The hipocrisy of vulgarity in modern culture

[wickednick]

Warning before reading this post you must know that I will be using  vulgarity exstensivly, also this will be a very long post so be prepaired to do some reading.I hope because of this post I do not get removed from this forum, but I must speak out about the hypocrisy of vulgarity and censorship in modern culture.
Ive always wondered about why certin words or considered inapropriate, when they mean the same things as other words which are not considered to be inapropriate.What exactly makes a word a vulgar word and why are they considered so offensive.
Most english swear words are words that come from other languages.In there original languages the words are often far more inocent then in english.
Lets take the word s**t for instance.s**t comes from Old English were it ment to defecate, or as a word for excrement.So you see the meaning of the word s**t is not as offensive as it sounds, there are many other words which describe the same thing as s**t, but are not considered to be offensive as the word s**t.Poop,and crap are to words which means the exact same things as s**t, and can be used the same way, but were as these words are allowed on television and accepted as by society, s**t is censored from tv and considered very vulgar.
Now how did s**t get its negative conotation.What made the word obcene, after all s**t is just a word and means the same thing as non ofensive words.I think its because of the time it came from.s**t is a very old word and during the time it was first being used, the world was very religous and also very filthy. Basiclly think of the old adage cleanliness is next to godlyness. To be dirty or covered in excrement or in other words covered in s**t would mean that you are farther away from god.
The next word is f**k.f**k is also a very old word and has been considered obcene from the begining, even though it describes a very natural act, sexual intercourse.The dislike of this word I think again comes from the time it was first being used.When this word was first being used the word was far more religously zealus than it is today.The act of sex back then was not considered as acceptable as it is now, so a word which means something like sexual intercourse would not be accepted.So the reason f**k is found unexceptable is because of the act it discribes, but is that really any reason to make the word obcene, after all to say sex is not a vulgar thing but to say a word which means the same thing as sex is considered vulgar.
Anouther interesting thing about f**k and s**t is that they are often used in ways which do not fit There meaning.To call someone a f**ker, simply means that the indavidual has sex, or to say the s**t hit the fan, which is discribing a situation gone bad but the meaning of the word s**t does not make sense in the phrase.
Ass is the next word and one of the least offensive vulgar words,but has some of the strangest censorship.Ass can discribe two things, either your rear end or a donkey.Now on tv you can call some one an ass or call a donkey an ass, but if you call someone an ass hole on tv it will get bleeped.But really what the diffrence between calling someone an ass and calling someone an ass hole.There is none as far as I can see.
Now the two strangest vulgar words when it comes to censorship and meaning are b***h and bastard.These are two words wich are often said on tv and are little censored, but if you look at the meanings they are more offensive then s**t,f**k or ass. b***h means is the word for a female dog, and to call some one a b***h means just that,they are a female dog.b***h is often used to discribe a lewd female women or a submissive man.Bastard is often said on tv, but its meaning is quite offensive.It means that you are a child born out of wedlock or to have no father.I don't know about you but if some one said that my dad f**ked my mom and left I'd punch his lights out.
Now I can go on and on about censorship but I know you are probably geting sick of reading this.So I will end soon end this and we can discuss this more in the posts.Swear words are words and nothing more.There meanings are often not as offensive as the way we make the words sound, so we must stop looking at these words as vulgarity but as just a part of language.Censorship of words is stupid and there is little point for it.
P.S. Im not sure about this forums rules when it comes to vulgarity but if this post some how crosses the bounds of this forums considers to be overly obcene, but I hope this post will make you consider the hypocrisy of censorship.

[Fearless Freep]

I have noticed that people tend to use 'vulgar' words to gain an emotional, visceral or shocking effect when they're really don't have any intelligent way to make their point.  Their a sort of linguitsic cop-out when someone's too lazy to actually think through what they want to say.

As a result, I do not use them and have little respect for those who do.

[George]

Profanity, curses, swears, whatever you may call them are not shocking because of their sound.  They are not taboo because of there definition.  They are taboo because of the intent behind them.

In the examples above, s**t, f**k, ass, b***h and bastard, all of the words are acceptable in normal conversation if the situation is right.  That situation may be a discussion of breeding (ass and b***h), talking about the way a process has been corrupted (bastardized) or casual, street level conversation (what the f**k is this s**t).

One of the beautiful things about the English language is the way so many words can be used interchangably.  Many people consider it very offensive to hear fool, butt, prick, boob, snatch, head, etc.  All of these are very benign words in the right context and offensive in the wrong one.

The grand daddy of all, the one I find offensive, is the word n****r.  I can't think of a possitive twist on this word, even at street level and I'm a white guy.

Bottom line, use any word you want, just make sure you use it properly and in the approriate context.

[Grumpy Guy]

I've heard this arguement many a time, and it just doesn't hold water with me.

