The Sun Sponges Off George Michael

After the Murdoch goons at the Super Soaraway Currant Bun had momentarily put aside their longstanding habit of sneering at anyone who was not heterosexual, and pretended that they cared about George Michael, who sadly died on Christmas Day morning, there has come a cheap and nasty attempt to cash in on his memory - by resorting to type, being a bunch of tightwads, and bullying others into ponying up money.

Dan Wootton’s Bizarre Column has told readers “George Michael’s Careless Whisper could raise thousands for charity - stars back campaign to give royalties to good causes ... Help back our campaign to re-release Careless Whisper and raise funds for George's three favourite charities Childline, MacMillan Cancer Trust and the Terrence Higgins Trust”. And why, perchance, should the song be re-released?

“GEORGE MICHAEL was one of the greatest pop icons of our time … But following the sad news of his passing, the Brit superstar can also be regarded as one of the most generous … Stories of George dishing out vast sums of his personal cash to various charities only heightened his standing among his huge fanbase”. So the Sun would like to force someone else to continue that charitable streak.

You think I jest? Here it comes: “Now, as a tribute to George, I am launching a campaign with the backing of top DJs including Radio 1’s Scott Mills for his No 1 single Careless Whisper to be re-released … Ideally, I’d like Sony to re-release the single as a new physical package with all the proceeds going to his worthy causes, with publishers Warner/Chappell Music donating the writer’s royalties and Prime Minister THERESA MAY to waive the VAT … But the campaign is also encouraging streaming and music download sites to waive their costs and instead donate the money”. So that’s it, is it?

The Sun has also contacted several DJs and other Slebs, who have agreed that re-releasing the song would be A Very Good Thing. This has then been taken as support for the paper’s campaign. But there is someone who won’t be giving to this campaign.

And that is the Sun itself. That is what makes this such a nasty-tasting and cheap attempt to score publicity off George Michael’s name: Sony Music is effectively being bullied into re-releasing the song, with the bullying also extending to the music publishers, the Government, and indeed the singer’s estate, which would be forced into an act of charity - and woe betide any of those if they decline to go along with the game.

Meanwhile, the Murdoch goons at the Baby Shard bunker don’t have to cough up even the proverbial red cent. They just get to bully everyone else on pain of being smeared across the pages of the Sun, and it’s all free publicity. More And Bigger Free Promotion Exercises For The Benefit Of Themselves Personally Now.

Some of the names put forward as “supporting” this “campaign” may have done so out of far more charitable motives than the Sun. No fault attaches to them. But for the Murdoch doggies at the Sun, this is just another cynical and devious way to get others to pony up the money, while giving the paper all the credit. It stinks. As usual.

You want to show real charitable intent, Sun hacks? Offer to match the money raised by the re-release. No strings, no ifs, no buts. If not - just get back under your rocks.