Profanities

[kenobi65]

It is definitly not uncommon to hear them in prime-time television

In the U.S., that situation has changed quite a bit over the past 30 years.

The comedian George Carlin had a signature routine (in the 1970s) called "The Seven Words You Can't Say On Television". (And, yes, all seven of them are non-Eric's-grandma-friendly.) The irony is that some of those words now *can* be heard on U.S. network television, at least in the last hour of prime time (10pm-11pm, or 9pm-10pm, depending on which time zone you're in), though the "f-bomb" is not among them (yet). And, that's the case on network television; the cable networks (especially the pay-cable outlets, like HBO) are frequently less constrained.

A lot of Americans believe that American culture has gotten far coarser over the past few decades, and increased use of profanity is one sign of that.

(And I say that, knowing that, in certain venues, I do swear like a sailor. In others, I don't swear at all.)

 

[Umbran]

Well, Mr. Noah has already mentioned the idea of making sure that everyone, including our potential younger readers, is comfortable here. But I have a thought beyond that...

Swear words have power. They have a purpose, and a place in the world. If you hit your thumb with a hammer you need to have an expression that really displays your thoughts. When you're furious, you need to be able to express it. Only very rarely do we discuss things on these boards that to which these words should apply. The emotional power those words are supposed to carry should not usually be applied here - they're usually overkill.

 

[Henry]

Regardless of who's bothered by it or not, it often puts up barriers to communication, because of that perception of "rude/crude" the original poster was referencing. Some people hear you drop the f's, the c's, the s's, and the mf's, and immediately turn off, leaving the point that was trying to be communicated tilting in the wind, which defeats the purpose we're here for in the first place. Not all profanities are censored, but the ones most likely to elicit a disgusted reaction are.

That's my thoughts on the subject, dammit.

 

[Ferret]

I rarely swear as if I did too much it would water down the effect. People knew I meant it when I swore because I used to get responses like "Craig swore? ". I also think it can be quite crude to swear all the time.

I *hate* it when parents (especially) swear around their children!

 

[EricNoah]

First of all, my post was in no way intended as criticism against the forum rules, more as a curious inquiry, because I find the matter interesting.

You know what is amusing -- I can vaguely recall my parents having this exact discussion with several of our European foreign exchange students. But only with the male ones. The girls never seemed all that interested in swearing in English. We had students from Sweden, France, and Germany. My parents also had to be really, really clear with the males about what constituted "appropriate touching" with their female classmate girlfriends.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Well, Mr. Noah has already mentioned the idea of making sure that everyone, including our potential younger readers, is comfortable here. But I have a thought beyond that...

Swear words have power. They have a purpose, and a place in the world. If you hit your thumb with a hammer you need to have an expression that really displays your thoughts. When you're furious, you need to be able to express it. Only very rarely do we discuss things on these boards that to which these words should apply. The emotional power those words are supposed to carry should not usually be applied here - they're usually overkill.

Besides that when one usually types out a post, they have more time to think than when they whock that thumb with the hammer. It takes more work to type out words than it is to utter them. And usually you take the time to reread your post before submitting it.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I rarely swear as if I did too much it would water down the effect. People knew I meant it when I swore because I used to get responses like "Craig swore? ". I also think it can be quite crude to swear all the time.

I *hate* it when parents (especially) swear around their children!

Sounds like a friend of mine.... He doesn't swear so I was quite shocked when I heard him use gd.

I've seen parents swear around their kids. And also TEACH their kids swear words. And also those who think it's funny when a very young child mispronounces firetruck. Had that happen with a friend's child. He mispronounced the "truck" part and everyone thought it was funny. It may have been the first time.... but I didn't think it was funny after that. A 2 year old doesn't need to learn that word.

 

[Thunderfoot]

And from the other side of the fence....

I hate profanity, it is infantile, crude and frankly if you aren't smart enough to figure out a less 'base' way of speaking, you aren't worth my time. I live in what is "affectionately" known as the 'hood'. If you aren't familiar with US slang, that would be the low income, less ethincally diverse, crime challenged, drug friendly living space.

The lack of intelligent conversation and the profuse profanity of some of my neighbors raises the hair on the back of my neck, but then so do the dead bodies in the dumpster across the street. In spite of that I have raised an 18 ear old boy that has learned to be respectful of elders (usually), young women (or he gets beaten), his peers, strangers and anyone else he meets; he is kind (for the most part), fair minded and has spoken only five curse words in my hearing to this day and three of those times it was under the 'ask first' policy. (Ask me what it means or if its bad and you get a free pass so you can learn what it means and why you shouldn't say it.) The other two times he blew bubbles for a few minutes (he got his mouth washed out with soap). It is a choice, a dirty, filthy habit, that can be broken. I was in the military for 8 years and rock bands for many before that, I know how to, I can be inventive with usage, I can tell you origins both literaly and historically, but I simply refuse to say them and I think I'm better for it.

I usually can ignore the random word, when your vocabulary cannot grow beyond them, I usually have a discussion, regadless of whether I know you or not. Has it gotten me in trouble, occasionally, do I feel better for it, you bet!

 

[megamania]

Umbran hit it perfectly. Language is meant for communication. swearing should be limited a bit to those "extreme" moments of pain, anguish or surprise.

Also not mentioned is the legal recuse that can become of swearing in certain places and within hearing of certain people. Swearing isn't worth my time in court because some older lady couldn't hear a "foul and vulger" word or sentence.

Americans are uptight in many ways .

 

[Nyaricus]

Americans are uptight in many ways.

Indeed, and so are their close neighbours the Canadians, where many of the same mores are ripe for the finding.

I know for myself, I swear a lot. Just the way I am, and when I was younger (13-16) I swore even more then I do now. However, I'm not vulgar (per se) with it, using racial slurs (which I think are a terrible slander) or swearing around small children or older folks, who might get offended at such terms. I should also mention I work with the pubic 40 hours a week as a petroleum dispenser specialist (that means I'm a gas jockey, obviously ) at a neighbourhood gas station, and I never swear around customers; it's rude and they have the power to phone head office and complain about the service - and I like my job and I like the people I work with and the regular customers, so why mess up a good thing?

Anywho, I suppose it has to do with whom I associate with - which consists of a bunch of metalheads and alternative-type people. They've heard it a hundred times in almost any of the music they've listened to, and it simply doesn't bother them - and ever since I really started being social (age 12-14) I've always been with this type of people; it's the culture I've always been a part of, and it doesn't faze me in the least.

This is not to say that I'm not an intelligent conversationalist. When I was younger, I'd often surprise adults with my broad lexicon and general world-knowledge and was able to hold my own in almost any topic which came up in conversation.

But, I honestly think there is a time and a place for swearing. I think it's disgusting for a parent to swear in front, or AT their own children. My own father did both to me as a child growing up, and that is something which I think is inexcusably barbaric, simply unnecessary, and more often then not, a bit abusive. When I have children, I'd definitely be on my best behaviour around them; it just seems right. I always shudder at my job when parents buy cigarettes and light them up in their vehicles with small children in the back seat - and to swear in front of them is no better, IMO.

Just my two coppers.

cheers,
--N