I haven't been banned for using an expletive in several years. I'm tempted just out of protest to use everyone I have ever heard. I don't mind colorful language at all. It is a language art form if you ask me. But since some people are not able to transcend the word choices and deal with actual topics, I eliminated them from my side of discussions on SI several years ago... mostly because the language police are so pathetic and they are control freaks who interfere with discussion, where as the language user's never do.
When did you become a language nanny? You must be loads of fun at parties.
I think we are a schizo culture when it comes to how we deal with each other vs the language we attempt to police.
I did an experiment in the 70's when I was still a drinker. On Friday afternoons I would go with a bunch of women I worked with to the local tavern to unwind. I noticed they were very free with the F, B, C type words in the tavern. Whenever one of them would say something like, 'hey you Fu@king Sl#t, its your turn to get us a round of beers, they would all smirk as though it was the cool liberated thing to do.
So, I went home and worked all week on a list of 10 non-forbidden things to call these women that I thought might cause some offense. So, in the midst of all the rowdyness I said, Hey Ellen you neurotic housewify wench, it's your turn to get us a round... he he he. You'd of thought I boiled one of their babies. The whole bar fell into an uncomfortable silence as everyone stared at me. I never tried the rest of my list, and it was a valuable learning experience for me. I was wrong. The language they were using, although offensive for me to listen to, was just meaningless female bonding adjectives used for conversation fillers. My list was hurtful. Should we ban any of the words I used or had on my list? None were expletives. |
