Fred's Fun Fact: Short People!

Find out why this song caused controversy!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Fred Show is on Friend's Fun.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Fact Fred's Fun.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Learn so much, guys, did you know there's a song
by Randy Newman that was almost banned. It was almost banned,
It wasn't actually in the state of Maryland. It's called
short People. This is from I Believe nineteen seventy seven.
Let me play you this song for a second. You
got to understand the actual meaning here. But here it is.

(00:32):
This is a Randy Newman song called short Peoples, Got
No Reason to live? The disrespect Brandy is the song.

(00:55):
I mean, the short King's out there now. It's important
to realize that the song is mad to be a
satirical take on short sighted people and intolerance and prejudice.
But the State of Maryland didn't take conling to the tune.
In nineteen seventy eight, a delegate tried to introduce legislation
to make it illegal to play the song on the radio,
proposing a five hundred dollars fine. However, his effort was unsuccessful.

(01:17):
The Assistant Attorney General deemed that the move would be
a violation of the First Amendment. So he's not talking
about actual short people. He's talking about short sighted people
who were you know, not open minded to different kinds
of things. So there, that's not what he say it right.
Oh you say you're taking him literally. Yes, he said
short people. Why didn't hear nothing about a side? Well,

(01:37):
we didn't hear the whole song. Oh well you look
at you go band the song anyway, I hope I
do not have to pay five hundred bucks now more
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