A language actually NEEDS curse words, taboos that are (supposedly) used in the most extreme circumstances, when no other word will suffice.  THey are offensive so that the language can be offensive when it needs to be.  

Without designated curse words, our language looses its versatility.  It looses the ability to designate extremes, and be offensive.  The language becomes a stew without salt - bland.

Saying all words should be acceptable is basicly laziness.  "I don't feel like watching my mouth, so let's just make it okay to say anything."  I use curse words when I deem them appropriate.  If I bang my thumb with a hammer, I might scream "DAMN IT!!"  If someone has flung feces on the walls of a rest room, I might say "Look at all this s**t," and if my girlfriend slept with my best friend, I might say (to either or both of them) "I can't believed you f**ked him/her."

THere is a time and a place for all words in our wonderful language.  I just wish people would be more selective about when they say those words our language calls "Curses."

[Goon]

I've heard a words context does affect the rating of a movie.  A pg-13 I believe can use "f**k!" as an exclamation, but as a verb it warrents an 'R'.

"...to say the s**t hit the fan, which is discribing a situation gone bad but the meaning of the word s**t does not make sense in the phrase."

Come again?  s**t -> excrement, fecal matter, etc.
If said substance were to colide with a fan or any other machine that had fast moving parts, the situation would indeed go bad (open an umbrella, quick!).  Why wouldn't it make sense?

-----ooo-'U'-ooo-----Kilroy was here.

[JohnL]

And then there are words where the context makes them worse. For example, it's now common to hear characters on say TV, even young ones, say that they're "p**sed" or "p**sed off", but I've yet to hear a character on network TV say "I've gotta go take a p**s".

[wickednick]

What I was trying to get at in the post, and I relise that I didn't make it as clear as I could have, was the hypocrisy of the way we can and can not use these words.On tv the rules for censorship are just idiotic.On some networks you can say words that you can't on others.There are words like ass that you can say in certin situations and not get bleeped but to say them in anouther situation and they do get bleeped.Whats the point of bleeping it? Its the same word and despite that it is used in a diffrent way still does not make it any less of a swear word.It seems rather pointless to me to censor are language.The words we use are just words.I can make rude and lewd comments with out the use of swear words, even though that comment is just as offensive as if I used it with a swear word.
Now most of are swear words come from other languages werre they are not thought of as swear words, but just as a part of conversation.I've always wondered who decided these words were offensive and why.
Maybe im just a product of a lewd world but I do not find swear words offensive.I think of them just as a part of a normal conversation, and I find it strange that people can react so strongly to swear words.

[Tranquil Featherman]

As your attorney I suggest that you do a little more research on the origin of words before you go frothing off at the mouth ( or finger tips in this case)

[-=NiGHTS=-]

On sortof the same note:

A few months ago a politician, I think in my area,  was essentially blackballed for using the word 'n***ardly'.  While this probably has its origins in an unsavory term, in itself, 'n***ardly' (meaning, I think, lazy or slothful.  Something like that.) is a beneign word suitable for polite conversation.  It just happens to sound bad.  I think it's funny.

[NEC]

A few years ago, my aunt got mad at me for using the word jacked. I was over at my grandparents house doing something while she was also there and I substituted it for f**ked as in 'AH! I jacked it up!', and she knew it. And I was like 'What's the big deal?!? I didn't say the F word'.

[jmc]

n***ardly means "cheap," I believe....I heard another case of a politician using the word a few years ago and getting a lot of flak for it...maybe even losing his job.

[BlackAngel]

I can see why most people would be offensive when it comes to vulgarity.  The kids.  In a perfect world, because of children (and probably religion), vulgarity would've never existed.  Yet, in reality, parents are trying hard to keep it away from them.  But, like the air we breath, it is everywhere.  From corner of your block, to the latest edition of Hustler magazine, and back again.  I can't say that keeping kids away from the dreaded "curse word" is like beating on a dead horse because it depends on the individual despite one's upbringing.
As for the hipocracy,  television, more importantly, FCC are the biggest hipocrates in my opinion.  These people propably curse worse than me, yet they have they authority to bleep out (what I call) "innocent" curse words.  And if the networks don't comply, they're fined.  If it were up to me, here would be the layout:
First of all, ban FCC.  Second, since kids are so young, so innocent, so impressionable, let them have the early morning and afternoon shows, and let the adults have the primetime and late night full of vulgarity.
When it comes to vulgarity in media, I wouldn't mind it (as you can see with my psuedo-layout) because, in certain situations, it makes the punchline funny, if not more funnier.  It conveys a character's emotion, in particular, rage.  It shows the reality of the dialogue whether it is too much, too little, or just in mid-range, because (and I'll say it again) it's everywhere.  Watch Full Metal Jacket and tell me that all the stuff Lee Ermey said would be reality if he didn't curse.
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Bulls**t, I can't hear you, sound off like you got a pair.