when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****t"?
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****t"?
I'm 40, but I just don't remember...
when MTV used to play videos, in particular Dire Straits "Money For Nothing" which I clearly recall was on heavy rotation, did they censor out the word "faggot" back then?
and when the band plays that song now, did they change the word to something a little more politically correct?
when MTV used to play videos, in particular Dire Straits "Money For Nothing" which I clearly recall was on heavy rotation, did they censor out the word "faggot" back then?
and when the band plays that song now, did they change the word to something a little more politically correct?
#3
Moderator
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
This doesn't actually answer the question, but there's a good discussion here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_f...29#Controversy
#4
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
No, they did not censor it. But back in 1985 people didn't try to hard to be offended about everything.
Nowadays people seem to think they have won a prize if they can find something to be outraged about.
Nowadays people seem to think they have won a prize if they can find something to be outraged about.
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I don't remember them censoring the word, at least at first. But the whole point of the song is that it's a blue collar schlub whining about how cushy rock stars have it. It wasn't unlike one of Archie Bunker's rants, and was intended to be interpreted as such. Speaking of, can you imagine someone saying "'cos he's a Jew commie ***, Edith!" on broadcast TV today?
#6
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
MTV didn't, but other nationally-televised shows that showed music videos would cut out the entire verse.
On a similar note, I saw the video for Billy Joel's "Allentown" about a week ago on Vh1Classic. Was the guys' bare-ass (In the shower) always visible to see?
On a similar note, I saw the video for Billy Joel's "Allentown" about a week ago on Vh1Classic. Was the guys' bare-ass (In the shower) always visible to see?
#7
DVD Talk Hero
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
No, they didn't censor it.
I wasn't watching MTV when "Money for Nothing" would have been in heavy rotation, but when they did play it in the late 1980s, it was uncensored. I had never heard that song before, and the lines See that little faggot with the earring and the make-up, that little faggot he's a millionaire definitely stood out.
MTV can be kind of inconsistent on what they will and won't allow. They would play Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" but then censor the lyrics to the Butthole Surfers "Pepper."
I wasn't watching MTV when "Money for Nothing" would have been in heavy rotation, but when they did play it in the late 1980s, it was uncensored. I had never heard that song before, and the lines See that little faggot with the earring and the make-up, that little faggot he's a millionaire definitely stood out.
MTV can be kind of inconsistent on what they will and won't allow. They would play Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" but then censor the lyrics to the Butthole Surfers "Pepper."
Last edited by Josh-da-man; 06-21-15 at 09:25 PM.
#9
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
No, they didn't censor it.
I wasn't watching MTV when "Money for Nothing" would have been in heavy rotation, but when they did play it in the late 1980s, it was uncensored. I had never heard that song before, and the lines See that little faggot with the earring and the make-up, that little faggot he's a millionaire definitely stood out.
MTV can be kind of inconsistent on what they will and won't allow. They would play Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" but then censor the lyrics to the Butthole Surfers "Pepper."
I wasn't watching MTV when "Money for Nothing" would have been in heavy rotation, but when they did play it in the late 1980s, it was uncensored. I had never heard that song before, and the lines See that little faggot with the earring and the make-up, that little faggot he's a millionaire definitely stood out.
MTV can be kind of inconsistent on what they will and won't allow. They would play Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" but then censor the lyrics to the Butthole Surfers "Pepper."
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I'm not sure about MTV, but I remember it being censored on the radio, in the form of just skipping the whole verse containing the word.
#11
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I do remember hearing those specific lyrics so I had to hear it on either Radio or MTV at the time. I'm pretty sure it was played on MTV simply because it was Cable TV and you could get away with it, where Radio had more regulations from the FCC.
The problem with today's media is that there is so much 24/7 crap out there, that they would make a bigger story about this then it needs to be. Back then you had CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS, no internet, no blogs, no social media, so there wasn't a forum to argue about stuff like this cause there were other pressing problems in the country. Now it would be all of twitter, debated on FOX and MSNBC, plastered on the front of Huffington Post or DrudgeReport. Everyone would take sides, and it would blow up to an issue that isn't worth debating. Caitlyn Jenner is a perfect example of a story that gets way too much coverage in todays media.
