BBC bleeps Pogues classic Christmas song to avoid upsetting gays

 

Last updated at 13:05pm on 18th December 2007 Comments (53)

Politically correct BBC Radio station chiefs have censored the word 'faggot' from a hit Christmas song in fear of upsetting homosexuals.

Fairytale of New York by the Pogues has fallen victim to 'the bleep' after being re-released for the festive period.

 

Censors have also decided the word 'slut' - but have deemed the word 'arse' okay to air.

The hit song, which is challenging for the Christmas number one spot, is famous for it's outrageous lyrics and was recently voted the best Xmas song ever in a VH1 pole.

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The Pogues Christmas classic, sung by Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, has been censored by BBC chiefs because it contains the word 'faggot' and the corporation fears it will upset homosexuals.

 

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The word 'faggot' has been bleeped out of the song Fairytale of New York by the Pogues

 

The Pogues' legendary ballad tells the story of a junkie couple reminiscing on Christmas Eve about youthful ambitions which never materialised.

 

During the foul-mouthed pop hit, lead singer Shane MacGowan and English singer Kirsty MacColl hurl insults at each other in a supposedly drunken manner.

 

The lyrics, sung by the pair, read: "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."

 

Fans of the song are furious after radio bosses banned their DJs from including the word 'faggot' and have forced staff to bleep it out.

 

 

Radio One DJ Chris Moyles, who is leading a campaign to help the song reach top spot in the charts is amongst a number of DJ's furious at the 'ridiculous ban'.

Jean MacColl, mother of the late Kirsty MacColl, called the ban "too ridiculous".

She told BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast: "These are a couple of characters - not in the first flush of youth, I would have thought.

"This is the way they spoke. Today we have a lot of a gratuitous vulgarity and whatever from people all over which I think is quite unnecessary.

"They are what they are. These are characters and they speak like that."

A spokesman for the Pogues, who first formed in 1982 and reunited in 2001 after a five-year break, said they "found it amusing that a song that has been one of the best-loved Christmas tunes should suddenly have been deemed offensive".

 

A spokesperson for the BBC said: "We are playing an edited version of Fairytale of New York on our radio stations that does not include the word "faggot".

 

"This step has been taken as this is a word that members of our audience would find offensive."

 

But Pogues fan David Higgins from Liverpool hit back saying: "I can't believe the word faggot has been bleeped out.

 

"Fairytale of New York is a great Christmas tune and this line sums up the theme of the song.

 

"The two singers are meant to be bickering at each other, so what is the point in censoring anything offensive - it defies the object of the track.

 

"Some of the words being bleeped I can understand but this is ridiculous.

 

"There has never been a problem with including the word faggot in the past so why start now?

 

"It's political correctness gone mad."

And the decision has been reversed :lol: