What makes a word terrible and/or acceptable.

I am not a jokester....just an old man..

 

Respectfully, where's the funny?

 

Could you elaborate?

 

If I wanted a lesson in etymology I would have asked for one.

 

You used the phrase in post #10. I want to know if you understand what the phrase means and asking you if you used the phrase in a positive or negative context. In other words, are you simply unthinkingly parroting something you read or heard, which we all do from time to time, or do you understand the meaning of and correct usage of the phrase. Fair question, no?

 

Since the beginning of radio and television there were many words that people could not use. You could not use the F word or the S word on air. People were censored from using those type of words. In recent times you will see more use of these words being used on TV shows but I have never seen it used by news shows and rarely on networks. Growing up we were always taught that there were many words we could not use. Again all of the curse words and even words that were sexually related. My point was that word censorship is not new. If you try to type certain words here they will get censored by the mods. If you wrote a letter to the editor or advice columnist in the newspaper they could censor your words. If you were being interviewed on TV or radio they would bleep out the foul language.

People are making it seem like this is something new and only the new 'woke" generation is doing it. What I am saying is it has been happening forever.

 

It is a word that is well known and used by many.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wokeism

 

I think it should be obvious that context is everything. That said, there are certain words that are considered generally, as not meant for "polite" conversation. A good example, I think, is the F-word. Can that be used to good effect, in certain circumstances-- absolutely. But most of the time that people reach for this word, is it well chosen? Absolutely not. There are people who just inject this word into their speech, like the word "so," or "like,"-- making it essentially meaningless, except as an advertisement, that the speaker is the type of person who frequently uses that word. Any word, can be overused. F***, usually, is only used gratuitously.


I'm guessing that, like me, you saw the recent program on the history of (U.S.) comedy, particularly the episode about blue language. Since this was focused on stage performances, on entertainment, the argument doesn't translate perfectly to just common conversation-- the element of this, which neither that program, nor your OP, considers, is that the way that a person speaks, and the words he uses, is used by listeners to make judgements about the person. Is the speaker educated/knowledgeable, cultured, even intelligent? What are their standards, and overall disposition, concerning whatever is their subject, and their attitudes & priorities, in life in general? You can say that this "isn't right" but, pragmatically speaking, this is never going to change. Further, it is not simply a matter of people judging others-- those speaking, want to present certain images, give certain impressions of themselves, to their listeners. One's typical mode of expression, however, tends to become an automatic pattern, so that it will continue to project the person's usual persona, even in circumstances when it is not desired, by the person, to show that picture, of what kind of person they are.

 

There is no good use of it. But trying to turn

But do we let a select few spineless work leftists determine what is offensive for everyone. What is offensive about calling an adult trying to sexualize children a form of grooming? Nothing. It’s pointing out a fact. But it’s offensive to call someone something illegal?? To who? Other groomers? The left is defending illegal activity. It’s astounding.

 

Neither saw nor was I aware of that program. I very recently watched, for maybe the seventh or eighth time, Blazing Saddles, which prompted this thread. Many believe it to be one of the funniest movies ever made, and it keeps on gaining adherents to this day. The many issues it skewers are as relevant now, if not more so, than they were 49 years ago when the film was released. I can not imagine that film being shown in a theatre today. .

 

As good a non answer as any, I guess. Somehow, I expected more from you.

 

Not something new, rather a seismic shift. Can you imagine a movie like Blazing Saddles being shown today?

 

Sorry you're disappointed. You'll recover.

 

I look at words being 'cancelled' (not my word for it, but one that is commonly used today) and ask myself if 'we', 'society' are better off with the exclusion of the word from our lexicon. I look at the reason for it being cancelled. And I see that, in some cases, the reasons were just and we are better off without it being used any longer.

 

Yes and far worse. You obviously don't get out much D. Come on.

 

Its just another word for censored. Every generation has censored or restricted use of certain words.

