Religio-moral
heresy is a pretty complex topic relating to free speech, but one thing in the
reading on this development really sparked my interest. The third step of the development
is labeled “The profane and disgusting” (Tedford & Herbeck, 139). This step
is regarding the use of foul language, deemed indecent in public settings. Now,
I thought to myself, what an aggressive label for something that seems to be a
norm in cultures around the world. If you think about it, how many people do
you know who use curse words? Or better yet, who do you know that doesn’t use
curse words? Probably very little. So, why should it be limited on platforms
such as television and radio?
The book
discusses the airing of George Carlin’s satirical monologue, “Filthy Words”, on
a New York City radio station. It mocked the FCC for banning certain vulgar language
and was eventually named “not legally obscene” (Tedford & Herbeck, 140). This
case and section of the development of religio-moral heresy has only caused
people to transition to using wordplay, rather than outright cursing. A good example
of this is in business’s marketing tactics. Specifically, Kmart’s “Ship My
Pants”, Jell-O’s “Fun My Life”, and Kraft’s “Get Your Chef Together”
(Parish). These all relay a different message than what meets the eye
when you say them quickly (reveals swearing in message), and it is obvious what the campaigns are actually communicating.
I do not think
that limiting the use of certain curse words on different platforms really
changes what people, and children especially, are exposed to. No matter what, because
of the cultures we live in, everyone is bound to hear curse words in their
surroundings at some point. When they are exposed to them is not really going
to change their actions or attitudes in the future. Therefore, I do not think
there should even be rules and regulations for curse words used on any public
platforms.
Parish, Wendy. "5 Brands Using
Profanity-based Wordplay to Stir up Attention." Marketing Dive. N.p., 22 Aug. 2013. Web.
Tedford, Thomas L., and Dale A. Herbeck. Freedom of Speech in the United States.
8th ed. N.p.: STRATA, 2017. Print.
I feel like as a society we create a general understanding of when it is appropriate to use curse words vs. when it is not. However - certain parts of pop culture (especially in the past 10 years) have become so saturated with curse words/explicit content that as a watcher I find it a bit annoying to hear the "bleep" every two seconds, the awkward little pause in a song, or when songs try and substitute certain words for swearing. I feel like because we don't listen to music or watch tv for the swear words that the bleep or extra effort it takes to censor the content draws more to the explicit nature of the words rather than if the words themselves were used.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though if you are surrounded by swearing it might be incorporated into your vocabulary a little bit more but either way your own character and perceptions on "curse words" would influence how/when you use them more than the number of times you do hear them.
It is interesting to see the changes in society over time due to the fluctuating role that religion plays.
It is really interesting to see how our tolerance for swearing has changed. There was a time in the U.S. when the words 'damn' and 'bastard' were the worst possible thing you could say, which obviously is not the case now--because we, as a culture, are less concerned about religion and blasphemy. Whereas now other kinds of words have become more taboo, like racial slurs, and ableist language.
ReplyDeleteWhat we consider profane is not static, it evolves. While profane, indecent, and obscene language is banned from broadcast radio or TV, how we understand what that actually is changes. That gets reflected by what gets broadcast. According to the Parent's Television Council, between 2005 and 2010, the amount of swearing in prime time has gone way up (there has been a lot more bleeping).
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/parents-television-council-tv-profanity-43315
This speaks to your point, that cursing has become inevitable. Its everywhere. Banning it from public platforms, like broadcast media, won't stop kids (or anyone) from hearing it or finding it online.
From the 49 classes I have audited at the U of M over the last five years, I have noticed this increased tolerance for swearing by professors in the classroom. I think six of my instructors -- both professors and graduate students -- have used the F-word from time to time in class. Curiously, all six of them were men, though I've taken courses from about equal numbers of men and women teachers. At least at the college teaching level, the use of the F-word within the classroom seems to be gendered. Men seem to be -- or at least feel -- more free to use that word as teachers in a college classroom.
DeleteOne professor used the F-word to such a regular extent that students began to feel free to use it as well. I wrote him an email with references to three literatures on the topic: one on taboo words (the primary academic seems to be a Professor Timothy Jay at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts); one on academic freedom of professors; and one on the gendered use of the F-word, primarily from feminist blogs. Included in that third literature were claims that often the F-word is used in expressions that put women in subordinate positions. I also pointed out the professor's position of power within the classroom, and though some students might be offended by his use of such language, they might not want to speak up for that reason or out of a fear of not appearing to be "liberated."
He told me I should take his class on Language, Culture, and Power. I am enrolled in that class this semester. About 20 minutes into his first class, he noticed me sitting in the fourth row and said, "Oh, hi Chuck. Chuck is the reason I no longer use the F-word in class. OMG, I had convinced him. I told him after class that I had only signed up for this class to hear the other side of the argument, and now he changed his position! He said he had been convinced, partially by the power relations argument. Now I'm going to have to convince him he was right all along so that I can hear that side of the argument. Go figure.
I think as a society it's interesting to see how we see cursing and using profanity, but I also think it depends on how old we are, because people that are in college and around that age group I feel like they would have a different opinion than someone who has kids or just had a kid. In my opinion society does choose what is appropriate, but so do some people's situations and where they are at in life also determine what you think is acceptable. Through the years there have been plenty of influences in the media that use vulgar language such as movies, music and even books have been using profane language.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we as a society are influenced by what is around us and it is a never ending cycle, your own experiences can also shape the way you think about curse words and if you think they are really "bad" or not, because if you grew up somewhere that used them pretty often in comparison to somewhere that didn't then you are more inclined to think that they are not that bad.