The constant use of curse words
When I was walking to the car with my friend today after tennis practice, I heard another car pull up with music that rapped, “You mother fucker, shit, mother fucker.” I’m guessing that was the chorus. I glanced at my friend to see her reaction, but she didn’t seem perturbed by the words at all.
“Yeah…I don’t listen to those songs,” I said.
“You don’t?!” She replied, a note of sarcasm catching her voice.
When I came home and got up to my room, I suddenly heard my mother say, “Shit! The vegetables are ruined!” That got me thinking: it’s kind of sad that even first-generation immigrants say curse words on the smallest things.
I know that curse words are just that–words. Stick and stones can break your bones, but words will never hurt (which is not exactly true). But still, these words are labeled “dirty.” If it’s wrong for children to use them, why is it okay for adults to use them? And why even use them at all?
I had asked a few of my friends before, since a few of them said curse words on a normal basis (fuck, shit, and bitch just seems to pop in there some time). I remember that they said they had gotten used to saying it and sometimes, it’s a way to release anger. I understand the “gotten used to” part. In Chinese, 王八蛋 (wang ba dan) is the major insult that equals to “bastard” (though literally, it means turtle egg). When I’m in China, and sometimes from my parents, I hear it quite often. So I don’t think it’s that big of a deal if someone is called a 王八蛋 (when I was younger, my sister had even called me that, but my mother just asked, “I’m a turtle?”). I feel that American curse words are so much worse, but are they really? I never say it, I never write it, and I don’t like hearing it–might that have something to do with why I think the curse words are so bad? Nevertheless, is name-calling that great of a way to release anger?
Also, I just find it funny how society has created these “dirty” words. They really aren’t dirty until society says they are dirty (just like the middle finger–if you go to China and put up your middle finger, no one will understand that what you’re doing is special). After all, if you say “fuck” in France, they might think you are talking about “le phoque,” a seal.
7 Responses to “The constant use of curse words”
September 19, 2007 at 7:22 pm
The middle finger is most likely known in areas where there’s interaction with the world–if you live in China but you talk with American people, you will know what the middle finger means. Otherwise, you really wouldn’t. I’ve talked to groups of Chinese students and they just give a sideways glance. It’s like the European curse hand motion (or it might just be English). When you make a victory sign but with your palm facing inward, it’s a very offensive motion. I doubt that a majority of Americans know that, much less Asians. I saw celebrity pictures where they had a hand motion like that and with a big smile plastered on their face.
September 21, 2007 at 1:21 am
Maybe it’s just the excitement some people get when they do something that’s labelled as ‘forbidden’ (in this case, dirty language).
It tends to lend a lot more impact when you do something out of the ordinary, and even more so when that something happens to lay on dangerous ground.
I know a few nasty phrases in Chinese, mainly from when I used to listen to my parents argue (they’re divorced now). It can get pretty graphic xp.
September 21, 2007 at 10:58 am
curse words arent that bad…its not how often you say them, its the way you say them. some one could call me a fucking asshole and i would just laugh but if said a different way i could be offended. theyre so common now that they have almost lost effect. thats another reason why new curse words are made up every day. oh and btw…if you say fuck to a french person…they will know what youre talking about, esp if you say it with an american accent…youll prolly get a baguette to the face 
oh and another one…in europe if you stick up your middle finger and your index finger is worse than just the middle finger…yet americans/asians use it to mean peace.
on another note…i watched jay chous new movie last night…the one he starred in/directed/wrote/composed score for….its really good you should watch it! theres lots of piano playing in it and a good love story. the sound track is very good. 不能说的秘密 is its name…or else “Secret” in english! go watch! now!
have you listened to my cd yet?
peace out
EaMo!
September 21, 2007 at 6:29 pm
@Eamo:
Yo, how did you find my website? Just curious. I haven’t had time to watch Chinese movies lately…but I saw (on a forum, I think) that Jay Chou’s movie was good. I saw his Initial D one and his acting was quite bad.
And yeah, I listened to the CD in the summer. I wrote on your wall that the Aladdin song was my favorite…? The Boston song is good too, haha.
September 26, 2007 at 3:29 am
Ah yes, swearing. I hate people who swear for the sake of swearing. I hate people who reply “Is it?” when I tell them “Swearing is illegal; if you swear in front of a police officer, you’ll get fined.” I hate people, especially teenage boys, who use it for cool cred.
September 27, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Swearing is illegal; if you swear in front of a police officer, you’ll get fined.
Is it?
September 18, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Haha, I curse very often (I’m trying to control myself xP) but lots of my classmates never heard me curse surprisingly. I think my friends know I curse but I never realized my classmates never heard me swore until I said a word that they mistook as a curse word (they must of mis-heard me). Still, I find it werid as I been told many times I should stop cursing. My parents get even more angry at me if I curse in Chinese over English. xD
But if I heard someone cursing in public, I would find it rude although I curse in public myself. ^^;; Most people who curse would usually say sorry or excuse themselves if they see people staring at them (besides their friends, I guess). I think the middle finger is actually known world-wide but not as famously as America. I’ve see foreign pictures with them holding up their middle finger.