March 31, 2006
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Cursing Part 3
We are saying the F-word more. A recent poll done by the AP indicated that Americans think that we have been cursing more. 74 percent of Americans said “they encounter profanity in public frequently or occasionally.” In addition to that, “Two-thirds said they think people swear more than they did 20 years ago.” Most of the people thought we were using the F-word more.
Are we cursing too much?
Comments (222)
no, fuck that! =p
a bit, yes.
It’s more fun using other random, or really creative replacement words anyways… except when necessary.
just kidding. hope no one gets offended. there’s always a place and time to curse. in public, it’s not appropriate.. also infront of children it’s not appropriate
yes! I know that I’ve picked it up a lot more this past week!
*A*
4th!! and yes
ahh 5th but still thats the closest I’ve ever been, now I’m done trying!!
YES!
YES
You’re saying the F-word more Dan?! Kidding. My answer is definitely yes. It’s not write to talk of Jesus on tv, but I have to listen to the language on tv? That deserves a funny look.
i think so.
Yes, I could turn the language off, but that answer would miss the point of what I said.
Our language has developed right along with society, so it’s no surprise
YES
What the fuck?
I swear a lot. i can’t help it. I make sure to not swear in front of my daughter, but when she isn’t around?? …uh, I swear a lot 
heh.
we curse was to much.
and im guilty as charged with swearing.
we all need to try and go a day without swearing outloud.
you should have that, dan. post it on here. “try to go a day without swearing. tell me your whether or not you suceeded.”
yeah
oh..and I don’t mean to be offensive. I also don’t swear in front of the “elders” though my mom doesn’t count. And I say this because she often uses the F word to me when talking about her bosses. Heh.
yes, on TV, in public, at school XP
I believe so.
yes, i really do think so. sometimes, most times, it’s very unattractive.. especially when we insert it after every other word in a conversation.
unless there’s a reason to give people to stop cursing, what’s the use? if cursing is not a morally wrong issue, what’s the point? without a plumbline for morality, all questions of right and wrong are useless. in other words, unless there is an agreed-upon standard of (universal) “right”-ness, people should be able to curse all they want. what’s ‘too much’? what is ‘much’ and what is ‘too much’? what is ‘just enough’? who’s to say? maybe the fact that we even have standards reflect that there is a standard-Giver. One who has decided and has given us the perception that maybe there really is a standard. maybe.
i need to sleep.
Yes Dan….
Most people are using way too much profanity.
I would never use that kind of fucking language…
Candy
Actually…Of all the cuss words, the ‘F’ one is my least favourite.
Recently, I have been taken to saying ‘…shove that up your ass…’ or something along those lines.
Cursing too much? Of all the profane problems in this world, I wouldn’t say cursing is the biggest one.
yes. middle schoolers are as well.
Yes way too much
Yes, we certainly are. Ever watch “The Sopranos”?
For sure. We are definitely cussing much more nowadays.
Unless the day comes when
Camels learn how to
Kiss my feet, but I doubt it.
Yes.
Ooh yeah.
Uh-uh.
I can’t help but cuss sometimes. It just comes out all on its own.
It depends. See, words that would have been considered curses a few hundred years ago are now archaic and not truly offensive to most people. When a word gets overused, then it loses its meaning, so even if we’re cursing too much right now, don’t worry about it- people will lose interest in the curses, or the words will lose their meaning to the point that it doesn’t matter much.
However, especially in this age of rapid language fluidity, new words will pop right up to replace the ones that go out of style.
So watch out, brotha’!
Yes. Too much. You encounter it almost everywhere.
yes…way more than a lady should …LOL…
Maybe that’s why I make a good Navy Mom…I cuss like a sailor! (just kidding) I only say the usuals.
Yes. Once the word “fuck” moved from being a verb into being also a noun, adjective, and adverb it became the cuss word of choice.
Yes, most people can’t form a complete sentence without using a swear word (and failing miserably) as some kind of clever adjective. The dictionary is full of descriptive words that won’t offend people…some people just need to try and learn them.
