50 replies to this topic

[Roarz]

I can't remember the last time I actually made a topic here that wasn't related to my staff position, so I fancied making one that has nothing whatsoever to do with telling people how to behave or how much shit they are in. This topic is basically my view on the issue of swearing and its general use in language; you'll have to forgive me for I am about to write in less commonly accessible language. I'm not about to do this to sound pretentious or more knowledgeable but rather to make a subtle point.

Anyway, get on with it and yadda yadda.

I am often encountered with the patronising tone of a school-master emanating from the mouths or keyboards of very ordinary people when it comes to the use of 'harsh language'. Apparently purveyors of social convention, they remind me that there are better words to use than culturally labeled swear words in any given situation. This seems to be a reasonable assertion when viewed from the angle of one sitting on the fence, escaping the directness of what amounts to an attack on ones preference for verbal utterances. Do note the deliberate inclusion of the word 'seems' in the previous sentence, my attempt was to allude to the fact that these rather regular public assertions aren't reasonable at all, for a number of reasons.

The issue that chiefly springs to mind is an attempt at defining the word 'better' in the context of language use; however, a disagreement on my part with this phrasing would be a straw man argument, for I am not directly responding to a comment actually uttered by another human being. To avoid pedanticism (at least to some degree), which I generally loathe, rather than contend with the word 'better' I will simply state that an assertion with regards to more useful words is an arbitrary one, particularly in this context.

Secondly we arrive at a curious idea that is implied when one tells another not to swear; the idea being that swearing is obviously a useless form of language and its usage, regardless of context, is inappropriate. Allow me a brief digression at this juncture to expound the virtues of horrible sweary language.

Harsh language is diverse both in application and tone, a factor that exemplifies the importance of language in general, that it is an infinitely malleable tool that can be made to fit the hand of the wielder. Language is subject to constant cultural evolution, members of any particular generation may remark on the bastardization of their own linguistic conventions by other generations. One of the great beauties of language, if you would permit me to branch away from my analytical tone to a more floral one, is its diversity and capacity for change, to meet the challenges of new experiences and different forms of expression. Swear words, though crassly judged, are still common, universally familiar words in any given language, they are expressed with undeniable frequency and, admittedly, ample relish. Hardly useless or inappropriate in any objective way.

Thirdly (and finally, for the purposes of my point), reminders on the errors of swearing are expressed as if they are merely a polite and rather important statement. I will contend with this aspect too. There is little doubt that some may instruct others not to swear for reasons other than a passive-aggressive warning about language use but it is the slyness of the latter that really bothers me, so I'm dealing with that. When I am informed by a person (usually a complete stranger) about my horrific language I wonder what their intentions are. This is never made clear to me in my own experience, but how I come to view it is invariably like this:

You swoooore! I'm telliiiiiing!

Whatever the intention of the speaker, telling another how they ought to communicate is an undermining of their own ability to assess appropriateness in rather an insulting manner. If one is to assert this, one should be prepared to adequately qualify themselves.

Oh Christ Jesus this is annoying. I have to type in plain english now, it's such a fucking chore to write all that tedious twaddle. My bottom line, right, is that I'm an adult and I'll decide how I want to speak, or write, or piss poetry in the snow. As is your right to dislike seeing or hearing swear words, it is equally so for me to use them at liberty. Flowing, passionate, fucking wonderful liberty. I love to swear, I love swear words; I love their infinite adaptability, but more than this I love their accessibility. Language is communication and I like to communicate in a way that anyone can understand, I like to just state my point in an effective and simple manner so all can follow without feeling left out or swamped beneath an assload of sodding technical jargon.

So for those of you who really can't handle swearing, I have two things I wish to say. One of them is a quote from a brilliant standup comedian, Doug Stanhope:

If you are offended by any word in any language it's probably because your parents were unfit to raise a child.

And finally, the last thing I wish to say is fuck you very much and thanks for reading.

[Steve]

I could easily go on and on about why swearing isn't bad, but my good friend Lewis Black shares the exact feelings I have on the subject:

[Blue Blood]

Fuck off, I'm not reading that wall of text.

[PeanutButterDimond]

When it comes to swearing, I think of Stephen Fry's thoughts on the subject.



