Profanity

[DJ Premier]

I'm an atheist and i dont see how foul language can be anything that goes against a book, you might be blind...

 

You Sir, are the blind one. I can respect the fact that you are an athiest and may find the use of foul language unoffensive, but there are those that are athiests and do find foul language offensive. There are beliefs out there that people follow and to say that they are "blind" for believing that is a truly ignorant statement.

 

What I find annoying in this day and age is the level of ignorance that is still among us. I guess we are still "work in progress" but some people just stopped evolving.

 

With regards to profanity, it doesn't bother me that much, but I know it bothers a lot of other people. I use it rarely and I usually use it for the sole purpose to offend. But then again, emotions are very powerful and sometimes an emotion may get the better of me and make me cuss.

[Hambone]

Um, this hasn't been touched on much, so I'll say it. The purpose of language is to communicate specific ideas or emotions to one another. So what makes a word profane? Society makes it profane. The reason no one can tell you exactly why one word is worse than another (with a few exceptions, such as damn, which have background) is because no one questions it. I agree with most things said, except a bit by Fat_Bastard.

You probably think drugs should be legalized too, right? Hey it's your body.

 

Should we be allowed to manufacture bombs too? Free country, right?

Those aren't exactly logical things you can draw from the fact that he says he shouldn't be judged by his use of profanity. Personally, I'm not offended by profanity at all at any occassion, because I understand that it doesn't mean all that much. A profanity is just a vocal chord vibration that we're conditioned to understand is taboo. Most modern profanites (I won't list them) are slang words that have no etymolgy, are totally made up. Prove me wrong please, I love a good argument.

[linch]

#$#$ and #%&^ and you can &*!$

 

 

[Guest Bob]

I used to have a filthy mouth, most of my sentences were peppered with the F-bomb at a 3 F-bombs for each 7 words uttered, ratio. In the course of a normal conversation with my step-father, I've been known to utter an entire sentence made up of the F-bomb and the 4-letter equivalent of poo. (mostly during Football season, especially during the last few years of Bear vs.*the-oh-so-hated-Packer games)

 

After the birth of my son, my ex-wife really got on me about my use of colorful language in every day situations. I literally didn't realize how much profanity spewed out of my pie-hole in the course of one day. Now I rarely swear, but only because she made me realize the copious amount of vulgarities that I vomited up and out daily, most likely offending half of the population of our country at one point or another.

 

Why did I swear? I'll list a few reasons:

 

1. When I grew up I heard it constantly from my ex-step father. (Ralphies father in a Christmas Story had nothing on this guy)

 

2. It never was a big deal in my house, my mother and ex-step dad swore like drunken sailors and never said a word when my siblings and I followed suit. (My mother to a much lesser extent than him, but she never punished us for using any particular words)

 

3. It got to be normal, a part of my daily vocabulary. In school, grade school, high school and later college I was rarely scolded or punished for swearing. In grade school, I think I started using profanity to emphasize whatever I was talking about at the time, unconsciously. I wouldn't even notice that my own speech was becoming both vulgar and ludicrous. Later on, in high school as an athlete, it was completely normal. All of the coaches I've ever had through the years used profanity constantly to get their points across. College, if anything, was worse when it came to profanity used on a daily basis.

 

4. I never had anyone censor what television programs I watched, games I played, movies I viewed or any other activity I was a part of in my youth. At 10 I could watch anything I wanted, my mother worked in a video store and I rented everything they had, with the exception of hardcore porn. I heard filthy language, saw countless acts of violence, sex, rape, etc. in the movies I watched before I even hit puberty. (Of course I see much more now, daily on CNN, which frightens me more than any movie my son could watch)

 

All in all, profanity became a part of my vocabulary for whatever reasons. I can tell you this much, many times I wasn't completely aware of what popped out of my mouth until someone pointed it out to me. I would swear just as bad in front of my Grandmother as I would my buddies. I'm not saying I couldn't or can't control myself, by any means, I'm just saying my language was the same regardless of the situation and sometimes I did not recall the vulgarity I voiced, until someone pointed it out.

 

Once my son was born I had to make a concerted effort to stop, it took a month or so but I did. I was raised to speak the way I did and conditioned to not let profanity bother me in any way. I still use profanity and the F-bomb on occasion (mostly if I drop something heavy on an appendage of mine or **Favre tosses a TD) but my language is as clean as the Pope's compared to 4 years ago.

 

 

 

*SazzaFrazza $#%$%# Packers!

 

**@$%@$^%$% @#$@#$ @#$@#$@ Stinkin'-Vicodin-addicted-hillrod-tobacco-spittin-brown-tooth-rat-bastard-Brett Favre

[Watchtower]

I'd like to point out here that Many drugs are legal... Some legal ones do Very bad things to your body...

