Swearing?

Watched "Weeds" the other night on the telly and the thing that struck me was the way that the 2 female lead characters kept dropping F bombs all over the place. I like to think I'm tolerant, but in the end I realised I just couldn't take it.

What do you all think about swearing?
1. is it ok?
2. do you swear much?
3. if you're female, do going dropping F (or the dreaded C) bombs all over?
4. do you swear in front of your kids, if so how much?
5. when is it ok, when is it just not on?

not trying to judge anyone, just trying to figure it out.

I went through a stage of swearing heaps, but I'm not into it anymore. I could do with out excessive amounts on the telly and radio. But that's just me.

BTW, for all the turkeys and smarties, don't feel the need to demonstrate.


[ Edited on 29-12-06 by pete wood ]

I can "F bomb" as good as anyone in the right company, especially playing any sport cos I am pretty well useless at them all. Personally I'm not offended by any level of swearing but theres times and places that are off limits. Would never do it around kids, and you can expect to be told off if you do it around mine, perhaps even a smack around the back of the head like my sister in law got one time when she didnt heed the warning. I'm 36 yrs old and still havent sworn in front of either of my parents!

I dont like it in music. I cant listen to my Lilly Allen CD christmas present at home or in the car because 5 of the 11 songs have it.😠

Logic tells you it's just words, but there are people who are genuinely offended, so care is needed. I brought my two (now adult) kids up as a sole parent & sometimes when they were kids I would declare "swear time" no holds barred for a length of time declared by me. I figured the trick with swearing is judging when NOT to swear and that's pretty hard to get right if you never get the chance to swear in the first place. I think it also gave them a good chance to let off steam & air grievances with me too.

I never worried about them hearing swearing as kids but I don't think kids should ever be sworn AT by parents or other adults in general.

The general theory was that as some people are upset by it, you should not swear unless you are sure the listener is accepting of swearing & this rules out writing & shouting swear words as you have no control over who the recipient will be.

These days various media supply ample warning of swearing content giving those who are offended by swearing the chance to opt out.

My 2c

Matt.

One thing that really gets me is "a good christian person" I used to know who substituted a selection of tame words for swear ones it really was such a pointless hypocritical thing to do. I don't mind "taming it down" especially if your not sure of the attitudes of those around you, but doing that all the time & claiming yoou don't swear & swearing is bad is just beyond the pale.

[ Edited on 29-12-2006 by Matt Ryan ]

Hi Pete and others....

I was bought up in a swear free enviroment...
so, I don't swear....
never wanted to...
and have found it hard to tolerate on TV shows etc...
but I have found its slowly wearing Me down...
I used to instantly turn off anything with swearing in it...
but now i give it a few minutes....
before pressing the button....
I can now watch a movie with a few swear words but can't watch anything with total swearing....

I really see no need for it....
especially on Forums and emails....

I know they are only words...
but there are many other words We can use....

Lee

its funny what our society tells us is bad to say or good. I think swearing is not needed, but what does it really matter (unless your religious beliefs make you think different) It's a personal choice to say or not or to listen or not. I do a little from column and A and column B

My sisters and I were brought up to be ladies and gentlemen, which means that we were not to swear under any circumstances. My mother washed my mouth out with soap when I said shit in her presence once. My father would thump me for saying damn or bugger.
As a result I have a low tolerance for swearing and I don't like to hear in on TV or in movies and songs. It's not necessary. It shows a limited ability to express yourself and it also means that when you are really angry you have no hard words in reserve.
Of course I swear, but only when I need to.
There are some people who hear S, F and C bombs all day long and have done so since they were babies, so to them it's normal. They also don't understand how offensive it is to others.
Recently I was F bombed in a high school where I was working, by a kid who was testing me. I fronted him in front of his friends, and called him a bully and a coward. He got really upset, so I explained that speaking to me like that when he knew that I was not permitted to thump him for his bad manners was bullying and cowardice. No kid ever swore at me again although I have heard it directed to women teachers.

