“We have no word in English for
this act, which is not either a
long abstraction or an evasive eu-
phemism, and we are constantly
running away from it, or dissolv-
ing into dots, at a passage like
that. He [the author] wanted to
say, ‘This is what one does. In a
simple, ordinary way, one fucks,’
with no sniggering or dirt.”
The testimony was said to have
had a deciding influence on the
trial. *Cue the Law and Order
theme music*
The difficulty with so called
“vulgar” words such as shit and
fuck lie not in the words them-
selves, or indeed even in their
meanings. The difficulty lies in
the context in which they are so
often used. Words such as these
are most often applied as expres-
sions of abuse or insult. Taken
purely from that perspective, the
arguments against such epithets
are somewhat understandable (if
a little hyper-sensitive.)
Now let me throw you a “what if”
scenario. What if these words be-
came part of our normal lexicon,
through publications, television
and film, used not as tools of
abuse but as simple and honest
language describing near-uni-
versal and quite natural acts? I
think as a result we’d be health-
ier people for it. Imagine school
teachers using such honest
language to describe the mating
practices of animals, or lawyers
and judges making use of fuck to
describe acts in which penetra-
tion is an issue. Within a genera-
tion, words such as shit and fuck
would have no more mysterious,
embarrassing vulgarity or shame
than words such as “bicycle” or
“thermometer.”
ture and bodily functions uni-
versal to all members of Homo
sapiens are neither shocking nor
shameful. Cruelty and violence
on the other hand, are most
assuredly both shocking and
shameful.
The query we’re left with dear
reader - and one that only you
can answer for yourself - is where
our priorities truly lie.
When expressions of passionate
emphasis or terms used to de-
scribe intimacy between humans
is treated with more shame than
words that represent suffering
and death... that’s where the real
vulgarity is found, n’est pas?
To put it another way, if we were
to take the embarrassment and
discomfiture we currently feel
for these terms and shift them to
words far more deserving of our
acrimony and taboos, such as
“kill,” or “torture,” then I think
we’d a healthier society for it.
Acts of a consensual, sexual na-
About the Author
Mackenzie Clench is a Copywriter who works with badass
and heart-centered entrepreneurs to help them share their
unique “song” with the world. He is also a social observer
and advocate for women’s rights. He does not, as a rule,
refer to himself in the third person. Unless you’d like him
to. Mackenzie can be contacted via Email or his Website -
www.mackenzieclench.com.
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