I've refrained from wading into the whole Dire Straits - Money For Nothing - bru ha ha, mostly because at the moment there's just a lot of shouting and defiance, but not much else.
As you know, the Canadian Broadcasts Standard Council (CBSC) recently deemed the song unsuitable for airplay. The song includes the word 'faggot' and is used in the context of two blue collar workers referring to '80s musicians as seen on MTV. The CBSC has not banned the song outright, it will allow airplay of a version with the word in question edited out.
It was a complaint by an unnamed member of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered community (LGBT) that resulted in the ban. What happened since has been a veritable frenzy of mouth-frothing editorials about censorship and the impending collapse of western civilization brought on by the dreaded slippery slope.
For the record, I don't agree with the ban. That is not to say I am necessarily fond of the word. I have listened to enough stories from friends in the gay and lesbian community to know how hurtful it can be.
It should be noted that this is not simply a curse word. Most of us are at least accustomed to the F-bomb and most of it's six buddies being omitted from television and radio. Although they do manage to slip out in music from time to time. The word in question is a slur. Not just a general slur, like idiot or moron, faggot is intended to demean a very specific segment of society.
Have I ever used it? Absolutely, and yes, in most cases I was referring to that specific segment of society. Why? Most likely to build up my own self-image at the expense of someone else. Did I mean it to be hurtful? Sometimes I did.
I don't use the word any more because things have changed. Friendships with those in the gay and lesbian community have done much to enlighten my point of view over the years. Today I feel shame and embarrassment for my callous and ignorant abuse of individuals based solely on their sexual orientation. Recent reports of young people committing suicide after years of physical and mental abuse because of their orientation have further altered my viewpoint.
Does banning a rock song make this all better? No, not really. Nor do I think it is fair to make Dire Straits the target of society's anger and sadness over the ignorance that has resulted in those recent tragedies. I get what the band was doing back in 1985. Then, the term faggot was common to blue-collar language of the culture, even if it was a bit racy for the time. To target the artists for their form of expression is just another form of injustice.
The only way I can sum up my attitude on the issue is this: Money for Nothing is a great song with an ugly word.
What is unfortunate in all of this is the way in which the issue was handled, essentially igniting a lot of useless fervour without achieving anything of value. Imagine an entirely different scenario. What if instead of going to the CBSC, the LBGT approached the band directly? Perhaps they could have spoken openly about the pain they associate with the word. Discuss the recent cases of young individuals driven to take their own lives to escape years of abuse. What if they could have encouraged the band to release a special edition of the song with revised lyrics, while taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue. Perhaps they could have used a portion of the sales to fund programs that offer support to those affected by this crisis. Suddenly we've taken all of the frothy-mouthed editorialists and swivel servants out of the equation and we might actually have achieved something positive.
We have to concede that censorship is a complex issue. While we are particularly aggrieved when any sort of limits are put on art, at the same time we are unable to agree on what exactly defines art. If we talk about the slippery slope of censorship, what direction does the slippery slope travel with no censorship. What if an artist considers exploitation and torture to be art?
I don't know where this debate will end, if at all, but here is what I do know:
I believe in, and defend, the right of free speech as the cornerstone of this country's democracy.
I do not believe in, nor will I defend a word like faggot.
I understand that what is acceptable now may someday change with time and experience.
No matter what happens, I will not be bullied into taking sides on a issue.
No matter how loud people want to shout.
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