Europeans don't give a *beep* about the word *beep* or about any other so-called "obscenity." Case in point? Watch the British version of "The Office," then watch the American version. In fact, a very visual example was shown in the movie involving a concert. If that Janet Jackson incident had happened in the UK, no one would have batted an eye.
It's America that has a problem with the word *beep* The question is why? And why not anyone else?
Because we have the RIGHT to be upset about whatever we want. Why not take advantage?
shareAre you trying to say other countries don't have the right to be upset?
sharehaha, I love that! Actually, you have an interesting point there. Sometimes something will not bother us, until somebody else says "hey, that's upsetting", then you DECIDE to go with the masses / use your rights to be upset. It's like "we SHOULD be upset by that, because it IS upsetting... just ask anyone how upsetting it is, so let's all get upset people!!! C'mon". When really it didn't bother you in the first place.
shareGood Reply.. :)
shareSo right!! Isn't it the same with cigarettes and smoking? I mean who was it to first mass-produce cigarettes? make them popular? encourage people (and even kids, through a flintstone's winston commercial) to pick up smoking? fast forward 50 years, and who is it who started the war on smoking? who started the global war on smoking? the US man. It's always the US. That's pretty funny in my opinion. and to think that, compared to other languages, the English language actually has far fewer swear words (just a lot of variations on a few main ones).
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"
Scarlettbees, you are very correct America has a lot of hang-ups
that is mainly because America was formed by a bunch of prudes.
If you remember when that whole Janet Jackson thing happened at the
super bowl the people that were all pissed off about it was the Right wing
Christians. Nothing against Christians, but quit telling me what I can and can't watch on t.v.
The RIGHT to get upset by things? The fact that Americans get offended so easily is our BIGGEST WEAKNESS! There are two kinds of people we need to get rid of. Those that get offended easily, and those that worry about offending others so easily. All these stupid laws we pass about religions and other crap so the poor Jewish or Buddhist kid doesn't get offended. Bull$h|t. All of it.
shareAmericans make me laugh, offended by the F-word? america? the biggest trashy scum hole in the world
shareIt's so stupid there are so many bigger things to worry about there people going hungry, crime and over population under employment ect. And they are concerned about a f u c king word I mean that messed up
shareIt's so stupid there are so many bigger things to worry about there people going hungry, crime and over population under employment ect. And they are concerned about a f u c king word I mean that messed upEver hear the expression “you give them an inch, they take a mile”? If you grant profanity as being okay, then they’ll take that and start pushing you to okay something else, then something else, and so on until we get to where the world is today, where nothing is bad or inappropriate; no matter what you can think of, it’s accepted and young people have to really get ‘creative’—that’s read horrendous—to rebel.
If you grant profanity as being okay, then they’ll take that and start pushing you to okay something else
Besides, all of the problems you mentioned are results of a single root cause: there are too damned many humans on Earth.
"Would you please remove yourself from this general area as you irritate me severely" but my message get's over faster and more efficently if I just say "F@ck off"How about “Get lost!”, that works just as well. “Sod off!”, even “Piss off!”. The British have a way of saying the F-word without saying it: “Naff off!”. It’s their way of expressing the same thing, but in an acceptable way. It’s like frick, freakin’, friggin’, etc. The F-word isn’t likely to become widely acceptable anytime soon; at least not until kindergartners are allowed to say it.
So does this mean that if I kill a thousand people I'd be doing a public serviceMaybe if you kill the right people—there’s certainly at least a thousand people in the world who deserve killing. It’s a difficult task trying to justify keeping repeat murderers, rapists, and drug dealers alive in prison, providing them with room, board, and entertainment via taxpayer money while innocent and good people are homeless and hungry.
but if I said F@CK then I'm tearing down the fabric of our humanity?No, but if you do it all the time, then you end up sounding like an unintelligent thug. Time and place (and context) are everything. I doubt even the Queen or the Pope would think twice if someone shouts it out after dropping an expensive new television on their foot.
Hate to say it (Well I don't but you get my point) but if you don't like swearing then you can just go *beep* yourselfOh, haha; smart-ass . You can also fornicate yourself. See, I got my point across with only two extra syllables.
How about “Get lost!”, that works just as well. “Sod off!”, even “Piss off!”.
The British have a way of saying the F-word without saying it: “Naff off!”. It’s their way of expressing the same thing, but in an acceptable way.
