*Note that the video by Vsauce is censored.
The other day, my uncle and I were poking fun at my grandma for what she believes is bad language, even though this sweet lady curses like a sailor, and how we came to a conclusion that the words that are considered bad are only seen as bad because of how they're used but ironically their the most flexible words in the English language. For example, the infamous "F-Word" can be used almost anywhere in a sentence and if used correctly in a lecture setting can bring the most tone and voice into your statement.
I also noticed after our discussion how people blame media for it's influence of bad words, which in a sense they're absolutely right. FCC regulations have really loosened on what words can and can not be said on TV and Radio now. When I was 10, hearing middle school grade insults on air were hilarious but now you can hear high school grade insults on air on every station. For example, certain words like a!# or b*&% are now more acceptable than in years before. See George Carlin's 7 Dirty Words.
Now, music takes this to a-whole-nother level where the amount of bad language is used just to seem edgy for their scene/genre, which comedian Reggie Watts does a good job of breaking down modern hip-hop songs. He sings with the common words that are used and how loosely and pointless those words are, and each verse he sings is a different topic, which those are the common topics sang about in modern hip-hop, poking fun at the genre which I feel he does a good job of doing so with this song. He effectively used basic rhythms to get this point across in song.
As bad words are becoming more acceptable, what we consider bad will eventually not be considered bad and other words will replace those 'Bad' words. There are always new words being created and old words will always get repurposed. A perfect example without using such words is the word "swag". The word has been repurposed as to define cleaning drapes, to define a man who is smooth with ladies, to the recent use to replace the word "cool".
In the end, no matter what society is considering what is and isn't bad language, it all depends on how you were raised, religion, and personal principles. Bad language effects each person differently, and most will (and should) agree that terms to insult specific demographics will never be acceptable. Bad words don't always bring negativity, it's how a person uses them.
Context is huge with "bad words." I feel as if there are no bad words, but there are bad intentions.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, have you seen the MythBusters episode where they prove that swearing increases their pain tolerance? It's pretty neat!
Entry #10.
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