ON BEING VULGAR
Cursing. We all know what cursing (or "swearing") is. And if you don't, then you were raised by people who cursed so much you can't form a distinction. When one curses, one pronounces a taboo. A sensitive word, or some other inflammatory remark, to a) incite a response out of an audience, or, b) verbalize frustration, anger, or pain (in some cases even joy or pleasure!), to one's self or one's deity. People curse, or swear, for a reason.
There are certain words and phrases in every culture that are used to signify a curse. Every culture is acutely aware of the implications of such dialogue. Cussing and vocalizing emotion in such a crass and spontaneous manner has been used for millennia as a means to convey an opinion, or feeling, in a blunt and forcible manner. Sometimes a curse word has roots in religion, sometimes in sexuality. On occasion, curse words are simply adapted and skewed throughout various linguistic incarnations, until the point in time the root word actually loses all meaning. Merely a word or phrase uttered, evolving over the ages. Hence cursing being deemed "vulgar," as the definition of "vulgar" simply suggests “common” or “pure.”
Why is it then, that so many of us are inclined to mask our curses by using transparent cover-ups and substitutes?
This author finds little value in replacing "Jesus" with "jeez." Everyone knows the invisible backing word is Jesus. Everyone knows it's a curse steeped in religion, and that a deity’s name is being used in vain. If you don't know this, then you're not concerned with Jesus, the name has slight emotional attachment to you, and therefore exclaiming "Jesus" out loud can barely even be considered a curse. In a parallel sense, this would be akin to the author exclaiming "Ah, Zeus!" though he holds no reverence to Zeus, or a Buddhist screaming "Toaster Oven!" though he has never conjured one.
Don't ever, ever say: f, F, ef, Ef, eff, Eff, frick, Frick, frickin', or Frickin'. And CERTAINLY never say "freaking." Or "Freaking."
Everyone knows damn well you mean F**K and / or F*****G. How dare you, in all your self righteous, pompous audacity, attempt to steal and covertly rape the meaning communicated by this word? To pawn it off as your own emotive gesture? To garnish the attentive rewards yet cast off the "immoral" or "rude" connotations?
Do you honestly believe that you can reap the implications this word has - its brazen impact and risqué undertone - whilst feigning ignorance to the word itself?
Obviously there is a time and a place for everything. It may be said that by overusing ANY word or phrase, the applicant may come off as dull or simple. Lacking in the ol’ vocab. The less vocabulary used, the less clear the message. It is difficult to respect the articulation of a speaker whose every second word is “f*****g.” In a similar sense, it is at times hard to be attentive to a teenage girl whose every second word is “like.”
Furthermore, cursing should perhaps not be used in excess in front of children or pupils who are striving to learn solid communication skills. The child must first learn a healthy base of grammar and structure, if only to later apply the odd vulgar accent. But instead of spouting “I was so fricking mad” in front of one’s child, could one not insert “I was so intensely angry” and teach the kid a few new words? Language first. Spontaneous crudeness later.
The above points granted, the author must contend that cursing still has a place in our collective lexicon. When placed effectively, and not grossly overused, a typical swear word can have fantastic results. An appropriate curse word tucked within an eloquent passage is equal to a fuzzy, distorted power chord amidst a soft and weaving ballad: both are sharp, welcome injections. If “vulgarity” was not “common,” if swearing was not truthful, then we would have no use for such exclamations. But this is not the case.
There is a certain forte to humanity’s endless cursing. An almost bonding commonality and class - transcending quality. To abandon all cursing is futile, as new words and phrases would simply emerge as “taboo.” To DISGUISE all cursing is a lie.
Children, grandmothers, and priests everywhere recognize swear words, whether they be genuine exclamations or thinly veiled, quasi - polite shams.
Yes, THE WORLD KNOWS A CURSE. A swear word. A vulgar ejaculation. Verily, the world knows a curse like a cat knows a p***y. * Malleable. Tangible. Accessible. * THE CURSE WORD. It was born the instant the first human connected an object to an emotion. It will die the instant the last emotion dies.
We must not mask language in pious facades, for the meaning remains after the prostitute word is spoken.
Simply put, Dear Reader, if you think the above script is all freaking bull crap, I do believe you’re fucked.
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