Is fairy tale of New York a sackable offence ?

[Veeveeoxox]

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.

YANBU.

If I were him, I'd want to move somewhere else anyway. What a bunch of ninnies.

What a joke!
I hope he finds a job with a better set of people.

Dirgey and shite was how it was written. Deliberately. See excerpts of the writer's take on this above.

It's hard to see what the fuss is when The Pogues have always had an alternative version available and they themselves don't profess to care if it is further censored.

It still represents a very real set of experiences and is precisely what it was written to be.

Unpleasant!

OP he doesn't work with a lot of people who don't celebrate Christmas, does he?

So what if he does? If he works in the UK his colleagues would be aware that we do celebrate Christmas here.

@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?

There is no homosexual slur in it. It was written in North London by someone of Irish descent, the f( meatballs) slur is American. Two completely different meanings to the word.

Sounds fishy but you have to be very careful in what you do and say at work. Perhaps someone was offended and has since complained.

@BruceBogtrottersWife

It isn't a homosexual slur, it I an Irish song by an Irish band and the Irish meaning of 'faggot' is quite different. It has been playing in my local pub all over Xmas and the landlord is gay. Im gay as feck and don't find it the least bit offensive. They're being ridiculous and I doub they'll be able to sack him over this and if they do, he will have good cause for tribunal.

When my mum used to use the word p* she didn;t say it as a racist slur simply as a shortened version of the word Pakistani.

But once she realised that word was being used BY OTHERS all the time in a racist, inflammatory manner, she stopped using the term so as not to upset the people involved or be associated with the racism.

Being Irish with the different connotations of the word more ingrained over there it is much more likely that you didn't have faggot yelled at you just prior to getting beaten up by a gang of lads but over here in England it was a regular occurrence.

That's a false equivalence if ever I saw one.

p* as a shortening has only ever applied to a word with one meaning.

Faggot has had multiple meanings for hundreds of years. It is inconceivable that proper use of one of those alternative meanings should be deemed offensive. Well, not inconceivable because we have an increasingly unrepentantly fragile society, wherein words are the most dangerous things imaginable. Sticks and stones notwithstanding.

I say that as I look in my fridge at tonight's tea. Onion gravy and mushy peas are on the hob being cooked down to the required mush. Faggots and peas is a regular Friday tea here. Our butcher is a prize winning faggot maker. Should I require they be renamed?

And a bundle of firewood?

And I think I remember a couple of other uses from one of the many previous threads in this.

The lengths the posters of mumsnet will go to in order to justify their continued use of homophobic and racist slurs is almost impressive.

It is inconceivable that proper use of one of those alternative meanings should be deemed offensive.

No, That's a false equivalence if ever I saw one

The song very clearly isn't referring to offal or to bundles of sticks, or even to a lazy person. It's a homophobic slur, used at the time because it was seen as acceptable. Now we do not see it as acceptable.

When my mum used to use the word p* she didn;t say it as a racist slur simply as a shortened version of the word Pakistani.

How often did she need to use the word 'Pakistani' for it to require an abbreviation?

@girlmom21

When my mum used to use the word p* she didn;t say it as a racist slur simply as a shortened version of the word Pakistani.

How often did she need to use the word 'Pakistani' for it to require an abbreviation?

Back in the day, that might have been whenever she wanted to refer to a convenience shop open in the evenings or on a Sunday, if the proprietors were 'subcontinental' Asian. It didn't seem to matter whether they were actually e.g. Indian or Ugandan Asians - and sure, it was racist but more from ignorance than deliberate malice.

@Yummayumma

The lengths the posters of mumsnet will go to in order to justify their continued use of homophobic and racist slurs is almost impressive.

I'll ask again, what about the other, centuries old, still used alternative meanings of the word?

Does context mean nothing?

FFS!

Claudia much like McGowan, I've never claimed otherwise.

Had you read what I was responding to you'd have noted that. As I said... context.

Does context mean nothing?

The context if you're talking about burning witches or supper is clear. It really isn't in this song tbh.
Otoh, the context in 'Money for Nothing' is perfectly clear. Instant verbal thumbnail of a guy picking up goods to install watching an MTV clip of someone looking like Boy George.

Again, I was responding to the post I quoted. The meaning in the song is unpleasant however it is understood. Deliberately so.

And yes to the very clear meaning to the jaunty little ditty, Money for Nothing.

@Yummayumma

The lengths the posters of mumsnet will go to in order to justify their continued use of homophobic and racist slurs is almost impressive.

Yep, yet funnily enough they wouldn’t like people using slurs that relate to them.

All the recent reports I've found about FToNY are that the song has been censored, despite that happening nearly thirty years ago. I can't find any complaints about the original song.

Did this actually happen? Or is it some attempt at stirring up outrage for non existent 'cancelling'.

Bloody snowflakes, it’s political correctness gone mad. What next? No poppies for rememberance day? Wintermas instead of Christmas?

That’s what you want us to say right OP? You’re a bit late to start a goody FONY thread, they’re usually done and dusted by December. Baba black sheep/rainbow sheep would have been a safer bet for January.

@user1471504747

Bloody snowflakes, it’s political correctness gone mad. What next? No poppies for rememberance day? Wintermas instead of Christmas?

That’s what you want us to say right OP? You’re a bit late to start a goody FONY thread, they’re usually done and dusted by December. Baba black sheep/rainbow sheep would have been a safer bet for January.

Difficult time of year for the gammon frothers this.

10 whole months until poppy rage.

Gammon frothers? Yuk what a revolting expression.

@KimikosNightmare

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..."

No idea sorry, it was just what his boss said. Just shows people can have a different take on the same song.

I hate conversations about this song. Censor out calling a man a f**t but calling a woman a slut is totally fine and ok

@thegreenlight

I hate conversations about this song. Censor out calling a man a f**t but calling a woman a slut is totally fine and ok

They'll change it 'cervix havers' before they sanitise the 'slut' part.