Should Radio 1 play 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' in this Sunday's Chart Show?

Probably gonna get negged for this but I think it's pretty out of order. I mean this person has died; do people have no respect. Obviously people are going to rejoice for Hitler's death etc because he was evil/insane and needed to die. Margaret Thatcher did actually help the country in many ways (a view shared by all political sides) despite maybe her methods being unpopular... and also she wasn't evil or mad, she was just trying to help the country. To play a song which calls her a witch and rejoice at her death is downright disgraceful.

Reply 21

Jordan-James

8

Play it, its not like it will make the left gain support or something, quite the opposite imo :smile:

I liked that Billy Elliot The Musical asked their audience what they would prefer, given they were the ones paying to watch and listen. I've seen their Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher song, which could be deemed equally in bad taste.

It sounds like BBC Radio 1 has made the decision by an individual, rather than his audience. I expect they just can't be bothered with a media **** storm.
That's not to say the R1 audience would have wanted to hear it...

Reply 23

Jack93o

15

Jesus christ people. If you're that offended, just don't tune in to it, its hardly something you can't avoid

Reply 24

cakefish

10

The song is about a fictional evil witch from the land of Oz being defeated and thus the various fictional characters celebrating. The song itself has nothing to do with Thatcher, never mentioning her name and thus cannot be seen as offensive. There is no implied connection here in the lyrics written in the early 20th century, only mythical links people choose to fabricate and apply retrospectively after certain events. It would be corporate censorship to ban a perfectly innocent song from the radio. Freedom of speech; the freedom to celebrate the fictional defeat of a fictional evil witch.

Reply 25

Jack93o

15

Original post by deathhead

Probably gonna get negged for this but I think it's pretty out of order. I mean this person has died; do people have no respect. Obviously people are going to rejoice for Hitler's death etc because he was evil/insane and needed to die. Margaret Thatcher did actually help the country in many ways (a view shared by all political sides) despite maybe her methods being unpopular... and also she wasn't evil or mad, she was just trying to help the country. To play a song which calls her a witch and rejoice at her death is downright disgraceful.

You can say the same about Hitler, he gave a country its dignity and pride back, kick-started an economic boom and short of attacking russia, he probably would've led them to victory in WW2 as well. So what?

Reply 26

Cll_ws

19

The charts don't reflect the views and opinions of the BBC, so if it's in the charts then they should play it

Reply 27

Shabalala

14

I wonder how Radio 1 are going to do it are they gonna give any background information as to what it means or are they just gonna play it and say here's your number one and then move on as quickly as posibble it's gonna be awkward/funny to listen to regardless :biggrin:

Reply 28

Funtry

15

The BBC have said they're going to play a snippet (like 3 seconds) in a "news-sense", so it won't be played on the chart show, instead, a newsreader will say, "And Ding-dong the Witch is dead has come in at number 3 in the chart *cue 3 second snippet*", and then they'll go into why it's in the chart or whatever. Was just "exclusively told to" radio 1.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 29

pol pot noodles

19

Original post by cakefish

The song is about a fictional evil witch from the land of Oz being defeated and thus the various fictional characters celebrating. The song itself has nothing to do with Thatcher, never mentioning her name and thus cannot be seen as offensive. There is no implied connection here in the lyrics written in the early 20th century, only mythical links people choose to fabricate and apply retrospectively after certain events. It would be corporate censorship to ban a perfectly innocent song from the radio. Freedom of speech; the freedom to celebrate the fictional defeat of a fictional evil witch.

As her biography said on Question Time yesterday, the song celebrates the defeat of the wicked witch of the East. As Thatcher helped defeat the Eastern Bloc, that makes the Soviets the wicked witch and her Dorothy in his book.

Reply 30

pol pot noodles

19

I find the song distasteful but I believe it should be played out of the principle of free speech. If you really feel strong about it though, an alternative is to purchase 'I'm in Love With Margaret Thatcher' and get that to no. 1 instead. That would certainly upset the anti-Thatcher brigade a thousand times more than the BBC censoring it ever could.

Reply 31

meenu89

19

I think it should be played, but I still think it is distasteful. Meh, I never listen to the charts anyway.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 32

That Bearded Man

22

Yes they should play it, it legitimately came #1 - BBC have no right to censor it, if they don't like it, they can turn their radio off. It's not even directly about Thatcher, that link is an individuals interpretation of it.

EDIT - #3 then

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 33

Miracle Day

21

>The Witch is dead
>The Wicked Witch of the East
>Communist Eastern Europe
>Margaret Thatcher contributed to defeating communism.

So basically, yes, in celebration by comparing Thatcher to Dorothy :smile:

Reply 34

n00

14

Original post by Jordan-James

Play it

Carefull now, the way things are going you might get yourself preemptively arrested making dangerous, insiting comments like that.

Police officers are monitoring social media, internet forums and BlackBerry messaging networks in the expectation that Margaret Thatcher's funeral procession next Wednesday will be targeted by protesters.

The possibility of demonstrations during the funeral has raised concerns that police may adopt the controversial tactic of making pre-emptive arrests.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/disunited-in-mourning-police-fear-thatcher-funeral-may-turn-into-security-nightmare-8566452.html

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 35

Jordan-James

8

Original post by n00

Carefull now, the way things are going you might get yourself preemptively arrested making dangerous, insitingcomments like that.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/disunited-in-mourning-police-fear-thatcher-funeral-may-turn-into-security-nightmare-8566452.html

Read the rest of my post you clown, i like Thatcher.

Reply 36

Subcutaneous

19

People have bought the song

The radio 1 chart show plays the charts of the most bought songs of the week

Lots of people have downloaded the song

ergo

the bbc should play the song- free speech, not doing so is radio censorship, end of

Reply 37

Jodie_668

9

I definitely don't think that it should be played. I don't agree with much of what Margaret Thatcher did and she isn't one of my favourite people in the world, but at the end of the day, she is someone's daughter, wife, mother, friend and they should not she her disrespected in this way! How would you feel is this was the way your deceased relative or friend was treated? Whatever she did in her life, you should always respect the deceased and their friends and family during this tragic time.

Reply 38

n00

14

Original post by Jordan-James

i like Thatcher.

Ah...... Me too. :wink:

Reply 39

uktotalgamer

13

Original post by Baines3

I personally think they shouldn't. I've never been so disgusted in this country, and I hope the BBC do the right thing and boycott this disgusting, pathetic campaign led by the Scousers no doubt.

This, I'm absolutely ashamed of the north east where I live, thatcher was a wonderful women who rescued this country from the brink of union rule. Now all the union members are celebrating like the scum that they are. All this 'thatcher destroyed the working class.' No she didn't. The unions did, by asking for ridiculous wages which held the country to gunpoint...

Should Radio 1 play 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' in this Sunday's Chart Show?

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