Swearing - Political Forum

Independent147 · 06-15-2007, 06:57 PM

When you hear someone on the street say 'fuck that hurt' what do you think? Do you think, 'OMG he said a bad word!' or do you think 'that must've hurt' or even 'don't swear like that when women are around!'
When someone calls someone a 'fucking bitch' do you find it wrong? offensive? Or do you say 'I'm from the ghetto, I'm cool w/ that'?
Swearing is a very sexist and stereotypical subject. Should women swear? Should men swear around women? Should foul mouths stop you from getting a job? What is the point of swearing? Please, answer my questions. And also state your opinions. This thread will probably be a flop... lol

Izzibeth · 06-15-2007, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Independent147

When you hear someone on the street say 'fuck that hurt' what do you think? Do you think, 'OMG he said a bad word!' or do you think 'that must've hurt' or even 'don't swear like that when women are around!'

I think "fuck, that must have really fucking hurt".

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When someone calls someone a 'fucking bitch' do you find it wrong? offensive? Or do you say 'I'm from the ghetto, I'm cool w/ that'?

Hehe, not sure what being from a ghetto has to do with the words "fucking bitch"... but to answer the question: If I agreed that the person they were talking about was a fucking bitch I would probably nod my head in agreement. If I didn't know the person at all I might think "Hm... wonder if she or he really is...". If I disagreed I would let the person know. I don't think it's "wrong" any more than I would think it was "wrong" if I heard someone call someone else an "old fool" or a "rapscallion" or something. To me, they are really all just as rude.

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Swearing is a very sexist and stereotypical subject.

It is? I, personally, have never thought of it that way.

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Should women swear?

If they want to, they should. However they should be aware that it makes them look unintelligent if they use it too much or all of the time and it is their only means of expressing themselves.

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Should men swear around women?

If they want to, they should. However they should be aware that it makes them look unintelligent if they use it too much or all of the time and it is their only means of expressing themselves.

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Should foul mouths stop you from getting a job?

If you are supposed to be professional and respectful at your job then yes. Swearing is rude and is MEANT to be rude. It is not professional and it is not respectful. If your employer expects those qualities of you then they should have every right to deny you the job due to your obvious lack of tact or professionalism.

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What is the point of swearing?

To add emphasis (when angry/when speaking among friends/when trying to get a point across), to be rude, to be disrespectful, to be funny, to be strong... the 'points' are endless. They vary with each individual person and each individual situation. I swear when I get angry or when I get really happy and am laughing about something or when quoting someone. There is really no other occasion when I feel the need or when it naturally just comes out. But that's just me.

Quote:

Please, answer my questions. And also state your opinions. This thread will probably be a flop... lol

Blues_127 · 06-15-2007, 08:11 PM

Language displays where you are from. All words are merely symbols of something real. The language you use reflects your social strata.

If someone who always uses foul language says fuck that hurt....you are less likely to think it really hurt. If snow white says fuck that hurt, you pay attention.

emptypepsi · 06-15-2007, 09:19 PM

I swear more than anyone I know. Probably due to the area of the city I grew up in. When I hear someone curse, I don't pay much attention to it other than the ordinary reaction to hearing speech. I sort of desensitized myself to the reactions of it.

Independent147 · 06-15-2007, 10:21 PM

You see. Izzi, I agree completely with you. But I want to be able to understand where people are coming from when they DON'T like swearing and do not appreciate it at all. When I said swearing is stereotypical, you enforced it actually. You think that too much makes women look stupid. You say nothing about men because men are almost expected to swear. Not expected, but... accepted.
I think I may swear more than anyone when I type, but only when annoyed angry etc.
or just god damn happy and I wanna show it. lol

Also, many people find bitch a much more offensive term, so I want to get a female dog and walk down the street saying 'come 'ere, bitch' lol

emptypepsi · 06-15-2007, 11:33 PM

You make words (or their 'intentions' out to mean what you like, I think. Thus, my entire problem with being told by religious people about using the name of the creator 'in vain'. What if I say it and I don't have any emotion behind it directed towards God? Do emotions mean nothing in that regard? What if I am someone who curses God in their mind but never says it, yet a completely moral man says it when he stumps his toe on a desk? Who is a God going to be more angry at?