YES
I would rather hear people curse to release aggression than viewing and hearing violent acts. I also like adult humor…I do not live on Sesame Street and I was raised being told that curse words were adult words. I think I am old enough now to use them at the appropriate time and places and in the correct manner.
in a nutshell, oh fuck is the new oh my god.
Yes, dammit. Hahahaha.
You should hear my 4th grader baby brother. He needs to have his mouth washed with soap.
And don’t even go to my middle schooler kid brother… >.>
I may be laughing now, but it’s no laughing matter, really–
People are just getting more sensitive.
I know I am swearing more than I’d like to.
Though I don’t usually say “f”
RYC: I am putting off resuming contact with someone who was one of my best friends. I decided to cut her out of my life and quit talking to her, for complicated reasons. Now I’m thinking that may have been a mistake, although “mistake” may not be the right word for what I’m thinking.
Oh well, it’s just dumb high school girl-drama.
*shrug*
i think people do.. i for one don’t because i don’t see the point…
but going back to a past post (i haven’t been on xanga in a week or so and was going through my subs) i did that same thing at the st. louis science center this summer… it really is nice that they have that. i had been to the science center a million times though, so nothing really amazed me, i saw just in a layover for a flight and we jumped by because it is a free attraction
yes, and it’s caused by lack of self control, small vocabulary and equating vulgarity with being cool.
I don’t if this is profane or not, but it made me laugh tonight in the bar…….”She’s so drunk, she’s about to take this glass up her ass”
RYC: Its my newww year tomorrow =) I begin my 19th year tomorrow. ha =) I’m glad I’m not alone in writing them down.
*A*
Yes.
I have a bad habbit of the F-word in video games. Caught up in the moment
I don’t….however, I hear it around me constantly!
The world curses alot. TV curses WAY to much. I don’t find it necessary unless some one has pushed me to the limit!
1. Dan is up late tonight.
2. There is a lot of swearing going on these days. I almost never heard profanity from my parents growing up, and though I struggled a little with hearing it so often when I hit middle school, I’m appreciative that I was raised that way. I think when people have conversations without swearing, it’s a mark of respect. From my perspective as a college student, cursing is part of everyday life. I swear in the company of other guys my age, it’s sort of a mark of familiarity in that situation. But I don’t swear in front of my parents or elders or that sort of thing (also children, for obvious reasons). I won’t swear in front of girls unless I know them really well, I’m not sure if that’s shyness or chauvinism. Eh… sorry ’bout the novel.
Yep. Did you see hostel? When the guy would not speak and they cut the tendon in his foot and he screamed the f word again and again, what was the first word out of the snuff torture guys mouths? “Oh! He’s AMERICAN!”
I caught that immediately. I thought it was an absolutely hysterical observation to put in the movie, where you cared, or at least I cared not one iota for the main characters and hoped they would hurry up and die…
But thats me. Im very cynical.
Yes, definately.
Absolutely.
The language of young children these days is a testimony to this.
YES
fuck yes!
yes we are and not only the F-word.
There’s something in Corinthians about why you shouldn’t curse…but seriously, fuck that. Language is malleable.
Maybe im just evil but fuck i fucking cuss in front of fuking litle shit head kids all the damn time. I fuking go up to the elmentary school and be like hey fucktard dont touch my fuckin car then i have to bitchslap the motherfuk out of the mom when she gets heated.(I made most of that shit up if your didn’t know)I’m just an anarchist and i have no problem exposing lil dudes to horror right away. I say cuss all you want. fuky fuk fuk fuk . if you get offended well I have this to say to you miss or mr (FUK YOU)There’s just one cuss word Id never use and it starts with a c
If I can get banned for What i just posted I take back everyting I said(I’m scare of the mytsical magical people in the magic box)
Heck, yeah.
Hey, World Religions was one of the three classes I got an A in during high school, if only because I tried to learn enough so I could bicker with the Christians.
…was a bit of an iconoclast. I’m over it now, though.
Catholic relatives. Nutcases.
Swearing used to be completely inappropriate and used for the shock value. “AWW! He said the D-Word!” But now, so many people have brought these words into their daily vocabulary. If something is forbidden people want to do it more, and therefore people swear. Younger and younger kids are doing it, even though a lot of parents try to shield them from such language. Yes, we’re swearing more. Possibly too much. But I think that if the words became accepted as normal exclamations within our normal language, less people would be prone to use it, since it would no longer be forbidden.
Say no, and the fruit becomes sweeter.
Say yes, and the fruit is the same as the next.
Just my thoughts.
yah waay too much
oh fuck yeah, we say it a fucking lot these days. But it dis-empowers those words, and when they are no longer offending, are they even then still bad words?
more than necessary!
I think excessive swearing is just a cop-out. Instead of trying to express ourselves intelligibly and coherently, we resort to such mindless monosyllabes as the F-word to express our rage or whatever emotion. It’s sad, really.
Fuck yeah!!!!
Definitely.
~Caroline~
‘Fuck’ has long since lost its shock value through overuse. Cunt was a commonly used word for a long time before it came offensive (in Britain.) Over the centuries different words fade in and out of offensivness I suppose. Are we swearing too much these days? I can’t say I’ve noticed an increase.
To British ears the term ‘curse words’ sounds peculiar – summed up best in an episode of ‘South Park’ where a British druid explains that to us cursing means to curse in the sense of putting an evil spell on someone. I suppose that’s several centuries of American and British English developing separately.
Yes. Cursing constantly shows ignorance to me. I’m thinking “Do you know any other words?”.
I think cursing has its place, though. I cuss like a sailor when I’m with my friends or boyfriend, but I try not to in front of my parents because I know they don’t appreciate it.
And sometimes it’s just so relieving to yell out a “Fucking HELL!” if you’re really angry about something!
Yes.
I’ve used it so much that my mom has become desensitized to it.
Any cursing is too much really. I do it myself and have been trying to break the habit.
yeah, people have to learn to control their mouths.
ryc-of course, that still doesn’t mean I can’t raise awareness for the stopping of random propz : )
Have a wonderful day
Michael
RYC:: HA HA HA you serious? That’s hilarious!
I used to have my AIM screen name up on my site, but I got so many random IMs from 13 year olds that I took it off and put that one up as a joke.
I didn’t even know you had AIM.
there are worse things…
but your right
Definitely too much cursing…Interesting addition though. I heard on the radio (probably from the same study) that about 2/3 of the people don’t appreciate (like, think it’s proper or right, whatever the case may be) for people to curse in public, but they are the people who are doing the cursing in public…
Does that make any sense? They don’t like it, but then they still do it…that’s stupid. If you don’t like it, then don’t do it. Enough said.
FUCK no.
have a blessed weekend Mr. Dan.. ingatz lagi
I curse under my breath a LOT.
does this count?
I have no idea.. Being the hermit that I am, I don’t socialize at all anymore.. I’ve went out of the house (with the exception of going to the bank maybe 5x and appointments 2x) maybe 4x since December 19th, and once since January 9th.. so honestly there could be a nuclear war and I would be none the wiser..
Does F(ornication) U(nder) C(oncent) of (K)ing sound better? Perhaps we would use it less if we realized how many lifes were damaged and destroyed by it. But with no modern day association, it fly’s about daily as if it were no big deal
not me.
Yeah, we curse more, but not too much.
What’s wrong with cursing anyway?
yes. I think the main change over the last 20 years is that woman now curse a lot too.
Hell, yes! Living in New York for the past four years, even I’ve become desensitized to it!
peopel accept to much….there is NO shame anymore….ever….when I was younger if an adult heard me curse they would say something….and then usually tell my parents….now people don’t bat an eye….if they feel its wrong they don’t say and if they do say people get upset with them for not being tolerant….and so it goes…
yeah.
Who cares?
yeah. i only curse when i play video games.
