01.16.2011 07:51 AM

In today’s Sun: Banarchy In The U.K.

“…Among other things, you can be forgiven for wondering what took the CBSC so long – after all, Money For Nothing came out a quarter century ago.

Do you think the council is aware yet of the drug references in the Beatles’ 44-year-old song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds?

How about Jerry Lee Lewis’ Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On, which is about sexual intercourse? That one started being played 54 years ago.

Check out The Killer’s lyrics, standards council, where he goes on about grabbing his bull, ahem, “by the horn.” He’s not talking about the agricultural sector, folks!”

23 Comments

  1. Steve Gallagher says:

    Do these folks ever listen to the lyrics of rap songs? Hip Hop? Whatever. Maybe these pecker heads should start playing some old vinyl albums backwards too. You never know what you might find.

  2. Steve T says:

    Excellent article, WK. I wrote to the CBSC yesterday, expressing similar sentiments. Sadly, I think (much like the CRTC) they are completely tone-deaf to what Canadians really want.

  3. Dave says:

    When I was a little boy in the late 1940’s I remember Nat King Cole Trio on the radio singing something about ‘Goin downtown to see a man about a horse,’ and ‘Straighten up an fly right.’ At the time I thought that they were In the parlance of the time) swell songs. They were at least as good as the commercial jingles for Post Toasties (heap good corn flakes.)
    Now I know that the King Cole Trio songs corrupted me.
    I read a Thomas Pynchon novel recently in which he says that ‘Dancing in the Dark’ was actually about ‘doin’ it.’
    Oh, the devil’s minions are everywhere, folks, – they are ev ry where.

  4. jStanton says:

    This is not censorship, and nothing has been banned.

    Someone complained about the lyrics of a song, the association, acting on behalf of broadcasters, adjudicated the complaint – based on rules that broadcasters had agreed amongst themselves to adhere to – and found that the playing of the song -IN THAT INSTANCE – to have contravened those rules. That file is now closed.

    Anybody can broadcast that song – again and again – and not be in contravention of the rules – UNLESS SOMEONE COMPLAINS AGAIN.

    In other words, the CBSC does not have the power of censorship, and cannot compel broadcasters to do their wont. It is a creature specifically of broadcasters, to specifically adjudicate complaints against them. Broadcasters may choose to follow their own rules, or to change them.

    Since broadcasting is a business proposition, they generally choose to follow those rules, since doing so has enabled the stability required to make money.

    Editorialists and ham-fisted commentators are either being disingenuous or exhibiting poor journalistic practices when they froth and moan about censorship and useless, well-fed bureaucrats undermining our freedoms.

    Their converged media bosses know full well that , firstly, it’s their own association that is behind this, and, secondly, that it makes them money either way – whether through creating a stable environment in which to do business, or in generating enough heat to draw readers.

    Pretty sweet deal for them, but it makes fools of those commentators and their faux outrage, and other simple folks who blindly accept as truth anything those commentators write, without informing themselves of the facts.

    And now to make the point that we should:

    http://i.imgur.com/AMGPb.jpg

  5. bigcitylib says:

    You are entirely wrong about Dire Straits; they were a rare refuge from the 80’s pop music wasteland. I would just point out that you are noted for your special relationship with a toy dinosaur; Mark Knopfler, lead singer and guitarist for the band, has had a REAL dinosaur named after him (Masiakasaurus knopfleri–nasty looking muther, too). You sure this isn’t jealousy?

  6. Aongasha says:

    I’m also a fan of Knopfler’s bluegrass picking as well (Nottingham Hillbillies etc.). Like Bela Fleck he can cross all genres.

  7. James Curran says:

    Of course, 30 years ago, CFNY played Magazine’s Permafrost at least once a day.

    Thunder shook loose hail
    on the outhouse again
    today I bumped into you again
    I have no idea what you want
    but there was something I meant to say

    As the day stops dead
    at the place where we’re lost
    I will drug you and fuck you
    on the permafrost

    There’s not much that I miss
    I’m far too forgetful for that
    sugar’s sweet some of the time
    it’s hard to keep some things in mind

    As the day stops dead …

    • Warren says:

      You and I are the only people here who know who Howard Devoto is.

      • James Curran says:

        And yet everyone knows Pete Shelley, whose song Homosapien, ironically, was BANNED by the BBC and yet palyed in full force every twelve seconds in Canada. I guess songs about gay sex aren’t as offensive to that guy on the east coast.

        • Eddie C says:

          But “some guy on the east coast” being offended (which I totally agree is an overreaction) isn’t the same as banning or censorship. The CBSC is a private organisation, seemingly dedicated to maintaining the anodyne blandness of commercial radio, that must respond to any complaints made to it. If they wouldn’t (and if I recall correctly, they didn’t) let Eminem say “faggot”, why should dire straits be treated any differently?

