Why do people find foul language Offensive?

[jovie27]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:30pm

I was listening to Mormon cast recording with a friend of mine yesterday and my friend did not want to hear anymore of it because of the F word and other language.

I asked her why do you find it offensive? She said because it's rude...and I kind of said "well what if the word "The" was a bad word?

I find that people take offensive because they are not educated enough to understand the meaning and the use of the words. Of course we don't want to hear them all the time, or in situation where they can be abused the wrong way (like with children, etc).But, if you're mature enough to handle it and understand it more, then it should not be so offensive. They are words..I fell that if they are or were that were never to be said, they wont be.

I told my friend, look your an adult, these words have been around for ages, if you have not heard them before, then you're not an adult enough to know they exist. But, if you feel that way, then I respect that.

What do other people think about "Offensive language" in musicals, plays, etc?
Updated On: 6/13/11 at 03:30 PM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:35pm

It's the intent behind the use of the world and in BOOK OF MORMON is is there to deliberately shock/offend and titillate. Any word in place of the F-bomb in "_______YOU" is not exactly going to sound friendly.

But you are correct they are just words made up of innocent letters.

[After Eight]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:35pm

Offensive words offend.

That's what they are intended to do.

[Nettik]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:38pm

I personally don't like bad language in everyday life not because I am offended by it (I use enough of it!) but because it's used out of laziness more than to make a point. The people at the college I attended would use the F-word and S-word as fill-ins for pretty much anything. To be honest, the line from Anything Goes, "Good authors too who once knew better words now only use four-letter-words writing prose, anything goes!" sums up what I mean.

Do I think that they can be used cleverly or to make a point? Yes. Do I think they often are? No.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:43pm

I was trying to count how many times and ways people were gonna say THE MOTHER---- WITH THE HAT, and I thought if someone would just say **** and get it over with, everyone would feel better. Seems silly that a word everyone has used at least once and some people say many times a day would still be that "offensive".

[jovie27]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:45pm

"Offensive words offend.

That's what they are intended to do."

Yeah, but why are those words beyond any others considered offensive?

I also say this, because my friend mentioned like "well you don't want your children saying that do you?" I was like...listen...when they become adults they will..and you know they will...we protect our children as much as possible to be scared of certain things and to not do certain things, to later do them as an adult. Now, I am not saying we should use it everyday to our kids, but it just makes me laugh when my friend heard that word and she got so offensive over it...I was like listen its a word, yes not used every day where you're at, but somehow you new that word and you found it offensive, so you know that word exist. Just take respect of it and move on.... dont' get bent out of shape because you heard that word...its in the world, its used, period.

She left the room. LOL

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:45pm

This has always interested me even going back to elementary school. They used to tell us "Don't say hell, say heck", "don't say damn, so darn", "don't say shlt, say shoot" and so on. I always would ask what the difference is if they mean the same thing and really the only explanation out there was that the others were "bad words". There are always acceptable substitutions for "bad words" but since those substitute words are ok I never understood why the others were not. So fvck it all, I'll say whatever the damn hell I want to and don't give a shlt what any of those bitches out there think.

[Patash]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:54pm

"what if the word THE was a bad word?" Huh? But it isn't.
Surely you understand the difference between the two words? Do you also think that two people actually fornicating on the subway is no more offensive than their shaking hands?

I'm only offended when the word gets used so much that the effect is simply all about "see how many times we can use this word?" like they did in Mother F----R with the Hat. Sure some people talk that way, so it may be true to life. But I just don't care anything about people who have such limited vocabularies that the F word is the only word they seem to be able to use. It's almost as offensive as saying "you know", three times in each sentence. Either one tells me "this is a person with a complete lack of intelligence and class".

That said, I didn't find the use of language in Book of Mormon offensive.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:55pm

Because we live in a society that's still strongly tied to Puritan principles.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 3:58pm

""see how many times we can use this word?" like they did in Mother F----R with the Hat."

Sorry but that's the way people talk. Probably not the uncouth trash you would dare associate with, but for the people in that play and people like that it's the way people talk. We are not living in a Henry James novel and the sooner people accept that, the happier we'll all be.

