Ding Dong the Witch is Dead Vs 'the man'

[Badnik Mechanic]

So I thought I'd make this one a seperate topic just because it's an issue thats popped up following the Death of Margaret Thatcher and since this is more an issue on freedom of speech/expression rather than 'what you think of thatcher' I decided to keep it seperate from that.

 

Anyway, this is the Song Ding Dong the Witch is dead, made famous from the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' the song is sung after Dorothy enters Oz and crushes the Wicked Witch under her home.

 

 

It was written back in the 1930's and it's currently in the news.

 

Why you may ask?

 

Well... At the start of the week Margaret Thatcher died who was a very polarising UK Prime Minister. I won't go into details of her since most people know who she is and what she did and have their own views on her.

 

So a facebook group set up about 6 years ago has started a campaign to get the song Ding Dong the Witch is Dead to Number 1 this week.

 

Where is it right now? At the time of posting, it's sat at Number 3, and has every chance of getting to number 1.

 

Basically the campaign has got a ton of attention and thousands of people have downloaded the single. So because of this theres currently a bit of a debate going on. Several radio stations including Capital Radio and the BBC have said they have yet to make a decision as to if they'll play the song come Sunday when the top 40 is read out.

 

Several politicians have come out and said the song shouldn't be played, others however (including a few conservative politicians) have said it should. Most newspapers have come out against the song saying it's sick and disgraceful... though I should point out, most of these are incredibly 'right wingish' and pro conservative so it's not very suprising.

 

Heres the thing.

 

The Top 40 music charts are a kinda democracy, they're based directly on CD sales and download numbers. They're what the public want and are listening to. It's effectively the voice of the people of the week.

 

So if you take out the song, you're censoring the people.

 

Furthermore, this isn't the first time stuff like this has happened. You might remember a few years ago a campaign to get 'Rage Against the Machine' to number 1 over the X-Factor because people were sick of the X-Factor getting to Christmas number 1? Rage against the machine beat it, but the following week X-factor took the number 1 spot. 

 

However if you want a more political one. Just take a look at stuff like Live Aid/Band Aid "Do they know it's christmas" (though theres a world of difference in the tone/reason for that one). Whilst it was for a charity, Band Aid 20 wasn't that was political, they even openly said it was for political pressure.

 

So heres the question SSMB, you are in charge of if the song gets played during the top 40 show... do you let it play?

 

My thoughts?

 

I do not like the idea of celebrating death, as someone who values human life I don't think I will ever see myself cheering or celebrating anyones death regardless as to what the've done.

 

However... I do think that this song should be played in full come Sunday, whilst I have no doubt that there are some people just downloading it becuase they want to either stick it to the man or just for the fun of it. I am also aware that there are some people who are using this as the only way they can to protest against what Thatcher stood for as well as the whole state funeral thing that is going to be partly funded by the tax payer as well as that parliment meeting to 'discuss her' (both of which I am completely against). For the song to be at number 3 right now, it's got A LOT of support and it is in a sense a voice for the people, not just by it's lyrics, but also as a movement/voice of people who are against Thatcher and what the political reaction today has been.

 

Therefore I think it should be played and see no reason at all to censor it.

[Spin Attaxx]

Y'know, my dad works for a newspaper, and everyone was afraid that he'd be away when this would happen (he was).

 

If he were there, guess what they think the headline would've been.

[Tracker_TD]

I do believe it actually reached No. 1 the other day. 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21241791

 

Playing a 5 second clip in a "news environment."

Edited April 12, 2013 by Tracker_TD

[The Conductor]

If we stifle people's voices here it will set a bad precedent. "Well, we stopped them singing Ding Dong, let's stop them saying the Tories are cunts".

[MamboCat]

I think they should play it if it made the top spot. The top ten is based on downloads, sales and airplay is it not?

 

I totally admit to disliking Thatcher and her policies, so call me biased... but I can see the BBC, the police and anyone else trying to stifle any form of protest around next week just like they did around the Royal Wedding, the Olympics etc etc. It seems to me that these days any form of protest is frowned upon, in favour of mawkish "patriotism".

 

Sad, really.

Edited April 12, 2013 by MamboCat

[Rhythm Badge]

Personally, I'd say it should be played. It's the number one song on the charts, and only playing 4 seconds of the actual song to avoid getting politically bashed is just plain silly. The government has no right or grounds to boycott it as it does interfere with the democratic voting of the Top 40, and with the public's "freedom of speech". 

 

I can understand the government taking offence, as this is the death of one of the Tories' top politicians being made into nothing more than a celebratory joke by the public - which I wouldn't be surprised is mostly occurring within Scotland due to her actions on the country in the 80s - but publicizing this issue at all was only going to make it grow.

 

Honestly, the whole issue has grown entirely out of proportion already. Most of the awareness of this in the first place came from the media, which has probably done nothing but encourage people to join in, instead of letting it be swept under the rug and ignored. I'm not a supporter of Thatcher. In fact, I hate what she had done, but what she did in the past is just that. Done.

 

Politicians and the media should just let the song be, and should instead turn the focus away from the jokes and push it towards something that would encourage respect. Perhaps showing her importance as the first female Prime Minister, or something along those lines.

[Crash]

They should play it. Not every single person will know that it's for Thatcher. Some people may think it's for that new Wizard Of Oz film. Right?