The F-word isn’t likely to become widely acceptable anytime soon; at least not until kindergartners are allowed to say it.
Maybe if you kill the right people—there’s certainly at least a thousand people in the world who deserve killing. It’s a difficult task trying to justify keeping repeat murderers, rapists, and drug dealers alive in prison, providing them with room, board, and entertainment via taxpayer money while innocent and good people are homeless and hungry.
No, but if you do it all the time, then you end up sounding like an unintelligent thug.
I doubt even the Queen or the Pope would think twice if someone shouts it out after dropping an expensive new television on their foot
Billy Connolly, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Prince Charles, Prince William, Janeane Garofalo, Sandra Tsing Loh, Bill Maher, David Milch, Eddie Murphy, Kevin smith, Hunter S. Thompson, Steven Bochco and Drew Carey. These are just some of the people who use the word *beep* and they are very intelligent.I said all the time. The ones who use it frequently don’t come across as intelligent. Perception is everything, especially since you only get one chance to make a first impression. I doubt most of those people say it the first time they meet someone. Besides, it’s not quite the same thing when it’s used in comedy.
*beep* is a grand word, it has got more uses than any other word.Which just makes it all the less special. That’s why people who use it all the time don’t seem intelligent, because they must have a limited vocabulary to have to resort to using the same word for everything. Someone who is smart knows enough words to give their sentences enough variety to prevent them from being boring and incoherent.
The problem with people who don't like the word is that they don't want to make the world better, they just want you to yell something different instead of the word *beep* even the hosts of this board beep out certain words.How exactly does swearing make the world better?
I said all the time. The ones who use it frequently don’t come across as intelligent. Perception is everything, especially since you only get one chance to make a first impression. I doubt most of those people say it the first time they meet someone.
Besides, it’s not quite the same thing when it’s used in comedy.
Which just makes it all the less special. That’s why people who use it all the time don’t seem intelligent, because they must have a limited vocabulary to have to resort to using the same word for everything. Someone who is smart knows enough words to give their sentences enough variety to prevent them from being boring and incoherent.
How exactly does swearing make the world better?
Did you even read the parts of your post that I was responding to?
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Synetech
Yes I did I just figured that it was easier to copy your responses and work from there
Sarcasm is like air, you know it's there, you just can't see it
Fair enough, but you didn’t respond to my responses in context:
* I already said that it’s understandable if you shout it because you got hurt or something bad happens. It also has a place in some comedy.
* When I said it makes it less special, I didn’t mean when people use it all the time, I meant that it has no intrinsic meaning and can be used for so many things (as you said).
As for destroying the world, it may not explode, but making profanity acceptable and normal can and will hurt, and help lead to the downfall of everything (it may not play a massive part, but a part nonetheless).
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Synetech
While I may have taken some of your things out of context (And for that I apologise) This post has a quote that I'm going to point out
As for destroying the world, it may not explode, but making profanity acceptable and normal can and will hurt, and help lead to the downfall of everything (it may not play a massive part, but a part nonetheless).
Again, if they become commonplace, then they lose their power.
As for wrecking the world, a brief explanation (sans medical and psychological details) is that if they are made acceptable and commonplace, then people who need to rebel for whatever reason (kids against their parents are a particularly common example here) will not be able to merely swear since it will be nothing. They will have to resort to doing something more drastic to rebel, like having weird, kinky sex. But like profanity, sex too is becoming more and more accepted and commonplace. Eventually, things will come to a head where people will not be able to express their frustration and anger by shouting a mere word and will have to either bottle it up (with all the problems that entails), or else explode and do something horrible—Columbine anyone?
How many times have you seen a movie where a character gets so stressed that they (always seem to climb onto something first then) scream, not infrequently a swear word. Well, if swearing is made to be so blasé, then that would not work, anyone around would just shrug and go back to what they were doing, which would just frustrate the person all the more.
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Synetech
Well your posts are proviong that curse words are not widely accepted and in some cercumstances are not appropriate (Swearing in front of children-Bad. Swearing whilst having sex to create children-good)
Again, if they become commonplace, then they lose their power.
They will have to resort to doing something more drastic to rebel, like having weird, kinky sex
Eventually, things will come to a head where people will not be able to express their frustration and anger by shouting a mere word and will have to either bottle it up (with all the problems that entails), or else explode and do something horrible—Columbine anyone?
