Jilted John, Savile and lyrics

[Alchemist]

Last night a friend came round and we were talking and she referred to someone as a moron. I winced and said that is not a word I want to hear and it isn't a word I would use personally.

Despite me being po-faced I remembered this song. I think I remember it as supposedly a funny song but I was very young and it played on TOTP, R1 etc. I knew all the words :(.

So, looked it up on Youtube and there it is, introduced by Savile.

I really don't like it.

AIBU to think that lyrics haven't moved forward too much?

Yes, I don't think I'd get away with calling anyone a wanker at work either.

But, as far as I'm concerned, it's a much more acceptable term for someone who's being an utter dickhead than 'idiot'.

It is just moron backwards!

What about div? We used to use that a lot in the eighties. Also eejit, the Irish for feckin Pratt.

Is it not about a not very mature young man's reaction to being jilted (another outdated word) and a typically juvenile outpouring of anger towards Julie and Gordon? And you couldn't swing a cat (figuratively) on tv in the seventies without hitting Saville.

'Umm... Who mentioned black or disabled people except you?'

I mentioned them because political correctness is about racism, sexism, disablism, as well as other things, it's telling the people who think it's alright to call people niggers, dolly birds and spackers to shut the fuck up.

And the opinion that the world was a better place when all those things were totally fine and savile's victims should have kept their mouths closed for the sake of someone's precious memories...

Wanker.

Words dont matter in one way. Its the set of judgements summarised by the word that matter. You can't get rid of the judgements by getting rid of the word. Otherwise racism would have disappeared once words like nigger, paki, became frowned on. Some of my nest friends call me a fucking cunt, utter scumbags have called me darling. We all know the difference.
The one thing that pc language shows is who is willing to be seen to show respect to whatever group. There is no point in haranging people to use particular words. People who care will use whatever is prefer red once they know of it. People who don't will use any word but their meaning will be clear

You've hurt my feelings now Ilove.

And don't start on my horse, that's horsism that is.

What about "Mongoloid" by Devo? I have to admit I always found that to be in rather bad taste, but "Gordon is a moron" as offensive lyrics? Nah! Never knew the meaning of "Turning Japanese" though!

You went searching for a song from 40 years ago in order to be offended by it?! That has to be the very definition of 'looking to take offence'.

Turning Japanese is not about wanking, that's an urban myth.

Surely the whole point of the Jilted John song was that the guy singing was the one that sounded like a moron? And what's offensive about moron, doesn't it just mean stupid person? Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

I find it odd that people find calling someone a 'Wally' acceptable - I only ever heard it used after a drama called 'Walter' about a man with learning difficulties and his relationship with his (dying) mum.....but no one else seems to remember this.......

Heard different lyrics to me then Glasto. 😏

I had no idea til last week on mn that there was any debate at all about the lola lyrics!

What about Spasticus Autisticus, by Ian Dury and the Blockheads?

Apparently he wrote that as an anti-Charity song, because he found having awards ceremonies purely for disabled people to be patronising.
I think the only reason he was allowed to get away with that was because of his own disability.

How about, so nobody risks accidentally offending anyone ever again, we replace all insulting names with the words "double plum in-good person"? Better?

Ohh ffs auto correct "double plus un-good"

There is no apparently about that, Violet.

Ian Dury was pissed off with 1981 being the International Year of Disabled Persons. Many charities asked him to get involved, it being a given that a famous man with a disability must be so inclined, and he wrote the song to show how fucked of he was with the patronising views some people had of him and others.

He didn't 'get away' with anything - that is equally patronising.

If you look at the words of Spasticus Aristicus and What a Waste you'll see where he was coming from.

Samcro linked to that earlier in the thread VioletVaccine.

Oops Sparkling I was skim reading and missed that

That is correct about Ian Drury.

It's 2016. Language is always evolving. Getting upset about words used over 30yrs ago is pointless.

I am more worried about the normalising of the word bitch in current music, along with lots of references to rape, anal sex, etc. that, along with the objectification of women in music videos gives me more concern than JJ!

I didn't know that OurBlanche. I remember the song but wasn't really familiar with the band or him- just remember thinking 'how the hell did he get away with this?' when I first heard it. In hindsight, knowing what actually inspired the lyrics does give it context.

What an odd thread. Why are people being so hostile towards a very mild OP? Seems she was just musing about how times have changed and what is no longer acceptable. No need to have a go. With caps no less!

He and The Blockheads (also named in protest) were one of my favourite bands. From being banned by the Beeb, for Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, all the way to Mr Love Pants. He was a pretty god actor too

Haha, about five years ago whilst I was living in Bahrain I dropped my car off to be seviced.Once I got home I realised I had left Standing on the Beach CD in the car CD player. With 'Killing an Arab' on it.Chances of the mechanics really listening to it were minimal, but couldn't leave it . Had to go all the way back to get it.