Jane Fonda c-word slip shocks US Middle America is none to pleased with veteran thespiatrix Jane Fonda who yesterday entertained viewers of NBC's Today show with "a four-letter word for female genitalia". Host Meredith Vieira had asked Fonda about her appearence in stage play The Vagina Monologues, which contains a section entitled "Cunt". In her answer, the …
Seriously, in a country that creates some of the most violent films, the most porn, and wages the most war, how is swearing such a bad thing??
It's bloody bonkers - there was something about CSI getting screwed for showing a buttock after 9pm or something, it's fucking ridiculous.
You know what happens when you stop people from seeing/doing things?? You add mystique and glorification to them...
America - the worlds most hypocritical prude...
When I was working in Niddrie, one of the local youths (hired so we got local grants) once used the endearing term "Ya cuntin' cunt" at me. It was used as a compliment, as is the way in the schemes, and he didn't get sacked for it. I suspect he will never find work in broadcasting, which is just as well as no-one could make out most of what he was saying. Mubbers, we salute you.
Weird people, Americans. The said "millions of families" don't get horribly offended when the inbred jackasses shoot their own classmates, they're not shocked when their army inflicts democracy on other countries and when these same families use and discard most of world's irreplacable resources. But one mention of female genitalia, taken out of context and the end is nigh... Does it make them feel better about themselves, does it help them to feel like a superior nation that alone is responsible for preserving the morality in this world?
It's hard being perfect, I know - all these other imperfect people annoy you all the time.
I can't put it any more plainly than that. Seriously, folks, it's fine to go on about protecting the children ("Won't somebody think of the children!") but get a grip. It happens. No need to blow it completely out of proportion, especially since she wasn't even swearing - she was referring to the title of an act!
Cunt cunt cunt cunt.
Errr.... no. I don't feel offended by that. Let me try a bit harder....
Cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt CUNT!!!!!!
Nnnnnnnnnno... I still don't feel offended....
CUNT CUNT Fuck, Bollocks!!!!!!.....
....oh forget it! Look - it's not offensive. It's a word. That's all. It's not a personal attack on someone or some group of people. It's not a sleight on someone's hamster or goldfish. It's just a word. It's not "offensive".
I can't think of a single thing in my life (except maybe personal insults, but even there, I'm not bothered) that I have found "offensive". I would love to know what people actually feel when they say they are "offended". Being offended is very fashionable these days, and it's obviously pretty good because a lot of people seem to go out of their way to feel it, and I wouldn't want to think I was missing out.
If she had used it to refer to someone else and as an offensive remark, I could understand; but she was referring to a part of a play.
I agree the word can be taken to be offensive in any setting (God knows why), but there was an apology - let's all move on!
Why is it the USA is so protective of anything offensive on TV, but they're fine with it absolutely everywhere else? (Where "fine" means that they dislike it, but let it pass)
Paris, because she's offensive to our intelligence
I do hope that the PTC members provide their children with earplugs when they go out into the street...
btw Caprice said the same word on UK TV (I think it was on the appalling GMTV, the most offensive program on terrestrial TV) when she was promoting her role in the same "play", perhaps it's in the actresses contracts that they must say the word on TV at every opportunity.
I've never understood this... cunt and twat mean the same thing... however why is one seen as being the more offensive?
Surely all swear words should be placed in the same category 'offensive'... at the end of the day the offensiveness of a word is simply based upon popular usage.
It's the same with shit and crap... crap is seen as the less offensive version, but they mean the same thing! I don't quite understand the logic or the whole uproar regarding this.
You have to love the Americans. A four letter expletive or an exposed nipple will provoke a shit storm of outrage however rampant capitalist exploitation, erosion of civil liberties, blatant corruption and Orwellian oppression all commited openly and in full public view is willingly accepted.
Wake up America. There is so much wrong with your society and in all honesty four letter words are the least of your problems.
