Page 5 | Is fairy tale of New York a sackable offence ?

Veeveeoxox · 2022-01-07T09:36:50+00:00

My OH played fairy tale of New York the censored version on a zoom Christmas party, he works in IT contracting moved from financial services to the public sector. They are now saying many people got offended and hurt by the song and they are wondering if he's a good cultural fit for this department . AIBU to think this is absolutely ridiculous ? My OH is already looking for another job as the field is such in high demand he's not worried. They also waited until today to tell him instead of a month ago when the supposed incident happened.

ClaudiaWankleman · 07/01/2022 11:48

I do think the uncensored version is inappropriate in a work setting. The censored version is the way around that, if you really must listen to it.

I don't get the love for the song, but hey ho. I am a Mary's Boy Child, Step Into Christmas kind of person.

KimikosNightmare · 07/01/2022 11:48

The Disturbed version is the best. It's steeped in bleakness , foreboding and despair which isn't in the S&G version.

I do hope Samcro comes back to confirm it was "too epic" or if not "too epic" what it was "too..."

LowlandLucky · 07/01/2022 11:51

He needs to tell HR that he is contacting his union, that will stop them in their tracks. As for the pathetic children that are so upset by it they need to get a bloody backbone.

Meraas · 07/01/2022 11:53

The song sets my teeth on edge. Always change it when it comes on the radio.

Sonex · 07/01/2022 11:54

He doesn't have HR or a union because he is a contractor. The worse he could do is slag them off to his agency and try and dissuade other contractors from going there but it's really not worth it. As an IT contractor you have to have a skin like a rhino and move on.

Sonex · 07/01/2022 11:57

He's most probably inside IR35 if it's a public sector contract so he could complain to his agency/umbrella company but, again, to what end? They might label him as a trouble-maker and refuse to work with him aka just mysteriously not tell him about any new roles. Seriously not worth making any fuss. Simply apologise for any offense I may have inadvertantly caused, I though playing the censored version would be sufficient mitigation, please accept my apologies. Then go to the pub and congratulate self internally for not having to work with those people long term and to not be stuck in a permanent role there.

notacooldad · 07/01/2022 11:58

The Disturbed version is the best. It's steeped in bleakness , foreboding and despair which isn't in the S&G version
I found it over produced, over blown and overplayed.
I say that as a big Disturbed fan.
The best thing about it was going to a Disturbed gig after the song was out and seeing loads of middle aged and older couples dressed up as if they were going to see the Halle or something. They clearly didnt get what they were expecting!

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 07/01/2022 12:00

They clearly didnt get what they were expecting!
How do you know?

Cherryblossoms85 · 07/01/2022 12:02

Given it's a public sector contract it will be inside IR35. That means he is in fact employed on a fixed term. He can still make a claim of bullying as that's what this is.

Original poster

Veeveeoxox · 07/01/2022 12:02

@Sonex

He's most probably inside IR35 if it's a public sector contract so he could complain to his agency/umbrella company but, again, to what end? They might label him as a trouble-maker and refuse to work with him aka just mysteriously not tell him about any new roles. Seriously not worth making any fuss. Simply apologise for any offense I may have inadvertantly caused, I though playing the censored version would be sufficient mitigation, please accept my apologies. Then go to the pub and congratulate self internally for not having to work with those people long term and to not be stuck in a permanent role there.

This is what he's going to do

. He's under umbrella but can't be bothered complaining he's just looking for another role it took him a short time last time, the job market is very strong at the moment. It's more I'm shocked some work places are so PC? I dip in and out of the public sector , I'm an agency HCP but I haven't noticed this our workplaces tend to have dark humour to get through the day.

OP posts:

TheMarzipanDildo · 07/01/2022 12:17

Insanity. How could someone get offended at the censored version?!

fruitbrewhaha · 07/01/2022 12:18

What a fucking waste of time and money. Good to see this public dept are spending our hard earned tax appropriately.

Tell him to play NWA at his leaving do which i hope for his sake is very soon.

