This past Sunday I chowed a $1 Whopper meal with three friends, courtesy of the East Wheelock Cluster. I must offer my admiration and thanks to the powers-that-be who made my stomach tingle with delight that fine evening; however, I was just as shocked as the rest of the milling throng in Brace Commons when it was announced that there were five Whoppers with no special sauce, and five Whoppers ... gulp ... without meat. This idea, naturally was so that peace and harmony could prevail between five lucky vegetarians in the cluster and the rest of us savage flesh-rippers. Common sense tells us, obviously, that a vegetarian is not ever going to show up to an event serving Whoppers. So, given the fact that there was considerably more demand than there was supply, five carnivorous students got to choke down that Whopping special sauce on a bun. Then, when the announcement was made, it began.
"What? What the @%#&!? A *@%!ing Whopper with no &#@ing meat?"
The chorus of low mumbling rose a bit.
"That just plain sucks. @#%!* this, man."
I tried to ignore the gusts of blue air that shot past my ears. Honestly, it was only a burger, and a cheap one at that. I can understand being upset, but over a Whopper? So you didn't show up in time for a burger. Worse things have happened. Does it really warrant the f-word?
It was then that I started to reflect on just how often I find myself taking the four-letter plunge. Sure, there are moments in which I find delight in letting that "sh" sound just slide out. It's exhilarating. I realize that there are times my friends have been astounded at my toilet-mouth. Maybe my parents didn't make use of enough Palmolive when I first learned those familiar strings of phrases. But I've always been conscious of using colorful language when I choose to do so.
What bothers me is the increasing casualness with which such language flows in everyday conversation. Why is it that, when someone slips an off-color word or two in a sentence, it barely ever causes people around him or her to flinch? It seems almost second nature now for some, or even subconscious; once in a while, these things just pop out of people's mouths without the slightest consideration for the weight of the word, to my chagrin.
Is popular culture to blame? In a world of increasing complexity, a postmodern, postindustrial uberworld of information, we are bombarded daily with an array of violent sounds and images. As we come to grips with the harsh realities of this unthinkable universe, the present, the spread of what was once (and still is) regarded as profane language becomes increasingly acceptable. The influence of certain elements in the booming entertainment industry has conditioned us to absorb "foul" language as natural.
Is our intellectual atmosphere at the College to blame? We are asked to respect all cultures, all viewpoints, all modes of expression on our campus. We read and are exposed to modern works of literature, in which "taboo" utterances aid in the deconstruction of traditional patterns of thought and syntax while lending an air of immediacy to the author's voice. We learn to think critically and analytically, approaching language without the baggage of preconceived, restrictive, or prejudicial abstractions like "decency." Such language achieves parity with other levels of speech in the formality of the classroom. So would it be restrictive, or even backward, to ask someone to stop using profanities in a public place?
When you get to the heart of the matter, we're mostly students here. We're young, and, for some of us, the newness of these words, symbolic of the maturity we all discovered in them, is still sparkling fresh from junior high school. We still get a sense of power when we use them, a sense of punctuation; we can employ them to pack a real punch. They help us to relieve stress and deal with our emotions. (How often have you felt completely overwhelmed and just exhaled an expletive at full volume? You felt a lot better, didn't you?) Besides, curse words know no boundaries or limits. You can let one fly, and a complete stranger, taking notice of your spiced-up sigh, just might nod sympathetically.
On the flip-side of the coin, such speech can be a disadvantage, even inflammatory, in some situations. Hopefully you'd watch what you say in a job interview or on a date. I once had a friend that actually was dumped by a girl because she didn't like the manner of speaking he had adopted with his male friends. I would just ask you, the reader, to take a little bit more care that you aren't developing poor habits with your diction -- you came to Dartmouth, most likely, to enhance your capacity for articulate communication. Think before you speak.