Re: Argument

From: madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)

Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 09:17:27 +0000

>>Get serious. Oops, that might have been Oz slang ;-)
The w-word (as I shall call it) really doesn't mean that much anymore,<<

You must come from some bizarre place I've never visited then.

>>in the same way as the f-word and the c-word have been completely<<

Have they?  So do you call your girlfriend the C-word?  Do you call your mother
the F-Word?  Sure, we've grown used to them in movies that simulate a culture,
but thats not the same as growing used to them everywhere.  Do you call your
boss ''wanker''?  Would you write a letter applying for a job and liberally
spread the various F, C and W words around?  I bet not.

>>devalued over time. Someone is going to have to come up with a new
phrase that *really* offends...<<

If you've got enough personal self-confidence then little ''seriously' offends.
 Greg's use of ''wanker'' didn't seriously offend me, and even if he had
actually called me it I wouldn't have had a broken heart. <g>  I simply felt
that it brought down the tone of what is supposed to be a forum for intelligent
discussion.  I didn't see any harm in pointing this out.

There are ladies present on the list (Carol, for instance) and I'm
old-fashioned enough to have been taught that you don't speak, or write, that
way, particularly in the presence of ladies.  I'm aware that these sort of
values are often misconstrued, ridiculed and ignored in modern day, but the
fact that other people choose to be rude doesn't stop me objecting to it, in my
own opinion, does it?

> If you walked up to me in a pub and called me a wanker I would, without a
> seconds hesitation, smack you right around the head.  Anybody in Britain
would.
Or they'd give you a big hug, cos you're their best mate, and that's
what you call each other wqhen you're bing pleasant, perhaps??<<

The sort of people that call one another ''wanker'' as a friendly term don't
usually do a lot of hugging when they walk into a bar.  But I agree (and DID
make the point in my previous mail) that what is send between FRIENDS at the
pub is, of course, different.  But on a public forum, I personally feel that
words like that are a bit off.  I did also make the point that this was a
personal opinion and that I was well aware I couldn't really force the point.
I was hoping to keep the area clean by appealing simple polite appeal.

>>No longer, I'd have to say. Once upon a time perhaps...<<

Again, I don't know where you live, but certainly anywhere I go, if you call
somebody you don't know a w**ker they are gonna smack you one.

>> it *is* a mild word, compared to f or c... the intimation that
you may enjoy self-pleasure is so minor these days....>>>

It is not a mild word.  It is perhaps very slightly milder than C and F, but
not by *that* far.  And what it *means* has no relevence on how major or minor
it is.  If it did, the "F" word would hardly be an insult, would it?  Neither,
indeed, would the "C" word in many cases.  It is not words meaning, literally,
which makes it a bad swear word.

>>But they're prolly not the same people as use UseNet are they??<<

Even on the serious flames of UseNet people are *often* intelligent enough to
avoid those sort of swear words.  I've certainly not seen anybody else here say
anything really offensive in general debate.
And even if they did, I don't personally see that other peoples bad manners and
rudeness makes it ''alright'' for everyone to act that way, nor for me to
change my upbringing and opinions.  I am, after all, entitled to my opinion.

If nothing else, its an interesting discussion on the nature and different
perspectives of swearing! <grin>

Steve T.

References

Re: Argument
Tim Booth <T.Booth@isu.usyd.edu.au>
Mon, 09 Apr 2001 04:55:09 +0000