Students says ‘faggot’ is as bad as the ‘N word’ in Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York (YouTube)
A student has asked straight people to stop singing the word “faggot” in “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.
Student Tom Haynes wrote an article saying that singing “faggot” is harmful, just like the “N word.”
The song has proven controversial for the use of the word, with many queer people asking straight people to not sing the word.
In an article for The Tab, Haynes wrote about a performance of the song from six years ago featuring Gary Barlow, Tulisa, Nicole Scherzinger and Dawn French.
Haynes said French wanted to sing the line with the homophobic slur “a little too much.” After she missed the line, Barlow gave her “one last chance” to sing it at the end of the song.
In the clip, French excitedly belted out the infamous line at the end of the song to rapturous applause.
Haynes said it was played off as “a spontaneous bit of comedy,” but added that it could have all been “meticulously planned.”
Should “Fairytale of New York” be censored?
The article – which has since gone on to prove hugely controversial with many straight fans of “Fairytale of New York” – goes on to suggest that the clip is not unlike scenes in many bars at this time of year.
“People love the ‘faggot’ line,” Haynes continued. “Like Dawn, they gear up to sing it to their mate in an endearing ‘you’re a bit of a state, but I love you’ kind of way.”
Haynes went on to ask why YouTube has not censored the song – as they have censored racial slurs in the past.
Later in the article, he said that hearing the word in the song could evoke “very specific memories of being bullied either online or in real life” for queer people.
Student asks straight people to stop singing “faggot” in Fairytale of New York
“For certain members of the LGBT community, that one word might have screwed over their entire coming out process. Regardless, whether your gay mate gets annoyed over you singing it to him at 1am isn’t up to you, but whether or not you chose to sing it is.”
He concluded by asking straight people to not sing the word “faggot” when singing along to “Fairytale of New York” this Christmas.
“That’s all – one word, two syllables. Not too much of a stretch, right?”
Haynes’s article has further stoked the debate surrounding the use of the word “faggot” in “Fairytale of New York,” a debate that is rekindled every year.
Debate has raged about the word ‘faggot’
Many straight people – and some gay people – have defended the use of the word. In a viral tweet, Twitter user @Ali_Ryan13 said she “won’t stand” for criticism of the use of the word.
“Its [sic] a song written in f**king 1987. Stop crying,” she added.
Meanwhile, others have suggested that the use of the word “faggot” in “Fairytale of New York” is actually referring to an old Irish slang word for a lazy person or a waster.
One Twitter user said that Shane McGowan intended the Irish meaning rather than the homophobic slur when writing the song.
Last month, one Twitter user went viral after posting a tweet in which he twisted the “don’t say it” meme to suit his purposes.
He wrote: “*Fairytale of New York plays*” before imagining “The Straights” thinking to themselves: “We get to say it!”
They repeat this thought six more times, before singing: “You cheap lousy FAGGOT :).”
The post has proved popular, attracting more than 15,000 retweets and likes as well as a host of enthusiastic, like-minded responses about how “Fairytale of New York” gives straight people the chance to yell an anti-gay slur.
