Cuss, curse, obscenity, dirty-word, swearing, the s-word, the f-word, the b-word. Whatever you want to call it! No one on the Internet is safe from obscenities. It's just up to the owner of the site if they so choose to indulge in using them. Obviously if you've gone as far as creating your own site and talking to strangers, you must be of some proper age (I'd say 14-whatever age). But what about the readers that are younger and haven't been exposed to modern language? What about those who don't like the sound some obscenities make or their connotation? They can be used in a crude way but also to add humor. But really... how funny are curse words?
Why do we curse?
- To let off steam
- To get attention
- To appear tougher than we really are
- To be "funny"
- To fit in
- Hey, it's just what we're used to (??)
Ironically this post won't be riddled with curses. Usually when I'm writing a post I have to think long and hard about what I'm going to say before I post it. I know using obscenities can really offend someone but at the same time, it might make someone laugh. You see why I'm struggling to understand this dilemma? Where does the line have to be drawn between too much and too little? How will we, as bloggers, know when we are offending someone or making someone laugh?
Although some may disagree, I find obscenities extremely hilarious. Maybe that's why so much media today is full of them. When they're said in public, no one seems to ever make a big deal out of it. I curse more in real life than I do online but I'm not offended when people use it in their posts. I typically have to restrain myself from using a lot in my reviews, unless a book is actually worth the F-word, of course.
With the help of some well-known and inspiring book bloggers, I'm going to set everyone straight. Cursing is so commonplace in society today that most people aren't offended by it. But does that mean it's okay for people to openly curse on the blogosphere where they know people of all ages will be reading? Well... let's find out together...
Personally I HATE seeing lots of cursing. Especially on social media and movies and tv shows. I'm not a prude, but UGH I just don't like it xD The occasional slip or need to vent makes sense and I'm OK with that, but constant streams of cursing makes me insta-unfollow or less likely to check out the person's blog. I just don't like that negativity surrounding me, ya know?
ReplyDeleteI love where you're coming from Rachel, and I totally understand! I'll definitely keep that in mind :D
DeleteI curse a lot in person, but I try to keep it off my blog as much as possible. I may use a word here and there, but I try to use it rarely. As for what others do on their blog I don't care since I'm an adult, but I do think we all have to aware that there may be younger followers reading the posts.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm the same as you. I curse SOO much in person but you can barely see it on this site and on some of my social medias. That's nice that you're thinking of others :D
DeleteI don't mind cursing in posts, but if it's a curse every other word, then I have a problem. There reaches a point when it goes too far. And even when it isn't excessive, I still tend to not read blogs that have a lot of cursing. Granted, if I think their content is good, I'm not going to abandon their blog just because they swear occasionally, but if it's more swearing than good content, I'm obviously going to unfollow. Also, I personally don't use a lot of swearing in my posts--I used swear words once, but they were asterisked and blacked out (it was in a reactions post for Illuminae) so I don't really know if that counts...? Anyway, I understand if people like to curse, but sometimes it can be extremely unnecessary and it can sometimes be used as filler words, which bothers me. Interesting discussion, Alex!
ReplyDeleteThanks A.J. I don't see constant swearing in most YA book posts but I know there are a lot of us that think hard before we say something on our posts. It's not just swears but also bad-mouthing a book can be used in a crude way where the person writing the crude comment may think that their comment is helping people distinguish between reading the book or not.
DeleteI curse a lot in person, but I never curse online. Weird I know, but I just felt uncomfortable cursing in front of the whole world where I don't really know you guys. What if I offend someone?? When I curse in real life, everyone already knows me so they won't be offended. I could handle curse words in review, sometimes they're funny and I could picture how angry they are when they wrote the review, but too much and it makes me uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteTasya // The Literary Huntress
It's hard to know whether someone is offended when they read something online because, like you said, we don't know them in real life. Well said!
DeleteThis is a really great post, and I love that you got all those opinions! Personally, it doesn't bother me. BUT, I think there's probably a line, too. Just because if a post is 50% curse words, well, you're not really saying much haha. Otherwise, have at it. As long as it isn't directed at an individual or group, and isn't hateful, it absolutely doesn't bother me. Oh, and I usually use them mostly for emphasis. When a book isn't just GOOD, it's the best ------ing book I have ever read ;)
ReplyDeleteI would definitely laugh at that. I can just imagine the person saying the curse word in their review and it makes me go crazy. Thanks for reading Shannon, and I hope this post has been a call to people that are too afraid to share their unpopular opinions as well, not only curse words.
DeleteI am the same as you, I do it more in person than online. But I'm never offended if I see it online, just usually doesn't fit my mood haha
ReplyDeleteGreat post and idea!!
Thanks Eva! I'm glad you're exactly like me :D
DeleteGreat post. I am so used to swearing that it does not bother me at all. I don't know if I use it a lot, but I know I do swear on the blog at times. I haven't really ever thought about it, haha. I just like my blog to be a representation of me and I swear, so I don't pretend otherwise. Hopefully it hasn't put people off :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting! I love that you say your blog is a representation of yourself. Thank you so much for reading :D
DeleteI really don't care about cursing, I don;t find it offensive and like you, most of the time I find it hilarious. (It may be a little annoying if the curse is directed at someone, though). Great post Alex!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! If it's directed at a fellow blogger or an author I'll be really defensive. Thanks for reading :D
DeleteI honestly don't mind cursing either online or in real life. I've gotten used to it in the past few years so I don't usually get offended - most times, it even makes me laugh. However, there should be a line that shouldn't be crossed while cursing. Like, cursing a person directly just to offend or insult them. That's just mean.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I think cursing should never be directed at someone - whether it be spoken or written. I think saying it into the air or to exclaim something is fine, and sometimes hilarious. Thanks for reading and sharing :D
DeleteI totally agree! "How will we, as bloggers, know when we are offending someone or making someone laugh?" << this statement is LIFE. And honestly, as long as it's not derogatory and downright MEAN [insert Taylor Swift gif], I think cussing is fine because we're all mature people here. The bookish community is really friendly, so I think it shouldn't be a problem! I cuss, so.... I'm biased. XD
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Helen! I'm still learning about how people use curses and think it's interested to learn why some people think cursing will lead them to hell, or something of the sorts. YASSS we need that Tay Swift gif, where it at? Thank you so much for reading and commenting :D
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