Well, if swearing is made to be so blasé, then that would not work, anyone around would just shrug and go back to what they were doing, which would just frustrate the person all the more.
I write too much don’t I, because it seems you don’t read my posts all the way through. (Don’t worry, I don’t like to—or rather can’t—read anything too long either.)
Everything loses it’s power/specialness/effectiveness/etc. when it becomes commonplace (when it is no longer novel). This is a fact that is evident from numerous psychological experiments, let alone experience.
Elvis was once considered at least as offensive and outrageous as profanity, as were the Beatles, heavy-metal, Kid Rock, and so on. But, once they became accepted (usually due to something worse coming along), they were no longer “so bad”, even Marlyn Manson.
As for Columbine, I didn’t mean that case specifically, I meant that if someone’s outlets for frustration are all removed, then they have no recourse but to bottle it up until they either get some kind of stress-induced disease, give up and committe suicide, or else explode and take it out in really nasty ways.
It’s all just simple psychology.
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Synetech
Well not everything lose it's power when it becomes commonplace. Murder has been around since man first crawled out of the swamp (And then said F@CK) and it still shocks us. Adultery is very common and it still comes as a shock to people. Rape has been around for who knows how long and it is definitely still considered shocking.
The only reason things lose their power is because people let them, and I for one will try to never let *beep* lose it's power
Sarcasm is like air, you know it's there, you just can't see it
There's a difference between commonplace as in not-infrequent, and commonplace as in accepted. Murder, rape, and adultery are not acceptable no matter how often they occur, which is why they are still shocking. Elvis shaking his hips became accepted (after other entertainers came along that did worse) and thus became not only not shocking, but quite tame. It's like what Bart Simpson said: "Friday the 13th 1 is tame by today's standards."
If you swear here and there, it's one thing, but if every other words is a swear, then people get tired and tune you out like they tune out the neighbor's noisy lawnmower. If everybody accepts swearing as unoffensive, then it becomes like "dick", not a big deal.
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Synetech
There's a difference between commonplace as in not-infrequent, and commonplace as in accepted. Murder, rape, and adultery are not acceptable no matter how often they occur, which is why they are still shocking. Elvis shaking his hips became accepted (after other entertainers came along that did worse) and thus became not only not shocking, but quite tame.
I'd like to draw attention to one section of this quote, namely
Elvis shaking his hips became accepted (after other entertainers came along that did worse) and thus became not only not shocking, but quite tame.
It’s not that people will use worse words, it’s the context and combination of those and other words (profane or not) that will be worse.
We’re not talking about a hermit, we’re (at least I am) talking about society. Showing a kid or some naïve person F13 might scare them, but the world at large doesn’t think much of it anymore compared to what’s available now (especially all those Oriental movies whose sole purpose is to shock and disgust).
No one talks like that? Not ever? You’ve never seen or heard anyone, anywhere talk like that?
I’m not sure I understand your logic on the last point, but I never said that nobody in the world would be offended anymore, there are still people who think Elvis is lewd. Again, I’m talking about society as a whole. New generations have to push the envelope further and further each time, and it isn’t exactly limitless.
Eventually there will come a time (if it hasn’t already), where youngsters will have to resort to unimaginable behavior to rebel (just look at some of the movies these days).
Profanity use is just like everything else; moderation is key.
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Synetech
While I don't agree on most of this I must admit I do agree on the last point "Moderation is key". These words are special. they aren't used by everyone and there are people who don't like them but that doesn't mean we can't use them. These words are an important part of the culture. we hear them every day at some point. We need to respect them and appreciate their power.
Sarcasm is like air, you know it's there, you just can't see it
Well I’m not sure about how you speak of them as almost items of worship, but I think most people expect to hear them more and more these days.
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Synetech
I worship them because they are irreplaceable. Name me a word the has the same meaning and power as any of the 7 dirty words?
Join the John Waters Myspace group [link]http://groups.myspace.com/watersrules[/link]
It’s not the word that’s the problem, it’s the worshipping part. At least it’s not a golden statue.
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Synetech
People worship words all the time, look at the bible, people worship it and it's full of words
Join the John Waters Myspace group http://groups.myspace.com/watersrules
No mine, it’s got pictures.
