Friends of the late Lou Reed responded on Saturday with disbelief to a claim by a Canadian student body that the singer’s 1972 hit Walk on the Wild Side contains transphobic lyrics.
Fucking hellski. As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m on the trans spectrum. I loved that song. I related to it – still do. So, I’m not remotely offended by it and if anyone is, they are a cretin. I’m not aware of any trans folk being offended, merely stupid student bodies trying to take offence on our behalf. Well, they can fuck right off, frankly.
In an apology published to Facebook and subsequently removed, the group said: “We now know the lyrics to this song are hurtful to our friends in the trans community and we’d like to unreservedly apologize for this error in judgement.”
No they are not hurtful. They are inspiring. They are a part of my youth – they are not transphobic (there is no such thing anyway). How dare you assume that because we aren’t a part of the mainstream we are part of some community that needs your protection. Go fuck yourselves.
“Holly came from Miami, FLA,” Reed sings. “Hitchhiked her way across the USA/ Plucked her eyebrows on the way/ Shaved her legs and then he was a she/ She says, ‘Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side.’”
Indeed. Lou Reed can rock on. And I’ll take a walk on the wild side when the mood takes me.
The Guelph student group promised to be “more mindful in our music selection during any events we hold” and added: “If there are students or members of the campus community who overheard the song in our playlist and were hurt by its inclusion and you’d like to talk with us about it and how we can do better, we welcome that.”
How about you go fuck yourselves with the rough end of a pineapple wrapped in razor wire? I’d welcome that.
I’ve just tried to go on the Univeristy of Guelph College of Social and Applied Human Sciences website and my browser refuses to go there as it is unsafe!
Due to my previous involvement in the martial arts, I find Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas offensive because it is about martial arts. Hang on, how the hell does that work? Walk on the Wild Side is a story about a transvestite, a real one as it happens, in what way is this offensive to others who define themselves as having indeterminate gender? Is it also offensive to coloured girls who go “doop de doop de doop doop de doop doop…?
The answer, of course, is that it isn’t. These twats are taking offence on behalf of others.
No, these are fuckwittery jumping on the latest bandwagon to virtue signal how wonderful and caring they are. As you rightly say, they can go fuck themselves.
I’m wondering if the recent rise in this kind of thing a result of the prizes for everyone approach to university. It used to be that only clever people went to university. When I was leaving school I was only vaguely aware of the concept of further education, it was certainly only something that other people did. Kids like me left school and got a job and, at the time, I was pretty sick of school and glad to see the back of it. I don’t really have any regrets, I learned enough useful skills to never be out of work for very long. So, is what we are now seeing the result of not too bright kids being educated beyond their ability to understand?
It’s a theory.
One with a great deal of evidence to be found. Watch any of those daytime game shows – if a student turns up on them, their general knowledge and ability to extrapolate from things they do know is woeful. Utterly woeful.
Presumably, they haven’t come across the Kinks yet… 👿
+1
Surprisingly common in biker community and similar to Goths.
I like the song too.
Even if words ignored the sound of the music & lyrics is pleasant. I’m not musical and usually don’t “hear” the words and could not recite them, it’s the overall sound I hear.
Such imagery regarding the pineapple. Hilarious. These students are real snowflakes. Don’t they even consider old Lou to be way ahead of his time for broaching this subject back in 72?
And dipped in lemon juice and tobacco sauce before insertion.