Monday, July 30, 2007

Expletive Overload

I am so fed up with nasty language. It's everywhere - out-loud and public, on the street, in the grocery store, in restaurants, on cell phones. People of all ages, walking around spewing needless profanities - it's ridiculous.

Now, profanity is fine for a Lenny Bruce nightclub act. And let's face it - I'm no Pollyanna and see the need for a good "shit" and "damn" every once in a while myself. But, really, I do try to find a more honorable way of communicating to the outside world most of the time. I wish others would make a little effort, too.

I find it embarrassing, especially when parents of small children can't carry on a conversation without a good peppering of obscenities. There's a language lesson that'll stick, I bet. Those words just don't carry the weight that a more selective use of the old Anglo-Saxon 4-letters would. It's all meaningless - and (still) offensive - now. Such a lack of respect for fellow travelers (and yo' chirruns, and yo' mama).

And I'm tired of hearing it.

Here endeth today's profanity rant.

5 comments:

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

I'm with you there SPJ! London's a culprit too.

I'm always cursing about something, but not in earshot of anyone who might get a bit fed up with me for that reason.

Mrs S forbids me cursing outside too, as there are small kids close by! The hammer on thumb trick is a case in point...

Expletives in conversation point out a sadly lacking education, low self esteem, and a general demeanour of inability to communicate.

Sometimes, just sometimes though, a well chosen one can just help a discussion along - when the others are actually conversing that is!

Anonymous said...

I'm sick of it too! Isn't it an indication of the general dumbing down of society? Didn't we learn that using profanity was a sign of stupidity? ...that the user was too dumb to express themselves effectively?
Lil sis and new grand mom

Anonymous said...

As I usually have a houseful of fifteen year-old boys, I'm constantly bombarded. When I woke up one morning and the first thing I heard was someone screeching the F-bomb, I marched into the library in my nightgown and screamed "EXPLETIVE!!!" at the top of my lungs. This seemed to be fairly effective, tho it was also intriguing to realize that since these kids didn't grow up with Watergate and "expletive deleted", some of them didn't know exactly what I meant, just that I was angry!

MaryB said...

scoblene - no one would begrudge you a "hammer on thumb" word or two, but it does seem that this epidemic is a worldwide thing, eh?

Lil Sis/new Grand Mom - (Big Congratulations - but you already knew that) - that's exactly what we were taught. But I wonder if many of these folks DO know better? That's even stupider.

Carey - I can just see those guys faces when you yell "Expletive!!!" Let me know if you find an effective weapon against the f-bomb.

Liz Hinds said...

We all need it occasionally! With so many of today's youth though, swearing isn't swearing: it's an obligatory and oft-repeated part of a sentence. They don't hear what they're saying and rarely is it said in a meaningful way. But I'm not defending their use of expletives and would prefer not to have to listen to it.