It’s officially December which means you’re guaranteed to hear at least one Christmas song every day from now until January.
But which one will it be? Mariah’s All I Want For Christmas Is You? Wham! with Last Christmas, or The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York?
Well, if it’s the latter you might be hearing a different version of it soon as a DJ has called for the lyrics of the timeless classic to be censored.
Irish DJ Eoghan McDermott, of RTÉ, has called on the broadcaster to censor the lyrics to the festive favourite, saying ‘it’s not a big ask’.
In particular, he wants the lyric which includes the word ‘faggot’ to be censored, which McDermott states is not appropriate in this day and age.
Taking to Twitter, he addressed his followers as he made his feelings clear regarding the controversial wording of the song:
Phrases that have zero social utility should fall away. Enough vitriol out there without gay people having to feel uncomfortable so people that aren't affected by an insult can tap their toe. Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get Retarded" changed to "Let's Get It Started" – rightly so.
— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) December 4, 2018
In the tweets, he mentions how he asked two of his gay colleagues for their opinions on the lyrics, stating neither like it; one favours censoring it, while the other would rather the song not be played.
He writes:
If people want to slur the gay community, this is their most powerful weapon.
Nobody complained. The fact this song is a classic isn't a strong enough defense to not at least censor it. We censor shit, fuck, ass, weed and loads of other comparatively benign words in songs. It's not a big ask.
— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) December 4, 2018
People immediately began responding to the tweet, calling him a ‘snowflake’, insisting the song doesn’t intend to cause offence – with many referencing the fact it was written in the 80’s when times were different.
The DJ continued to make his point, stating:
The fact this song is a classic isn’t a strong enough defense to not at least censor it. We censor sh*t, f*ck, ass, weed and loads of other comparatively benign words in songs. It’s not a big ask. [sic]
McDermott stood firm on his opinions, stating he wasn’t asking for the song to be banned – simply for one offensive word to be bleeped out.
To be honest, it doesn’t seem like such a big ask, especially as BBC Radio 1 censored the lyrics to the song more than 10 years ago, in 2007.
As reported by the BBC, the station made the decision to censor the word ‘f*ggot’ to avoid causing offence. A Radio 1 spokesperson said the station’s management ‘had made their decision’ and would not be going back on it.
It remains to be seen what RTÉ’s decision will be.
Another song causing controversy of late is Baby It’s Cold Outside, the lyrics of which you’ve probably never thought twice about.
However, people have now started paying attention, noticing a seemingly questionable message within the song.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The entire premise of the song is a woman who’s trying to get home, with a man who keeps interrupting her – telling her to stay, taking her coat off, and encouraging her to drink with him despite her saying no several times.
A radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, decided to remove the traditional Christmas song from its playlist following complaints about it being inappropriate and at odds with the #MeToo movement.
Of course, it should be taken into account both songs are products of their time. However, times have changed and so the question needs to be asked whether these songs are still appropriate.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).