Quote:
Originally Posted by skaltezon
In this context 'faggot' doesn't mean 'homosexual'. To the sweat-laborer characters singing the song,
it means a prettyboy rock star who seems to get everything the easy way.
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I wasn't saying that I think the laborer characters in the song believe that the prettyboy rock stars are actually gay. In fact, the laborers are also jealous of how these prettyboys get "their chicks for free".
However, I believe that the slur stems from homophobia in general and that homophobia was more socially acceptable in 1985 partially because AIDS was a big fear, a mysterious plague that was often blamed on gay men (perhaps by the very laborers in the song). Just a theory.
The reason this case is striking is that, for whatever reason, I don't think any big pop radio hits today will have the word "f
aggot" repeated in a verse.