Just mentioned this to a work colleague and apparently a friend of his performed the relevant section of the Vagina Monologues when she was at University. Obviously NBC didn't show clips as (apparently) the 'Cunt' section ends with the audience chanting the c-word at the tops of their voices.
And this is from the same country that brought us 'South Park' and 'Team America: World Police'.
To quote Cartman in the SP movie: "Fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck"
That's better.
Paris, because she's evidently what the Merkins call 'culture'
I'm an American, I find nothing wrong with the word, as a matter of fact I use it quite often, it's a fairly humorous word. The thing is, you have all these prudish up-tight upper class families, who don't beat their children, the sort you see on the Nanny shows, that cringe at the mention of a fart. They're so hoity-toity that even a natural process offends them, it's ridiculously absurd! I actually wished I could've seen the show, would've brought on a good laugh!
To you lucky Brits, don't be too harsh on the Amis, remember we're simple-minded, righteous folk. =P Believe you me, I hate us just as much! :D
...that "millions" of families were upset by the outburst?
Oh, and would someone explain the adverts in the London Underground a few years ago? On one side the escalators were a dozen adverts for "THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES" while on the other side, were a dozen adverts for the DVD release of "PUPPETRY OF THE XXXXX". Since when was "vagina" acceptable and "penis" not?
Bunch of cunts.
I believe you may be right. Vagina Monlogues has, I believe, a section about reclaiming the word "cunt" from its present debased state. The reasoning goes along the lines of "why should a word for a thing that gives so much pleasure be transformed into one of almost universal insult?".
Spleen, I'll point you towards Graham Newton's post up at the top there. The word didn't just 'slip out', it was the title of a part of the play she had worked in, which was the subject of the interview.
Perhaps the network should have reconsidered airing the subject of the 'vagina monologues' at that time in the first place?
I would far rather my kids find legal, non-violent, consenting sex scenes on the web or TV (I really would not see a problem with that) than much of the realy obscene violence Americans take in their stride. In fact, even the A-teams almost cartoon violence which suggests that you can empty a clip of an AK-47 on a truck full of bad guys and nobody gets hurt is more questionable for kids than sex scenes. If the kids are really young, they simply think these grown-ups are behaving in a silly way. If they are old enough to be interested, they will find the stuff anyway, so at least let it be legal, non-violent, consenting sex.
Hypocrisy indeed
HAHAHA!
Its ok to do gods work and torture and shoot brown people in the head, steal their land, money, prospects, and glamorize it on tv with a good 'ol stars and stripes waving in the background, but as soon as you tread on one of their hypocritical taboos, then bam, the inbred tractor driving middle-american army declare it a war.
bunch of cunts (and no im not referring to part of a play or work of art).
What the FUCK?
To be honest, if someone had called someone else a cunt, that's straight up offensive. If they use it, as the title of a play or scene or act or anything else, it's fair use.
Do the people at this stupid "Parenting Company" go to art galleries and try and shut down the nude exhibits? Then again, it was in the U.S. after all and we all know they're complete fools....
Paris - because this article is as foolish as she.
It's irrelevant that it's part of the play. You shouldn't say 'c---' on morning television - I agree that America has a warped attitude towards swearing, but using the word before the watershed goes too far the other way. "It's just a word" is also a warped attitude - nothing is just a word. If "beer" was just a word I would have great difficulty getting what I wanted in a pub. "Beer" carries a meaning, which is "hop-based alcoholic beverage", and "c---" carries a meaning, which is "extremely derogatory reference to woman's genitalia".
Jane Fonda is an intelligent woman and was perfectly capable of speaking around the word, or substituting something. She chose not to.
(In case you're wondering why I self-censor, it's because it's an extremely unpleasant word and I only use extremely unpleasant words when something extremely unpleasant has happened. It's not for any kiddies who might read this, it's for myself - I feel extremely uncomfortable speaking the word out loud, or having it stare back at me from something I wrote, unless there's good reason for it. Besides, overusing a swearword takes away its impact. Since everyone is quoting South Park, there was an episode pointing that out as well a few series ago.)
http://imdb.com/name/nm0005295/ - Trey Parker
http://imdb.com/name/nm0001778/ - Matt Stone
I think you'll find that both of the above are from the United States......not Canada. Perhaps checking your information before spouting off might be a good idea?
Perhaps this is an attempt to pass off someone you find distasteful as Canadian as the reverse of the usual attempts to claim anything popular which is Canadian in origin as "American"
Given that I used to live in Canada I agree with the sentiment that its rather presumptuous of the English speaking world to refer to citizens of the United States as "Americans" given that Canadians, Mexicans etc all count as "Americans" by virtue of the continent they live on.
Though United Statesian doesn't quite roll off the tongue as easily.
He speaks the truth.
I enjoy mocking America as much as the next guy. The thing is every American I've actually met rather than seen on TV has been amongst the most lovely and down to earth people I've had the privilege to meet.
I guess it's the same the world over - there are plenty of sane people out there, but it's the nutters and spanners that end in Big Brother/Government/the Daily Mail letters page.
This particular incident smacks of publicity, and anyone that fell for it and went into wailing/sack cloth and ashes mode should be beaten with a rubber hose. Then removed from the voting lists.
I'm still wondering why my government is so concerned about drug use by baseball players instead of the two wars we're involved with in the Middle East. I don't care if some overpaid player is using growth hormone because it's only a GAME... War on, the other hand, causes DEATH and is a waste of RESOURCES.
Even the illegal wire-tapping litigation is more important than what Jane Fonda said. What I don't understand, is why these people have their t.v.'s on in the first place when it's a given that something offensive is eventually going to rear it's ugly head. Maybe they should just remove their t.v.'s from their homes OR hot-glue the channel changer to one of their religious stations, to be safe. Are they that detached from the role of parent that they can't tell their children, "No t.v.".
I'm reminded of that scene where Larry David casually calls the guy a cunt for having a great poker hand.
Cue shocked faces, a man crying, a request to leave, and the crying man having to take time off sick from work from shock.
Oh America....
You can be fired for saying that over there? I can't work there then, i'd last about 5 minutes.
"If 'beer' was just a word I would have great difficulty getting what I wanted in a pub"
But 'beer' IS just a word. Yes it has meaning. That's what words are for! No point having words if they don't have meaning, except maybe in a comedy sketch.
As for "...extremely derogatory reference to woman's genitalia"
It's only derogatory because you decide that it is. In your own head! As has been pointed out, "cunt" has been somewhat hijacked in the English language, in the same way as "gay" has been hijacked to refer to someone of a homosexual persuasion. As has been pointed out, one of the points of the play is to point this out and to reclaim the word. Check out Germaine Greer's thoughts on this. I'm not holding her up as the bastion of feminist thinking, but she objects strongly to the word "vagina"; derived from the Greek (or is it Latin? - sorry you'll have to check if you're interested) meaning "vessel". I don't want to misquote her, so check for yourself, but it's this meaning of "vagina" that she finds offensive (against her feminist views) and so believes it should not be used. She is on record as saying she much prefers "cunt" as it is a more correct and none-derogatory word.
Respect the cock! And tame the cunt! Tame it! Take it on headfirst with the skills that I will teach you at work and say no! You will not control me! No! You will not take my soul! No! You will not win this game! Because it's a game, guys. You want to think it's not, huh? You want to think it's not? Go back to the schoolyard and you have that crush on big-titted Mary Jane. Respect the cock. You are embedding this thought. I am the one who's in charge. I am the one who says yes! No! Now! Here! Because it's universal, man. It is evolutional. It is anthropological. It is biological. It is animal. We... are... men!
This happens every time TVM is playing somewhere... Some actress comes on a chat show and mentions the title of the section she's in... What is it? Reclaiming the Cunt?
OF COURSE IT'S GOING TO BE SAID! GET USED TO IT OR BLEEP IT OUT!!!