🙅dont do it in front of the kids or mum...
she can still nail me with a backhand !
but sometimes I find it is is a way of conveying
my feelings to certain individuals that need to be told !!😏

I swear quite alot and around my children ( shame on me ) I have a really bad temper and my kids would rather here me swear then throwing things about the house LOL
while it is a disgusting habit , I do know when it isnt appraopriate to swear around others , unless i here them swear , i mange to curb my p,s and q,s
my kids has so far (knock on wood) not picked up the habit , and the once or twice they have sworn i have told them off ,

Sharon

I'm with Pat... tho I am also guilty of dropping F-bombs for no good reason, so shoot me! At least I try to keep my lingo relatively clean, and in the company of kids, old folk, nuns, jehovas witnesses etc, anything more than a "darn", "bloody", or "bugger" is out of the question...

WHatever the case people will always swear, and no ammount of griping will change that, so those who are offended really must learn to switch off... as for TV shows however, there is no need for it, and I am worried that society values are degenerating to the point that idiotic tripe like Jackass will be the flavour of primetime telly... :puke: Much and all as I'm a swearer, such material still has no place on TV... movies on the big screen perhaps... but not in our loungerooms.

my 2 bob...

pete wood wrote:Watched "Weeds" the other night on the telly and the thing that struck me was the way that the 2 female lead characters kept dropping F bombs all over the place. I like to think I'm tolerant, but in the end I realised I just couldn't take it.
...........

3. if you're female, do going dropping F (or the dreaded C) bombs all over?

if your male, do going dropping F (or the dreaded C) bombs all over?
🙄

I watched a bit of that 'weeds' show, pretty boring, but I think the language goes with the territory of the subject matter and media executives presumtion of what 'the public' want to see. What I find amusing is the way you can't tolerate the 'female' characters swearing all over the place. Are you implying females should not swear, yet men can? If you must know peteypoo, seeing as you asked, I only swear in the appropriate situation, dependant on the type of person I am with. I don't swear in front of my child (maybe the odd hiccup) but he is quick to point out how bad I am (they learn by example). This is because I feel he deserves to enjoy his childhood without corruption, not because people like you who feel it necessary to point out your intolerance towards females who drop the F & C 'bombs'

:jesus this thread bites :puke

shaihulud wrote:..... It's not necessary. It shows a limited ability to express yourself .....

....Of course I swear, but only when I need to.

huh?

when you hit your head on something.... such as a not quite fully open roller door which I tend to do sometimes, the phrase "oh my goodness I bumped my head" does nothing to express my feelings, whereas FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA through gritted teeth is far more fitting and at least slightly soothing. Similarly "oh bother thats my 4th attempt at hitting out of this bunker" really doesnt convey my disgust at ruining a very nice 200 metre drive off the tee.

I dont want to sound like Chopper Read but I dont want to sound like Hugh Grant either.

[ Edited on 29-12-2006 by amazeer ]

I've been watching the Race to Dakar show on the ABC, and it too is absolutely littered with F words....now I swear, but in that show its like every second word is F this and F that........and then just F....F....F....F.....

$2.63 homebrand baja,

yeah I can take that. What you said is a fair cop. I don't like hearing men swear, but hearing women swear makes me cringe even more. It's not on purpose, I don't mean to have double standards. I'd prefer it if no one did, but I spose the number of bloke tradies I've known have worn my expectations down in the swearing department. I'm probably still a bit idealistic when it comes to women. I guess I just can't help being an old romantic. 🙄

we watched a bit of weeds & agree it spoils the show
a little is okay but a lot is just well for example a movie with billy bob thorton
playing santa(forgot movie name) now i think he is a good actor but the swearing
that came out of his mouth in that movie was just not warranted at all & spoiled the show.
wally

Swearing sometimes has it's place, but not around children or the elderly. Thats when I loose the plot at the offender.

my2c

we have always told our kids that there is NO reason for family memebers to swear at each other. we try not to do it to them and they try not to do it to us. But we are realists and if one does blurt out they are chipped but not punished. we also allow it if it part of a joke they heard or in a movie they get (they cannot control the media). They can listen to it on an ipod/headphones but not broadcast it though the house. we do not have a swearing issue at all in our house. If you cannot respect your own family members then who will you respect. my2c

working in a panel shop the f and c bombs have become common language - there, or if im working on cars or with good friends. never around my mum, or grandparents. my missus can be just as bad as me. but usually im worse.