        • Namesake says:

          “I guess songs about gay sex aren’t as offensive to that guy”

          well, D’uh!

          As I understood it, the fellow making the complaint IS gay, and just objected to the particular word in question, which he found overly pejorative / offensive (apparently not understanding or caring that it was being said in a character’s, rather than the songwriter’s own voice).

          Whereas he might actually enjoy that other song you mention, which does more to celebrate than condemn that whole sexual orientation.

      • Eddie C says:

        Oh really? I’m sure Orgasm Addict would get a few complaints, too.

        The age of Money for Nothing is the only difference between this instance and the hundreds of other songs that are bleeped for commercial radio. Eminem, Kanye, hell, one of my friends didn’t even know that Cee-Lo’s song wasn’t actually called “Forget You”.

        That being said, jStanton is right on the money. They’re treating this song EXACTLY the same way they’d treat any other. It just appears to be rare that old songs get complained about.

  8. james Smith says:

    Guess the Peaches (or the Moldy Peaches for that matter ) will never make it on the Radio. BTW who listens to radio for music anymore?

  9. Lipman says:

    I part with you on Dire Straits. Knopfler is one of the premier guitar players of his generation, and his collaborations with Chet Atkins in the 80s were masterful. Digital Dream Door has him ranked in the top 40 rock guitarists of all time (probably should be way up there) and Money for Nothing aside, they had some great tunes.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTVLIZaxMk

    DL

  10. Raymond says:

    I don’t.
    It’s PCOOC.

  11. james Smith says:

    Aside from all the fall-de-rah over this brain cramp why almost no coverage of this CRTC Decision?
    http://is.gd/j5Z8my Could it have anything to do with Media conglomerates not wanting the public to know WTF is going on?

  12. Rick T. says:

    Nice tongue in cheek column in the Sun.

  13. new says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s
    is this video need to cansor show suicide and teach young this man need to go to rehab he must be in excess alchol and drug mix with anger and hiv girl around him too much Eminem need help before it is too late for him

    Repeat of hearing same lyrics
    Is show history
    Show pain or love or politic or story or fun or family
    Any poetry can create main link among people
    Now if we read all lyric some is flesh back to your mind
    Some only you love hear the song not care about lyrics and poem
    Sometimes even god asked you to go to church every Sunday and Muslim every Friday and Jewish every Saturday gosh… god must very busy playing with all kind of people sorry god I just kidding
    But repeat for good is something we like to hear keep repeat be good keep tell your children do your homework

    Now lyrics and poetry that create repeat of violence and crime and sound discussing or sex talk all will affect human mind too when you hear romantic songs you feel different
    Then those lyric and related to song made people feel motivated to do good or due to bad or create
    Like Emanin singer hearing drop himself from building suicidal song and all F and B words
    Or just censor the video
    Is this time to tell singer watch your mouth or just new plan for censor saying?
    Do not prevent gay let them grow in our community an teach your son how to sleep with other men
    Or censor does not talk or say PM and president of country is bad or criticise them
    How much lyrics poem song and video can affect people what rule can be used for them
    As we can see majority of concert are youth and teenager and affect and screaming for celebrity can we allow black rap music and some hippie to say what they teach youth and for sake of their money as their first audience teach us right and wrong this is like movie and play station game hold teens for hour to play doing nothing as just fun how they affect their brain when they grow up another new angry Arizona kids
    Entertainment industry just needs to review if they go to censor they should put half of that song under big bulldozer and made them to pieces all may nonsense or simple censor
    Then find new version is become new criminal industry to pay more to hear first original version
    Can we allow to start censor as today we have to see who is operated all world music all gays and prosti…ted and lesbi and club owner and adult movie
    all back to ethic and board of education and mix character and grow different personality in children with anger hate alchole drugs and anger
    I should say all it depends it can prevent corruption it can be damage us to hear the truth
    Oh I know we can ask minister of Harper he may help us what film is good or what song is good he thinks only for revenue and amount of money that person can bring for Canada not ethic behind it

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odGvIh63sOY&feature=related

  14. student501 says:

    Hmmm… If the Dire Straights lyrics are soooo offensive

    I wonder what Egale has to say about Katy Perry’s tune “I kissed a girl and I liked it”.

    “I kissed a girl and I liked it
    The taste of her cherry chapstick
    I kissed a girl just to try it
    I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
    It felt so wrong
    It felt so right
    Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
    I kissed a girl and I liked it
    I liked it”

    http://www.yoursonglyrics.com/i-kissed-a-girl-katy-perry/

    This could easily backfire on a lot of people.

    I could see a lot of religiously based groups complain about that one after last week’s “decision”.

    Stay tuned folks, I have a feeling this is just warming up.

  15. Kevin says:

    A faggot weighs in:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42fyiFuwkE0

    Oh wait, this is from the 1980’s too.

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