Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" Ruled Too Offensive In Canada
Jan 13, 2011
by Gina DiNunno


Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" can no longer be played in Canada in its original form since the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has deemed the song offensive.

The decision stems from a listener's complaint last year calling the lyrics — which contain the word "f----t" — extremely offensive to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.



The song, which has been a classic rock staple for 25 years, earned the band a Grammy for best rock performance. The then state-of-the-art computer-animation video was also the first music video to air on MTV Europe.




"Money for Nothing" -- co-written by Mark Knopfler and Sting — will have to be edited or cannot air, the council ruled.

The council said: "The societal values at issue a quarter-century later have shifted and the broadcast of the song in 2010 must reflect those values, rather than those of 1985."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Dire-Straits-Money-1027642.aspx

Took them long enough, that song has long been edited for radio airplay in the U.S.

Took them long enough, that song has long been edited for radio airplay in the U.S.

Many stations still play the unedited version, though, complete with epithet.

Maybe they can replace the word with "slave."

Many stations still play the unedited version, though, complete with epithet.

I obviously can't listen to every station but I certainly don't doubt this at all. The stations I listen to in this area skip the verse entirely. They also seen to think that "Money for Nothing", "Walk of Life" and "Sultans of Swing" are the only 3 songs the band ever recorded.

I obviously can't listen to every station but I certainly don't doubt this at all. The stations I listen to in this area skip the verse entirely.

Yeah. It probably depends on the corporate ownership of the station. A lot of the same stations will also play songs like Pink Floyd's "Money" or Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" uncensored.

Yeah. It probably depends on the corporate ownership of the station. A lot of the same stations will also play songs like Pink Floyd's "Money" or Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" uncensored.

You're right, both are edited on one station I listen to and unedited on another.

The 80's seem to be more laid-back than now! ****** is basically another word for *******, and the song is supposed to be a knock-off of MTV.

Ironically...Knopfler of Dire Straits played guitar on the Weird Al parody "Beverly Hillbillies" which is in the film "UHF".

I was just going to say, hasn't "Money For Nothing" ruffled feathers since it was first released in 1985?? :confused:

I was just going to say, hasn't "Money For Nothing" ruffled feathers since it was first released in 1985?? :confused:

It has! And because of that, Knopfler altered the lyrics during live performances as early as 1985, such as this one from Live Aid.

7ITnUpVhvTM

In defense of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits: while I don't condone the use of that word, the song is sung "in character" from the point-of-view of a working class guy who... well, has to install microwave ovens.

It did not ruffle that many feathers in the mid 80s because MTV(back when they actually showed music videos and no commercials)usually played the song un-edited.

It has! And because of that, Knopfler altered the lyrics during live performances as early as 1985, such as this one from Live Aid.

7ITnUpVhvTM

In defense of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits: while I don't condone the use of that word, the song is sung "in character" from the point-of-view of a working class guy who... well, has to install microwave ovens.

Thanks for clarifying, Brad!!

Yeah. It probably depends on the corporate ownership of the station. A lot of the same stations will also play songs like Pink Floyd's "Money" or Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" uncensored.
More accuratley it's the format of the station rather than the corporate ownership. Album Oriented Rock stations are more willing to allow uncensored versions of songs, but not as much as college radio.

More accuratley it's the format of the station rather than the corporate ownership.

Sorry but that's incorrect, Corporate ownership has alot to do with it. I listen to 2 classic rock stations in my area, one plays the uncensored versions of the following songs:

Life in the Fast Lane
Jet Airliner
Money
Who Are You

Etc...

The other station airs the censored versions. In fact, any song that has been censored is usually played in it's original intended form on the the first.

I live in Hicksville aka Altoona PA so naturally they play the uncensored version

I have heard these songs for years but I never knew they were offensive? What am I missing?

Life in the Fast Lane
Jet Airliner
Money
Who Are You

I live in Hicksville aka Altoona PA so naturally they play the uncensored version

I have heard these songs for years but I never knew they were offensive? What am I missing?

Life in the Fast Lane
Jet Airliner
Money
Who Are You

Life in the Fast Lane (We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a goddamn thing)

Jet Airliner (Funky **** going down in the city)

Money (Don't give me that do goody good bull****)

Who are you (Who the **** are you?)

Sorry but that's incorrect, Corporate ownership has alot to do with it. I listen to 2 classic rock stations in my area, one plays the uncensored versions of the following songs:

Life in the Fast Lane
Jet Airliner
Money
Who Are You

Etc...