Besides anything else, the people performing in the show are totally desensitised by now, so just live with it and stop being so bloody prude!
Pah!
I love the way Europeans treat sex and profanity, as natural, and not something to be ashamed of. Words are representations of actions or emotions, if I'm angry and yell darn it or whatever equally absurd replacement, I am really yelling fuck anyway. Who decided what words are profane anyway, I missed that meeting, if I had been there, I would have chosen darn it as profane, then everyone would walk around saying fuck.
What kids are watching TV at 9:00am anyway, any child that would know what that word meant anyway would be in school long before 9:00am. Also whoever was letting their kids watch a show about vaginas shouldn’t be too surprised that cunt was said, I mean really, they need to get a life, and let it go. “Well honey a cunt is another word for vagina, but it’s not normally used in conversations, because some people find it offensive.” Wow, that was hard to handle wasn’t it? It’s called parenting, they should try it sometime.
Some of these bodies set up protect us from TV are out of their minds.
In the context of the conversation this word is perfectly acceptable.
The word c*nt, is just a word. It is fine to be angry about it when used an an expletive, but when used in the correct context, as in Jane Fonda's case, then I see no reason to pursue this matter any further.
Personally I think NBC should retract their apology and tell The Parents Television Council to go f*ck themselves.
Peace.
The BBC has a ban on it. I remember listening to Front Row on Radio 4 one evening at about 21:30, and there was a woman artist describing a live art work that involved a woman sitting with her legs open with little clothing, and the artist used the word (sorry, I'm not afraid of the word, I'm just posting through a content screen which may identify the word and take action) to describe aspects of the work, and Mark Lawson nearly tripped over himself with a repremand to the guest and an apology to the listeners.
Laughed, I could have crashed the car!!
I think that there were a number of audience complaints recieved by the BBC.
From the British knee-jerk reactions on here and in "real life" here in the UK, I can testify that you Brits need to stop being such hypocritical cunts yourselves...
I hate to break it to you, but as a Mexican-American Yank living in the UK (8 years now) I can tell you that you folks aren't much better than the Americans vis-à-vis hypocrisy... you've got plenty of your own pedophiles, racists, murderers, wackjobs, and even laugh at the US for things like Puritanism on drink, yet you have your own big problems with binge drinking here in the UK (see any Friday night in the UK, the puddles of vomit!) You even have your own vigilantes whenever a suspected child molester on parole moves into a neighborhood, yet apparently usually end up beating up innocent people...
*rolls eyes* To add to it, need I remind you of how popular white trash culture is here in the UK? (Big Brother, Jeremy Kyle, the Mirror, Bling Bling, etc...)? So from my experience, the only real difference between a Yank and a Limey is the lack of guns... and I've seen that you Brits certainly don't need guns to be vindictive, violent, drunk, uncouth, trash...
I'll get my coat...
Afterall, the Brits have done virtually everything the US has done - torture suspects, violate human rights, censorship, etc. etc. It's typical of people with inferiority problems to constantly put down others that do not seem similarly afflicted.
... as the Romans do? OK. I'm from Madrid and I've always been very careful with the words when speaking with native english speakers. You can't say this. You can't say that... Don't forget!.... In Spain we call names each other all the time and nobody cares, except when driving a car. In a car almost anything can be a casus belli, but that's the exception...
But I've seen so many heated reactions here that I don't know what to think... Hey! What do the Romans do really?
...hasn't learned to use it properly...
Seriously: Overuse in the UK has watered down its delivery impact. Earlier comment regarding the mystifcation is dead on. Perfect example in Euro progressive reverse: in Germany you can wave your hands at someone which means "Fuck You Dumbass!" but give them the finger and they will write down your license plate and call the cops...for a 1500 Euro ticket which I seem to have slippery shoulders enough to avoid. But you know something, I don't do it often but there is nothing like giving someone the middle finger and then the sight of them freaking and gesticulating in their car when I flip them off for being a total dick in traffic.