I’d say yes.. but I can’t tell if it’s gotten worse in the last 20 since I was merely an embryo 20 years ago :D
I do know since I was preteen I’ve become a little choosier with words and don’t just blurt out the first swear word that comes to me…. I think potty-mouthed middle schoolers is just a phase to confirm you’re not a goody-goody. It’s all about status when you’re that age
Yeah I really think we are, as a people, cursing and swearing way too much. Sad thing is that I was taught as a child it is simply a sign of ignorance and lack of creativity..there are so many wonderful ways to express yourself…why just go to the first thing that pops up into your head…what I really do not like is that people do not seem to care when there are little children around and they are dropping the “f” bomb left and right….it takes a village to raise a child..and each child is affected by every person they come across to some extent..we all are…it is just sad….
yes,
it’s really sad because I even see some Fith graders at my school….and they even did it when they were in 4th grade last year.
Yes. And I believe it’s because mainstream America is censoring less. They’re allowing words on network TV that would never have been allowed even 10 years ago. The change in TV is all part of competition with Cable, which has little censorship – to keep network viable. Since it’s “mainstream” in the media and entertainment venues, it becomes mainstream in life.
I BLAME RAP MUSIC!
Waay too much. When I was little, I never heard my parents swear. My mother used to say “fiddlesticks”. A made-up word works just as well to vent feelings. Others might not understand, but they’ll recognize the tone. Ex: “Oh hamburger!”
Finally I swear less than I ever have but yeah, it’s definitely out there. I think it’s a whole lack of respect thing in part.
Guilty as charged. I do so swear a lot…it’s the Sailor in me. I do try torefrain from around my kids…WHICH IS HARD MAN cuz they drive me bonkers!!!!
When I’m upset/mad the F-word has a tendency to fly out of my mouth.
My in-laws are.
Absolutely YES YES YES! My pastor mentioned this problem Wednesday night during prayer meeting. Apparently he read the same article you did. I believe cursing is a disgrace….I grew up in a home where I would have literally gotten my mouth washed out with soap if I had said ANY kind of curse word. So to this day, I do not curse nor does my husband and children.
I find it interesting when people say they don’t curse around certain people. Once a person is in the habit of cursing, they’ll say anything no matter who is around.
God Bless
I only use acronyms – so people can interpret things the way they like…
OMG – Oh my gosh!
WTF – What the Fred!
RTFM – Read the friendly manual!
Too much indeed…had to put up with it in my last relationship…glad it’s over.
very much so
i actually think humans will be the death of this planet, not global warming or the sun…….its not just swearing but just total gangsta takeover, lots of violence, and lots of ppl that just are not the same as they were even just 10 years ago…..i think that the new generation of kids will take over the world………and i…..am……scared
couldnt that be possible???????????
Absolutely we are swearing so much it is impossible to get away from it. I have noticed that church kids do it to protest. I live in an area in Florida called red-neck city. Everywhere you go they are cursing a blue streak. Up and down the road during spring break they have to yell at all the people. You go to businesses like Walmart etc, the employees are cussing at the customers and the customers right back at yah. The stress is overwhelming it is not fun.. It just never stops. I dont do it anywhere on my sites. I do however everyone else has their fair share on theirs. Enough already, somewhere has to be sacred.
Definatly!! at my middle school, it seems like kids say a bad word at least 3 times in one sentence! I never do, and it is very low-class!
Indeed yes! ……. and to the most part, totally unnecessary.
I’d say the other 26% curse so much they don’t hear it anymore.
Yes, I think we do tend to swear too much. My parents do it regularly around the house, so I’m sort of de-sensitized to it already. But even at school, I hear people saying those words in the hallways. It’s just become too commonplace. To me, it’s disrespectful, and I wonder, why can’t they express themselves in a more polite way?
Well 20 years ago Lucy didn’t share the same bed as Ricky.
Yeah…I totally have to agree with that! We have been cursing too much these years. The media is one of the culprits to be blamed for all these because kids these days often imitate things on TV which they think are cool…lol!