The other station airs the censored versions. In fact, any song that has been censored is usually played in it's original intended form on the the first.

Don't be so sure of that. Try listening to "Rockstar," by Nickelback on an AOR station. Then try it it on an adult contemporary station. On those, it's strictly the clean version. And they could just as easily be owned by the same companies.



I live in Hicksville aka Altoona PA so naturally they play the uncensored version.
Did you know we have a real Hicksville on Long Island?

Don't be so sure of that. Try listening to "Rockstar," by Nickelback on an AOR station. Then try it it on an adult contemporary station. On those, it's strictly the clean version. And they could just as easily be owned by the same companies.

Sorry, I don't listen to Nickelback nor any AOR stations so I can't say for sure what goes on with them but when it comes to classic rock format stations in my area, I know what I'm talking about.

Thank you for the info Charles

Life in the Fast Lane (We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a goddamn thing)

Jet Airliner (Funky **** going down in the city)

Money (Don't give me that do goody good bull****)

Who are you (Who the **** are you?)

Took them long enough, that song has long been edited for radio airplay in the U.S.I have the cassette of this album and I dont hear anything bad on that song...

Hmm Ill have to listen closer.. Where abouts is it buddy??

I never knew that The Who's hit Who Are You that's also the CSI theme song had profanity in it and i'm surprised that the radio stations didn't have a clean version of it. In the case of Dire Straits hit Money For Nothing I think it was wrong to pull it from Canadian radio stations and they should've released an edited version of Money For Nothing. At least the song was best known for the phrase "I Want My MTV"

I dont hear anything bad in that song!!!


Hmmmmmmm

Back in the 80's, the rumors had it that the song "money for nothing" written by Knopfler was about the singer George Michael and his band Wham. Apparently he thought that George had too much flash and not enough substance and ride his success on his good look than talent.

Can someone tell me where the bad stuff is in this song?

I have listenend to it and everything sounds kosher to me!!

that's pretty funny

Yeah, the word doesn’t get by the censorship system

:music: See the little ****** with the earring and the make up
Yeah, buddy, that's his own hair
That little ****** got his own jet airplane
That little ******, he's a millionaire :music:

Ohhhh is that what Canada doesnt like??

Thats silly...........

For all the brouhaha over the song's "objectionable" lyrics, the story was that Mark Knopfler wrote it after observing customers in a home entertainment department of a shopping mall over 40 years ago comment on the videos being shown on TV screens. Since MTV was a new medium in about 1984, 1985 when the song was being written, many more "middle-class" viewers were most likely put off by the flash and lack of substance of such figures on the music channel such as the hair-metal bands and performers who looked a little too "flamboyant" for the tastes of more "redneck" shoppers. Hence, they were inundated by these viewers with gay slurs and the like. Knopfler was not offering his own personal opinion of these bands' videos, but quoting what was the general consensus of these viewers not accustomed to the "over-the-top" depiction of music video performances and their assessment of these artists.

The use of the offending word was more a product of its time and not an endorsement. It's strange how a certain epithet gets flack while other such descriptions as "What's that? Hawaiian noises? He's banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee!" Now given that this was an obvious reference to videos by black artists, which was still a new feature in 1985, why was this not called out for its implied racism, as indicated by apparently white shoppers?
And what about the other comment, "Look at that mama, sticking in the camera, we could have some..." which was a clear reference to the girl in the video clip strutting her stuff seductively and the viewers leering implied, well, what was the unfinished sentence implying other than some sort of "fun"?

Since the CBC and related entities, even here south of the 54-40 lack the cultural context of what Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits were commenting on over four decades ago, it's only obvious that a "slur" must be taken in the way it was heard by millennials in recent years. They do not understand this was a song born out of the lead singer overhearing the cultural illiteracy of mall viewers not used to MTV pop culture. Why else would he include the lingo of department store workers milling about saying, "We've got to install microwave ovens, custom kitchens, refrigerators, deliveries"?

In other words, the song was a product of its time in 1985, where there was a more general leeway with lyrical expression, and Dire Straits were one of its top bands.

In addition to Sting of The Police making a cameo on the song, the video's animator did another popular song, "Let's Get Rocked", by Def Leppard several years later in 1992.

Heh I think the word "F*****" is what caused them to censor it which is just bloody stupid!!

Thats not even a swear word,its slang and just someones opinion isnt it?

That f word is considered highly derogatory to gay people, just like the n word is to black people.

Ahh ok........ I guess I understanhd why Canada didnt like it..

Thank you icecream!!


Now I understand why they dont like that song.....