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Synetech
The silliest thing about this argument is that (some) Americans don't actually get it. They call their children things like Dick, Randy, Wally and don't blink an eyelid at the fact they have used words that are, in other cultures (yes they do exist), derogatory terms. However, as soon as someone uses a word they are uncomfortable with it is a sign of an impending apocalypse.
Words have no inherent qualities, just happy floating signifiers.
At the next election in dear old NZ i'm gonna vote for C@ck Linkage.
Well it’s not practical to research every possible name in case it might possibly, at some point in time mean something unfortunate to some culture somewhere in the universe, that they may never even come into contact with.
Dick is obvious because it means what it means in the language of the name (English). Randy is more of a British term, so Americans may actually not be aware of it (unless they’ve seen Austin Powers. I’ve never even heard of “wally”.
The thing is that a lot of the names that end up in this category are short forms of more formal names, and in most cases, the alternate meaning is slang, not an actual term, and almost always comes into use (long) after the name. What’s to stop someone from turning any given name (eg the name of an enemy (friend/frenemy?), even your name) into a highly offensive slang term?
My mother still finds the name Anne amusing. She is actually quite sensitive to names and always calls a guy at one of her dart clubs Richard even though everyone else calls him Dick. She also calls another guy Douglas instead of Doug because she is afraid of pronouncing it more like dog.
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Synetech
A PICTURE BOOK VERSION OF THE BIBLE! Are you serious? How do they illustrate Lot's daughter having sex with him so he can produce an heir? Or what about Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son? Or what about the Cruxifiction? Does Jesus have long hair, and if so is it still a shame unto him?
It may have pictures but it's not the pictures that people worship, it's the words. The words are (Apparently) that of god, the pictures are just an artist' perception of what the words mean
Join the John Waters Myspace group http://groups.myspace.com/watersrules
I was kidding. Although, I do have a couple of biblical children’s picture books from many years ago.
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Synetech
Curiosity is maiming the cat, what were these books illustrating? (By that I mean what passages were ued as a template for the pictures
Join the John Waters Myspace group http://groups.myspace.com/watersrules
Wally basically means dick. Not the physical item but rather the sentiment...
Synetech, you have just summed everyone's argument against your good self.
*beep* isn't a particularly offensive word where i come from. So should i give a flying rats arse that it might offend you.
Nope.
Tell your Mum that Anne is a pretty name.
*beep* isn't a particularly offensive word where i come from. So should i give a flying rats arse that it might offend you.You should if you are talking to me and we are not fighting.
Do a little test for me. Walk outside right now and tell the next person you see to 'go F themselves and that their little S children are F ing C s'. Now when the bones heal from the thrashing you get you will hopefully realize that swear words can and still do offend.
well I figure if you're going to get beat up get it over and done with as fast as possible, like ripping of a bandaid
Join the John Waters Myspace group http://groups.myspace.com/watersrules
Sorry, you had some good arguments, and I know this is two years later (almost to the day) but My God Man (Woman?) That is just about the most ridiculous post I have read in a looong time!
This part particularly: "They will have to resort to doing something more drastic to rebel, like having weird, kinky sex."
Meh, it's not your fault. You are raised in a culture of "Christian values" which means you've been "brainwashed" since your very early youth to think like this.
It's funny, I remember almost the EXACT same argument (almost even in the same words!) from some or other lesson during in church when I was a kid. It's just the way some people were raised to think.
In reality, it's a very weak argument against swearing. Some of the most foul-mouthed people I know are absolutely clean in almost every other way. I for one don't drink, don't smoke, don't cheat on my wife, but I swear like a sailer when ever I get the chance. :)
"You could be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.
Besides, it’s not quite the same thing when it’s used in comedy.
Not quite.
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Synetech
Naff comes from polari (old underground gay slang) and sod well is kinda obviously short for sodomy. Referencing anal sex is better than a quite common word that's usage has to a certain degree been detached from its literal meaning?
Idiot.
"Ever hear the expression “you give them an inch, they take a mile”?"
this goes both ways genius. first you're gonna tell us what we can say, next it will be what we can think, then what...
so *beep* you. im not going to give you that inch so you can take that mile.
"in this world there's two kinds of people ... those with loaded guns, and those who dig."
What are all these horrible, questionable things that you keep saying, thinking, and doing that you are so worried about people stopping you? If you aren’t doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about.
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Synetech
what are all these pious, rightious things that you keep saying, thinking, and doing, that give you the right to judge others and dictate their behavior? if you are so right, then you have nothing to worry about.
