What does bad language do to a conversation or movie?

United States
June 18, 2007 3:40pm CST
First, I want to ask you that if you cannot answer this discussion in a polite way, please don't answer at all. I do not see anything that bad language adds to a conversation or a movie. If I hear someone using bad language, it lessens my respect for that person. My aunt always had a very fowl mouth. She asked me one day years ago how I could stub my toe and not say a few "choice words." Well, I told her that those words just weren't in my volcabulary. I don't use them, I do not see one thing it contributes to the conversation. It does not make the stubbed toe hurt any less and in my opinoin. God will make the stubbed toe hurt worse if I were to say a bad word. LOL She was amazed that I never used any "choice words", but I don't see any reason to. I don't think it is a very good reputation to have nor is it a good lesson to teach my children or grandchildren. How about you?
8 people like this
27 responses
• Philippines
19 Jun 07
i do use bad language. why? for lack of a better term to express frustration or anger. but i don't use that as an excuse, it is still foul language after all. my very sincere praise and respect for you mamacathie and all the other people out there who learned not to use these words. as for the kids in my family, i always feed their curiosity by explaining to them the things i say or do. "Yes, these are cuss words and they are bad. Yes, your aunt has bad habits that are not worth emulating." These children are very smart. Hopefully my "open truth" tactic will work.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
19 Jun 07
NICE POST! and I agree...I swear sometimes a great deal actually but like you its for lack of a better way to get out serious anger or frustration etc...and also like you I have ALWAYS explained my "adult" behaviour whether its my mouth, my smoking, drinking booze even drinking coffee to them and they KNOW what is or isnt acceptable for them..
• United States
19 Jun 07
Thanks maictorek for your sweet words. We definitely have to teach our children but they learn so much just by watching and listening to us adults. Thanks for posting.
@gabesmom (1246)
• United States
18 Jun 07
I agree with you. There is really no need to curse or use negative words in a conversation. Using these "bad" words in the media makes our young people think that it is cool to say them. I think that as parents, we should make sure that we refrain from using derogatory terms and vulgar words. Our children should be taught to respect other people of any race, gender, or religion at an early age.
• United States
19 Jun 07
You are right. I wish they had made the tv guardian when my kids were young. I have one now and it bleeps out all those bad words so my grandchildren and even ourselves don't have to listen to them. Thanks for posting.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
19 Jun 07
As much as I say Kudos to you for never getting in the habit..for many of us it is habit...I swear, sometimes A LOT (usually when I'm extremely angered)...it doesnt mean I'm uneducated, it doesnt mean i have no class/morals/couth etc etc Not by any means...fact of the matter is (for me personally), it became a part of who I was many yrs ago when I lived on the streets..it was a part of the life just like watching your back and fighting etc was.....and like I always say, "you can take the kid off the street but you'll never take the street out of the kid".....Ppl who know me know that when I set off with a string of profanity, I MEAN BUSINESS and am not to be reckoned with..Why? Becuase on the street you HAVE TO be hardcore in order to simply survive the damn night..... Now I realize that for some ppl cussing isnt proper...it isnt, even I know that..and because of that I know when its ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT NOT ACCEPTABLE....for example I would NEVER EVER dare swear in front of my mother in law or my ex-in laws....its not appropriate at all...In my own home though, with my friends etc I see no problem with it...Sure its not always nice to hear and yes some of it can be quite foul but I think ppl need to stop and realize that we arent all raised the same for starters...we all come from different worlds and for some of us, swearing, fighting, protecting all you care about at any cost etc etc IS our world ya know..and maybe others dont understand it BUT that doesnt make us any less of a being just because of it.....I swear, and have done/do many things you would probably deem as being unethical, immoral, disrespectful, degrading and so on BUT none of these things make me less classy, less intelligent, less than a parent, less deserving than anyone else...make sense?
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jun 07
Thanks for taking the time to share you opinions.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
19 Jun 07
You go girl! I couldn't say it better, Ravenladyj. I will never understand why people insist on placing labels on anyone that does something they don't approve of. Like you said, the language you choose to use, whether you smoke or not, has nothing to do with your intelligence. I consider myself to be above average in intellect(with an IQ to prove it), so I just wish people would not judge me. You will not find anyone kinder or more considerate than me, but don't cross me because I can come down to anyone's level if need be.
@deeeky (3667)
• Edinburgh, Scotland
18 Jun 07
There are enough words in the dictionary to use for any occasion so there is no need to swear at any time. Peer pressure does come into it as some people thing it is okay to do that kind of words.
2 people like this
• United States
19 Jun 07
You are right. Thanks for your comments.
