Swearing (in some languages, chiefly English) has the power to shock a listener into paying attention.
But this can only when it is used carefully.
When speech is unnecessarily sprinkled with swearing, the concept loses its power to arouse thought and grab attention: it becomes not just insulting but a demonstration of a vocabulary-challenged speaker.
At least, that is the way I feel about it. Not that we are always right though.
People have different reasons for choosing to swear. Some think they look cool when they spout so many F-words. Others feel they are really communication.
Of course, they could be doing just that—if they have the right audience, or if they are sensible enough to check.
So to swear some eighty times on a forty-minute television programme? Well, duh! What does the guy really want to say?
You may add your comment on BBC WORLD HAVE YOUR SAY pages
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ianrthorpe
- Tuesday, 01. Jul, 2008 @ 16:40:29
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lledeb
- Tuesday, 01. Jul, 2008 @ 21:40:28
The problem with swearing these days is kids and teenagers use it just because they think it makesthem appear big, without even understanding the true meaning of the word.
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I prefer Eighteenth century English swearing myself, colourful terms like, "shittenly crackfart" or scablouse are much more fun. And of course it being the Eighteenth century such words were dressed up in elaborately crafted insults.
Modern swearing lacks style.