"in this world there's two kinds of people ... those with loaded guns, and those who dig."
What?!
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Synetech
oh come now. im sure you understand the question... if you want me to confess my sins, i want to know who you think you are that i should confess them to you.
"in this world there's two kinds of people ... those with loaded guns, and those who dig."
What?!
I never said anything about wanting to know your sins, and couldn’t care less (in fact I don’t even want to know you at all).
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Synetech
sorry. its all there for the world to see (until you delete it)
"What are all these horrible, questionable things that you keep saying, thinking, and doing that you are so worried about people stopping you?"
you asked me that question. i know its a question because of the question mark at the end. now you're denying it. while the 10 commandments dont mention cursing, they certainly mention lying...
i think i've made my point about 'giving an inch'. if you have more to say about it, take it up with god, not me.
"in this world there's two kinds of people ... those with loaded guns, and those who dig."
Ah, so you just didn’t understand; that explains it. Here you go:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhetorical
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rejoinder
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snap
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Synetech
[deleted]
As the first poster said, it's no big deal in Europe, at the same time, it's not as if profanity is anymore rampant there.
As far as being prudish, actually it's the conservative Christians that are so damn slutty! Pumping out as many babies as possible so they can follow "Gods word" and procreate.
A *beep* word or showing some tit or ass in a movie is bad in America, but non stop violence is ok, compare US standards to Europe.
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS, ONWARD WE WILL MARCH, MARCHING INTO BATTLE, OFF TO KILL SOME MORE!
Give me a *beep* break!
[deleted]
History says otherwise as the same problems existed since man first walked the Earth. You're taking such a simplistic and singular view with that statement. The greatest conflicts in the world arise over peoples differences (black versus white, tall versus short, English versus Spanish, Christian versus Hindu - etc..). Reducing the population will not alter that in any way, shape, or form.
I agree with you. The world is overpopulated. Times are hard. And times will get harder still. But I think this is as far as you want to go with your argument. Why? Because the answer to that problem can be laid out in an equally simplistic manner as the way you state the problem: just stop trying to cure everyone and save everyone. Let's give up on finding a cure for cancer. AIDS too. Organ transplants. That way we kill several birds with one stone:
1) many many millions of people die --> we don't have to worry so much about the world getting too crowded; we could just go back to thinking life and death are something for 'God' to decide - you know, the old God works in mysterious ways c*ap.
2) we save billions of dollars that we currently spend on medical research, equipment, medicinal drugs etc --> all that extra money can go towards making sure that there is enough of everything to go around ("food, shelter, jobs, health-care - maybe not so much- land, iPods, you name it")
3) we save the plants and animals "that are quickly being wiped out to make room for people"
HOWEVER,
"YOU are the one who is having difficulty seeing" since you probably want to keep living for as long as you can, and you also want everyone you care for to live as long as they can. And if that means money spent on surgeries, and drugs, and everything else, in order to keep one person alive, when you could feed and clothe and educate five kids in Africa, then I believe that you - and I, and anyone else who recognizes that pure logic of this kind is unacceptable - would not hesitate to leave those five kids to starve, and freeze to death. It's just the way it is. And before you say that I'm taking things way too far, I suggest researching the Eugenics movement and beliefs. They came pretty close to suggesting this --referring to the 'undesirables' of society instead of the sick and feeble.
So I do think your argument is simplistic, or at best, not thought through completely. It's not just about population issues, and really, I think you would agree with me in saying that solving the issue of overcrowding would not make everything else hunky dory.
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"
But that’s what’s so frustrating. That there are people who see how bad things are and getting worse, and there are those who are still oblivious because they are personally not having trouble in their lives. It seems that few people are truly capable of putting themselves in others’ places.
I had a fairly sheltered childhood and so did not understand what things were truly like. I had fallen for that whole you-can-be-anything-when-you-grow-up line that everyone was, and still is, feeding kids. Once I grew up and fell into the real world and realized that it’s actually not the fairy tale that kids are led to believe, I took a good look around and (no) thanks to the Internet, I was able to see just how nasty humans really are.
