Feminism | Posted by Marissa B on 05/15/2010
Swearing
I guess I should tell you (being the reader) about me. I’m not going to say my name and school and age, because then I might as well just give you my social security number and blood type and invite you to steal my identity. So I’ll just talk about my likes and stuff like that. I like music (but I’m bad at finding new bands), I like reading (Harry Potter is my personal bible), I like eating, and I really enjoy swearing. For some reason it always seems to get a point across, and make me feel all around more badass, yet it always seems to get me in trouble.
For example, I’ll be in PE, and drop a 30-pound weight on my foot. Naturally, I scream, “Holy Mother fucking Jesus God, Fuck me in the fucking face, that hurt like a mother fucker.” And for some reason, my PE teacher, and all around hard ass, makes me do pushups. Having absolutely no upper body strength, this action simply makes me want to call him an ass wipe, and yet I can’t.
In another situation, I’ll be talking to my friends, in a completely private conversation, not even meant for parental units or teachers ears, and be talking about one of the hottest guys (in my opinion) in the world, and say, “I would fuck that guy in the face a zillion times, if ever given the opportunity.” (friends can vouch, I do actually say this). And some nosy teacher walking behind me happens to be eaves-dropping (get a life, seriously, eaves-dropping on students?), and gives me a study table (basically a euphemism for detention).
Yet, it doesn’t make sense because I can be in class screaming, “MERDE” (French for shit), “Bloody” (British for fuck), and “Sheisse” (German for shit), and not get in trouble, just because in the English language, those words weren’t considered bad.
I don’t even understand why certain words have such a negative connotation. Just because some nun somewhere suddenly decided that the word “shit” would be a curse word. I mean, she could have just as easily decided that the word “grape” was a swear word, and the word “shit” meant grapes. So then I would be sitting at the kitchen table asking my mom to pass the shits, and getting in trouble for saying grape.
So this is just a big “FUCK YOU” to all the people in the world who decided that certain words in the English language would be forbidden, especially for girls. I, personally, don’t give a shit what you think, and I’ll say whatever the hell I want to say.
(33 votes, average: 4.27 out of 5)
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Morgan @ at 3:38 pm, July 14th, 2009
As an avid swearer I salute you. Generally it is history (and a lot time) that adds negative connotations to words. I don’t see this as reason not to use them.
As a Brit I must say that ‘Bloody’ is not British for fuck. It means the same as it would in America, but some (mainly very old) people see it as a curse word, like ‘damn’. Its really not as offensive as real swear words at least not anymore.
Niamh @ at 10:18 pm, July 15th, 2009
Morgan – I say bloody and I’m 14.
Niamh @ at 10:19 pm, July 15th, 2009
But in the town I lived in, broadband internet was a novelty.
Valerie B. @ at 2:52 pm, May 15th, 2010
My family gets mad at me if I swear, but some male relative can swear all he fucking wants and get away with it. Power to ya, Marissa.
Holly @ at 3:34 pm, May 15th, 2010
If I recall correctly, “shit” (or its ancestors) used to be the equivalent of “feces” and became dirty just because the Normans saw English as the more profane language.
Maren H @ at 3:39 pm, May 15th, 2010
I love this post! You obviously have a happy relationship with irony and sarcasm, and as a fellow teen I appreciate that!
O'Phylia @ at 3:43 pm, May 15th, 2010
As a non-swearer, I salute you my friend :3 Methinks there should be a swearing-non-swearing alliance.
Katherine C. @ at 6:34 pm, May 15th, 2010
I have to say that I don’t understand this thing with swearing. Is it really so empowering to be rude? I have absolutely no opinions on the swearing behavior of other people, but I personally simply cannot see the attraction.
Ashleigh @ at 7:47 pm, May 15th, 2010
You give an entirely different meaning to the phrase “ignorance is bliss”. Grow up.
Ashleigh @ at 7:47 pm, May 15th, 2010
You give an entirely different meaning to the phrase “ignorance is bliss”. Grow up.
Suzie @ at 9:18 pm, May 15th, 2010
I swear, but I try not to do it in public. Honestly think it’s just rude. Passing off behaviors like this as “feminist” or in any way tied to any kind of agenda just damages everyone. I agree with Asleigh – grow up.
Zoe Y. @ at 11:54 pm, May 15th, 2010
I don’t really understand the point or need for this post. We already JUST had a post on swearing (yes, from the opposite perspective) but this just seemed gratuitous. And yes, I’m all for swearing.