Whether a 5 year old girl says her teacher is a "meanie" or a "bitch", the intent is the same, whether she knows it or not.
Updated On: 6/13/11 at 03:58 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:17pm

"Offensive words offend. That's what they are intended to do."

Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes they're merely intensifiers; sometimes they're used for comic effect.

If I say "I hope you go to hell," that's offensive. If I say "Where the hell did I put my keys?" I'd be offended if you were offended.

As George Carlin famously said: There are no bad words. There are bad thoughts, bad intentions, but no bad words.

Words merely represent thoughts and intentions. If you're intending to offend, you will. And just because you don't pepper your speech with four-letter words doesn't mean you're NOT offensive.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:23pm

I can tell you that in that dress you look like an obese cow who just gave birth to a dead baby cow that was cut up and sewn together to prepare the hideous abortion of an outfit you have on.

or

I can tell you that dress makes you look like a fat F*cking cow.

But I guess to some of you only the second would be offensive what cuz I useded a bad wordz.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:27pm

After teaching in a school that was populated by students who thought the "F" word was a verb, noun, adjective and adverb, I'd be very happy never to hear that word again. Ever.

Secondly, there are far more effective words to use if you're trying to make a point.

Most people use that word just because it's the current "shock" word. Hopefully that trend will pass.

[After Eight]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:38pm

"She left the room. LOL"


Good for her.

Different people have different standards.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:39pm

When I started college, I was really excited when I could say "****" in class, papers, etc. As said above, I think it's more of a matter that "****", "crap", and other words are not very descriptive, and they are often a cop-out. When going for an effect, like to offend, they are there. But when used in an academic setting, or even in everyday conversation, they're actually rather boring, non-descriptive words.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:41pm

That's true, After Eight, and everyone has to decide that for themselves. If she was truly offended, removing herself from the situation was a good idea.

In my experience, though, the people most likely to be offended by the words "hell" and "f*ck" are the same ones who think I'm going to the former for how I do the latter.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 4:58pm

"In my experience, though, the people most likely to be offended by the words "hell" and "f*ck" are the same ones who think I'm going to the former for how I do the latter."

Congratulations! That was the funniest post I've seen in a while!

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 5:55pm

Well, why did you decide to capitalize the last word in this thread title? You see, the world is quite strange, and to try to understand it will only cause more confusion.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:04pm

the only time i've ever been offended by f*ck was in the movie SPACEBALLS (which I LOVE)... I don't know why but the use of the f-word just came out of nowhere and in the entire movie it just never felt right to me.. it's at the end when the emergency button doesn't work and Rick Moranis says "f*ck even in the future things don't work" or something to that effect... I guess it really just depends on the situation

and I know it's not just me.. but it just doesn't feel right hearing a baby use any cuss words... just seems wrong...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:29pm

How the **** do I know?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:40pm

^ Sometimes the simplest answers are the best.

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:52pm

Jordan Catalano is right. It's not the words, it's the context and meaning behind what you are saying. Calling someone a silly stupid boob or a dumb f*&@ing bitch is the same. The intent to degrade the person you are speaking to and make them feel as worthless as you can is still the same no matter what words you use.

But regardless of that, society has deemed what words are inappropriate curse words and which words aren't. So there are some people who will find that language offensive and unnecessary and others who don't care. There are universally accepted times that are ok to use those words and universally accepted times when it isn't. The rest of the time, it depends in the people in the conversation and their levels of tolerance. Just be respectful to other people and their tolerance levels. Don't force your tolerance level on someone else and they shouldn't do it to you.

I will say though, before you start criticizing other people's understanding of language, maybe you should learn how to use the word your or you're properly.

Posted: 6/13/11 at 9:20pm

I admit when I was eleven or so, I first heard a swear word in a cast album--it was either **** in Sweeney Todd or in Follies--and it made me feel tremendously grown up. But I grew up in a house where nobody swore. My first girlfriend (and last...) grew up in a house where swearing was just a part of your vocabulary, which kinda shocked me at first.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 10:02pm

I must admit I use foul language... in a comical sense. I enjoy it when it's used in a comical sense.

Do I like shoot 'em up movies where every other word is used to hurt someone more as they blow them away? No. But am I offended? No.

Would I say to someone, "F* you!" in anger or to belittle them? No. I am offended if I hear someone say something like that to someone.