-
Profanity In Print? Are You F'ing S--ting Me?
-
This New York Times op-ed tries to make the case for printing profanity instead of censored, sanitized terms when they're apropos. Like when a public figure says "the F-word," printing the word instead of "the F-word" or "f--k." Or, in, say, reporting what Riley Cooper said at that Kenny Chesney concert, print the word instead of "the N-word." And there's a point here, and it applies to radio and TV too: EVERYONE knows what words you're hiding. Maybe you don't want to say or write them. I don't. But should they be so taboo? If there's a story about a politician dropping the F-bomb about another politician, should it be an FCC fine for you to say it in the coverage? Moreover, everybody knows the words, INCLUDING KIDS. That ship sailed decades ago. They're just words, and, yes, they coarsen the discourse, but should it be such a violation (or even a legal violation) to utter them? (New York Times)
Have an opinion? Add your comment below.