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Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" Ruled Too Offensive In Canada
Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" can no longer be played in Canada in its original form since the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has deemed the song offensive.
Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" can no longer be played in Canada in its original form since the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has deemed the song offensive.
Watch the "Money for Nothing" music video
The decision stems from a listener's complaint last year calling the lyrics — which contain the word "f----t" — extremely offensive to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
The song, which has been a classic rock staple for 25 years, earned the band a Grammy for best rock performance. The then state-of-the-art computer-animation video was also the first music video to air on MTV Europe.
"Money for Nothing" -- co-written by Mark Knopfler and Sting — will have to be edited or cannot air, the council ruled.
The council said: "The societal values at issue a quarter-century later have shifted and the broadcast of the song in 2010 must reflect those values, rather than those of 1985."
What do you think of the Canadian ruling?