Post Apocalyptic Bohemian As Advocate?

This song is on constant re-play at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia. I first heard it on KINK FM

I have been involved in an inner-dialogue about what to do about Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. My very basic instinct is to leave the thing alone, but my position changes daily. What do we do with a piece of art or one of the greatest American novels, that repeats the N word? I know... I hear what you are thinking: "who cares what that old fag has to say." 

I don't know if I feel good about it. Sending the Email was not a knee-jerk reaction; I put some thought into it. I sat with it for a day before I dashed off the following:

 Yahoo! Mail

From: NoPoBUTCH [mailto:nopobutch@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:46 PM
Subject: Offensive?

--- On Thu, 5/26/11, NoPoBUTCH wrote:

My Friends @ KINK FM,

 This is not an easy email for me to compose; I even waited a full day to let it sink in.

I am your dream listener. I have been with KINK FM since moving to Portland a decade ago. KINK FM is played in the automobile & at home. I have used your advertisers out of loyalty to you. My company buys ad time on KINK FM. I have posted about the station on my blog, with a hyperlink to your site.

KINK FM is the soundtrack to my life... imagine my shock when what I was listening to actually sunk in:

The little faggot with the earring & the makeup

Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's a millionaire

I am not into political correct advocating. I have a naughty sense of humor. I am not a prude. I swear on occasion.  I am not a rube. I possess sophisticated musical tastes. I listen to & collect many genres of music. In my S section you would find Sade, Seal, Scissor Sisters, Sinatra & Sex Pistols.

I like Dire Straits & I love Sting. I owned Brothers In Arms back in the day. I have Mark Knopfler solo albums. The period when this song was a hit is one of my favorite eras. It contains one of the true iconic guitar riffs in all of rock music. But let's hang it up as a relic of the 20th century.

I am a gay man, in a 31+ relationship with a man who also listens to KINK FM. I was just loving the music on the radio, driving across Portland at noon & then I heard it: LITTLE FAGGOT. I was shaken. I had to pull the car over to settle down.

The F word is bruising to gay people, dredging up all the memories of slights, venomous insults, loathing & implied violence from the times you are called that word. It hurt to hear the chorus of Money For Nothing on a beautiful spring day, while listening to one of my favorite features: the 2 songs by the same artist at noon.

It is time to put this song to rest. The world has evolved. The F word is offensive in the way that a minstrel show is offensive, out of date, hurtful & lacking good taste. The word injures gay people. Really.

I feel quite sure I am not the only gay listener that appreciates your amazing playlist. Where else can you hear Loretta Lynn, Coldplay. Kings Of Leon, Portland’s own-The Decemberists, The Rolling Stones & Lyle Lovett in the same hour?

Please consider my request to leave Money For Nothing off future playlists.

I will continue to listen to KINK. I am on the marketing team at my company & I will probably vote to stay with you. But please, please consider cutting this song from your playlist. It would be the smart, sensitive, suitable, & nice thing to do.

http://nopoboho.blogspot.com/2009/11/blast-from-past.html

With kind regards,

Stephen Rutledge
www.nopoboho.blogspot.com

The Response:

Yahoo! Mail

Flag this messageRE: Offensive?Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:57 PM

Hi Stephen,

Thanks so much for your note. KINK does not normally play this song-it is NOT part of our regular rotation. It was featured on “Dolbeer’s Double Shot” as a song that was a big hit from “Brothers in Arms”, which went #1 that day in 1985.  I completely respect your point of view. The song is a giant hit, one which MANY stations play frequently (KGON played it 3 times this week alone). But KINK is not your regular radio station.

You are right. We are deleting it from our music system to be certain it won’t be played again. Too bad. Except for those lyrics- it’s a cool song. But those lyrics are offensive, and to edit them out would be too obvious. So we just won’t play it. Ever again.

Thank you for listening and for caring enough to be honest about your feelings.

Chris

p.s. I love your company’s food! Yum. You guys have catered many a KINK meeting, always a treat to look forward to.

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Now I am unhappy. I had a piece of art censored. I feel like a motherfuckingshithead. Should I email them again asking to retract my original request?

Listening to Kink FM at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia