Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Fuck "No Cussing Week". Fuck McKay Hatch.

So, McKay Hatch started a 'No Cussing Club' at his school because he was sick and fucking tired of putting up with fuckers who cuss all the god damned time. The city of Los Angeles, since it has solved all other problems, has so declared this to be No Cussing Week. So, if you are in Los Angeles this week, you had god damned better not fucking cuss.

Ok, now that the obligatory jokes are out of the way...

What is the difference between calling someone a "fuck-brained shithead" and an "unread, vapid moron"? Per McKay Hatch's argument, the former, which contains cursing, is detrimental whereas the latter, which does not contain cursing, is not detrimental. Well, of course McKay Hatch does not think that. Calling someone an "unread, vapid moron" is, probably, detrimental to that persons sense of well-being.

The question to ask, then, is if language other than cursing can prove detrimental to individuals, if the removal of cursing alone does not remove the "problem" of hurtful language, then why focus upon the cursing? If the motto of the club is "LEAVE PEOPLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM!"* then whence the focus upon cursing? To simply abstain from cursing is not to necessarily "better" others. I, for example, could damage the emotions of many without ever cursing. But I own a Thesaurus.

I could understand attemping to better others by engaging in behaviors which actually better others in significant ways. But to focus a club upon the removal of cursing and assume that to be a significant means of bettering others is just plain fucking stupid. It demonstrates an inability to clearly understand the linear progression of causes and effects. Cursing is not the sole cause of harm. Cursing, I would wager, is not even a significant cause of harm when one considers the great realm of harmful things.

So if you want people to stop cursing? That's fine. If you want to better others? That's fine, too. But don't conflate the two.

You specious, juvenile, erroneous, unfounded, illogical dolt.

*Yes, I read your fucking site, asshole.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I think the key thing to remember, is that the value of a word is determined by the listener. 'Fuck' doesn't mean a whole lot to me, and I don't react to it because I don't believe there are specific words out there that are better or worse than any other. To place differing values on differing words to me seems an exercise in stupidity.

Also, while on the topic, Mr LeMasters once said soemthing that I think is true, and the reason he doesn't swear. He considers these words to be crutch for one who doesn't know or is too lazy to use words that mean what we want to say, and I am willing to agree with that.

Your example is perfect for this:
fuck-brained shithead
unread, vapid moron

One of those means something and the other is complete gibberish. We all take the gibberish to mean something because the naughty words are meant to conontate negativity.

That being said, fuck effort and fuck no cussining week.

Roscoe said...

Dude. The "Swearing is a crutch for the lazy" excuse?

total cop-out. One of the better constructed cop outs, mind you, it appears to be internally consistent and all.. but still a cop out.

Because that declares that curse words have no internal value, and only act as intensifiers. Which isn't true. Curses are often used as intensifiers, but they have their own specific meanings, and someone SKILLED in using them is devestating with such things.

I refer you to the body of work from one George Carlin. The man was judicious with his swearing, because the man knew when and where to place the appropriate and meaningful vitriol.

Unknown said...

The swearing is a crutch is a completely valid argument. We don't use the words for their inherent meaning, we use them as filler as often as not, if not more often.

There are words that exist for the purpose of intensification. I.E. very, much, etc. That is ignoring the properties of language that allow us to turn just about any noun into an adjective and any adjective into an adverb.

Unknown said...

As I stated earlier, though, I lovingly embrace my shitty crutches with wide fucking open arms.

Roscoe said...

I disagree!

Many people, yes, DO support themselves on ill-considered swearing to express the moment.

But, that doesn't mean that the words CAN'T be used in a proper context to be TRULY swearing and also meaningful.

In other words, just because you have a hammer, that doesn't mean the screw you just beat into the wall isn't actually a SCREW.

Unknown said...

But that is exactly the point. If you hammer a screw into the wall you are using these things for the incorrect purpose, and thus using the hammer as a crutch because you don't have a screwdriver at your disposal or don't know how to use one.