csalisbury
1.8k
↪Frank Apisa
But I'm asking, how you'd react to the principal saying that. I know that you see the demarcation between vulgar and acceptable as arbitrary. I'm wondering if, knowing all that, you'd still be at least slightly discomfited by the principal's speech.
If it's equivalent to 'These wonderful kids, they've dealt with so many difficulties, but they still made it through' then of course not, right? There's no meaningful difference between the two speeches. — csalisbury
csalisbury
1.8k
↪Frank Apisa
Alright. And now imagine you're talking to friends about the past, about sexual escapades, whatever. And one friend seems to only use 'clean' words, and seems reluctant to use 'vulgar' language. What's the reaction to that? The principal's intelligent; is the friend stupid? — csalisbury
We should not be artificially designating certain words as "bad" and others as "good." — Frank Apisa
Really? So if you were a policeman, or a councillor, what language would you use interviewing a young girl who had been raped?
— Brett
My point is that any "language" should be considered acceptable...and polite. We should not be artificially designating certain words as "bad" and others as "good." — Frank Apisa
csalisbury
1.8k
@Frank ApisaWell *I* can't pick out any word and deem it unacceptable and expect a bunch of others to immediately develop similar intuitions about it. It would just be some weird thing I did. *Who* makes those decisions? You're aware of certain words being 'seen' as bad. its not something I did, of course, because I don't have that power. Who did it?
Ok. Imagine your friend tells you those things and you say it back to him in 'vulgar' language and he's visibly uncomfortable. 'oh you fucked that bitch?' you see your friend seems hurt. What happens next? — csalisbury
Fooloso4
494
↪Frank Apisa
You have a misguided concept of how language actually works. It is intimately tied to norms, practices, and customs.
We should not be artificially designating certain words as "bad" and others as "good." — Frank Apisa
We do not artificially or arbitrarily designating certain words as "bad" and others as "good" any more than we artificially designating certain actions or behaviors as "bad" and others as "good." You may believe that painting a swastika on a synagogue is not bad. After all the symbol was used prior to the Nazis and did not carry that connotation. The fact is though, that now it does.
Words, like other symbols, carry connotations. Their meaning is not neutral until someone arbitrarily designates them good or bad. Words, like customs and norms have a history and change over time. It is not a matter of it being arbitrary as opposed to necessary, but a matter of convention.
I take my shoes off when I enter the home of people who take their shoes off in the house. It's a sign of respect. If I enter a church and I am wearing a hat I will take it off, but if I enter a synagogue and I am not I will put one on. Such practices may seem arbitrary but out of respect that does not prevent me from conforming. In the same way, if I am talking to someone who finds certain words objectionable, out of respect I will not use those words in front of them even though I might use the same words under different circumstances. The use of certain words in certain situations is just ill-mannered. But I suspect you have no regard for good manners either since they go hand in hand. — Fooloso4
I like sushi
1k
↪Brett
↪Frank Apisa
To add to the above, how are we to insult anyone if all words are deemed ‘polite’?
— I like sushi
I guess we cannot. — Frank Apisa
“A member of Parliament to Disraeli: 'Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease.'
That depends, Sir,' said Disraeli, 'whether I embrace your policies or your mistress.” — Frank Apisa
I would not do that.
I am talking about a concept here.
Jesus H. Fucking Christ. Can we have an actual philosophical conversation? — Frank Apisa
I've been having a philosophical conversation with you. But it seems like nothing registers as 'philosophical' until that person either agrees with you or sets you up for some tawdry Oscar-Wilde-clone come back. You can't just sit at the wise-misanthrope home-plate waiting for fastballs down the center. You're neither Kurt Vonnegut nor Mark Twain.
Frank, you're much older than me, and I appreciate your wisdom, but your philosophy sucks. You have some vague problem w/ censorship. I'm sorry W.C. Fields never said 'fuck.' — csalisbury
You have some vague, frankly stupid, ideas about how censorship works. They're not, or at least haven't been so far, interesting. — csalisbury
That's what my post was. Either figure out how to respond interestingly, or keep doing your 'under appreciated golf course oscar wilde' bit for no one. — csalisbury
Why is the word “cuff” just fine, but pronounced backwards, considered offensive? — Frank Apisa
fishfry
607
Why is the word “cuff” just fine, but pronounced backwards, considered offensive? — Frank Apisa
As George Carlin said, you can prick your finger, but you can't finger your prick. — fishfry
I like sushi
1.1k
↪Frank Apisa
It’s beautiful that people can be offended. Without such people where would comedy be?
Those that cling to being offended are after all the givers of Comedy. We feat on their sorry-ass flesh with decadent delight! Praise be the sensitive and frail who bemoan the woes of their circumstances above those of any other.
Such just desserts! Delicious! Yum yum :yum: — I like sushi
I have not even mentioned censorship. — Frank Apisa
Brett
521
I have not even mentioned censorship. — Frank Apisa
You want to ban the idea of offensive words existing, as being offensive. — Brett
I want no such fucking thing...and have never suggested any such fucking thing. — Frank Apisa
It offends me that you think he’s offended! — I like sushi
Or does it mean that society has decided to pick out certain words (sound, actually) and insist that “proper” people not use those words in public?
I think the latter…and I think the notion stinks like an unwashed asshole. — Frank Apisa
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