|
|
|
|
|
|
BBC reverses decision to censor The Pogues Nicole Martin and Lucy Cockcroft BBC Radio 1 has bowed to mounting pressure to play the uncensored version of “Fairytale of New York” after a flood of complaints from listeners and the mother of the singer Kirsty MacColl. Andy Parfitt, the station controller, admitted that the decision to bleep the word “faggot” from the iconic Christmas song had been “wrong” and said the uncut version would from now on be broadcast. The station’s head of music, George Ergatoudis, had ordered the word to be removed from the single, which is in the running to be this year’s Christmas number one, for fear of upsetting homosexuals. He had stood by his decision to censor the duet between MacColl and Shane MacGowan of The Pogues, even though the station has been playing the song in full every year since it was first released in 1987.
But after a day of heavy criticism, Mr Parfitt backed down, saying that the singers did not use the word with any “negative intent”. He said: “Radio 1 does not play homophobic lyrics or condone bullying of any kind. It is not always easy to get this right, mindful of our responsibility to our young audience. “I understand absolutely the thinking behind this decision. While we would never condone prejudice of any kind, we know our audiences are smart enough to distinguish between maliciousness and creative freedom.”
|
||||