@natash121 (219)
• Australia
19 Jun 07
I must admit I do swear quite abit. So do alot of my friends, none of these friends have kids, Its pointless asking them to control it cos it just doe nt happen , i do ask them not to use the c word in front of them though. Most kids it just passes straight over their heads, my kids dont swear, without me ever teling them its not nice to do so. In movies as long as its not a kids sho or movie then i agree with having it, its supposed to portray real life.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
19 Jun 07
The fact of the matter, natash, is that even if your kids don't hear these words spoken at home, they will be exposed to them in day-to-day contact with friends at school, etc. You cannot protect them 24/7. This is the real world!
• Australia
20 Jun 07
i know you cant thats why i dont bother telling my friends to stoop swearing. I totally agree wiht you, its exacly what i was saying!!
@peregra (57)
• United States
19 Jun 07
While I agree that using "choice words," as you say, is never necessary, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. Even when I was very religious (no, I am not anymore, though I do consider myself spiritual) I didn't see much harm in it. There are a lot of reasons that I don't think it's really that bad. I just bought a book as a gift to my fiance a few weeks ago called "The Joy of Swearing." It includes a lot of interesting facts about swearing, such as originations of words and how they were used. You might be surprised to learn that a lot of words weren't quite as bad as you might think. Another opinion is that "words are just words." I think this is true. If you think about what every word is made up of, the same is true for "bad language." There is really nothing harmful about a word itself. The way people use them may hurt others, but the same is true for plenty of things in life. Another point is actually chemical. If a person is getting really excited while, for example, playing a video game, they may exclaim using explicit language. Or while fighting or making a point, a person could include words (I'm not saying as an insult or to direct the language towards the person at all) that you would consider "bad language." The truth is, most of the time when using explicit language, a person's adrenaline is already pumping. Saying certain things (much like popping knuckles, laughing, or eating chocolate) can actually release endorphins to your brain (aka happiness). This may not be true for everyone, but for most it probably is.
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
19 Jun 07
"The truth is, most of the time when using explicit language, a person's adrenaline is already pumping. Saying certain things (much like popping knuckles, laughing, or eating chocolate) can actually release endorphins to your brain (aka happiness)." wow, now that is a very interesting point and one I've never even considered before but thinking about it now, it holds a lot of stock to it...
• United States
19 Jun 07
Thanks. I'm glad someone understands. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, just explain a few perspectives. As far as personal preferences, I think it's fine at the right time and place. I don't think it's called for at all while visiting grandparents, babysitting young children, etc. But if it slips, I don't see it as the end of the world.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
19 Jun 07
i totally agree with you... i don't like to use bad language or swear at all and i kind of lose respect of the person if i hear somebody is saying those words... i tend to think those people as uneducated and rude and i definitely don't want to associate a lot with those people... and yes... God doesn't like us to use our mouth to say foul language as well... there is a verse in the Bible that says that we have to guard our mouth and watch out for what we say... otherwise we will hurt people's feelings unneccessarily...
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jun 07
I agree with you and thank you for your sharing. We do have to watch our mouths. That is true, the bad language does offend many people therefore hurting them. Thanks for posting.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
19 Jun 07
There is no need to use foul language or what used to be said in my grandmother's day, language that would make a sailor blush. Those who do so are ignorant and lazy and one can easily substitute a gentler word if one does not know what to use. Perhaps a simple ouch would suffice if someone hit their hand with a hammer. At least, they will get sympathy, whereas the other expression shows you are mad at the hammer and at yourself and you could be bleeding internally for all people care. And when they use these expletives in normal conversation as if they were an adjective is not right. I was taught never to use foul language and we followed the same rule with our sons.
• United States
21 Jun 07
Thank you so much for your comments. You said it so right. Thanks for posting.
@mschiqui (1284)
• Philippines
19 Jun 07
Actually it has nothing to do in a conversation, i t can only teach children to say bad words, but we cannot do anything to it coz it is there sometimes expressions..I guess all we have to do is to really guide our children to what is really right and wrong, and explain further to them why it is so.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
Yes, we have to live the life in front of them and speak as they should speak. If they hear it from someone else, we need to explain it is not right but we cannot make others stop it. Thanks for posting.
@PunkyMcPunk (1477)
• Canada
19 Jun 07
I am guilty..... I use foul language. I am sorry. I guess it started back in highschool because it probably seemed cool to say those things. I got really bad ans swore something ferious. Now I have a son and I DO NOT swear around him and I will correct people that are with me who do so. I will ask them ahead of time that if they are spending time with me and my son not to swear or smoke in my sons vicinity. Most people respect my asking. Some people let one slip and I won't give them trouble but I will whisper in an off hand way "child/ or gabe" and they generally say "oops, sorry". I still ocassionally swear at work although I am making a very good effort of not doing it. The way i figure if I can NOT swear around my son then I don't really need to swear at work right? I ahve listened to myself and though "wow, that was horrible and not at all nice" I really began to think that if I heard someone saying the things in the language that I was using I would think they were disgusting! So now I am really trying to stop this bad language.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jun 07
I am very proud of you. See you realize how you sound and know that you can do better with the language. Just keep on trying to stop. You can do it. I know you can.