It seems like when we get real mad. I know its not right but its better than beating someone up!
Definantly!
Listen to the song “Where is the love” by the Black Eyed Peas.
I’m a person who tries not to cuss, but isn’t really bothered when other people do it. We probably are, but I know I don’t and other people cussing isn’t a big concern for me. I just think too much of it shows a sign of a bad vocabulary, in general.
yea. i hear it all the time. my bother says it alot and hes in 5th grade!!!!!
yea waaaaaaayyyyy to much.
some peaple say it without knowing it. some one tells them…
and the start up again but yelling
~nicole~
Or are we just more willing to admit to surveyers that we hear more cursing? The problem with using surveys to define society is that everyone within the society is being biased by the society that they are being called to objectively analyze.
Way more, I think alot of it has to do w/stressful jobs with the adults and with the kids it’s probaly not a proper upbringing…
Absolutely.
yes! i know i do for sure. i gave it up for lent and have been sucessful so far.
The more they are used, the less meaning they have. It’s nothing to say damn or crap anymore, and they don’t even bleep ass or asshole on TV anymore. I think, as a nation that we’ve become desynsetized to it, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I see them as being more like punctuation, used to emphasize a point, such as “fuck that”. If they don’t have much meaning, then they can’t cause much harm, which is good, although I personally think that it’s unprofessional and lacks class.
YES!
Yes, as a nation, our vocabulary is becoming more limited. With fewer descriptive words we resort to expletives to fill in the blanks. It’s like a movie with a poor plot using violence, sex, and special effects to hide its lack. It is still boring, and conversations with cursing tend to be very boring, too.
I know that *I* curse wayyyy tooo much
I agree that it is a lazy way to speak. Insteadof a nice adjective (btw f**king is a verb!) we use a cuss word. I use the collective “we” I personally don’t cuss much anymore, but I used to have a bad potty mouth.
You know what they say…that a person who feels the need to cuss doesn’t have a big enough vocabulary to properly say what he/she is actually feeling…
Yes…
I would say that profanity is more accepted in society today. Especially on TV. I hear more profanity on TV now,then I did 20 years ago.
Absolutely. It’s everywhere now. It’s on almost every prime time show. Maybe not the F word, but the more you hear it the more you use it. A few years ago when The OSBOURNE’S was on, even though the F words were bleeped-I started swearing more! And now that the Soprano’s are back…Fuck that. It’s on.
What’s your favorite swear word???
yea but its not hurtin anyone
Yes, I am soo guilty. I DO get a little irritated when people say…”Jeeesus!” or “GD”
I encounter it alot. But I’m not that old so I don’t have much to compare it to…it’s always been like that.
I think that people in general are swearing more than they used to, at least in public. I can’t say much here, lest I be called a hypocrite……
abso-fucking-lutely not.
I fully support the use of naughty language. Maybe it’s just because, as a teenager, I’ve only lived in a time where curse words were thrown around quite casually, but I don’t see naughty language as all that naughty. To me, they’re just words expressing negative emotions that might just relieve stress.
Yeah, in general people are swearing a lot more.
Let’s see a seven year old girl I know just recently called her mom a ba st ard. (not my child)
Yes I think we do.
yes,
also, cursing in music seems to prove that the person has a lack of creativity when all they do is insert cuss words randomly
More than 20 years ago and that was too much. It is a distraction and a tool of Satan.
L,r
its only a problem when it starts becoming a compulsion and severely stunting the vocabulary, otherwise, i don’t see why a word is so offensive to people. its a word after all.
Heh heh, yes.
yes
Yes we swear more but does it really matter. I’ve never really understood the big deal, they are just words. I do limit myself because it bugs other people, but generally cursing doesn’t bother me especially when there is no ill intent put behind it.
I’ve been guilty of it. I cursed more when I was a teen. I think when one gets older they see the ugly in it.
