Taboo or not taboo?
Taboo or not taboo? that is the question! An article on swearing and the English language that might make you think…a bit…sort of…
Swearing and swear words. Something that is seen by so many as a ‘taboo’. Something that is seen by so many as a sign of low intellect. Something that is seen by me as words, and words only. When I articulate my thoughts, I like to try and use words with as many syllables in as possible. It is not to show off my ‘superior lexicon’, it is not to show off my superior intellect (let’s face it: my intellect is not superior so how can I show it off?), it’s to show my appreciation for the English language.
As a baby I was pretty much deaf which made the learning of words very difficult. I began to speak at about the age of three and up to the age of about ten, attended speech therapy sessions. My family will tell you that I was a bit of a retard on the speaking stakes; I used to say ‘benember’ instead of remember which in hindsight was quite amusing. As you can imagine, not being able to speak properly had a knock on effect in other areas. However, when I finally sorted my speech out to a decent degree I started being in the high ability groups for thing like maths and English which made the teachers at my primary school realise that although my handwriting looked like the squiggle of a fitting fish (it still does), I was a relatively bright young boy.
Now I am older, wiser and just as immature I can see that utilising the English language is very advantageous. This is why I like to use as much of it as possible, including the so called ‘taboo words’.
It annoys me to think that some higher force-for the basis of this article lets call it the Etymology God (or John) – can say to me that I can’t use the ‘f’ word or I can’t use the ‘c’ word. Why? Do they hurt anyone? NO? Bombs hurt people! Guns hurt people! Wars hurt people! Riots hurt people! Fights hurt people! Death hurts people! One mono-syllabic word such as the ‘f’ word doesn’t hurt anyone when used in the right context does it?
Anyone that knows me will know that I love South Park. When Eric Cartman was asked by Mr Garrison not to swear in the movie version, Cartman replied ‘Why the ‘f’ not? It doesn’t hurt anyone.’ Once again, a programme of insanity such as South Park throws up the obvious truth; that swearing doesn’t hurt anyone.
There are several reasons why I have written this article: I had a small discussion with Mr Ward about the ethics of swearing, I am an Arthur Smith fan who swears quite a lot, I often get told off for swearing and I am in a bad mood and to be quite frank I thought that writing an article on a topic that I felt strongly about would allow me to get my bad mood off my chest! However, there are two other reasons why I write this, the first being- like I said before- that ‘John’ shouldn’t be able to tell me what I can and cannot say. I live in a democracy where free speech is apparently the way and I don’t want anyone taking away my words and my language. The second main reason for me writing this is that I recently wrote a piece for this magazine that was rejected until I edited it and took out the swear words. Now, I don’t write this as a way of getting my own back at the editors (who in my opinion are doing a very good job) as I probably agree with them; putting swear words on a magazine that is a) a school one and b) probably has an impressionable audience isn’t that wise. I agree that I was perhaps a bit naive in putting obscenities in a piece that had this audience and this base. However my question is-to myself- why do I agree?
If I was in a job interview, I wouldn’t swear as this is not the impression I would want to give to the interviewer. If I was talking to my mates I might swear three times in a sentence, probably for comical purposes. If I was on television before the watershed I’m unlikely to swear as it is prohibited. If I was in an argument during a football game I might swear to show aggression. I could go on, but my point is that sometimes it is okay to say ‘taboo’ words and sometimes it is not. It all comes down to the context of that situation. Again, I ask why? Why is it that I can call someone everything under the sun during a football game but when I’m in an interview I have to be all smarmy and respectful? The interviewer has done nothing that means I have to respect him; he has done nothing for me to disrespect him, so really there should be no constraints as to whether I can or cannot swear.
You may say that I have contradicted what I said at the end of fourth paragraph but in my opinion, I haven’t…or have I? Calling someone something with a swear word or calling someone a swear word, can, in my eyes, be insulting. Again I ask the question (that-in the context of this article- has become a cliché) why? Someone down the line has decreed that calling someone a ‘taboo’ word is a bad thing. I would say it is if it hurts their feelings but it in reality it shouldn’t as calling someone a ‘taboo’ word is just the same as calling someone a shredder or a chair; they are all just words, parts of the English language, parts of our voice.
I will finish now as I feel this article could go on forever and if it does, I am bound to get into a ridiculous quantity of paradoxes and outlandish ideologies. However, my concluding thoughts are that this article isn’t about liberating ‘taboo’ words; it is a way of encouraging you, me and the rest of the English speaking world to speak the English language, understand the English language and cherish the English language. How do you cherish the English language? By using as much of it as you bloody well can!
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Oh my lord, it’s another rant by the Gee-meister. Let’s hope he never gets a job at a newspaper!!!
I do have a problem with the word “retard”, though.
Ms H
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As long as you don’t use racialist comments or other offensive terms, then swearing doesn’t concern me one chuffing bit.
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To reply to Ms Hunter(how are you by the way?) i was just being polemic in my use of retard, glad to see it worked ha!!!
And to Mr Josh Walsh, who decided what is an offensive term? If it is the speaker then hopefully they wotn use it! If its the person who isn’t speaking or is reading et cetera then they should just relaise that some things are out of their control!!!
Glad you agreed with teh swearing part!!!
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i have no memory of any such conversation with this boy see you next tuesday Dan
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That’s what I have always said.