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Saturday, April 12, 2003  

Civilisation ending due to increasing use of swear words.

So, you might argue the f-word is OK, that swear words don't really mean what they used to mean since they are spoken so often and applied to so many things in so many ways. You could say that swear words have lost their impact.
Or, you could argue that our language has become downright coarse, offensive and rude. You might then agree with James O'Connor, who maintains our language is a reflection of ourselves, and we are deteriorating.
O'Connor founded the Cuss Control Academy in Lake Forest, Ill.
"The language we are using gets worse all the time," says O'Connor, who also wrote Cuss Control, a book on the subject. ("Finally, the cure for the common curse!" the jacket says.)
"People say, `Well, they are just words.' But it's much deeper than that," O'Connor says. "Too often, the words are hostile, sour sounding, belligerent and threatening. There are a lot of negative thoughts, expressions and attitudes behind the words." [...]
Many people no longer think about the original meanings of the swear words they use or about their potential to offend others, according to O'Connor. "The f-word still offends people more than most other swear words," he says. Yet, he notes, you hear the word more now and in places you would not expect, such as a fine restaurant. [...]
"There is this sense of entitlement we have," O'Connor says. "As individuals, we think we are in a free country and so we can do what we want, say what we want. And that's true. But unfortunately, that sense of personal entitlement seems to take precedent over too many things, including civility."

Meanwhile war is still going on in Iraq, and fuck me if that isn't more of a cunt of a thing to get pissed off about than the fucking prevalence of goddamned swearing in our shithouse modern society.

posted by James Russell | 6:45 PM


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