Mission accomplished.
The problem here is she quoted the Written title of a section of the Vagina Monologues that she was performing.
in that context it was not being used as an expletive at all,
Far from it, and for them to jump on her for its use is a contravention of the 1st amendment.
Maybe i should become a top Bestselling author and name all my books after common swear words, I would shock them on TV when i announce my next best seller is called <deleted for expletives>
<shrug>
Theresa
America has 300m+ citizens. We don't all move in perfect lockstep when some puritan asshole decides that our TV has become too risque, yet again. In fact, it's pretty hard to make 300m people move in lockstep for almost anything.
Yes, the nanny brigade is in full force here, but that doesn't mean we all agree with them. In fact, I'd wager they get even more hate mail than your average American.
Besides, didn't I just read something about how your own UK nanny brigade would prefer if video games not be set in famous London landmarks?
Yes, it is unconscionable for the government, and their quasi-private "concerned parent" groups, to enforce censorship when the vast majority of the American public finds it distasteful and unconstitutional.
So, speaking of that, what's the BBC and ITV's policies? Could I appear on a morning show there and say, "All you cunts who can't take my language should just change the fucking dial." Would there *really* be no fascist nannies in all of the UK, rushing to defend the delicate children?
At least the US *has* a constitution. It'll get sorted out someday.
To perform any work on stage with any degree of competency, you’re going to have to be well acquainted with its entirety. I’m sure the c-word came out in a matter-of-fact way. With a more El Reg-focus, you get the same effect with technical words. What starts off strange, alien, bizarre soon becomes ordinary, mundane. And, as has already been pointed out, that is the whole purpose of that section of the play. In the time between performances, Ms Fonda could well spend a lot of it with cunt on the tip of her tongue.
"Showing bare buttocks on TV - wrong
Making millions in internet porn - that's OK"
Porn Industry Lobbyists: We can't allow the TV-watching masses to get free T&A now, can we? If they want naked flesh they should be PAYING US to see it, not getting it gratis during the half-time show.
"Of course we teach freedom of speech, but say as we say and not what we preach." - Stiff Little Fingers "Can't Say Crap on the Radio".
Words are not the same in the US. Connotations are different. In the UK, the word is a mild expletive. In the US, if I said that to my wife, I'd probably wind up in divorce court. Seriously. There's probably not a judge in the US that wouldn't view it as over the top abuse.
What of it? Is there any reason we should march in lock step with your interpretation of words? Is there any reason you should march in lock step with our usage? I think that for all the hyperbole about it, that it makes a mountain out of a molehill -- Jane Fonda is to the American Left what Ann Coulter is to the American Right. Potty mouths and such, just out to grab headlines.
However, since the FCC deals with infractions like this in $$, you can expect NBC to be mad about it -- her sleazy gain of a few thousand $$ in publicity will cost them in the millions. Well they should squeal.
If you think "that's nuts, you can say what you want on the air". I say bullshit. The airwaves are public property, and subject to legislation about what can and cannot be said. If you don't like the laws, stop your bitching and change them.
Personally, I'm happy about what just happened. There is no conceivable reason that we should have to let our society descend to the lowest common denominator at max speed. A media whore like Jane, with a long, traitorous career of pandering to publicity really deserves a large glass of shut the fuck up. You want to curse, or show body parts, that's what the Internet's for. NBC should have known what they were getting into. The woman is nothing but trash, and the play is just lesbian paedophilic porn.
My advice is, stop getting pompous about it and enjoy the free show. This is unscripted reality TV at its finest. That, and if you're dealing with Yanks, watch out for that particular word. It will get you more than you bargained for.
well.. if you notice, all of the "profane" words are related to genitalia or bodily functions.
We really need to get over this stupid hangup (both brits and ussies, well if I'm not allowed to call them americans then ussie seems to fit the template when you look at those from australia, remember not all of those from the usa are yankees either.. bit like saying someone from the nederlands is from holland!).