Christina
Yes
Hmmm…I definitely see a lot of cursing on TV (I don’t even have cable). I can’t say that I myself really curse at all (it’s very rarely that I curse…that way it has the effect that I want!).
Cursing is distasteful, and as someone already pointed out- it kind of shows almost an unintelligence- that you can’t come up with something more creative and less offensive to others.
I have no problem with people saying “crap”, or other words for fecal matter…. but why must I be bombarded by all of the sexual words… and the words that spit on the face of my Lord?
If everyone already thinks that it’s innapropriate to swear in front of children or elders… why? Because it’s not decent, and is disrespectful. So why should you swear in front of anyone? Just because someone else does it doesn’t make it ok……
Yes and it’s transferring to our younger generations. It’s pretty sad when my little brother, who is in kindergarten, comes home, flicks me off and proceeds to say “F— you!” and then say “Look what a 1st grader taught me in P.E.!” and asks me what it means. What is our world coming to? *shakes head*
Haha, yes. It’s become part of the culture, that has evolved over the years.
I think cursing is neutral. It can be used in good ways. For example, take the stament ”Dan, you are a fucking genius.” I could have substitued “bloody” for the f-word, or simply said “Dan, you arre so gee gosh darn smart,” but those don’t quite have the same effect. Here, the f-word shows a sincere believe that you are an intelligent man. On the contrary, “Dan, you are a fucking idiot” is quite offensive. The curse word here simply amplifies my negative intent.
I don’t think it’s what you say, but how you say it that matters. Sometimes ‘regular’ words can offend me too.
words only have the power that we give them.
Yes we are, sadly!
I definitely cuss more than I did 20 years ago, when I was four.
i know i do
I am fourteen years old, and to this day, I have NEVER ever cursed.
Cursing is the tool of those too ignorant to speak effectively.
yea.. i’m really tired of all that cursing these days
Yep. It’s pretty foul. And it shows people that your range of adjectives is limited to a few four letter words. In other words it makes people look stupid.
!!!YES!!!
and it’s pointless. you can express yourself (and sound smarter) without swearing constantly.
yea. it doesnt help that teachers in high schools dont do anything about either.
they just say,” watch your mouth,” and just leave it there.
Yes. My mom taught me that swearing is a sign of an unintelligent mind. Someone with intelligence could think of a better word. I agree. When I do swear it’s because I’m too lazy, angry, whatever to come up with a better word. I wouldn’t go so far as to say someone isn’t intelligent who cusses, but it does frustrate me when someone uses it WAY too much.
And it irritates me when people cuss in front of my children. I’m teaching my girls to ignore it and move on, but I find it highly disrepectful to children to subject them to such harsh words…especially the “F” word. Help kids grow up without those words and when they are adults they will not use them…or use them with more intelligence. If that even makes sense.
yes. I’m ashamed to say that i use that word too much, It has became a punchline for every sentences of mine.
Ah, yes, we do swear a lot. I don’t find that bad, if it’s in the appropriate situations, but yes, we have become more verbally vulgar as a people in general.
definitely
absolutely.
No way…if anything it’s because we lack a proper variety of curses. We use simple four letter words where in other countries they curse using entire sentences! Now that’s social advancement.
Yes, i think as the years go by, ppl seem to be adapting to others habbits, including swearing, i myself even do that quite a bit.
yeah people curse too much and it annoys me because it sticks in my head too easily.
i think we lack in vocabulary that we use curse words to express ourselves.
Yep
No, the language is simply changing. If languages cease to change, then they die.
> Yes, way, way too much.
Peace
Cursing is an interesting topic to me. No unwholesome talk should come out of our mouths yet unwholesome talk is being redefined as time progresses. What used to be a manager of prostitutes is now a very honorable title and culturally we find words to be more socially accepted as opposed to 20 years ago. This does not mean I conform to all these new standards of language, but I’m just saying in a social context it’s becoming more and more unclear as to what exactly a curse word is. What is the difference between the f-bomb used in jest and a euphemism such as ‘freakin’ or ‘flippin’ when used with hateful malice? Let no unwholesome talk be uttered, be it a curse word or negative comments.
yeah definitely
Or incorrect grammar for the last word of my sentence.
