What is your opinion of profanity? Do you use it? Much? Does it bother you when others use it?

-- Chris McPherson (chrism1921@yahoo.com), September 03, 2000

Answers

My answer: I don't believe in the concept profane language- meaning I never really understood why certain words are considered 'dirty' when other words which mean the exact same thing are acceptable. Why we can say 'screw you' and no one shits a brick, but you say 'fuck you' and someone's bible gets all rumpled.

I think that the -overuse- of profanity is no worse than the overuse of ANY word; if someone uses fuck in every sentence, it's no tackier than when someone uses, say, 'pizazz' in every sentence. Overuse of a word is just that, be it a 'dirty' word or not.

I use profanity whenever I find that it will help to express my point accurately; but never for the sole purpose of offense. I'm not the least bit bothered by it.

-- donny (donnydonnydonny@hotmail.com), September 03, 2000.

Profanity doesn't bother me at all... It's a tool, like everything else. It can be used for emphasis, for euphony, cacophony, making things prettier metrically. Sometimes I'll alternate vulgar and euphemistic terms (overstatement and understatement) to create a tonal rhythm in my writing. I give odd looks to those who flinch when I curse, as when I do, it's rarely and ear-splitting "FUUUUUUUUCK!!!" Most of my profanity, like most of my other words, are muttered in a bit of an off-handed way.

-- Mr. Plutonium (mrsaturnine@crosswinds.net), September 03, 2000.

Never mind... I cursed a blue streak when I saw that I'd written "it's rarely AND ear-splitting" when I meant to write "it's rarely AN ear- splitting" Arrgh. Fuck fuck fuck.

-- Mr. Plutonium (mrsaturnine@crosswinds.net), September 03, 2000.

I actually enjoy profanity and feel that a person is just putting on an act if they talk with atleast some use of the words. Atleast say "shit" or "bitch" once in awhile. My favorite has always been "fuck" and "cock sucker", but those are just my favs! "So, when the fuck are you going to suck my cock you shit kicking bitch??"

-- Darren K. Romitti (lastprod@goldrush.com), September 03, 2000.

Oh God, if I didn't swear I probably wouldn't say anything at all. I mean, I just let them drop like bombs all the fucking time! Whoops! See, there! There was one! It just fucking flew out of my mouth! Ack! There goes another one! Shit, I have a real fucking problem! Arrrggh!

Anyway, great fucking site, Chris! Keep in touch, Goddammit!

Mikey

-- Michael (dreamboi81@yahoo.com), September 05, 2000.

I think that profanity is slowly becoming a part of modern day language. In a few more decades, words like motherfucker and stupid fuck will be more of slang terms than profanity. Hell - look at TV today.. I remember when I was growing up, even *cable* bleeped out words like bitch. Now, I hear stupid bitch all the time on TV.. things are either mellowing out, or people are getting lazier and lazier. Eventually, English will be a two-fold language - a literary dialect, and a spoken dialect. And, Chris - I read the entry leading this forum before and it contained no such link - so when I came back to see you upset, the forum stuff had been added..

-- Eric (dies@veneris.net), September 05, 2000.

Well, shucks, folks. I kinda have to agree with the boy on this one. Well placed and far between means so much more. It's like when a mom always yells at the kids. Do they listen? NoT! But if she knows how to hold it down, when she does yell, they listen, by golly!

-- Steve (I don't think so!) (bigstevo@stevesmail.com), December 05, 2000.