Back in the 1960s when F bombing in public was starting to become "acceptable", I was at a posh party in South Yarra when a daring young woman said F--- several times in her conversation. She paused for effect every time she said it. Having worked in the earthmoving industry and other blokey places, where swearing is comonplace and sometimes every second word can be vulgar, I said to her. "Don't say F---, it's a C--- of a word." It stopped the whole group in its tracks. They were gob smacked. Her boy friend wanted to hit me. I was ostracised from that point on. They just couldn't take it.

Depends on your way of thinking.
As most would know I swear ALL the time, that's my nature. My friends warn anyone they bring round. I apologise in advance to any school my children may attend.

Years ago a mate came round with an Eddy Murphy cassette, long before he was in film, & all it was was f#cking & blinding. You could hear the American crowd roaring with laughter, but, because this is the way I speak in general conversation, there was nothing funny about it to me.

However, when it comes to women swearing, I must say I'm a complete hypocrite.

To hear a pretty girl talk like I talk makes me cringe.

Yep, I can f and c (not so much) with the best of them, but there is a time and place and if I accidently drop one I am quick to appologise. I'm one who has a different standard fo ladies, makes the difference between a ladie and a female (same for blokes and gentlemen I spose), my mum has never heard me swear and my dad seldom, my sons have and I have heard them but we keep it to a minimum (yeah, agree that "oh bother just dosn't cut it sometimes) tv and in public I agree, ya never know who is within earshot and why drop to the lower level and offend someone with higher standards when there is no need or knowledge of what they will accept. Knew a bloke once who never swore in the true meaning but constantly used the "black enamel bathtub plug" (exact words) in his tenser moments, in my mind it meant the same thing but never offended anyone, just made everyone think he was some sorta goose.

Wow, I'm finding this very interesting. I guess I would have thought more people would have thought it was ok to plenty of swearing on telly, but most of you are telling me the opposite. It's also interesting that I'm not the only one that cringes when women curse up a storm.

Some commentators say society is becoming more conservative again. Maybe they are right.

I and my wife swear heaps. We swear at home, at work, we were in Rovers, and that was heaps of swearing. I watch shows and listen to music, friends talking, all with heaps of swearwords. I prefer them to 'ummm' errrr'

It is all about the context and manner in which it is done. You can be really hurt someone with words without swearing if someone is being malicious, derogatory, racist, sexist etc. Swear words in themselves are not harmful at all in my opinion.

Outcome isn't as expected Uncle pete.....

Damian, Many workplaces are like Yours, but You have to learn to leave the language at work....

Two of My sister in laws used to work at a factory where swearing was "Normal" F & C...etc... daily...

but they "Never " used bad language.... anywhere else.. and now they never use it....
and they talk like they never have.....

it does sound BETTER if you don't.....
and even better if not written on the internet....

cheers

Lee

One of the best attributes my parents taught me was to fit the language to the situation.

Home was a nono, Mum doesnt and didnt swear,' bloody' being the viscious, look out she is gonna blow term!

Parents agricultural tractors and machinery place was a different story. Mechanics that would say 10 words all day, 5 of them f... Word would go out 'ducks on the pond' when one of the ladies or a female customer or a toff inna suit and it would be all quiet. Same in a shearing shed. None of these blokes would swear in front of a lady.

I have found it an valauble skill to go into reece plumbing, stratch my nuts, get an f'ing coffee and wait my turn talking shit, I always get cash trade price. The one time I was there with my wife- full retail.