In fact, I think Roarz post proves Stephen's point.

Edited by PeanutButterDimond, 08 May 2012 - 08:50 PM.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

I don't/very rarely cuss because I want to respect my family's beliefs... There have been times where I've heard my folks let it slip out, but in this day and age, it's not really surprising, honestly. Everyone's gotta let it out one way or another... I know I've done so once or twice on this board.

Of course, this is just out of politeness, not "prudeness..." I'm not the kind of person to judge or whine whenever I overhear someone else drop the F-bomb though... Maybe unless they're children, but that's mostly because of how different of an enviroment I was raised in... I don't know what people think of children cussing nowadays. I remember when i was in elementary, if you even said damn or hell, the children would freak out. Nowadays, children cuss like sailors... i personally don't like it, but eh... what are you gonna do? I think the only reason I saw cussing children was because I was in a k-12 highschool, so the kids may have picked up on the cursing.

Overall, I've heard and seen it so much from real life and on the internet, I've become desensitized to it. It doesn't really bother me as much as when I was in 9th grade.

Only time I have problems with cussing is when 13 year olds use it as if they were sentence enhancers (lolspongebobrefrance) and say it after every word... Even worse when they're over the age of 20 and use it to sound badass, like a certain fan of classic sonic who shall not be named. That's the only time when cussing makes you look stupid.

Edited by Wayward Vagabond, 08 May 2012 - 09:14 PM.

[King Sombrero]

I don't mind swearing at all, I don't mind it when anyone says it when talking to me either. I know where and when not to do so, and when it's too much that it makes you sound like a moron like fuckin mariothefuckinplumber in his fuckin videos where he fuckin says fuck every fuckin other fuckin word and he fuckin sounds like a fuckin moron, fuck. My dad is pretty anal when any of us swear but he swears like a sailor whenever he talks to his old friends...hypocritical much? It's just words. I also, don't like how people seem to be so oversensitive about the word faggot even here even when I don't use it directly at anyone , which is why I avoid using it here. But yeah swearing isn't as big a fucking deal as most people make it out to be. Carry on you crazy cunts

[The Kid]

Oh Roarz, SSMB wouldn't be the fucking same without you. *Raises mug*

[supersonikku]

Brilliant post. Its not big and its not clever but sometimes you just cant beat a good fucking swear.

If theres one thing that surprised me about this fanbase, its how many people seem to take offence at the fact 'Shadow the hedgehog' had "swearing" in it.

Except it didn't. Not really. If you still consider the word "damn" a swear word in this day and age....well I don't know how you go from day to day life without recoiling in horror every other minute.

[Nix]

I came in here expecting The Cheese and his immaculate usage of swear words.

You have no idea how fucking disappointed I am right now.

Swearing is the shit, though. It's a simple and easy way to put emphasis on your statements.

Edited by Pinkamena, 08 May 2012 - 09:25 PM.

[Autosaver]

I swear you were the same guy that left a remark about me when I said I didn't like how the staff swore like crazy. This was a while back though, it is nearly non-existent now. You rarely see staff (OK, FOR THE MOST PART) cursing. Now, what is my view on swearing? Let's see if I can process my thoughts while half-asleep.

I was raised in a home where swearing was not tolerated. No, this does not mean I'll shriek if someone swears. It really doesn't bother me too much, it is so easy to ignore and shrug off.

I never understood the appeal of swearing. I mean, what is the dire need to use that set of vocab words? "I need to go to the fucking bathroom". Why? Can't you just say that you need to go the bathroom? Is there a reason why you need to put the word "fuck" in front of bathroom? It just seemed like an odd word choice. Hey, I can see why if you have explosive diarrhea but a casual pee doesn't need an announcement.

"Swearing is used to put emphasis on your statements" <-- I totally agree, but I feel the emphasis is lost when people abuse swears. When the only word you say is fuck, and you use it in every sentence, it doesn't have the same effect. Remember when you were little and everyone would gasp when someone said a swear? Not anymore, it is the usual.

Many of you know the word "good" is classified as a poor example of a descriptor word. This is how I entirely feel with swears. It goes along with what I said before. What is the point of a curse word when you use it so much? Is it even a curse word anymore? Do you guys really see the emphasis on your sentences when you use it so much?

