13 Responses

  1. Tremulant at |

    Banned is the wrong word. If a bar or group controlling a number of bars doesn’t want a particular type of music played by its DJs surely any Libertarian would say that it is the individual rights of the people who own and run the bars to decide what songs can and cannot be played at the bar. No-one is stopped from privately enjoying the song wherever they like within the campus but the bars are not playing the song. I’m sure there’s a long list of songs that most bars outside of EUSU don’t want played because it doesn’t match the atmosphere or style of the bar. What right does anyone have to tell a business what songs they can or cannot have playing in thier bars?

    1. Emile Yusupoff
      Emile Yusupoff at |

      That is true. However, EUSA are not business owners. They are supposed to be a representative body for the student population. Although they have a (vague) mandate for combatting ‘lad culture’, they have no mandate for banning a song.

      Also, although the business owner or controlling group has the final say in what is played in their establishment, you can still criticise the choice. Likewise, even if the student population as a whole were in favour of the ban, there’d be room for attacking this decision whilst conceding that they were within their rights.

      It’s also important to note that a large problem with this move is not the censorship per se, but that this will achieve nothing other than making EUSA look stupid. Their goal has some merit, and using means like this discredits it.

      1. Tremulant at |

        I think the SU probably do run and fund the bars, that’s usually the cop there.

        1. Emile Yusupoff
          Emile Yusupoff at |

          Yeah, I think that that is the case. And I’m not saying that they do not (in principle) have the right to determine play lists etc. They are, though, supposed to be a representative body. Supposedly, these measures are done through voting at meetings. But the meetings are not advertised, and it is only a small minority who get to decide.

          Just because they have the right to do it does not mean it was a good thing to do. I think censorship should be challenged or criticised, even when done privately. This doesn’t mean you can prevent it occurring on private property or within a business, but you can still attack it.

          Further, the biggest issue concerns the results of this action. It discredits a worthwhile cause and it is not going to do anything effective, and will probably prove counter intuitive.

        2. wind0010 at |

          time to tell the truth..

  2. remccainjr at |

    “This may not be the intent of the lyrics, but it remains possible that someone could interpret them as that.”

    I was going to respond that people are capable of making decisions for themselves and their morality and judgment calls are not dependant on lines from a song… then I realized these are the same people that believe everything published by The Libertarian, the Guardian, and The Daily Mail - and I changed my opinion.

    Ban the song.

    1. Emile Yusupoff
      Emile Yusupoff at |

      I say in the article that people are capable of making such decisions. And, if a minority are unable to, then it is them and not the media that are dangerous. However, the end result of them doing something negative (like date rape) is no different from someone doing that for any other reason. The response (placing all responsibility on the rapist) should be the same regardless.

      Lol at putting The Libertarian, The Guardian and The Daily Mail in the same bracket. Polly Toynbee, Peter Hitchens and I are in fact close friends who agree about many issues.

      1. Gabrielė Stakaitytė
        Gabrielė Stakaitytė at |

        Well, we do strive for the same numbers in readership

      2. wind0010 at |

        Time to tell the truth

  3. ZimbaZumba at |

    U. of Edinburgh is demonstrating Authoritarian Socialism at is finest. It is puritanism disguised as progressiveness. They are even making terms up like “Lad Banter”.

    1. wind0010 at |

      Time to tell the truthhhh

      1. ZimbaZumba at |

        Nice false flagging. no one is buying it.

        1. wind0010 at |

          Try harder dumbass