In my line of work I get nowhere walking in and speaking precise clean queens english. I get a long way when matching the environment. Sometimes with swearing, never the c word (well maybe once)

With your mates when pissed, the vocabulary involves lots of f... sometimes even with the 'I really f'n love you man..... or maybe not!

I often see the bloke f'ing all and everyone as the one with a big chip and nothing to say. Often looking for grief, or to give it to someone.

As for weeds, couldnt be arsed watching it:P

kkk

good conversation ppl, I was tempted to reply with f-yeah though but I contained myself

thanx KKK

Hmmm, I was told to change my language when talking to the local Centrelink manager because it didn't fit his standards, yet his standards obviously allowed him to treat my like dirt without affecting his sleep at night... I simply told him I was offended that he refused to adjust his vocabulary to suit my standards and the situation. Why should his standards be catered to and not mine? LOL

My father recently got his back up and blurted out "C^%&" at me in front of my mother, so i stuck my face in his and told him "excuse me, show some respect, I'm a F#@*&%$ C^%&". Shocked the sh!t out of him (he already put himself in shock for saying that in front of mum) and mum just pissed herself, she could barely stand...

Whatever language you use to communicate to someone else, needs to be appropriate for who you're communicating to. Mind you, Christians get a bit poopy and offended when you say "can I use your toilet, I just need to take a piss?"... Then I remind them, that's the word their Jesus used for that bodily function...

It's just got to be appropriate.

Umm, actually, the word "piss" didn't exist when Jesus was wandering around Israel. But I will grant you this from the King James Version (some 1500 years later)...

2 Kings 18:27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

However, it's a rather colourful interepretation of the original Hebrew text from what I understand.

great thread pete its good to hear what most think about swearing,
people do & people dont but its the way the words are used that offends
most of us.
i can easily accept it from people that swear in general conversation but
when its in a derrogatory way then its not on in my eyes.
wally

This is a hoot, I have watched that show once for about 20 minutes, from what i could pick up she is a single woman who makes her living dealing illegal drugs. Mary Jane Yoowana I think. From what I believe about drug dealers, they are not pillars of society in the first place. I don't care about the language one way or the other.
This also reminds me of a critic of the movie "Pulp Fiction" which was very entertaining in my opinion, the critic concerned was unimpressed with the language in that movie. He didn't give a mention to the gangsters, hit men, or any of the other undesirables portrayed in the movie at all.

Shouldn't the criticism be of some one dealing drugs for a living?
Or is this just another neo con complaint trying to make people conform to some outdated morals or mores?

It's interesting to note that Queen Elizabeth I was known for her foul mouth. In those days it was quite acceptable to swear in any company. Queen Victoria is the one who is responsible for our good manners and social etiquete, which are being eroded away during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

I remember a film called (I think) Trains Cars and Aeroplanes, funniest movie I had seen in ages, not a swear word to be heard the whole movie untill this bloke does his cool with a bird booking a ticket for him and making a real mess of it, then he lets go with every conceivable swear word you could ever hope not to hear, then that was it, no more swearing the whole show, got the point across real good.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles? 🙂

one of my faves. love John Candy. 👍

interesting observation about the swearing too. in the end it just got him no where.

I let out swear words, but am usually aware of it and don't like doing it.
My sister is a shocker though. She's fairly pretty and some of the words she comes out with (and often) make even me cringe. Now she's taken up smoking again too after having quit for 3 years, so she looks and sounds like a red-necked tart. 😂

nearly every reply on this topic says that they do not swear all the time and not in front of certain people. that means they can control their behaviour. so by swearing in a conversation with their loved ones/children,does that mean that they do not respect or honour the person they are talking/yelling at. if you swear at a person it says more about you, than the impact the word may produce. my2c

I swear uncontrollably at random times to anyone.

I believe they call that "Tourette Syndrome"😏

I usually don't swear but if I do it's usually because I've hurt myself but if someone acts like a jerk to me simply because they are a jerk than they will get told where to go. otherwise if it's someone I know who doesn't normally act that way, I find out what's wrong instead of swearing at them.