[Drew68]

What does Dire Straights do with “Money for Nothing”? Play the short version?

Mark Knopfler has been singing "Little maggot" in place of the original lyrics since at least 1997.

[Dr. Sivana]

See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup?
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot, he's a millionaire


British blue collar guys installing microwave ovens and moving tube based color TVs would NOT use the word "maggot". The meter still works, but nothing else does. I'm sorry that Knopfler chose self-censorship in this case.

I don't pretend to be consistent, in part because I think faggot is an appropriate word in certain contexts. I admit to being OK with Neil Sedaka changing "bitches" to "witches" on the kiddie show "Wonderama" when he sang "Bad Blood" on it in 1975. Of course, the kids who bought the 45 for 99 cents wound up with "bitches" instead. Folks buying the original Dire Straights' albums (and Elvis Costello's) still get uncensored versions.