Post 1494 - Will You Be Listening?

It's about 7:30 here at the Port Williams Library as I type these humble words on my trusty 10 year old laptop.

In about 90 minutes, I will sit in my car for an hour  in my mother's driveway and listen to Q104 as they defy the recent ban against the Dire Straits song, "Money for Nothing".  You can listen, too, if you punch up q104.ca and listen live if you happen to be out of town.

For the non-Canadians reading this, someone in Newfoundland complained about the song last  year because it contains the word "faggot".  That word is used 3 times.

I don't like that word.  I have many gay friends who are lovely people.  I would never call them that.  I call them by their names. I have been to their house.  As soon as I clean my house, they're welcome to come over.

The word as it is used in the song is in the context of  a couple of guys who unload furniture for a living. They look at these rock and roll guys from the era of the mid 1980's and don't like what they see.  They characterize these rock stars by that word in an ironic comment on the state of music from that period of time.  Any thinking person should be able to see that the word is used in that way.

That someone took offense to the use of the word without context, literally, troubles me.  That the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) decided to introduce a blanket ban on the song (it can still be played with the offending word removed) disturbs me.  That all radio stations in Canada must comply with this regulation lest they run afoul of the CBSC as well is deeply disturbing.  One person can bring about that kind of result.  That is unacceptable!

I hope the little faggot's he's happy.  That's all I can say.  Honestly.  Why doesn't the person have the courage of his convictions and step forward and defend his actions, identify himself, and justify to the Canadian people why he should be able to have a song that's 25 years old, censored on Canadian radio?

I work with computers.  I am offended by the words "nerd" and "geek", yet I must endure these hateful words day in and day out.  I'm put out.  I demand that those words be expunged from the English language right now.  I will contact some penny ante quasi-governmental authority and petition it to do this for me.  It's my right.  I demand it.  To Hell with anybody else.

Now, where's my cranberry juice?

Bevboy