What makes it worse is when I see people who are still hopefully ignorant. People are trying to have children, when people like me have learned that that is the worst thing you can do. Even if you’re rich, it’s still a good idea to NOT have children. (Is having money really gonna stop a 3 year-old from beating your 7 year-old half to death at school? It didn’t help that family on the news this morning.) I find it almost offensive that there are people who to me seem quite dumb and ignorant because they still believe the fantasy and are thus making what I consider to be really bad decisions based on it. It’s like when you try to do something and someone else is unknowingly working against you. (Sort of like in the movies or something where someone is wrapping gifts, and putting them to the side where another person is unwrapping them because they don’t realize what they are doing.)
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Synetech
Wait how is it a good idea to not have children? Surely that can't be the case for every couple?
shareYet if it wasn't for us pretty much the rest of the countries would be *beep* Hate all you want, but know that your countries fate is basically hanging on Americas nuts.
-X-X-X-
It's simple mathematics.
Last movie seen: The Uninvited - 4/10
Scarlettbees, you are very correct America has a lot of hang-upsYour statement implies that Europeans are a bunch of sluts.
that is mainly because America was formed by a bunch of prudes.
"Your statement implies that Europeans are a bunch of sluts."
Ummm - How?
Synetech. You seem to be rather daft.
There may be many prudes with big mouths in America, but many of the founding Fathers were far from prudes, despite how Christian fanatics want to alter history to make some of these guys look like fundamentalists most were first and foremost politicians (whether they held office or not) and doing whatever they had to get ahead (just like today!), although Thomas Jefferson could never be confused.
shareSome things to chew on...
First of all, I shouldn't have implied that *all* Americans have a problem with the F word with my initial question. Many, MANY Americans don't have a problem with it at all, including myself.
But there are LARGE groups of Americans who get bent out of shape over profanity, especially when it's uttered during "the family hour." And what seems to be the main reason? The children, the children, the children. "I don't want my children hearing..."
Of course, I've also heard, "I'm a Christian, and I don't want to hear..." but for the record, many American Christians don't have a problem with the word, either.
I don't buy the argument that it's the American media who stir up all the controversy over silly things like the Janet Jackson incident. They responded to a huge public reaction (albeit excessively, as always). People really did get very upset over that split second of boob. Why? The friggin' children??
Do Europeans (generally speaking) have a problem with their kids hearing words like *beep* I'd really like to know.
Theory: I submit that the word *beep* is used and has been used so often in Europe's long history that it has been rendered meaningless and insusceptible to negative impact, that saying *beep* in Europe has about as much impact as saying "hairspray." Simply put, nobody gives a *beep* Oh sure, it's still used for emphasis, but that's also how it's defined: A word used for emphasis during discourse -- no more, no less. It is not considered "bad language."
I also submit that the word *beep* should not be used around children simply because it's a part of adult language that goes right over a child's head. Kids only hear a "bad word" and would use it solely for shock value.
I agree that there is no such thing as "bad" language. But there is a such thing as tact. I am far from a xian holier than thou type (very far), but I am not watching Scarface with an 8 year old and I sort of think people who find humor in just the shock value of a stream of obscenities as rather dumb. It is the same sort of folks who find it funny when Adam Sandler just screams at someone. F* is a word that is not meaningless in Europe , especially if you are in company of people who barely know you. If we just meet and within seconds your conversation is littered with the F* word or other profanities its certainly going to make me think you are some sort of Neanderthal ;-)
tact |takt|
noun
adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues : the inspector broke the news to me with tact and consideration.
This assumption that just because someone is in Europe means they are somehow in tune with the ancients of Europe vs people from the United States makes no sense to me. In Europe saying *beep* you to someone can have as much impact as it does in the U.S. go ahead and try it!
shareAnd I am sure that something would offend someone in the middle east or Europe, Asia, etc, would not offend a typical American. If you will also notice, the video is certified "R" in Australia and Canada. Most of us are not prudes, we just have a sense of decorum. It's something that you seem to lack. So, get off YOUR high horse.
share[deleted]
A month later and I'm still waiting for someone to answer my question, or at least contribute in a way that makes sense. Calling America a "trashy scum hole" doesn't make sense. Neither soes saying, "Americans have a RIGHT to get upset about whatever they want, so why not take advantage?" That was just dumb.
Doesn't anyone have an idea as to why Europe is so laid-back when it comes to the F-word and not America?
Just my opinion, but this is just a case of preferential sampling. I am an America, but I don't believe I have a problem with the F word. Come to think of it, I don't really know anyone with a big hang up over this word. And you know, I can walk down the street and hear conversation after conversation splashed with all sorts of colorful words like this (and yes, I may be a contributor). I doubt even *those* people have a big problem with that word. Who are you speaking about?
