The build up to Christmas remains unabated and the closer it gets the more Christmas songs we’re playing on the radio. These are songs that we’ve all grown up with but now because of the changes in our culture mainly due to our obsession with social media some people are saying the following songs are offensive.
Baby it’s Cold Outside
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Do they Know it’s Christmas
Grandma Got run over by a Reindeer
Santa Baby
Fairytale of New York
Now I won’t go into detail as to why because to be honest I think it’s total B……s, but as I know ‘Fairytale of New York’ is one of the most popular Christmas songs I will let Shane McGowan of The Pogues explain.
He insisted the lyrics don’t intend to offend and said: “I don’t want to get in an argument.”
There have been calls for the word “faggot” to be ‘bleeped’ from the song. However, most broadcasters have played the song uncensored.
The singer defended the lyrics by saying they were to be spoken by an “authentic” character who is meant to be “down on her luck”.
He said: “The word was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character. She is not supposed to be a nice person, or even a wholesome person.
“She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history and she is down on her luck and desperate. Her dialogue is as accurate as I could make it but she is not intended to offend.
“She is just supposed to be an authentic character and not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable, sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty in order to tell the story effectively.”
He added: “If people don’t understand that I was trying to accurately portray the character as authentically as possible then I am absolutely fine with them bleeping the word but I don’t want to get into an argument.”
Does anybody seriously find these songs offensive?
The price of the tinned Christmas chocolates remain the same at £5 but the amount within them has reduced again, it has been revealed.
The standard size tub of Quality Street has been reduced from 750g to 720g and Celebrations tins have shrunk from 680g to 650g.
The company said the equivalent was three sweets but images of the shrinking tubs show handfuls have been removed in previous years.
Last year the largest drop was Cadbury Roses from 729g to 660g.
Chocolate lovers have said they are being hit by shrinkflation, the phenomenon of pack sizes falling while prices remain the same.
Customers this year joked by the time we reach 2025 the tins will fit in the palm of their hand and cost £8.
One of our UK listeners to the radio called Stuart Wood has just been to Mallorca on a few days holiday. Mainly to deliver to me the Walkers Christmas crisps collection. They include the following flavours, Brussels Sprouts, Turkey & Stuffing, Pigs in Blankets, Glazed Ham, Turkey & Stuffing and Cheese & Cranberry. Very nice they are too although the Cheese & Cranberry weren’t that great.
I’m not sure why food producers have this obsession of trying to find a way of us eating Christmas dinner in other forms like the crisps above. I’ve found Christmas dinner sandwiches, Christmas dinner Pizzas, Christmas dinner pasties, deep fried Christmas dinners, Christmas dinner Yorkshire pudding wraps to name just a few.
Back to Stuart Wood and his Wife Tasha who stayed at the new Melia hotel in the centre of Magaluf and he couldn’t praise it enough. The weather has been glorious, they ate and drank in the local bars and restaurants and saw the beautiful lights in Palma. He said the price he paid per day was cheaper than when he books a Travel Lodge on his travels to see his beloved Liverpool play.
Now talking of football fans saving money, did you hear about the Wolves fan who wasn’t too happy about the sky-high cost of a train fare to Newcastle a couple of Sundays ago so found an ingenious alternative.
Steve Horton was hailed a hero after he revealed on social media that he had travelled to the match at St James’ Park via Benidorm, as it was far cheaper than getting the train. A return ticket from Wolverhampton to Newcastle ahead of the Premier League clash would have cost around £114.
But a flight from Birmingham to Alicante was in the region £30, while a direct flight from the Spanish city to Newcastle he found for £15, making a saving of around £70.
The fan’s journey earned him lots of praise from fans on social media. It turned out to a great weekend for all Wolves fans, as they triumphed 2-1 against the Geordies in the very last minute.
Real Mallorca were unlucky to lose 1-2 at home to Malaga but it probably showed that the play-offs are going to be what they’re aiming for this season. They’re away at Sporting this Saturday evening at 20.00 and they’re next home game is next Friday the 21st at 21.00 against Gimnástic. The former team of the coach Vincente Moreno. There’s then a break until the 6th of January when they play Almería away and their next home game is the 13th of January against Deportivo La Coruña. My youngest Jude got a 2-2 draw away in Soller against a beautiful mountain backdrop but my eldest Jake lost 0-1 at home against Madre Alberta. Jude plays his final game before the new year on Saturday against Ferriolense, Jake has a difficult away game against Atlético Baleares on Sunday and a final home game against Viva Sports on Wednesday. Three much needed wins would be the perfect Christmas send off.
Enjoy Your Weekend!
Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.30-11.00am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone, Android, The Tunein Radio App and on the Spanish TDT TV service. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance!
Feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
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