Ultimately, I feel that words are just what they are - ways that we communicate our feelings, thoughts, and ideas. I believe acceptance of someone should come via what they do with what they are given, not how they say they are going to do something.

Let me put this another way: I can think off the top of my head a few eloquently spoken individuals who have a very good understanding of the English language. They also curse a lot and don't have much to say, other than your average chit-chat. I also know people who know less and utilize less of grammar skills yet understand things that I talk to about them regarding other-than-average topics (This is not a universal statement, applicable to every like person, mind you).

What does their use (proper or not) of the language matter here if ultimately we have connected in understanding each others complex thoughts? Is that not the point of language to begin with?

And please do not confuse me with saying 'Standards are meaningless'. I prefer having one-on-one discussion on said topics with a similar conversational partner, but if I get my message across - that's really what it comes down to.

writerman · 06-15-2007, 11:35 PM

and not that long ago.

The blase acceptance of it today is just further evidence of the growing degeneracy of our society and the dumbing down of the language--what Daniel Patrick Moynahan accurately labeled as "defining deviancy down."

Sadly, it's acceptance is at least in large part a legacy of my generation, the boomers, who like spoiled children (which they were) broke all the rules of civility in the senseless, dionysiac frenzy that were the 60's.

Though the damage--probably irrevocable--has already been done, the world will nonetheless be a cleaner place when all us children of the 60's are dead.

emptypepsi · 06-15-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blues_127

Language displays where you are from. All words are merely symbols of something real. The language you use reflects your social strata.

If someone who always uses foul language says fuck that hurt....you are less likely to think it really hurt. If snow white says fuck that hurt, you pay attention.

That's interesting. It's pretty true if you think about it, though. I know a guy who says 'fuck' a LOT (yes, more than me!

) and it wears off. When he uses it in a story "That fuckin' guy downtown...", I tend to just think of that guy as any other schmuck he runs into. This person would have to upgrade the title of the person he was talking about to make me think differently (e.g., "That fuckin' dick downtown...").

emptypepsi · 06-15-2007, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by writerman

and not that long ago.

The blase acceptance of it today is just further evidence of the growing degeneracy of our society and the dumbing down of the language--what Daniel Patrick Moynahan accurately labeled as "defining deviancy down."

Sadly, it's acceptance is at least in large part a legacy of my generation, the boomers, who like spoiled children (which they were) broke all the rules of civility in the senseless, dionysiac frenzy that were the 60's.

Though the damage--probably irrevocable--has already been done, the world will nonetheless be a cleaner place when all us children of the 60's are dead.

I love Defining Deviancy Down, and a gree with it, but I don't think Moynihan was talking so much about language, but rather social problems likes crime, molestation, things of that sort.

Language, when compared to that of 100 years ago, has changed a lot. However, to compare the English spoken of 100 years prior to THAT, it is noticeably different on that as well. I don't think what we are witnessing is anything 'new', but perhaps being expediated via technology. I don't see it as a dumbing down, but a quicker evolution due to technological advancements and increased mixing of cultures and subcultures.

WRT the 60's, I'd like you to go read The Catcher in the Rye sometime. You'd be shocked, I think, at just how common the sort of language we discuss here has been in use. It's just more exposed now a days, so we're forced to deal with it on a larger basis. That's ultimately why I think it doesn't fall under DDD theory - it can't really be measured, per sé, the way that crime rates can be.

emptypepsi · 06-15-2007, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izzibeth

If they want to, they should. However they should be aware that it makes them look unintelligent if they use it too much or all of the time and it is their only means of expressing themselves.

To add emphasis (when angry/when speaking among friends/when trying to get a point across), to be rude, to be disrespectful, to be funny, to be strong... the 'points' are endless. They vary with each individual person and each individual situation. I swear when I get angry or when I get really happy and am laughing about something or when quoting someone. There is really no other occasion when I feel the need or when it naturally just comes out. But that's just me.

Bolded section: precisely! People make what they want out of the words, though it may not be what the speaker intended. Words are funny things.

WRT how women appear, I don't know. I definatley don't like hearing a girl shoot out a caseload of curses within a minute, but I don't quite feel comfortable around a girl who never curses.

Maybe that's just me. I do admit that you have a point WRT it making them or any guy even who does it appear less intelligent when used in more than sufficient amounts.