I remember sitting on the floor one particular day when I was six years old, reenacting The Hobbit with my Barbies. When the time came for Thorin’s death, Bilbo’s initial reaction was an emotional and a forgiving “oh s—.” I remember my mom swooping in to remind me that the word was only okay for home, not for school; other than that, life went on.
It soon came to my attention, however, that not everyone had such an easy time with “scary” language. While I remained free when I dropped an f-bomb, my friends were grounded.
Having never been particularly inclined to use profanity in a situation where society would find it inappropriate, it’s never been much of an issue for me. However, no matter what your stance on the civility or morality of swearing, we can agree it’s here to stay. Along with rock music and jeans, it’s evolved from vulgar to informal, at least in some circles; it’s the other circles that keep it alive.
Don’t get me wrong; I understand the perspective of the crowd that’s against profanity entirely. It would be easy to view its prevalence as a sign of the end of American civility. But here’s the thing about civility: it’s been collapsing for quite a while now, and as long as there has been civility, people have been concerned about its destruction.
More importantly, there’s a time and a place for profanity. Word choice has no impact on intellect; however, it’s often used as an indicator of intellect. While a teacher swearing in class doesn’t completely derail my learning, it’s rarely necessary. Swearing is best saved for the link during passing periods.
The fact that there are words that exist specifically to not be used is pretty weird, but sometimes they really help to get your message across. It certainly gets people’s attention, and I’ve found it’s a useful tool for emphasis. It’s important to remember that some people are genuinely offended, though, and for now I think it’s best to reserve being offensive for occasions when swearing really makes a difference.