The words change in meaning. A word like "negro" is not used today but was used in the 1960's. ain fact the word "negro" was not necessarily offensive. It depended on the context in which it was used. That word became unacceptable because it was closely connected to the "ni...er" word in sound and use. The "ni..er" word actually started off as a mispronunciation of the word in latin and is the Spanish word for black.

Words come and go because of the unpopular context in which they get attached to. The actual words come and go. Some come back for new context like the word "gay" or still mean a cigarette (***). The word fagot referring to little pieces of wood used to start a fire, now obviously is considered a derogatory word.

Many people use swear words to fill in the gap in their limited vocabulary as a swear word like f..ck or sh..t can have multi-purposes for someone with a limited range of words.

Swearing can be an emotional cue to someone you are upset, identify with them,, are comfortable with them even like them. Profanity in religious codes never provided a specific word if you notice, they provided only the context, i.e., referring to the "Lord's" name in a disrespectful manner. Technically when we say "For God's sake", we are being profane if we say it when we are angry with someone. However no one really thinks its to the same degree of profanity as saying "For fck's sake!".

The point is since homo sapiens have learned to grunt and communicate we have been limiting what words we use in any situation to avoid triggering negative reactions. The degree of profanity or censorship or limitation depends on the extent of negative reaction it can trigger and specifically violence.

References to anything sexual will be offensive to most people regardless of what word you use depending on when, where, how you use it.

So this impression we are more obsessed with censoring words or concerned about correctness today is nothing more than a bias from those of this generation who are not aware of what the actual limitations were in other generations. Present tense tends to cause some people to think their time period is the MOST unique, the MOST violent, the MOST censored, etc.

Every generation feels it is out of control and going down the toilet. Every generation has people shocked at the erosion of morality and predicts the world will end because of this.

Every generation.

The older you get the more you realize it aint new or unique. The younger you are the more likely you think it is new or unique.

Bottom line is that any particular society's moral code is fluid, constantly evolves in shape, meaning, purpose but in the grand scheme of things, the context of our language and the actual actions we perform are what give words their meaning.

Ironically those who try make this specific to liberals or leftists by so doing, engage in the very wokeness they claim liberals or leftists do. All wokeness is, are people who are so convinced their opinions are the right ones, they feel morally superior and so able to put others down and censor their opinions and labe;l them as inferior.

Whether you are right or left you are a homo sapiens. That means we are apes. We are primal creatures who communicate but the bottom line is we engage in the same grunting and facial grimaces we always have.

 

Indeed. Somehow, today's 'censoring' seems to be blamed on the woke left. And those doing the blaming seem to be ignorant of past censorships.

 

You obviously are a man who was never introduced to a rap record and has never been around a black inner city community. You are assuming that white cultural and social norms are the same as black cultural and social norms; or you are just ignoring black cultural and social norms because they don't matter to you. What else could explain your ignorance of the ubiquitous nature of the N-word in the inner city black community?

 

Probably for the same reason that the mods don't allow trump supporters to be referred to as a cult.

 

Well said!

 

Trump supporters, by and large, fit the following definition from wikipedia.

Sociological classifications of religious movements may identify a cult as a social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices,[6] although this is often unclear.[7][8][9] Other researchers present a less-organized picture of cults, saying that they arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices.[10] Groups labelled as "cults" range in size from local groups with a few followers to international organizations with millions of adherents.[11]

 

Oh, I don't know about that. I have worked several canvases for R. L. Polk and various cable companies selling new installs and upgrades on Sangamon St. in Chicago, East St.Louis, Fair Park in Dallas, Desire St. Projects in New Orleans until 9:00 P. M.. Good enough for ya, sonny?

 

Pose that question to the moderators of this forum or any forum.

Many words here are unacceptable.
Racist is a word that can get a post deleted or even an infraction.
Snowflake is another word.
There's probably 100 words or more just on PF alone that are not acceptable.

 

You mean like people calling other people 'wokesters' to people they hate?