I use so called profanity as a kind of verbal dressing to my sentences in order to get across my feelings - "you fucking goat felcher" gets across anger and actually fells better (since you have words to vent your feelings into) than simply saying "you ignoramus".
People need to learn that it's the sentiment behind the words that are important, not the words themselves because words can have their meanings changed, the emotion and the sentiment when used don't.
In my office the 'C' word can only be used on a Friday, a sort of rationing to keep it's Gravitas. I love all the fuss, it's just a shame she didn't have a "Costume Malfuntion" and showed her own at the same time, the GILF lovers would of shown their support for her then (a sort of Karma, Yin Yang thing to balance things out).
BTW Omar, the phrase for "pools of vomit" is affectionately known as "Pavement Pizza" in the 24hour drinking, decriminilised drug using, happy slapping, chav culture, of this once great nation. I dodge them mostly on a Monday morning on my way to work.
@Theresa Jayne Forster: Spot on: it's the distinction between using a word and mentioning the word. One is culpable, the other isn't.
One of the problems, though, is that there is no friendly, cuddly word for that beautiful part of the female body. We blokes have willies, todgers or whatever, but ladies have either a latin anatomical term (scabbard in English) or a term of abuse. (And not 'front bottom', either because that devalues its beauty and amazing function)
So - perhaps a new word is needed as the pet name for the lady's secret bit. Any offers?
(Paris despite the fact that hers isn't secret - far from it)
Not ALL of us Americans agree with what our phustercluck resident in cheif views as his 'policy'
Not ALL of us Americans are puritancal jackasses
Most INTELLIGENT Americans (and yes, there ARE damned few of us) agree that a play is a play and not apersonal attack
Most INTELLIGENT Americans (even the Christian/Spiritual ones) have little or no regard for the Evangelical bastards who spout crap and nonsense.
And YES, we tend to have a hypocritical society. But some of us are trying our damnedest to change it.
ANd Paris gets it becuase... well she is more exciting to most of the dolts who inhabit this country than the War in Darfur, the War on Terror, Gas prices, the mortgage implosion,,,
For Jane Fonda to use any other word to describe that part of the Vagina Monologues would be contrary to the intent of said monologues. The Parents' Council is obvious filled with the same idiots that want to ban anything they find offensive from library and classroom shelves. I'm a US citizan who disagrees with this wholeheartedly. To ban the word only encourages children to find the word 'nawty' and to increase their usage of the Cunt as derogratory. This goes against everything that the Vagina Monologues stand for.
"..a contravention of the 1st amendment" -- apparently, the freedom of speech is now to be invoked to protect an overpaid and overhyped has-been's vulgar references to body parts, as opposed to concepts like ideas and freedoms on the justification that it is in a book or play somewhere. I'm sure I'd get real far using words like that at work, and HR would be real impressed that I read it in a book somewhere. They'll probably even be generous and give me plenty of free time to read that book.
Let me straighten you out here -- there are places where vulgar language is appropriate, and places where it is not. On national TV, by agreement of the people and the FCC, it is not. Even if you read it in a book. They're my airwaves as much as they're yours, and we're all supposed to agree upon what is acceptable. Just try to get the FCC to change their position on that. It ain't likely as they got pushed into that role because people were unhappy with the language on the airwaves. Save the first amendment for when it is not about the interests of vulgarity and stupidity. Don't get on me about how this is an erosion of a basic right -- the erosion began when Janey decided she'd get some free publicity at the expense of the network.
Jane Fonda -- giving a half-million Vietnam Vets a place to spit for over 40 years! It's all freedom of speech! They read about it in a book somewhere, so it must be OK!
PH, because she has a lot more class than that.
people should just get over it, and stop being "offended" by every frigging little thing,..it
slipped out -they apologized, get over it,.. more important things in the
world to be outraged about, than mamby pamby shit like this. These people always
being "offended" by something,.. This from a nation stupid enough to listen to, and totally believe, morons like Rush Limbaugh("Thrash Windbag"), Micheal Savage(and his Cabbage Nation!), Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Howie Carr, and the rest of those douche-bags.
