In Praise of Profanity
Michael Adams
From Our Blog
Social conventions determine why we use profane language. The deliberate use (or avoidance) of profanity is often a socially conscious decision: self-censorship may be driven by politeness, while profane language may be used to establish a sense of power. The following shortened excerpt from In Praise of Profanity by Michael Adams takes a look at the connotations behind of profanity and analyzes the social drivers behind its usage.
Posted on September 30, 2017
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We adults are careful about swearing around our kids. We don't want bad language to confuse or corrupt or otherwise harm them. As Steven Pinker says in passing while talking about profanity in The Stuff of Thought (2007), 'if some people would rather not explain to their young children what a blow job is, there should be television channels that don't force them to,' and there are. We have every right to be protective of our children even if we don't have a reason.
Posted on August 25, 2016
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Euphemisms, per their definition, are used to soften offensive language. Topics such as death, sex, and bodily functions are often discussed delicately, giving way to statements like, "he passed away," "we're hooking up," or "it's that time of the month."
Posted on August 12, 2016
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