I do have a question that I've seen a few times hinted at above -

How did whaling songs by their very nature become 'politically incorrect'?

I understand modern whaling being considered incorrect, but how can an industry that was absolutely vital to the Industrial Revolution be considered 'evil'?

Now... I don't defend the over-whaling that wiped out species. I also don't defend every aspect of the IR that came down the pike (Child Labor, anyone? Oh, that'll be two then, Mrs. Gifford?). But, if one is to consider anything to do with whaling as "non-pc", then I'd say anything to do with sea shanties or sailing would have to go to (they propagated the slave trade, treated sailors abysmally, engaged in child labor - and that's just the nicer sides). There goes the lumbering shanties (deforestation and habitat destruction), the miner's tales and Twain's ENTIRE writing collection (strip mining, rapine behaviours towards the earth, non-pc bigots portrayed)... The list goes on. And on. And on.

I can see where you wouldn't want to sing certain songs for certain crowds... I can't see "Greenland Fisheries" going over well at a GreenPeace rally, and some songs can be just plain offensive (see the common sense advice of 'know your audience' above). But outside those boundaries, I just can't condemn whaling songs. To me, that way lies the Luddite hordes who feel we made the first mistake by evolving out of the trees and need to return there post haste...

M