"Bad Words"
Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 7:51 am
Is the idea of having "bad words" in our language which we should all be more hesitant to say or use, a fair concept? From a perspective of their practical usage and meaning, it may seem like a bit of a spectacle when these words often have synonyms we're all perfectly fine with, but It certainly feels intuitive that most of us do hold certain words at a higher standard, regardless, when we tend blurt out them out when we're in pain, anger, or even for shock value.
In more recent times, it feels like a legitimate conversation has been called into question, about what words we're allowed to use publicly. Pewdiepie, the most subscribed person on YouTube, has garnered a lot of controversy after he was caught saying the N-word on a livestream to another player on an online video game. His content is not the type of stuff I'm usually interested in, mostly because I just can't stand 'let's players'. At this point it's pretty cliche to state, but I'd much rather play a game myself than watch someone else play one. But I have been following him since this case erupted because I do feel an urge to defend it, where even a lot of his own community members seem to be coming against him. I think what's far more important than using a word - maybe even more important than it's context - is the intent behind the person using it. I'm not aware of any evidence that the person he was saying it to was even black, or have any reason to think he was using it in such a racially charged or interpersonal way. To me, it's pretty clear that he was just following suit in this oh so popular trend in multiplayer games, and just swearing up a storm out of anger or to trigger a response. It's a pretty toxic problem, but nothing new.
I think it's utterly fascinating how much controversy one single word - pretty much in a vacuum - has gotten. His apology video about the whole ordeal has over 9 million views; If you weren't aware, there was a somewhat relateable situation earlier this year where Bill Maher ironically and jokingly called himself a "housenigga", which even more clearly - had no malicious intent. There wasn't even the hard 'ER' at the end, which is suppose to infer a very different intention. It was rumored that HBO had threatened to drop maher, and basically he was forced to be emotionally butt-fucked by Ice Cube in the consequent episode, which is honestly a bit hard for me to even watch. Unlike the case with Pewdiepie, I feel Maher should have even more leeway because he was a comedian making a joke, and I strongly stand that someone should be allowed to joke about whatever he damn well pleases. I believe Maher should be allowed to use the n-word in a jocular context - and so much worse.
I think some words do naturally obtain power through their history, but I think we're also perpetrating the problem by treating it in such a forbidden, Voldemorte-eqsue way. We're giving power not just to its definition, but the sound of the word itself. A few years back, saying the word "faggot", no matter in what context, is something that would have gotten you banned on many of the online forums I knew. Nowadays, though still in a bit of it's own little corner on places like Youtube, it's fairly common for communities to jokingly throw around the term, and by all my assessment, the word just doesn't have quite the weight it once did. It's one that people have partially defused, and reclaimed for their own purpose.
Anyway, I've gone on a bit too much of a tangent at this point, and approaching that point where there are too many words in the OP for most to actually read through and respond, so what do you think?
In more recent times, it feels like a legitimate conversation has been called into question, about what words we're allowed to use publicly. Pewdiepie, the most subscribed person on YouTube, has garnered a lot of controversy after he was caught saying the N-word on a livestream to another player on an online video game. His content is not the type of stuff I'm usually interested in, mostly because I just can't stand 'let's players'. At this point it's pretty cliche to state, but I'd much rather play a game myself than watch someone else play one. But I have been following him since this case erupted because I do feel an urge to defend it, where even a lot of his own community members seem to be coming against him. I think what's far more important than using a word - maybe even more important than it's context - is the intent behind the person using it. I'm not aware of any evidence that the person he was saying it to was even black, or have any reason to think he was using it in such a racially charged or interpersonal way. To me, it's pretty clear that he was just following suit in this oh so popular trend in multiplayer games, and just swearing up a storm out of anger or to trigger a response. It's a pretty toxic problem, but nothing new.
I think it's utterly fascinating how much controversy one single word - pretty much in a vacuum - has gotten. His apology video about the whole ordeal has over 9 million views; If you weren't aware, there was a somewhat relateable situation earlier this year where Bill Maher ironically and jokingly called himself a "housenigga", which even more clearly - had no malicious intent. There wasn't even the hard 'ER' at the end, which is suppose to infer a very different intention. It was rumored that HBO had threatened to drop maher, and basically he was forced to be emotionally butt-fucked by Ice Cube in the consequent episode, which is honestly a bit hard for me to even watch. Unlike the case with Pewdiepie, I feel Maher should have even more leeway because he was a comedian making a joke, and I strongly stand that someone should be allowed to joke about whatever he damn well pleases. I believe Maher should be allowed to use the n-word in a jocular context - and so much worse.
I think some words do naturally obtain power through their history, but I think we're also perpetrating the problem by treating it in such a forbidden, Voldemorte-eqsue way. We're giving power not just to its definition, but the sound of the word itself. A few years back, saying the word "faggot", no matter in what context, is something that would have gotten you banned on many of the online forums I knew. Nowadays, though still in a bit of it's own little corner on places like Youtube, it's fairly common for communities to jokingly throw around the term, and by all my assessment, the word just doesn't have quite the weight it once did. It's one that people have partially defused, and reclaimed for their own purpose.
Anyway, I've gone on a bit too much of a tangent at this point, and approaching that point where there are too many words in the OP for most to actually read through and respond, so what do you think?