What do you consider a swear word? One definition defines swearing or profanity as, "an offensive word" or "offensive language". It is also language "that is generally considered to be very impolite, rude or offensive." Traditionally speaking, profanity has included specific words meant to shock by expressing anger or coolness in a coarse way. These are the kinds of words your mom would threaten to "wash your mouth out with soap" if she heard you say any one of them. So I learned to stay away from the "S" word, the "A" word, the "B" word, and never, ever, for any reason, say the dreaded "F" word. People just knew intuitively these words were wrong. They were culturally 'verboten!'. But that was then, this is now - - and what was once considered offensive, impolite and rude has been morphing into acceptable over time. The "F" word has gained clout and respect in most contemporary circles. Hey, if Bono uses it in his interviews, it must be O.K. because boy is he cool. The pro-"F" word people are urbane and very persuasive as they defend their defamatory language, "Dude, words are just symbols, groups of sounds linked together; and plus, why should I stop using a word just to keep some lame group of grumpy people happy?" Even Time magazine agrees.They published an article last year entitled, "Hell Yes! Swearing is good for you." The ending of the article says, "we’re going to go ahead and believe that people who swear are creative, beautiful, emotionally intelligent geniuses." I think that statement was tongue-in-check, but so what, it's still cool. The old-fashioned foul-mouthed has been acquitted. They are now free to cuss to their hearts content in our brave new "verbally raw" world. Ask a rapper; without profanity, they would have nothing to say. That does not mean profanity is no more; oh no, on the contrary our society has adopted and labeled a different kind of phrase as forbidden. While "Vulgarity" no longer offends,"Virtue" sure does. We must never condemn, but only embrace the mud that the rest of the pigs around us are wallowing in. And if someone tries to clean the pig-pen with some clean water and reasoned advice, society will quickly shout them down for pointing out the mud. Virtue means moral excellence. As one writer defines it, "virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness." They are intended to raise the general standards of life, make people more civil, better. But no more. Virtue has become profane. Promoting virtue might make the vulgar feel bad. And any feeling of guilt or shame must be silenced; we must not allow exposure. Society demands freedom without cost, and enjoyment without admitting error. If you mention the obvious, like "people need to grow up," or "this behavior is foolish and absurd", even when people know you are right, they are now conditioned to be offended by your simple honesty. Virtue and common sense is the new profanity. Case in point: (And I know I will be considered cruel and vulgar for mentioning this) Did you happen to watch the Bruce Jenner interview Friday? If you didn't, he "sort of" admitted on TV (Even though he is trying to be private about it?) that he is a she. It was odd in the sense that he said he always felt like a woman, but he still likes women, and yet he doesn't want to be considered a lesbian because he still is a man who has a female soul. Sound confusing? Well lets be honest, it is. And now his only wish is that people watching will take him serious. As my wife and I watched his interview, we were both thinking the same thing. But our culture has conditioned us to stay silent, and keep our opinions to ourselves. You see, we both know that we should only share our opinions with each other and no one else because our evaluations are based on virtue. You see, the thought police is everywhere, and to them, virtue is vulgar. But so what? Let me take a risk and share what I was thinking (So pardon my French): Bruce Jenner needs to grow up and quit being so self-absorbed. Yes his gender confusion is sad, but the way he addresses such a complicated topic also seems so silly; like a teenager wanting attention, he too wants to be popular. Lost and disregarded in his thinking are the old virtues that include humility, nobility, and dignity. All we seem to get out of Jenner is a 60 year old man/woman who can't wait to try on a new shade of fingernail polish while his step-daughter Kim Kardashian (Who arguably does not know what virtue is even if it hit her in the face) told him, "girl you gotta rock it if you are going to do this thing." Have all the adults left the building? Or has vanity, conceit and "obtaining pleasure at all costs" become bold new categories of virtue? An online CNNMoney article writes, "In this unconditional and unquestioning way, the Kardashian and Jenner clans are defining what it means to be a family today. They may be superficial, but their support for Bruce is notable for its candid demonstration of acceptance." Yes, as the article admits, they are superficial Kardashians - - but hey, at least they are accepting! Boy, they better be...or they may be accused of being judgmental? Don't you see? You can be caddy, vain, promiscuous, and sexually deviant, but you better not be intolerant! That, my friends, is our society's unpardonable sin. One spec of disapproval of another person's behavior is worse than saying the "F" word! So to stamp out intolerance we must demonize virtue because virtue has standards. It sets limits. As a result, because we want things without limits, we must canonize vulgarity. So what then is the ultimate profanity? Purity. We have arrived in the land of Isaiah 5:20. Good is now evil, and evil is good. Long live adolescence, because all the adults are gone! Anything goes....that is...as long as you rock it!
1 Comment
Jennifer Witt
4/28/2015 06:44:39 am
LOVE your honesty and agree with you 100%
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