fairytale new york homophobia disguised christmas cheer

[Ontheboardwalk]

This is my Christmas song, Christmas starts when I hear this song. Kirsty MacColl sounds fabulous.

It’s all over the newspapers again about the outrage.

Shane MacGowan has explained a million times what the word faggot means in his life and this song. There’s no harm in the song

AIBU that outrage at this word finishes and everyone should all sing along together to a great tune

I shall eat my faggots whilst putting a faggot on the fire all the time being happy and gay.

Context is all for some words. In this case it's not a slur and shouldn't be considered one.

The songs an easy target, pretty much as simple as that.

Didn't we have the same conversation last week on thi

OH loves faggots, buys them everytime we're near a particular butcher who makes them himself.

Shit song, shit lyrics.

OT, but faggots (the foodstuffs) are bloody delicious and possibly the only thing I miss about living in the West Country.

I can’t believe people whinge about this song then let their 2 year olds twerk to songs about sluts and hos. Bizarre

This. With bells on.

Love this song, people are always trying to find things offensive ,it's supposed to be ironic that's the whole point .

Oops, clicked the wrong button - YANBU

If it was the N-word we probably wouldn't use it and it would be blanked out on radio, I suspect. It was a long hard journey to get to this stage with that word. Faggot is another: countless people are telling us that it hurts to hear it, that it recalls abuse they have received and do receive. The least we could do, in the spirit of Christmas, is find an alternative line/word and sing that?

This. In 10 years I suspect it will be blanked when people catch up with actually caring about what the LGBT+ community feel rather than just walking around with rainbows on saying they are allies.

You wouldn't sing the N word - I hope - if you're white, why is F different if you're straight?

But that's right everyone who disagrees is a snowflake ❄️ and the conversation shouldn't be even had blah blah blah.

Didn't we have the same conversation last week on thi

Yes! There was a long thread about it.

I don't think the use of the word faggot is that problematic, but I do really dislike the song:

1. Their relationship is HORRIBLE - they drink too much, are incredibly unkind to each other and both feel trapped in the relationship. If this was portrayed as a bad thing this would be one thing - they are in a destructive relationship - yet somehow people view this as romantic/cute. People defend it saying they "love each other deep down", but romanticism of abuse isn't my cup of tea.

2. It's sentimental and cloying. That could be said of basically all christmas songs though :)

Perhaps those complaining so loudly about FTINY should take a look at the Puppies, Furries and Babies that Pride were so keen to foist on children at their events last year.

Is this a new song?

How has everyone just noticed?
As others said, hip hop songs are far worse in my view, and a song about people being horrible to each other features them being horrible to each other. Songwriting job done.

I love the song. I love the Pogues. I love Shane (although I’ve wasted too much of my life waiting for him to be found at gigs and festivals only for him to turn up on stage off his head and unable to sing). I particularly love Kirstie MacColl, am underrated singer who was taken too soon.

All that being said, I think there is a case for the words slut and faggot to be bleeped on radio. They were might have been edgy and controversial in 1987 but now they are offensive.

Didn't we have the same conversation last week on thi

There was indeed a long thread already and the vast majority agreed it is a great song with fantastic, evocative lyrics and that the abuse of women in the music industry is infinitely worse and always ignored.

My partner and I change the words to “you scumbag, you maggot, you taped over Taggart”

And your alternative words for "you're an old slut on junk"?
It's a fab song.

Aside from the controversial word, it’s a terrible song. Awful ‘tune’, rubbish lyrics, garbled vocals. My least favourite Christmas song, it’s the one I always think people choose as their favourite to look ‘cool’ rather than it being a good song.

HideYourBabies that’s genius

Nonsense, Entirely, nobody picks it just to be cool.
Ever consdered that other people think the tune, lyrics and vocals are great?
Maybe people like you who say they don't like it are just doing it to be edgy?

Faggot wasnt egdy @Radardodgingninga it just had a totally different meaning 🙄. No negative gay connotation at all in this song.

Yep, I prefer Slade’s offering. I am definitely edgy

sounds like someone drunk on the street.
I think it's meant to. It's about two people (can't live with each other, can't live without each other), possibly Irish emigrants to America, who were hoping for better things but it didn't work out and each blames the other. It's not a cheerful song, it's very sad, but I think it's a good song in a poetic sense.

I don't choose it as my favourite to be 'cool', at 45 I'm about three decades beyond giving a damn about being 'cool'.

It's my favourite Christmas song because it's my favourite Christmas song.

I can see why people might think it should be blanked out on the radio

I heard a version recently where they had replaced the "dodgy" words. I wasn't really paying attention but it jarred! I think they replaced "faggot" with "braggart" and they also changed the "slut" line but I can't remember how.

In 10 years I suspect it will be blanked

Surely it already has been blanked out for about the past ten years? I haven't heard the non sanitised version for years.

I Iove the song. And I don't think it's all 'aww, but deep down they love each other' I think it's a portrait of a dysfunctional relationship and the damage it has done to them both, despite the fact that maybe on some level they love each other. It's genius.