[Watchtower]

Tape, why do you believe in God? Because your parents did?? Most likely. Did you read my post? We are a product of our environment. Not some set of ideas or beliefs written down anywhere. Well I guess some of us are.. But why is that?? Our Parents! Blame them. or Praise them.

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

Tape, why do you believe in God?

You assume I do...

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

My parents stopped going to church when I was young - long before I had any feeling of religion. Right now, I don't exacty affiliate myself - if people ask me, I'll probably say I'm a Christian. If people actually want to know, I'll explian my beliefs. It's kind of like when somebody asks you how you're doing - if it's just small talk or you don't care to talk about it, you'll say "Just fine" or "Not too bad." But if it's a good friend or somebody who does care, you might get more in depth with what's going on.

 

You shouldn't let society decide everything for you - something may be socially unacceptable or socially suggested, but that doesn't mean it's right or wrong. Profanity, for the most part, doesn't bother me. I have innumerable friends that cuss around/at me - it doesn't really bother me at all. It does bother me when the use of the words are not only pointless, but are hindering the intended communication... and also when used around the very young (and usually around females too... but knowing that oh so many girls cuss too... I don't really stand too firm on that - my own girlfriend is known to cuss from time to time). Where was I going with this again?

[Guest GotEviL?]

um..... legalize light drugs. 1 out of 4 in us smokes pot, but why its illegal? thats a different question- gov. makes more money from probations cservice and other objects of it being illegal. makeing it legal would decrease profit thus not a valid choice. as far as other drugs.... well if you are stupid or dont care about your health go ahead, but i dont think all of us snore coke or smoke opium, some people should be put in rehabs thats about it.

 

as far as profanity - i agree with hanbone. some specific words were marked as "bad".

 

as far as tape, you get offended by people cussing.... Wow...... im just horrified. I think you are just as ignorent then as they are to you. Why do you get offended? why do you care? i never understood that about cristians here in america - everyone looks so concerned, so caring but in reality you do not- you care about yourself, thats why you get "offended". Maybe all of us are ignorent in some sort? i'm prety sure , all of us have flaws. Some smoke pot, ok thats cool i guess do what you wanna do, some get drunk a little bit too often, well thats great too - alot of us like it. But thinking someone is ignorent because he chooses to use one word instead of many others, thats not cool. Alot of famous and world known writers used profanity, politicians , doctors, scientists. OK, they are ignorent too? "they shood be shot" or whatever you said.

 

I just dont see a point in some of your words, guys.

 

I agree in some things said by fat bastard, except "free country" notion. Well it is a free country (Well actually not as it looks to you; you wont understand if you havent lived outside in not a third-world country, so you dont regard this)

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

TaPe,Sep 16 2002, 10:00 PM]Profanity, for the most part, doesn't bother me.  I have innumerable friends that cuss around/at me - it doesn't really bother me at all.

Do you even read what I post or do you just yell at me because you see what the topic is and the fact that I posted it? I'm sorry but you call me ignorant? Read the above posts and then reread your own post - you might want to alter a few things, thank you very much.

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

TaPe,Sep 15 2002, 08:25 PM]I'm not trying to say that if you cuss you are a totally ignorant fool and should be taken out to the cornfields and be shot...

Just another snipit that you seem to have read TOTALLY WRONG! ... sorry if I sound a bit agitated...

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

I think you are just as ignorent then as they are to you.

 

Maybe all of us are ignorent in some sort?

 

But thinking someone is ignorent because he chooses to use one word instead of many others, thats not cool.

Ignorant maybe? Don't you feel silly It's just the total irony that is killing me here... seriously...

[Dennis]

i tend to cuss more then i should but at imes i do feel its just a word but i also know when its ok to use it around someone or not. like fo rinstance i can use it around my freinds and be fine with it cuz its accepted but if i was around fatty or some of the others here i wouldnt use it at all.

 

and some of u have to think some of our cuss words are derived from other words or old words. the f word actually comes from a german word and well 2 other words r actually the names for animals.

 

its how people use them that makes them bad or good. its also just like the nazi symbol at one part in time it wasnt an evil symbol at all. we as people make things into good or bad.

 

to me in the future our cuzz words today will be common and we will have new ones by then.

[Guest GotEviL?]

sorry lol. i never did or will watch my spelling online its pointless

[Hendryx]

I agree with what Fatty and Tape have said. Yet I definitely agree with what male said. look at it in a broader sense. Who made profane words...well, profane? They are people's opinions. You should always, ALWAYS respect other people's feelings. If they are offended by certain words, don't use them. For that matter, don't do anything that would offend anyone. If you see me in game and the swear filter catches me, its probably because im saying something like "brb, gonna go get a muffin from downstairs".

[Hambone]

Spelling is like profanity bro. Since the online enviroment is very cold, dispassionate, and impersonal (like my relationships), little things like that determine how people see you, which you may or may not maintain a facade that you don't care about it. A lot of people are intimidated by punctuation as well, having never seen it before. Ok, back to the original subject!

