The Pogues and the Faggot Word Revisited

As you know I spend a lot of time on this blog apologizing for what I have written. Not always because I'm wrong, but because I always doubt.

I know that certainty rules these days. But I can't help but wonder afterwards whether I was fair and clear enough... or too harsh and nasty, or too clownish, or too serious.

Or in the case of this post. Not serious enough.

I must admit that when I wrote it I thought the bleeping Beeb story was a bad joke. And a tempest in a teacup.

But after reading this column....

To say that you’re offended these days is to risk being accused of being humourless; of not getting the joke. It’s the same risk you run as a woman who is offended by the endless parade of breasts in magazines such as Nuts. The new casual homophobia is couched as a perfectly acceptable, knowing joke, and coincides with a general feeling that gays have had quite enough equality..... That we are getting a little too big for our boots.

I wonder whether some gays rush to defuse these little brouhahas by saying that they are not offended because we are entertainers and pacifiers, used to deflecting homophobia around us with wit or just turning the other cheek. Our instinct is to josh, parry, swerve, not confront bigotry. We don’t want to be bashed. We don’t want to be out of the gang. Of course we know how to “take a joke”. We had enough practice in school and on the playing field. We excuse homophobia because we don’t want to fight, cause trouble, be different.

Now I'm not so sure. Because so much of what he says is true.

We want a place at the table and, if we have to suffer the occasional sting or belittling remark, then so be it. But equality isn’t about just what is enshrined in statute. It’s about being treated with – and, most importantly, expecting – respect and consideration. You can’t put that kind of thing into law, but organisations such as the BBC arguably have a responsibility to foster and encourage it.

And this little factoid DOES bother me...

The fact that the song reached No 4 is depressing: it was almost as if those people rushing out to buy it were not merely assailed by a sudden nostalgia but actually waiting for – indeed, actively investing in – that “faggot” line with some relish. Homophobia sells.

Because although I love the Pogues ... Fairytale of New York is not THAT great a song.

So now I don't know WHAT to think. Except that one.... homophobia is a disease and it's everywhere.

Two...I need a sense of humour in this bigot world to keep up my spirits so I can confront the real homophobes...and fight the real battles.

And three .....that when he wrote the faggot song..... Shane MacGowan was probably drunk...



So I forgive him.

I'm giving him the benefit of my many doubts.

Because sometimes....even when you don't want to... you gotta fight.

And sometimes you gotta laugh...