But on a deeper level, I think the question, "why [is] Europe is so laid-back when it comes to the F-word and not America?" states a supposition that automatically puts one on the defensive. It would be like me asking "why are the Danish bigger child molesters than the French?" Or "why do the Europeans birth so many genocidal maniacs?" Even if I could pull out of some history journal two French molestors and one Danish molestor, or could cite several dictators and the horrific actions of them and the poor deluded souls who followed them, in the end, it doesn't really even sound like an objective question of curiosity, but seems more like a question to incite some sort of defensive reaction. Remember that, if you flame me over this paragraph, these example questions are completely unfair, and by themselves, serve NO purpose other than to incite anger. I completely made up some very ignorant questions for the purpose of comparison, not because I give them even one ounce of credibility. If you huffed at their stupidity good for you! (You see? I still put in the disclaimer... so to the poster who wants to rid the world of people who don't want to offend other people, I guess this will be good ammunition for your argument).
Just for some personal insight -- I personally have a HUGE problem (anger inducing problem) with people who can assign a confidence interval of 90% to an estimate pulled out of thin air, and then base the budget of some software project around twice that estimate, just as a rule of thumb. But I have never heard of a foreign country attacking America for being so easily offended by lousy software engineering methodology. (reducto ad absurdum)
So, I put forth to you... maybe it isn't this fictitious average American who has this problem -- maybe you have simply chosen a (possibly ficticious) sample group (call them Neo-cons, Christians, radical English professors... but please, not something so obscenely generalized as "Americans") to support the soup of the day.
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We were founded by Puritans, remember? Don't tell me you believe the great lie of the Pilgrims escaping religious persecution. These are the same people who had the witch trials. They escaped to a place where they'd be free to persecute as they saw fit. Those are our roots as a country. That's why violence is more accepted than sex here. That's why the MPAA will allow you to blow up a breast but not kiss it. And that's why we still have people who think the world is going to open up and swallow them whole simply for saying *beep*, *beep* or *beep*.
Thanks a lot, England for sending your best and brightest to get us started. But you lost your Empire so let's call it square.
"Are you in the army?"
"No man, I just have short hair."
We were founded by Puritans, remember? Don't tell me you believe the great lie of the Pilgrims escaping religious persecution. These are the same people who had the witch trials. They escaped to a place where they'd be free to persecute as they saw fit. Those are our roots as a country.You may want to take a history class or two. First of all, the witch-trials were not localized exclusively within America, they were taking place all over Europe as well. Second of all, they did not occur all throughout America, but rather in the bigger villages.
Oh okay, I'll edit the post to remove all the parts where I said all that. Oh wait... I didn't say any of that. Where's the part where I said the witch-trials were localized within America. Didn't say that they took place all throughout America either.
Read a lot into a few factual comments, didn't ya?
"Are you in the army?"
"No man, I just have short hair."
You may want to choose your words more carefully then because they are rarely restricted to their face value; they mean more, just as yours meant more than exactly what you typed.
--
Synetech
Maybe you should just stop adding "all" and "every" in front of everything you read.
"Are you in the army?"
"No man, I just have short hair."
OOooo - just thought of another one.
Sometimes in the US girls get called Fanny. Very sweet. But confusing.
But where i come from that means C#NT. Oh dear!
So very offensive. Might not be able to look at my wife in the eye next time she mentions that little pack around her waist (she's American). It's a C#NTPACK. Oh SH!T.
But where i come from that means C#NT. Oh dear!Here it means butt (besides a woman’s name). That duality is what prompted Benny Bell to write that song, but it would take on a whole new meaning where you’re from (where?). You may—or may not—want to check out the lyrics to Benny Bell’s song “Everybody Wants My Fanny”.
He he.
That's a cute title.
It's America that has a problem with the word *beep* The question is why? And why not anyone else?A “problem in America”? When was the last time that you watched an American movie or television show? For that matter, when was the last time you merely walked around on the streets of America?
The other reason is because profanity is low-brow, low-class language. You won’t hear the Queen (or even American officials—Bush excepted) using it in formal situations or in some case at all. It’s considered to be the verbal equivalent of bashing people over the head: smart people can resolve a conflict without violence or profanity, cave-men bash and swear.
