[Oberon]

The funny thing is, the line has to be taken in context to be fully understood. The song is performed in character, in the character of a working man doing a blue-collar job. The whole point is "Hey, we have to work for a living... look what those musicians get to do for their money!"

The word "faggot" is exactly what your average construction crew would use, in a discussion of rock music while performing a "...custom kitchen delivery."

Not to mention that song itself vindicates the "faggot" in question... say what you like about him, that little "faggot" is a millionaire. So who's the fool... the "faggot" with the earring and the makeup, or the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day?

[MrB]

Nice analysis.

But you have to remember, this is the same mentality that tried to get a long time VERY LIBERAL professor fired from UW for using the term “niggardly” properly, then being offended when he used it again while defining it.

[raccoonradio]

Same applies to Randy Newman’s Short People which isn’t him putting down the short statured, it’s making fun of a bigot who declares “Short people got no reason to live”—he’s playing a character who feels that way. The backing chorus says “short people are just the same as you and I” and Randy responds “The fools such as I”, making his point

[bunster]

“The funny thing is, the line has to be taken in context to be fully understood”

Exactly!! and the same comment goes for the banning of Huck Finn or changing the “N” word to “slave”. The move by the Left to ban words and thought and history is moving right along, isn’t it. (btw, I feel stupid even typing “”N-word” in above sentence — guess I’m going along with their program.)

[Yardstick]

Besides the soft-fascist aspect of banning the song, what I see is the typical leftist condescension. They know full well that it was written from an in-character POV, but they don't think the average joe is capable of understanding that. Thus, as they see it, for the ignorant average mind the song serves as a reinforcement of bigotry.

In other words, the proles are too stupid to get the irony, so ban it.

[donna]

Not to mention that song itself vindicates the "faggot" in question... say what you like about him, that little "faggot" is a millionaire. So who's the fool... the "faggot" with the earring and the makeup, or the guy schlepping refrigerators and color TVs all day?

Then you think a rich porn star is the pinnacle of a successful life?