BBC Radio 1 is censoring parts of the Christmas classic “Fairytale of New York” — ditching language they assume will be offensive to millennial-age audiences.
The edited version of the 1987 song by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl will nix the word “slut” and a homophobic slur, Guardian reported.
Instead of “you cheap, lousy f—ot,” the song will use the line, “you’re cheap and you’re haggard,” the outlet reported.
In another verse, the word “slut” will be muted.
“We know the song is considered a Christmas classic and we will continue to play it this year, with our radio stations choosing the version of the song most relevant for their audience,” a BBC spokesperson said.
The original version will still be played on BBC Radio 2, likely due to its older audience, the outlet reported. Station 6 Music DJ will have both versions available so DJs can choose.
Shane MacGowan, who is the lead singer of The Pogues, has previously defended the Christmas anthem’s lyrics.
“The word was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character,” he said, the Guardian reported.
“She is not supposed to be a nice person, or even a wholesome person. She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history, and she is down on her luck and desperate.”