I think that is quite unfair. What right has anyone to discount an entire statement or argument because a word which has been arbitrailly deemed obscene has been used. You can, or should be allowed to, use strong words such as f u c k for emphasis without hurting your own credibility. For example, I have a friend who is a member of my school's debating team and he uses it liberally in his speeches, and not in an impassioned, 1960s "f u c k the war!" kind of way but in intelligent and meticulously put together speeches and it doesn't hold him back. He still wins debates despite using "foul language" which just goes to show it doesn't make any point or argument less credible, but he does get pulled up on it though he remains nonchalant about it and dismissive.Don’t tell me, tell the majority of society who set the standard. But, don’t worry, more and more people use profanity, and soon enough it will be so ingrained in society that it will lose all of its effectiveness.
The point I'm trying to make is language is language, either it's all okay or none of it is.Tell that to the politically correct crowd. Bleh!
Sorry, my comments weren't directed AT you, I just used part of your message as a reference point.
shareI didn't read all of the posts, so I apologize if I am saying something someone else said.
Also, I have not seen this movie and I am not really qualified to talk about any of this, but I am just going to speak.
I feel the "laid back" European attitude could be attributed to many things.
1) I think Europe is a bit more sophisticated than the US. By that I don't mean they are higher in class and less vulgar, but they have a much better sense of who they are. Remember, the US is only 231 years old, which is extremely young when compared to countries in Europe.
Think about it in this way. If you first meet somebody, you probably are going to be careful of what you say. When you get to know them better, you become less formal and might say anything. This statement is not really grounded in anything, but logically it seems to make sense. Europeans have a history that dates back much further than Americans, so because they have a much greater sense of self and are not afraid to lose that, their culture can be a bit more relax on things others might consider taboo.
2) America is a bit less strict in terms of barriers of entry to its culture. By this I mean that American culture in many aspects is a compilations of other cultures. In order for this to happen, conflicts must be minimized. Moral conflicts are kept low by making sure everyone is on the same page about what is right and what is wrong. Even if you are not offended by the f-word, you know not to say it around your grandma, even if she has the mouth of a sailor.
These are just a couple things. Again, I really have no idea what I'm talking about so if I am completely wrong, I'm sorry. This is just me using the little information that I have and trying to generalize it for a larger issue.
Naff off? What the *beep*
I have never heard anybody say that in my life..
I mean what the *beep* people in Britain never use that word...
Im sure all Americans are Obese Mexican Klan members with the IQ of an ape who have recently become born again.
It's because we're a race of puritanical *beep* plain and simple.
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Just because the *beep* got a library card doesn't make him Yoda!
Neither do canadians
shareim so tired of people talking trash about america. yeah im american and im not very patriotic... but still you have no right to sit there and talk *beep* about a country if youre not from it. you dont know what goes on in our country and really its none of your buisness how we run our world. in some countries people believe in killing people for fun... why dont you bitch about them instead of wasting time and disrespecting a country that isnt as *beep* up as others. some people dont want their 5 year old kid saying *beep* no one knows why or who thought that word was "a bad wrod" but you know what... every *beep* person that lives in america came from somewhere else... we have family that came from other countries. america was *beep* created by the british so go and scream about them. who gives a *beep* what we think is wrong or right... our counrty is fine in the way its run, nothing is perfect, but we are fine. worry about yourself instead of us. whatever we do over here is not effecting you... so what if we dont like using the word *beep* in everyday life, but that has nothing to do with you.
get a *beep* life and worry about more important issues like people dying and starving and disease, things that are really important and can effect anyone.
Okay, I've lived in the United States my entire life. This country SUCKS! I guess according to you, I have the right to say that. Most (if not all) of what people from other countries say about Americans is true. This country is way too conservative and Americans place way too much importance on words. I hate living in the censorship capital of the world and if I didn't have loved ones here, I'd renounce my citizenship and move to another country.
Doesn't anyone have an idea as to why Europe is so laid-back when it comes to the F-word and not America?Honestly, I don't care. If they aren't as prone to batting an eyelash at certain things of an explicit nature, that is on them. All I know is that I get tired of people throwing it up that Europeans are supposedly more easy going and liberated when it comes to sex and language. Bully, bully for them. As if I'm going to feel shamed or feel silly by comparison every time I find something objectionable. No. share
Because Americans are, and always will be, inherently American. It's a modern phenomenon. Don't question.
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