HaveringWavering · 07/01/2022 12:19

Utterly insane. That song is everywhere at Christmas. It’s not like he pulled out some obscure offensive song and forced people to listen to it. Who on earth would go to the bother of complaining to their manager about it being played when it is piped into supermarkets up and down the land? There must be more to this, surely? Is it someone who dislikes him for another reason?

Sonex · 07/01/2022 12:20

You should see UK universities!! (or perhaps it was one). I work with them in my role (but not directly, thankfuly) and the poor staff are literally being held hostage by the young gender fluid/non-binary/queer students who stamp their fists and make all sorts of unreasonable demands and stick nasty insults on their office doors if they so much wear a t shirt they don't like, for some reason.

Don't get me wrong, I am a female who has worked in a male dominated industry for decades so I am more than glad to see us as a society trying to move past casual everyday racism, sexism and homophobia - I know more than anyone how hurtful it is and how damaging it is. but cancel culture amongst the liberal woke 'yoof of today' has gone too far imo. They have become the bullies and the discriminators themselves.

notacooldad · 07/01/2022 12:20

They clearly didnt get what they were expecting!
How do you know?

Ok, just a guess but many had left by the third song.

Sonex · 07/01/2022 12:24

@fruitbrewhaha

What a fucking waste of time and money. Good to see this public dept are spending our hard earned tax appropriately.

Tell him to play NWA at his leaving do which i hope for his sake is very soon.

Ha! Can you imagine! And once he has a new role lined up, tell him to take copies of Harry Potter to work with him to read at lunchtime, very visibly. And get him a "superstraight" badge.

Silvershroud · 07/01/2022 12:29

I presume he was making a political statement? He wanted a reaction? And now he has got one.

CliveAntichrist · 07/01/2022 12:31

I concur with an earlier pp that it's telling that most of the furore is about the worrd 'faggot' and not the 'slut' slur... woe betide an offensive word to women be pilloried 🙄

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/01/2022 12:31

@Sonex

Sonex · 07/01/2022 12:32

Or had he been asked to run a zoom christmas party (torture in itself, no wonder they made the contractor do it) and played some christmas songs he likes?

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 07/01/2022 12:33

If I was an employer, all Christmas music would be a sackable offence.

StealthPolarBear · 07/01/2022 12:34

@TragoCardboardCopper

Does the censored version he played still have the homosexual slur in it? I'm sure years ago it was only the 'arse' and maybe the 'slut' that were censored?

Don't care about arse but I do think if it's censored the word slut should come out. Either it's a homophobic and misogynistic song, or they're OK in context.

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/01/2022 12:36

@Silvershroud

I presume he was making a political statement? He wanted a reaction? And now he has got one.

What political statement was Aldi making by using the music for their Christmas ad?

steppemum · 07/01/2022 12:36

@LowlandLucky

He needs to tell HR that he is contacting his union, that will stop them in their tracks. As for the pathetic children that are so upset by it they need to get a bloody backbone.

this actually pisses me off quite a lot.

My uncle is nearly 80.
he is gay, and has been out his whole adult life, but never part of the gay scene, just getting on with his life. He is a gentle man with a definitely slightly 'camp' walk and manner.
He suffered massive amounts of abuse as a young man, in the 60s, 70s 80s etc. One of the insults leveled at him was faggot. It was massively offensive and used often in the precursor to physical attack.

I actually think the 'pathetic children' have zero idea of the offense of this word and the fear it generated and the horrendous gay bashing that was around in the 70 s and 80s.

So, given this word is really triggering for men of my uncles generation, shouldn't we think seriously about its casual use?

It is like the 'golliwog' argument.
As soon as you hear someone like Lenny Henry talking about his experience of the word, you cannot any longer think it is OK.

Same goes for the word 'nigger' - would you play a song with it in and tell everyone to stop being such a snowflake it is used in context?

there is a censored version recorded by the Pogues. They recognised the need to it.
Use it

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 07/01/2022 12:36

Op He isn't a contractor if he is working through an umbrella - he is a no-rights employee.