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You scumbag, you maggot...
Interesting piece just popped up on the 10 O'Clock News as it trailed the story about Radio One first banning, then unbanning the word "faggot" on Fairytale Of New York. Huw Edwards read something along the lines of "how the BBC failed to clean up this song" over an appearance by Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues on Top of the Pops.
Trouble is, they showed the performance where MacColl had been forced to sing "Merry Christmas you ass" instead of "arse".
They've actually just shown in again in the report itself, claiming it was the "classic" version rather than an bowlderised version, even though it, erm, was a version which had been edited on the instructions of the BBC. Albeit twenty years ago.
5 comments:
Ah, the days when "ass" and "arse" weren't synonyms in British usage ... at the time I suspect "ass" would still have been considered a much milder term and would have retained the meaning it had in the old term "silly ass".
(I once heard the word "ass" being used very much in the modern sense a couple of hours after UK Gold had shown "Waldorf Salad", incidentally ...)
As might have been predicted, Peter Tatchell has stuck his oar in (see the Grauniad's cif). As might also have been predicted, he's completely missed the point and started rambling on about the word 'nigger'.
So..."ass" is less offensive than "arse", though they're pretty much the same thing? "Ass" does rhyme better with "last", though.
The "faggot" controversy is certainly interesting.
P.S. anon "Laura Brown": on other meanings of "ass"--I'm aware of them, dear. They are actually used in this context in the States as well...but regarding the song, it seemed incredibly silly to even bother making the change.
Regarding the rhyming of "arse" and "last"...I'm just mentally envisioning a noted figure who utilises Received Pronunciation (say, Giles from "Buffy") singing that bit of the song. Still a clunky rhyme as he wouldn't pronounce it "larst", but thanks for the mental laugh. ;]
"Laura Brown": I accept your apology, and I appreciate your attempt to assist. And yes I was mainly wondering about whether one was simply considered more vulgar than the other (though as far as the accent goes, an RP one would be odd considering that from what I understand, the song is supposed to be narrated by working-class Irish).
I referred to you as "anon" due to clicking on your handle and not getting anything by way of a profile or link to a profile (I'm posting from my Gmail myself); it may be that your Google account simply isn't linked to Blogger. If you wish, you can rectify that by creating a rudimentary profile that links to the site of your choice. :] Sorry for all the confusion!
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