@Nardz13 (5055)
• New Zealand
21 Jun 07
Hi Mamacathie. These "choice words" you talk about, are out there big time, in the movies, in books, in conversation and even in our schools among children and students, I know Ive heard it and it sounds so vulgar and yes disrespectful, although I have used these words at one time or another, when I did, I listened to myself and thought that I sounded terrible, so I really try to hold my tongue, I have children too and I dont ever want to hear my children using those foul words. When used in a movie they are there too enhance that scene, part or character, in a conversation its like a first language to some... My dad was a big user of these foul words and so are alot of people, it sounded like this was his first language... We can only do what we can to keep it away from our children, because wether we like it or not, these words exist in our everyday activities, wether it be television, movies, books, schools and public places...
• United States
21 Jun 07
Yes these bad words are all out there in the world but we have to teach our children that they are not right and how to speak without ever using these words. It can be done. Thanks for posting.
• India
19 Jun 07
im very peased to ans ur discussion.first of all the bad word is one of the way to tell or show ur anger.when u cant tell the wrong done by the others people use bad words.but todays trend jst use it for fun.my opinion is that using the bad word is like"digging ur own graveyard".using it people lose their reputation and their control over temper.They must be used in the precise way not in wrong way.it must not hurt others.
• United States
19 Jun 07
Thanks for posting.
@shemah (840)
• Malaysia
19 Jun 07
I have to agree with you. I don't see the reason why people need to curse or swear.. be it during everyday conversations or during arguments. I can't stand people who swear.. i have a pained expression whenever I hear people cursing, swearing even in a joke. I won't go all preachy on them, it's just not the way i choose to converse, is all. Especially when there are kids around too. My son is at the age where he parrots everything that he hears. So I'm lucky that in my household, nobody curses or uses swear words. :)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Thanks you so much. I agree with you. There is no reason for the bad language. Thanks for posting.
@mjsg2468 (44)
• Philippines
19 Jun 07
I totally agree with you. Saying bad words does not do any good to any conversation, it can even harm or hurt someone, knowingly or unknowingly. It is sad that a lot of people use bad words as a form of habit and as a casual way of expressing themselves. I feel uncomfortable whenever I feel people use foul languages and yes it does lessen my respect on them
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
I agree with you. It makes me so uncomfortable and I just want to get away from them. Thanks for posting.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
18 Jun 07
I agree, using some choice words never makes the pain go away. I don't mind a few here and there in a movie, but many movies go way to far. It seems that the producers think the movie will look better if it features the appropriate amount of four letter words. These kind of films become tiring very quick. I admit I say a few bad words from time to time. However, compared to decades ago, I have cleaned up my act pretty well. I think it becomes easier to use these words unknowingly when you spend time around people that use them often. I think it is wise to use caution around the grandkids. They pick up on this stuff so easily.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
I am proud of you that you don't say as many as you used to. Yes, being around those people who say those words make them rub off on you for sure. Thanks for posting.
• United States
18 Jun 07
if one uses it when in conversation with me then the conversation is over for i will walk away if someone cant express them selves without such language i have nothing to say to them
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
I can't bring myself to talk to them either. Thanks for posting.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
18 Jun 07
I cringe everytime someone uses bad language - i have used it in the past when i have been absolutely livid over something or if someone really has gotten up my nose, i have sworn on occasions. I don't like it when others use it in conversations like a general word - i have a few uncles that use the f word quite a bit as if its part of the conversation and it turns me off the conversation LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
Yes, I tend to tune them out completely. Thanks for posting.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
18 Jun 07
I am with you. I don't see anything that bad language adds to a movie or dialog especially for comics. It totally detracts from the point they are trying to get across to someone. Like you, I think it shows disrespect when it's used in conversation.
• United States
19 Jun 07
I think it shows disrespect too. Thanks for posting.
@Sherry12 (2472)
• United States
18 Jun 07
You are so right. I never use "choice words" and I never have. I'm actually offended when someone uses them around me, fortunately not many people do. I totally agree that there is no point in using them. When I get hurt, a loud "ouch!" or even an "ohhhh!" works just as well. It would be interesting to know how those words got started and what people thought they were doing by saying them.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
It would be very interesteing to know how these bad words came to be used. I just don't see any use in them at all. Thanks for posting.
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
18 Jun 07
I can do without bad language in a conversation or in a movie. I'm not saying I've never sad bad words before, but I don't make a habit of it. Very seldom will you hear those type of words coming from my mouth. The word that goes straight through me is GD. I think this word above all words is the most disrespectful.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 07
Right! Thanks for posting.