Do you like Comic Sans?
My grandfather cussed more than anyone I know. I don’t think the language has gotten laxed. It is the picky ass people, that have nothing better to do than bitch about others to make themselves feel better. There are so many of these fuckers that now analize who’s saying what too much, who’s dressed or looks to crazy, or what damned religion is going to feel offended. What is a bad word anyway?? I personally think it is all very American and we should be proud of the assholes that came up with the shit to begin with, the military.
I have heard little kids say F—…they hear it on television and think that it is okay to say that word…when the f— will those f—ers at Fox clean up their f—ing act?…children should not be allowed to watch rated R movies like American Pie and Boat Trip where F— is said every other word…the same with music…Blink 182 has a song that says F— 42 times during it…great role models…that’s why if I ever make it big in anything I’ll make sure to never say F—…kids are always watching
i don’t swear, but all of my friends do
everynow and then they swear
sometimes it bothers me because is it really necessary to swear in every sentence you say?
what’s the point of saying it?
what’s so cool about it?
people do swear a lot now.
You never really notice how rampant cussing is once you are trying to stop — hearing other people cuss will open up your own cuss-flood gates and *ack* its so difficult to stop once you start.
Yes, we cuss way too much, there should be an AA meeting for those of us who try to hard to stop.
VERY VERY much so
As long as you’re aware of the approrpiate vs innappropriate times to use curse words, I don’t really see a problem with it.
Yes I think so.
Definitely.
u can noy go 2 feet in my school w/o earing some 1 cuss
There is way too much swearing, especially in public, on tv, in music, and other places where kids are easily exposed.
haha, probably.
haha, probably.
Who the F cares
probably
Even I have noticed that lately. I personally believe that it is the recent pop and rap culture craze that’s a big part of it. These artists don’t have enough actual musical talent, so they get their fame by upping the ante on the “shock factor” of what they’re performing in. As people get a tolerance to the new language and lingo, someone else goes and raises the stakes again. The worst part is that kids view these people as idols and grow influenced by whatever spews out of the radio.
Sure.
Yes
Definitely
fuck yes!
-DB
Yes, but what can you expect from a race bound up in sin. We are so tainted by it that sometimes we don’t even realize it. Does that make it right, no. But it does make it harder to stop. And also that brings up another interesting question. Do you think people respect those who don’t curse that often or not at all more?
I think so. I know my friends and I do it much too often, but it becomes such a regular habit that you don’t even realize you’re doing it. Kind of like biting your nails, you know?
f*ck yea
Yes. I’ve often heard that people who curse frequently are merely ignorant and lack a more appropriate way of expressing themselves in words. Food for though, but in my opinion, I think that used to be the case, but now I think it has become part of the common American vulgate and it is disgusting.
It is not the words we use, or the number of times we use them. It is what we are meaning that is of concern. Even though society may not have “cursed” as much twenty years ago, would they have, in their minds, had the same intentions? Even if different words were used or none at all, would there not have been the feeling inside that recommended we do so?
[ariana]
i would say yeah, but being immersed in it while a college doesn’t help my perspective either. if society as a whole overuses curse words they sort of lose their meaning.
Contrary to the belief that the public swears more because they hear it on television or the radio it’s my belief that the media actually reflects what’s happening in real life.
Fuck yeah.
I like to use all of the words available to me. There is no reason why profanity is “wrong.”
Fuck. It’s just a word. Words can’t hurt you.
I don’t believe in censorship.
Yes! Potty language and taking God’s name in vain should never just be accepted because so many people do it. I don’t watch programs on TV that use that kind of language. I won’t stay around people that use that kind of language.
I feel cursing is appropriate when you have something you feel is curse worthy.
It does get boring and annoying when, due to lack of imagination or vocabulary, it becomes the adjective for every third word in a sentence. At that point it isn’t really a curse word, but rather a verbal sentence filler for people who don’t want to think that hard about what they are saying.