The more people get pissed off at Jane Fonda, the better i like her,..she's
been 'scapegoated' by the Religious Right("relidgiots") for years - i'm tired of hearing about it,..
i love that word,....it's sexy , AND it's powerful..
C U N T !
... 'describes itself as "the nation’s most influential advocacy organisation protecting children against sex, violence, and profanity in entertainment"'
In other words, a bunch of narrow-minded, puritanical, interfering prod-noses who think that anything they don't like is, ipso facto, unacceptable.
The same sort of people who forced the writers of Grey's Anatomy to stop using the medically entirely valid word "vagina" in their stories and replace it with the childish "va-jay-jay"!
What a bunch of cunts!
Isn't the reason the word is seen as derogatory because its used in a derogatory fashion?
Words are symbols to convey thoughts. If this word wasn't seen as derogatory then another word would be used, which by context and usage would be derogatory *because that is the intent of the user*. Should it cease to be offensive, offense will be given in another manner.
Using it as a label for a person is offensive because it implies that the most important part of them (that which gets a mention) is their genitals. Its similar to calling someone a "brain" if they are intelligent, but we tend to value thoughts as being the essence of a person so that is not usually considered offensive.
Don't blame the censors for being "puritanical", blame those who use the words with the intent to abuse and be offensive. I suspect the Monologues are trying to free women from the intended abuse by normalising the word. Many Europeans and non-native English speakers wonder what the fuss is about - the abusive connotations simply don't exist for them as its just a body-part label. That's why medical terms are usually not banned, but slang and swearing is. Its a rather crude (ahem) attempt to change the nature of the conversation, rather than banning some inherently offensive syllables.
I'm not a fan of censorship but there is a time and place for everything. I suspect breakfast radio was not the time for the whole discussion, regardless of the specific wording. Some people just don't want to have to talk about the objectification of women via sex with their seven-year-old daughter over cereals. Some parents think that children have enough trouble without burdening them with the injustices of the world or things they would have difficulty understanding.
There is also a good argument for not having surprising content. Certainly parents can and should switch the radio/tv off if undesirable content is broadcast, but it helps if there is a well-known pattern of content. That's why there is generally a 9pm watershed rather than having porn screened on random schooldays at 4pm. That's on a separate channel, usually with access controls in place. Then everyone knows what to expect and no-ones "rights" are infringed.
I know the US has an odd attitude to sex, given its penchant for violence. When it comes to "thinking of the children". I (as the parent) am the gatekeeper of entertainment. That typically means every electronic media is banned at home unless proved exceptionally beneficial. That removes the burden of censorship from government influenced by lobby groups and involves me in my children's lives. A win for adult "freedom" and a win for the family as well.
"Banish the use of the four-letter-word
Whose meanings are never obscure
The Angles and Saxons, those bawdy old birds
Were vulgar, obscene and impure
But cherish the use of the weak-kneed phrase
That never quite says what you mean
You had better be known for your hypocrite ways
Than vulgar, impure or obscene."
<LENGTHY verses - alluding to (but studiously not mentioning) shit, piss, fart, cunt and fuck - snipped>
"So banish the words the Elizabeth used
When she was a queen on her throne
The modern maid's virtue is easily bruised
By the four-letter words when used all alone
Let your morals be loose as an Alderman's vest
So long as the words that you use are obscure
Today not the DEEDS but the WORDS are the test
Of the vulgar, obscene and impure"
The above was penned by the editor of an American newspaper as a protest against the printing restrictions on certain words.
For Fuck's sake, Middle America. Stop moaning about SUPPOSEDLY "offensive words" and stop your TRULY offensive wars.
Brits: get off your moral High Horses - you have just as rigid restrictions on certain words being broadcast at certain times and you were also part of GWB's "Coallition of The Willing [to Invade a Sovereign Nation and Murder its Populace]".
