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"Fuck" no longer shocking in band names, says <i>The Guardian</i>

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"Fuck" no longer shocking in band names, says <i>The Guardian</i>

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian makes quite a good point about how even the most notorious word in the English language no longer qualifies for a shocking band name. Noting that three of nominees for the Mercury Prize use the word "fuck" in their names (Holy Fuck, Fuck Buttons, and Fucked Up, for those keeping score at home), Petridis points out how times have changed since the 60s garage rockers The Fugs—a title derived from Norman Mailers alternate pronunciation of the word in The Naked and the Dead:

The same year that the Fugs' debut album came out, the Times described the word "fuck" as one that "chills the blood and raises gooseflesh". But no one thinks that now: it might just have still retained some of its capacity to shock in the punk era, but its omnipresence in hip-hop, the most popular music in the world, did for that.

Say what you will about Petridis' argument, but he certainly has a slew of evidence at his disposal. For instance, he cited a case three years ago  where "Fuck You Right Back" replaced "Fuck It" on the British charts. There's also a hilarious, A.V. Club-worthy list of awful band names using the word:

Fuck, Fuckbomb, Fuckpony, Fuckhead, Fuckface, Fuckmouth, FuckEmos, Fuck Vegas, Fuck on the Beach, Fuck the Facts, Mister Fuck, Swamp Fuck, the Fucking Champs, the Fucking Wrath, the Fuckmasters, the Fuckerettes, the Fuck You Ups, the Exploding Fuck Dolls, the Fuckin' Shit Biscuits and - a personal favourite - the Guadeloupe-based rapper who clearly couldn't decide whether he wanted to sound shocking or sweetly endearing and attempted to split the difference by calling himself Fuckly.

This also probably marks the most obscene post Prefix has ever published. [The Guardian]

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Fuck
Fuck Buttons
Fucked Up
Holy Fuck

This is too funny.

/site_media/uploads/images/users/daba/dave-park2.JPGDaba

F@ckly is pretty cute but my favorite is Mister F*ck. Does this mean that Prefix will now allow the F-word to be used in comments

/site_media/uploads/images/users/AJohnson/Anne and Doug.JPGAJohnson

Too funny I was just talking to a freind about this exact topic... there was a band at NXNE this weekend called 'Hell yeah, Fück yeah'
... I didnt check them out.

/site_media/uploads/images/users/Al/batmulletjpg.jpgAl

AJ has a point: it's rather disingenuious for prefix to post a story like this - riddles with f_cks - and *I* cannot use the word myself once.

Anyhow, the story is missing Total F_cking Destruction as a band name with f_ck in it.

Perhaps the story should've addressed the use of c_nt instead.

Steve L

I am proud to say that I own albums by three of the aforementioned naughtily-named bands.

/site_media/uploads/images/users/narfish/HeadbangSquare.jpgnarfish

Fuuuuuuuuck.

(cutaia)

Too true. It's kind of a shame too 'cause, of all the bands in the title, I think Holy Fnck has the potential for mass appeal, but their name is a barrier to many people. I'm a George Carlin fan myself, but it's true. However, it probably made Fnck Buttons as big as they'll ever get.

/site_media/uploads/images/users/FMH/5241619.gifFMH

F*cking Champs arn't so bad..

f*cking champs

Just listening to the new Total Fuuuucking Destruction album right now. Righteous jams that deserve wider dissemination than our tightwad FCC censorship rules allow. Not that they could get on the radio even if they were named Bunnies 'n Puppies, of course.

/site_media/uploads/images/users/narfish/HeadbangSquare.jpgnarfish

It's "******" stupid to throw in profanity in the name of a band like this because....

1. Its unoriginal and lame
2. It won't appeal to a large audience
3. Most of the time, their music is "****"
4. People who follow are "Gay", in a non-homosexual way.

Your Music Sucks

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