After it was announced recently that BBC Radio 1 would be censoring The Pogues’ relentlessly enduring Christmas classic “Fairytale of New York” to remove the obvious homophobic slur, Laurence Fox took offense to people’s tendency to be offended. Fox tweeted in a sneering tone:
“The cultural commissars at the @bbc are telling you what is and isn’t appropriate for your ignorant little ears. Wouldn’t it be nice if we sent the (proper) version to the top of the charts?”
Laurence Fox is an English bit-part actor who has recently re-branded as one of the growing horde of right-wing personalities who base their entire belief system on trying to offend “leftists”. Clearly livid at the lack of homophobia on daytime British radio, Fox dropped his insightful tweet to a mixed response, including one reply from the official Pogues account:
“Fuck off you little herrenvolk shite”
A swift and brutal execution, performed with typical Irish bluntness. Herrenvolk refers to the Nazi idea of the “master race”, an association not known to further acting careers. As The Pogues’ tweet emphatically ended this brief exchange, two truths emerged from the carnage. Lawrence Fox is not gay, therefore he can not dictate what offends gay people. Lawrence Fox is not a member of The Pogues, therefore he can not be offended on their behalf.