There are things out there that are a lot more obscene than words can ever be - "cunt" was a perfectly acceptable word for that part of the female anatomy until those filthy French river pirates killed the Saxon King (Alfred) and decreed that all Saxon words were vulgar and French was the only "civilised" language. In due course, "English" reasserted itself but retained a lot of French words and this stupid puritanical distaste for those Saxon words that refer to certain parts of anatomy ("hand" and "foot" were still deemed acceptable) and biological functions.
Now "cunt" (M.E. "cunte", O.N. "kunta", L. "cunnus" - uncertain meaning, possibly "gash" or "slit") is rejected as "a negative connotation" but "vagina" which means "sheath" or "scabbard" (typical Doctors' arrogance, naming a part of the WOMAN's anatomy based on what MEN use it for!) is not a negative connotation. So, calling it (possibly) a "slit" is unacceptable, but effectively calling it "something to stick my cock in" is acceptable.
Funny how "Thou shalt not murder" gets a place in the original Ten Commandments these "Moral" people profess to follow while "don't use profane language" is merely one of the thousands of little laws mentioned elsewhere (along with things like "don't eat pig meat" and other biblical laws the "Moral Few" are quite happy to ignore) - yet they're on their high horse about some woman publically quoting a play that happens to use a word that was once (to the Saxons) no more offensive than "hand" or "foot" while their sons and daughters "do God's work" murdering Muslims.
Murder Muslims - but don't use any "dirty" words while doing it.
"Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say Grace" ("Eve of Destruction", Barry McGuire)
I've never understood how children grow into healthy, balanced individuals on account of not hearing swearing on the telly. They'll pick it up at some stage no matter what you do to protect them - and if they don't, that's worse. Imagine a 16 year-old smiling happily at being called "twat" because he's no clue what the word means.
And for everyone calling Jane Fonda a media whore for saying cunt, go read the fucking Vagina Monologues first.
... several decades ago, the words 'cunt' and 'fuck' were equally taboo. Now it seems, the former is still Very Bad, while the latter hardly raises eyebrows (in fact it seems to be almost obligatory in contemporary action movies, especially if ones name is Eddie Murphy). I'm not quite sure why the difference...
Anyway, considering what the Vagina Monologues was All About, why was anybody surprised when Jane used Word Numero Uno? Why hadn't all those upright horrified parents discreetly changed the channel as soon as the subject of Interesting Bits of Anatomy came up? Does it look different if it has a different name pinned on it?
Talking of which, my suggestion for an alternative euphemism - how about 'pussy'?
OK, I think I'll go and get my coat now - the nice warm furry one
(Paris - because she probably has a nice warm furry coat too. In places, anyway).
"Does it look different if it has a different name pinned on it?"
That lengthy poem I abridged makes that point - you can use any euphemism you like *as often as you like* provided you don't actually use ONE PARTICULAR word for it.
Feel free to rabbit on for hours at a time about pussies, vaginas and the like but, as the poem puts it in the relevant section:
"Beware the affront
Of aping the Saxon
Don't call it a..."
Say "cunt" just once and you've somehow managed to offend the masses in less than a second when three hours of talking about "pussy" has failed to.
Apparently saying it (and other "naughty" Saxon words) is a sign of a "limited vocabulary". Just got to love the IRONY of being told my vocabulary is "limited" by people who consciously CHOOSE NOT TO SAY "certain" words.
Nah, mate, no fucking limits here.
Then they'll turn around and say "using such language is a sign of low intelligence" in the baldest attempt ever to force you to adhere to *their* standards out of a desire to prove to them you are intelligent. Frequently used when there's a large audience so that they can "shame you" in front of others.
The appropriate response in such cases is generally "well, I was going to call you an 'alopecic slubbertigullion with the cognitive abilities of a concussed simian' but I figured you wouldn't understand that so I settled for 'stupid bald cunt', OK?"
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