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08 February 2013

Friday Music: "Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits (trigger warning)

I give you Dire Straits' (edited version of) "Money for Nothing":



And now, I give you the original, unedited version of the same song (NSfW/trigger warning):



You'll note that the verse that begins around the 1:52 mark of the unedited version includes several uses of the pejorative term "faggot." I don't know the entire history of the song. (Wikipedia has a brief discussion of the controversy.) However, these versions could be A/B'ed in a classroom--with ample warning--to show the changing nature of the acceptability of terminology as well as changing definitions of deviance, both in terms of language and sexual practice/identity. Interestingly, though the F-word declined after its coinage and remained fairly scares mid-century, its use in books seems to have increased since the 1980s.



In addition to the anti-gay and homophobic themes, this song can be used to discuss work, class, and conspicuous consumption.

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