My writing focus today will be trying to learn to write a decent review so I can write some stuff for my work’s blog. So, I give you another somewhat fixed version of an old post I wrote after seeing complaints online about “bad words” in books. I still mostly agree. I probably use the “bad words” a lot more now than I did then as I moved toward not caring so much about what other people think.
I recently mentioned to someone on twitter that I want to do a blog post on “bad words” but I was too lazy to do research. I’m still too lazy to do research, but here is a post anyway. Had I done research, I would begin this post with a history of the words and maybe discussed how they were man made and that society has decided that they are “bad” so technically, society could at any time decide they are no longer “bad”. The only non-negotiables would be the ones taking the Lord’s name in vain. That is not a man made rule and can’t be changed by man. The rest? All societal based. Maybe some day I won’t be too lazy to flesh out that part. Today is not that day.
What I will talk about is intent. Society has decided that the above words are bad and that we shouldn’t say them. As you can see from the title(adapted from the TV edit of Snakes on a Plane) we get by this by replacing the “bad words” with words that society has decided are ok. We use words like darn, dang it, fudge, oh my gosh, etc. when we really mean the other ones. My question is, if you really want to say fuck and instead you say fudge in the same exact tone of voice isn’t the intent the same and in essence, making fudge a bad word in that instance? If I’m driving and I get angry( a common occurrence) and I yell fudge instead of the other word is that really better? Wouldn’t it be better to deal with my anger instead? In non- anger situations, wouldn’t it be better to just expand your vocabulary than using “better bad words”? If I decide a random word offends me, can I justifiably ask others to stop saying it? Finally, are we too caught up on the “bad words”? Does it really matter that much, especially in written work if the author uses these words?
The World's Common Tater 
I agree whole heartedly! I was advised many years ago that I needed to clean up my language. Not because I was overly foul, but because I needed to break the habit of using socially unacceptable words without thought. It was good advice as soon after I stepped into the classroom to teach. I certainly would not have been a very successful teacher if I had continued to drop fbombs without a thought, lol. My solution to the need for profanity was to make up nonsense words to convey the emotion I wanted to express. It was only later that I realized I rarely used profanity to express anger, I was just being lazy in my everyday conversations. I had/have a fairly large vocabulary…but was too lazy to use it. I still make up nonsense words or use crazy word combinations to express emotional thoughts, but now it is out of a sense of fun, not laziness.
I cannot remember the last time someone else’s use of profanity, in conversation, offended me, and I have never even paused to question an author’s word choice. I do admit, however, to being offended by lyrics which seem to be very common in certain genres of music…not because of word choice though, more so the sentiment behind the words.
Thanks for the post, Alan, enjoyed it 🙂
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My daughter says ‘pissed off’ all the time. According to her, it’s not a bad thing to say because everyone says it. Makes sense to me…but I still recommended she limit the use with certain audiences. 🙂
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No bad words, only bad intentions
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Exactly
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The use of “bad” words is my way of releasing tension and anger. I try not to use them as much in public, with varying degrees of success. At home, the air is blue with all the words though. Because I live alone and talk to myself and the cat freely, I have to be extremely careful when I’m out and about. I don’t want to be that foul-mouthed old lady who talks to herself.
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I use them more when I’m alone in the car…
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