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IN-DEPTH
May 2015
May 2015
cursing
IN-DEPTH
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One of the most divisive forms of communication, cursing has become language in and of itself. But is cursing an inappropriate and unintelligent vice or is it a language of emotion?
d n a p m u J y l l i B r o t i d E h t p e D By In n o s i r r A e l o c i N r o t Video Edi
# / * $ oh, The benefits of
cursing
ARE THERE ANY? 1. It reduces pain
3. Cursing is more exciting
According to a study led by Richard Stephens of Keele University, 67 college students submerged their hands in ice-cold water. The students who were allowed to curse while submerging their hands were able to endure the cold water for an average of 40 seconds more. Stephens concluded that swearing triggers a fight or flight response, nullifying the link between the fear of pain and the perception of pain.
“The Wire” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” are two critically acclaimed shows. Monika Bednarek, senior lecturer of linguistics at the University of Sydney, analyzed the use of swear words on TV shows. Bednarek found that HBO’s “The Wire” has the most number of obscenities per episode, averaging out at more than 100 per episode. In addition, the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” blasted off 509 obscenities in just 179 minutes.
2. It shows importance
4. It gives people control
Whether it be excitement, anger, surprise, or more, swearing shows how a person is feeling. Swear words are immediately linked to emotions, which most likely has to do with the fact that they are considered “taboo.” They insert a direct emotional component to the conversation. Instead of saying, “this is cool,” an insert of a swear word can immediately emphasize the importance of the statement.
Although swearing may be considered a type of violence, most people can tolerate hearing other people say swear words. Without letting out vent up anger in the form of swear words, some people can resort to physical violence. Swearing is a “punch” in speech, and taking emotions out by using swearing limits the amount of negative physical outcomes.
Dang it! As you look up at the clock, you know you’re going to be late. You have one minute to make it from your locker on the third floor to math class on the first floor, and there’s bound to be a gaggle of dawdling gossipers in the hallway. You slam your locker shut, but it gets caught on your book bag, jamming your locker. Too bad, you have to pick your battles wisely, and making it to math is more important. As you leap from the last step onto the second floor, the bell rings. Shoot! Right as you’re making the turn on the stairs, your calculator goes flying and the batteries scatter all over the stairs. CRAP! Just as you see your math teacher about to close the door at the other end of the hall, you yell out to them, letting them know that despite all the odds, you’re not going to miss the class. You sit down, open your binder, and see nothing but Spanish work. “Oh, $*/#” So what happens next? Does the teacher yell at you for your profane language, or rather do they understand your frustration and anger? Cursing, swearing, cussing, dropping bombs – it’s all the same, a language that expresses emotion and gives depth to a specific set of words, but to some, this aggressive language is offensive and a sign of low intelligence. However, the freedom associated with cursing is what attracts some people to the language. “I absolutely love cursing,” freshman Adam Brig said. “You need to be able to drop a couple of cuss words everyone now and again, I think it’s great. We live in a society
where we can express ourselves through specific words.” Curse words can become a part of a person’s natural diction and give them a sort of placebo effect for stress relief, helping both alleviate pain and gain control of a situation. “I try to handle things calmly,” senior Jen Linsenmeyer said. “Sometimes it’ll just slip out, but a good scream can do the same.” “I understand how people get emotional and caught up in the moment, but it doesn’t excuse it,” social studies teacher Rodney Johnson said. “I’m careful with what I say and how I say it, but sometimes you just gotta say it, put it out there.” Many argue that cursing is a release for anger or pain and that it is no indication of low intelligence, as it expresses emotion rather than eloquent articulation. “People don’t know how to curse, the French do, but we don’t,” religion teacher Joseph Gallen said. “Cursing isn’t unintelligent, but when I hear vulgarities, I hear a representation of a person being uncouth.” However, regardless of what it represents, some just don’t want to hear it. “I’ll curse only when I’m angry, and a lot of times it’s just in my head,” sophomore Caroline Barwick said. “People should keep it on the down low, you sound like you’re just trying to be cool when you say it.” But to some it can be “just as bad as a racial slur or homophobic comment,” Johnson said. The emotions that cursing evokes from those opposed to it are equal to and as passionate as the emotions conveyed by people who use it. No matter how you use it, the taboo of cursing is a language in itself.
Cursing is defended as a freedom of expression and an emotional language. However, expectations to stay “ladylike” or “classy” prevent some women from feeling free to fire f-bombs. “People always say ‘be lady-like’ or ‘act classy.’ I hate it,” Linsemeyer said. Furthermore, words like “trashy” and “unintelligent” appear more when describing women who curse in comparison to men who curse. Of 56 students surveyed, 15 students said that it is not okay for women to curse, which is over 26 percent. In comparison, only five students said it was not okay for men to curse, or 0.09 percent. According to senior Jessica Napoli, “women look bad when they cuss. It’s just trashy.” Instead, Napoli likes to use “cute animal names” instead of aggressive expletives. Keeping women from using profane language is not something that everyone expects, though. “I like a woman who cusses,” Brig said. “Cursing is something that everyone should be allowed to do, and everyone should do it.” While whether cursing is right or wrong is divisive, students agreed that one thing is crucial for cursing: age. “Midde schoolers definitely shouldn’t curse,” Brig said. “It’s disgusting to see middle schoolers curse,” Napoli said. “It’s just not right and it’s evidence of bad parenting.” Cursing is a language free for some, but for others it comes with judgmental eyes and offended ears. Whether it be society telling women to act like a lady or high schoolers asserting a sense of superiority over middle schoolers, cursing is not a language free for all.