Sometimes, swearing comes off as plain annoying. This is true to people that don't stop swearing. I'm guessing this really doesn't fit into the swearing argument, but it is something that should be mentioned. Some people just take advantage of curse words and ruin it for others. A previous user noted that he didn't like when people like Mariotehplumber curse to oblivion. I totally agree, it makes you look like a moron.

Now back to my powerful statement. I never swear and if I ever do, it means that huge emphasis is placed on whatever situation occurred when it happened. As seen in classrooms, I'm known as the "role-model nice guy". What happens when they hear ME swear? God! Something must be wrong! It isn't normal for that person to be swearing! I find that the perfect response to swears. Average Joke swears? He swears all the time, who cares?

tl;dr
Basically, I love swears being the top tiered list of descriptory words. I feel curse words lose their value when overused. Swears can have a double meaning depending on the person. Powerful vs the norm. I don't really care when people swear, but the words come off as stale from certain people. My brain literally skips the word if it is used too much.

[Ice King]

I seldom- if ever- swear. I am not, however, bothered by other people swearing.

The verbose "tedious twaddle" that Roarz so amusingly (and accurately) imitated is- in fact- my typical mode of speech, so it isn't as though I hold a moral or personal point of contention with swearing; It is merely that the very act of swearing is always forced or unnatural when coming from me, due to my personal speech patterns being so unbefitting of it.

But I personally enjoy diversity in speech patterns, dialects, and language conventions. The fact that everyone has a different manner of speaking is part of what makes us unique as individuals; Thus, for people who do swear, I see their choice of words not as uncouth or uncivilized, but merely as a legitimate expression of their individuality.

...Admittedly, I am always a little weirded out when I hear children swearing, but I suppose that's just the teacher in me. I do encourage them to refrain from such language in what we deem to be "polite company"; The classroom being considered one example of such.

So, overall, I don't personally care what words people other than myself use in their everyday vernacular. I myself don't swear, but I place no judgment on those who do, nor do I see it as an inherently less valid form of expression.

[Snatcher2047]

Swearing is fine with me, but like everything else, when used in moderation or when it actually calls for it (to raise one's emotional impact of what they are talking about; see the before-mentioned Lewis Black). I knew this person who used to use the F-bomb as if it were a comma. EVERY OTHER WORD OUT OF HER MOUTH WAS THIS. I have no problem using the word, but it can be annoying when you speak like that.

I, myself, don't swear/curse often. But I have found that I curse a lot at work where I work with a lot of machines that tend to not work they way they are supposed to. And when I've done everything I can to get them to work and they still don't... well, I want to rage. Cool thing is, it's a loud factory, so I can curse my head off and no one is likely to hear me.

I also try to keep from cursing in front of women and children. Being a gentleman, being sensible and manners and all.

In closing...:

Edited by Snatcher2047, 08 May 2012 - 09:44 PM.

[KrazyBean]

I do try to avoid swearing unnecessarily, but y'know sometimes nothing can't beat the feeling of exploding and cussing till kingdom come.

[BW199148]

I swear, quite but I need to cut down I have little Nephew and my Grandma doesn't like it.

I wish I could say this when people get mad at me for losing my temper and swearing at a video game:

[Octarine]

Whether I swear or not depends very much on what sort of social situation I'm in. Around strangers or my parents, I'll rarely swear, if ever. On a forum like this or around people I'm relatively familiar with I'll swear sometimes, but usually not too much. Among my close friends, though, I'm probably the one who swears the most by a long shot.

I think it has a lot to do with passion; when I'm trying my hardest to be an aloof badass (the actual effect is more like "awkward doofus", but I haven't given up yet) around people I don't know, I don't usually get too intense and so I never feel like I need to emphasize anything enough to require swearing. I feel like I can be as much of a jabbermouth dork as I want around my friends, though, so I speak a lot more quickly and loudly, and when I can't think of anything to say I tend to fill the empty spot with something foul.

Edited by Octarine, 08 May 2012 - 09:53 PM.

[Snads Squishmitten]

I think the argument that words lose meaning when you use them so often so don't swear is quite ridiculous. It ignores everything known about the basic model of communication, and really is just a way for people who don't like swearing to tactfully try and make a point without coming off as a condescending ass.

