, you maggot

You cheap lousy faggot

Happy Christmas your arse

I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir

Still singing "Galway Bay"

And the bells were ringing out

For Christmas day

I could have been someone

Well so could anyone

You took my dreams from me

When I first found you

I kept them with me babe

I put them with my own

Can't make it all alone

I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir

Still singing "Galway Bay"

And the bells are ringing out

For Christmas day

[mockney piers]

and the f word?

[downsouth]

Gosh you guys are deep thinkers (drinkers). I'm not sure which way I go on this one either. Tatchell caused me to do a u turn in the road...

[Brendan]

I dunno but I think the rudest word in that song is "bum".

[cdonline]

I don't find using faggot offensive in this context, but I could see that it could be used in other contexts and offend many people. I use it all the time, but there is not much that offends me, but I was nearly punched once by somebody who really angry at me using it.

It is not an issue of free speech, there are plenty of expressions that are not broadcast, battyman, cripple, n**ger are just a few. The idea that people should be just allowed to say what they want and somehow they will be shown up for their stupidity would not just work, well except for Jim Davidson perhaps.

The media seem obsessed with the idea of political correctness, as though it is some social movement dictating that you and I can do is ridiculous.

[PeckhamRose]

Nope

Wait, which one? The J R Hartley actor? Nope.

blinder999 Wrote:

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> PeckhamRose Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The ENglish band XTC did a fab song called DEAR

> > GOD. That was banned in Bible belt and made

> them

> > stars in America. About 1987. I appeared in the

> > video too!

>

>

> Is that you up in the tree?

>

[PeckhamRose]

See, as a writer and performer I am absolutely against the idea of censorship. As a consumer I am also absolutely against the idea of censorship. I want to read and have the right to read, and see, what people have to say about the world and society.

The idea of one person telling another what they can say and do and write and published and be like is absolutely abhorant.

What we/society need to do and should strive towards, is to be so well educated and civil and kind and accepting of differences whilst celebrating our similarities, that people who MAY want to cause offence will realise there is no NEED to, because - simply put - they don't have anyone they want to offend because everyone's so damn nice and reasonable and accepting of them and each other.

Those who censor others are like those who bully bullies, or kill killers. They're as bad and corrupting as those they wish to censor or punish.

See that pig floating above Battersea Power Station the other night?

[atila the gooner]

The last time I clearly remember censorship making a mark on me was back in 1973. I know this will probably sound very shallow but here goes. Alladin Sane had just been released and Stuart Henry was doing a show on Radio 1. He announced on his Saturday show that he wanted to play a track called "Time" but had been told by auntie beeb that he couldn't because of lyrics, which contains the words "He flexs like a whore, falls wanking to the floor". What effect did this ban have on me? As an avid Bowie fan, none whatsoever, I went out and bought the album that same day.

[SeanMacGabhann]

yes but I rember that very same album, hearing it for the first time, munching on a bowl of cornflakes as my mum did her kitcheny things and when that line came on I went bright red and she just LOOKED at me....

Oh I'm 13 all over again just remembering that!

[Brendan]

Just be glad you didn?t listen to the kind of music I did when I was a teenager Sean. I remember one particularly embarrassing occasion when my dear old mom asked that I explain to her what the following NOFX lyric meant ? ?They may not go down in history but they?ll go down on your sister.?

[Keef]

You weren't 13 in '73 though were you?!?!?!?

[Brendan]

Around 5 by my reckoning.

[mightyroar]

a bit gay?

wtf?

[Brendan]

I was wondering when someone was going to notice that little non-pc and potentially offencive quip.

It?s a good thing I didn?t say it.

[StraferJack]

http://www.ancientrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/frankenstein3500-300x225.jpg

sorry for the ressurection folks - but anyone seen this today?

And check out the weasley excuse!

Anyone think he is a victim of PC gone mad? really?

[Otta]

"Needless to say I did not mean to use any offensive racist term and was referring to the urban jungle."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! F**king brilliant.

[Ridgley]

All depends in what he meant;-)

[StraferJack]

"I WAS going to use 'animal' but..."

is another classy bit

[Loz]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> And check out the weasley excuse!

What's a weasley excuse? I've got red hair and my owl is a bit dodgy?