Not saying everything on this blog NEEDS to be about feminism but this felt out of place.
KS @ at 11:05 am, May 16th, 2010
A huge swearer myself but I know when to censor my crudity (i.e. public speaking and talking to adults) and I can completely eliminate cursing when talking to friends who feel uncomfortable. I tend to cuss because I feel that it is the most succint way to get my point across.
I know this is a re-post in response to the previous post but part of the reason I started was when I noticed boys casually throwing this word and that word in their conversations when girls would be penalized instantaneously. Some close guy friends used to say that as a girl, I should probably watch my language or that it was unexpected to hear that from a girl. In that aspect, showing them I can be as crude as “boys” if I so chose to was just another feminism-learning environment, in my opinion.
Not that we should cuss out everyone all the time. Again, respecting those who feel uncomfortable is just as important as the point we foul-mouthed ladies are trying to make.
KS
Sarah @ at 11:14 am, May 16th, 2010
Bloody isn’t the least bit ‘British’ for fuck. It’s english for covered in blood. Fuck is the british for fuck.
Sam @ at 11:21 am, May 16th, 2010
British swears are definitely considered bad in English, what the heck do you think we speak over here?
Sarah @ at 11:28 am, May 16th, 2010
I actually did research on a sociolinguistics project dealing with the history of swearing.
Each of the words you complain about has a history – how it came to be considered profanity and the cultural context in which it is or is not offensive.
Further, it’s not as random as you think – there are definitely categories of words that have a greater likelihood of becoming profane. These include scatological (eg. shit), sexual (eg. fuck), and religious (eg. (Quebecois) sacrement).
Beth @ at 4:08 pm, May 16th, 2010
Bloody is NOT British for fuck (I know it’s been said before, but still!) In fact, British isn’t even a language – we speak English! Bloody is the kind of thing 8-year-olds say when they drop something on their foot (at least, most 8-year-olds I know!) So it basically means zilch, it’s just given us one of the best British ’swear’ words to use around gullible American tourists (best way to spend a day in London!) who think ‘Bloody Hell’ and ‘Bollocks’ are SOOO hardcore!
Steph @ at 6:25 am, May 17th, 2010
Please grow up. You don’t sound cool or anything, just like you are trying too hard. Most people swear on a day-to-day basis, but no one makes a song and dance about it.
I know people have said this a zillion times, but “bloody” isn’t a real swear word. There’s a reason it’s allowed in the Harry Potter books. Firstly, “fuck” means to have sex with, bloody just is an allusion to christ’s wounds (like the Shakespearean “Zounds”, sort of). You could say it in a school over here, and a teacher wouldn’t bat an eyelid. People who use it seriously over here are either from East London, and use it casually, are 10 or are just trying too hard to sound quintessentially English.
Furthermore, you don’t seem to undeerstand linguistical history. Swear words start because something is a taboo to mention, like faeces or copulation or references to taking God’s name in vain etc etc. I think you’ll find nuns do not have the power to choose swear words.
People don’t like you swearing not because you’re a girl, but because you sound like you are up-your-own-jacksy because you’ve learnt how to swear in two different languages/ use puerile, vulgar expressions (there’s a whole new British idiom for you !!!)
This really isn’t anything to do with feminism…
Lauren @ at 12:04 pm, May 17th, 2010
FUCK YEAH!!!
typhonatemybaby @ at 1:08 pm, May 17th, 2010
uh guys, i think the Bloody is british for fuck” thing was IRONY.
@Beth: tourist baiting can be damn fun though i must say. kinda like bill grundy vs the sex pistols except playing innocent and pointing out the sights
Mvibes @ at 7:48 pm, May 17th, 2010
I dont think bloody is hardcore, or bollocks. (its in harry potters first book…the one thats probably the MOST PG of the books).
I always assumed they were slang terms that were acceptable for children to say in England (such as dang and shoot are accaptable slang terms for children in the US). Its really quite sad (this back and forth between the US and England citizens. “HAHA stupid americans think everything we say is awsome.” “OO I love his accent! Im going to try and talk with one too.”
But back on topic. Swearing is not a feminst issue….(unless your male siblings can swear and you cant).
There are times for swearing and there are times when it is not acceptable.
P.s I say bloody….not because I think im “hardcore using English slang” but because I think its nicer to say, rather then fuck or damn, when Im upset.
kelly @ at 7:25 pm, June 4th, 2010
This post just made my day.