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

MaleModel,Sep 17 2002, 04:19 PM]its how people use them that makes them bad or good. its also just like the nazi symbol at one part in time it wasnt an evil symbol at all. we as people make things into good or bad.

I suppose people make things 'good' or 'bad' like the nazi symbol - but that doesn't change the fact that it's offensive. The right to free speech doesn't just give you the right to say what you want, it gives other people the right not to have to hear offensive speech. Examples that are easily understandable are that you can't yell "FIRE" in a movie theater if there's no fire and you can't yell "BOMB" on a plane if there is no bomb. You have the right to say what you want - within reason.

[Zap]

I don't believe profanity is necessary to communicate but I still use it time to time to stress a point or to make someone mad. For instance I will roll down the window and say "Where did you learn to f*cking drive?" when I am agitated. I'm not about to ask them in a polite tone of voice "Excuse me, but where did you partake in drivers education classes?" It wouldn't have the same impact that I am trying to get across. So profanity might not be for everyone but it does have its uses from time to time.

 

I also agree with Watch. If you are around people that use it all the time you are a lot more prone to using it yourself because you do become a product of your environment to a certain extent. You might even swear and not realize it like the guy on Fatty's softball league.

 

I don't use it on a regular basis because I do think it stereotypes the user as being non-intelligent and I don't want that image for myself. I just pull it out for those "ohh so sweet" moments.

[AceMcbanon]

50 years from now i will be able to say all the words you consider Curse words freely. New words will replace them. They are just words, and the only reason I can't use them now is because people like to be offended by simple things. It is all taboo.

 

If i call you a B**tch why is that more offensive then calling you a idiot?

[Zap]

Because it's the difference between a hard punch and soft punch sort of. It's not so much the words it's the implication behind them and why an individual chose to call you a b*tch rather than an idiot.

[Dennis]

i think u missed my point here. words r just what they r words. all of these words will change over time. its how human language works it evolves as we do. there r words from like the medieval times that were very bad to say that r now common and most of us use them on a daily basis. everything changes in this world and so do words. i guess i look at it in a way most others dont. as things are right now yes the words we now call profane r bad but i know for a fact that over time these words will be comon and new ones will arise. i think some people take this sunject to an extreme when they shouldnt. there are more things im worried about then the words that come out of my mouth because i know when i can use those words and when not. the people that make these words bad are the ones that dont use them in a good manner. you also have to look at the words h e \\ and d4mn. there was a time whne u would never hear these words and they were very bad to use but now look they are almost excepted as a normal word now.

 

and no offense to the religouse people here but i do not feel that i will go to hell for using bad language. i feel that u r judged by the bigger things u do in life and i feel GOD can forgive us for the little things and try us for the big things. but i also believe u can be forgiven of all of your sins.

 

my point is profane words will always bea round and always changing and theres nothing anyone can do about it unless.......we come up with a system like they did in Demolition Man and u get fined for the language u use

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

How does the mere fact that in some number of years, those words might be welcomed in society make it fine and dandy to say them? Are they right now? Is the future what matters or the here and now? How do you KNOW that it will change? Maybe we will realize how bad our language is getting and we will slowly reform our languag into more effective speech without profanity - how do you know? You can infer based on historical observations, but how can you base what you do here and now on what will happen in years and years to come? How does that make any sense... (Could that be like going around killing all the Iraqi -- I pick them randomly -- people because we believe that sometime in the future, we will go to war with them and killing them will be welcomed - yes, that's a more extreme example... but you get the idea).

[Guest [DOH]TaPe]

MaleModel,Sep 18 2002, 12:00 AM]i know when i can use those words and when not.

How do you know?

[Dennis]

Tape you are not reading what i said. Not once did i say it was ok to use them. I even said they shouldnt be used right now. Like i said i look at it in a much diff way then most people. and how do i know when its ok to use the words? cuz really i only use them around my friends that have been using them around me also for god knows how long. I wont use them in a publc place unless its at one my little brothers high school soccer games cuz we all know we slip up and say soemthing due to bad refing but even then im not really close to anyone cuz i know how i get at those games so im always away from the parents. and i will never ever use profane words around little kids. if i woulda gone to the LAN party that was set up by Mmmm and others i never would have said one profane word cuz for one im just meeting these people and 2 respect. im not stupid when it comes to using these words.

 

now im not sure if this was said here and im not going back to read but i think someone said your not inteligent if u use these words well......im working on a computer scinece degree and am going for A+ cert. cisco cert and networking cert. i currently have a 4.0 gpa

 

words r words just know when u can use some and when u cant.

[Zap]

I agree with Tape in saying that you cannot predict the future so a "bad" word today is a "bad" word today. I don't tell someone "F*ck you but don't worry in 2050 you won't take that personally". The discussion is about using profanity in today's world no matter whether it's acceptable to use that language down the road in the future.