The problem with today's media is that there is so much 24/7 crap out there, that they would make a bigger story about this then it needs to be. Back then you had CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS, no internet, no blogs, no social media, so there wasn't a forum to argue about stuff like this cause there were other pressing problems in the country. Now it would be all of twitter, debated on FOX and MSNBC, plastered on the front of Huffington Post or DrudgeReport. Everyone would take sides, and it would blow up to an issue that isn't worth debating. Caitlyn Jenner is a perfect example of a story that gets way too much coverage in todays media.
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
This isn't technically true. ARPANET was already up and running, and Usenet was created in 1980. So there were forums online for discussion, although it was limited to mainly academic institutions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
So there was an internet, just not many people using it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
So there was an internet, just not many people using it.
#13
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
They didn't necessarily censor it for the radio, but there was an edit of the song that left out that verse. This was common for a lot of songs for time reasons. I remember the pizza place near my house had a jukebox and I was annoyed to find out the jukebox had the edit.
#14
Moderator
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I googled the lyrics and the first result (from Google Play) omits that verse.
#15
DVD Talk Legend
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I don't think I've ever heard it censored. That includes MTV and the other video channels (didn't NBC have Friday Night videos or something like that) back in the heyday. I heard the full version on a classic rock station recently. Always fascinates me on what songs don't have the naughty words censored and which have take out even the words now allowed on network TV. Not sure if there is any official rules since it all seems very random.
#16
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
They didn't necessarily censor it for the radio, but there was an edit of the song that left out that verse. This was common for a lot of songs for time reasons. I remember the pizza place near my house had a jukebox and I was annoyed to find out the jukebox had the edit.
#17
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
As others have said - MTV had the full verse.
It wasn't until recent times that the word was taken out, and I don't remember if it was taken out of the radio version.
I have never heard a version that had the whole line taken out. Even one of the music channels on my cable just drops out the word, but has the whole line.
It wasn't until recent times that the word was taken out, and I don't remember if it was taken out of the radio version.
I have never heard a version that had the whole line taken out. Even one of the music channels on my cable just drops out the word, but has the whole line.
#19
DVD Talk Legend
#20
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
It wasn't until recent times that the word was taken out, and I don't remember if it was taken out of the radio version.
I have never heard a version that had the whole line taken out. Even one of the music channels on my cable just drops out the word, but has the whole line.
I have never heard a version that had the whole line taken out. Even one of the music channels on my cable just drops out the word, but has the whole line.
#21
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I'm not sure Knopfler has said one way or another. Nikki Sixx has always said the song was about Mötley Crüe, but that don't make it true. After all, I could claim Lou Reed wrote "Perfect Day" about me.
#22
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
Since the opening lyrics is a free plug for MTV, kinda be hard for them to censor the song.
#24
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
Are there two versions of Cat Scratch Fever?
"got it from some kitty next door"
"got it from some pussy next door"
I know I've heard it both ways. Maybe the "pussy" version was live?
"got it from some kitty next door"
"got it from some pussy next door"
I know I've heard it both ways. Maybe the "pussy" version was live?
#25
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: when MTV played the video for "Money For Nothing" did they censor the word "f****
I didn't have cable then (and still don't!) but pretty sure I saw that video at a friend's house without any censoring- this was during the last couple months of my all-time favorite radio station "The Quake" in San Francisco and they played it quite regularly with no censoring, though they were always more daring than the other stations. The mainstream rock stations played it a lot too though and I never heard them censor it- back then I thought the word just meant "idiot" or something like that. I remember seeing the video on broadcast TV and don't remember if the word was still there or not- I have a VHS tape that was put out of the 1986 MTV Video Music Award winners that includes the video with no censoring (and a clip of Bobcat Goldthwait onstage saying "I beat the shit out of Stevie Ray Vaughn!" also uncensored.)