I think swearing and the stigma around it is quite silly. I'm going to talk/write however I please, and it's everyone's right to form an opinion of me based off of it. I mean I usually think of people who don't capitalize their i's as seeming kind of unintelligent, but this doesn't mean it's true.

[Roarz]

I never understood the appeal of swearing. I mean, what is the dire need to use that set of vocab words? "I need to go to the fucking bathroom". Why? Can't you just say that you need to go the bathroom? Is there a reason why you need to put the word "fuck" in front of bathroom? It just seemed like an odd word choice. Hey, I can see why if you have explosive diarrhea but a casual pee doesn't need an announcement.

Need never enters into it, it's all about desire and the personal pleasure of using the language you like the most. One could say they just want to use the bathroom without a casual fucking add to the equation, or you could say nothing at all, or you could just swear anyway if it's what you want to do XP. Doesn't make any difference really. I agree that overuse dulls the effectiveness of the words themselves but fuck it eh, it's not like that matters either.

[Noir]

The idea that there's something inherently wrong with any set of words beyond discriminatory slurs has always beyond baffled me. And even in the case of slurs, I can understand the argument behind disliking them, but frankly don't agree. I've always seen words as words. They have a definition, they have a use. To have some stigma behind them, to have a word exist but refuse to use it because it's "bad," is something I see as ridiculous.

There are certainly people who do a great job of making themselves sound like an uneducated fuck because they overuse swears to the point it seems they don't know any other words worth using. But to use them in general, there's just nothing I can grasp as something to hold against them. I can't comprehend how using one is any different than using a synonym. They mean the exact same thing and to have one be acceptable and the other a "bad word" is retarded. It's all up to word choice, and I damn well like to choose swearing.

[King Sombrero]

Meh, racial slurs are a double standard anyways. A Black person says cracker and no one gives a shit, a white person says nigger and they get put on national news even if it isn't directed at anyone.

I also don't get how people, mostly teens but a lot of older guys too, over-cuss because they think it makes them look more adult. For the record, I never complained about the cussing in Shadow's game.

Edited by Prince Solaris, 08 May 2012 - 11:02 PM.

[Ice King]

Meh, racial slurs are a double standard anyways. A Black person says cracker and no one gives a shit, a white person says nigger and they get put on national news even if it isn't directed at anyone.

Without getting too off topic, I think there is a difference that can be chalked up to more than mere double-standard. The term "nigger" is a slur that has been used to oppress and keep down a racial minority for years; The word "cracker," while it is intolerant and prejudiced in its use, does not carry with it the ugly history of the former's marginalization of an entire race of people.

I want to say that I agree that the use of both slurs is objectively wrong, but one has to understand that they aren't perfectly comparable. To put down a black person using such racial slurs in the pre (and even post)-Civil Rights era was to exercise societal power over that person, shunning them from the privilege of the majority. To insult the majority group using a slur (i.e., "honkey," "cracker", etc.), even while it is absolutely wrong, did not have this scarring power or effect; Feelings could be (and certainly have been) hurt by anti-white prejudice, but it has never been used as a nationwide, legally sanctioned form of discrimination.

Compare slurs used against homosexuals ("Fag," "dyke", etc.) to slurs used against heterosexuals ("Breeder", etc.). I can say that both are wrong, but obviously the homophobic slurs are going to be more universally offensive because of their history of oppression and marginalization. Is prejudice against heterosexuals okay? Absolutely not, and I don't intend to sanction it by calling anti-hetero slurs incomparable to homophobic ones, but I am demonstrating that a slur's history (particularly a history of oppressing social minorities) makes it more offensive and more powerful.

All prejudice is equally wrong, as is all hate speech, whether the target of said hate speech is a social minority or not. I don't deny this at all; What I am saying is that slurs against an oppressed social minority are just going to be more universally offensive due to their use in perpetuating the societal marginalization that these groups encounter. In short, it really isn't a "double standard" so much as the slurs- despite being both wrong- having completely different histories and impacts as to their use.

Edited by El Gran Gordo, 08 May 2012 - 11:32 PM.