Words are just words. Why is “D–K” a curse word but not penis? “B–b” but not breast? “F–k” but not intercourse? They mean the same thing.
“M-F”, “SOB” “AH” etc. are an entire differnt category of curse word. Their meaning almost always is intended as an insult to someone. But how are they any more harmful than using words like “idiot”, “stupid”, “jerk”, etc. In some ways they are less emotionally harmful or confrontive because they are so over used and less specific in terms of character assault.
I think more to the point is that our society has become more aggressively violent, and cursing is just a symptom of that. Larger numbers of people are becoming defensive and insecure. The elements of courtesy, compassion, mercy, trust, etc. are not as common as they use to be unless there is a crisis or a situation where someone is “sympathetically” helpless. If the compassion giver can get on TV or be a hero, you’ll get more responses.
I think cursing reflects this lack of spiritual connected to one another. As we begin to feel more isolated and disconnected, life begins to feel harder. Cursing is a way to convince ourselves that we are though enough to handle it. “Nothing and nobody can hurt me because I’m tough, GD it.” In a way they become comfort words, like wraping ourselves in a verbal blanket to feel more emotionally protected and less vulnerable.
If it wasn’t words, it would be something else. And probably something less healthy.
Cursing is just a way to get a strong point across, in my opinion. Of course, it depends on the place and whom you’re with. There are so many if-then’s to the topic that I can’t REALLY give you a straight answer.
Language was created as an expression of feelings. Profanity was created as a use for venting during times of stress, etc…
I think our culture curses far too much because we say the F-bomb and everything else for simple talk. Just about anything is fing this or fing that… it’s a simple disrespect of the practical use of profanity. It’s not even useful anymore, like if I called everybody God. What’s the point? God wouldn’t mean anything particularly powerful or soveirgn anymore.
-John Calvignome
in my school everybody curses even the teachers.but i go to a high school.teachers never curse at my middle school. But we do curse too much. My boyfriend’s cousin who is only 4 years old curses and says the f-word and talks about someone doing it.She is only 4 and she was just telling me everything.So sad is it not?
Duh! Of course we are! And I’ve had about effing enough of it, too.
no.. not me anyway.. i barely curse.. compared to my potty mouth back in high school. hehe
Technically the “F-word” is not profanity–since it is not disrespecting any religious terms–but obscenity, since it is indecently offending people’s sensibilities. It is offensive because people are using it with the intent to offend. What we have, then, is not a problem of language but of attitude– and yes, it is a problem we see way too much of today.
Definitely!!!
no, technically, the only curse word that we know is “damn”. All the other curse words we say, technically aren’t curses. People can use the word “fuck” as a curse, by using it as “Fuck you” but, technically, It is an abbreviation of a medieval court term for rape. Therefore, unless the usage of the word Damn is used more in the last 20 years, then, the cursing actually hasn’t gone up. I felt like being intellectual today…
yeah
There’s nothing wrong with cursing. In my opinion, it’s more offensive to be called a disgusting pig than a bitch.
hell ya
No. I think language is just evolving so that our current “curse” words just aren’t as profane as they used to be.
>Undoubtedly
peace
>Oh yes, undoubtedly…
peace
Yes
absolutely. it shows a marked lack of imagination and an inability to use words creatively. all that it proves is that we are anal aperatures that should intercourse off….. (j/k)
YES BUT ITS NOT A BIG PROBLEM
cursing is far more socially acceptable than it used to be. we’re desensitized to it, and the words don’t have much effect. they’re used flippantly, as meaningless adjectives and interjections.
yes, we curse more, but it doesn’t matter much. i curse all the time, but it’s not to show emotion or really get a point across, it’s more of a style thing, similar to mitch hedberg. it can be a very casual accent to a given vernacular.
for example, i alternate between saying “that’s stupid” and “that’s gayass” because i don’t like to overuse my adjectives.
i don’t think we curse too much.