What happened to class? All we have is crass.

Dovetailing off Joe Kieve's rant about music, I have my own rant.

When did people stop teaching their kids how to behave in public? I have been so many places with my family lately where young men in particular (but not always) think it is socially acceptable to spout off with foul language.

Let me say that I'm no prude and I've used salty language, even around my kids. However, I know that when I'm in public other people might not appreciate that language.

There just seems to be no filter anymore and the "f bomb" is dropped as casually as a gum wrapper. In the past, a staredown would shut many of them up but lately they seem more brazen and uncaring. Confronting them would probably just lead to a physical confrontation, given their already aggressive behavior.

I guess it's just part of a general downward spiral of manhood. Lump it in with not taking your hat off in a building, not holding the door for a woman, shutting up during the national anthem and wearing dirty shirt and jeans to the school "holiday" program.

Sigh...thanks for the rant.

I moved to australia a month before my wife and I can remember sending a text to her saying I've never heard the c word, f word and please said so often said in the same sentence at work in the course of a day. And often by women! 8 years on it still raises my eye brows - especially when it's in what are suppose to be quite professional settings.

I have two young sons.

In a public place, if I hear something objectionable I look at the speaker and say,
"Excuse me, I have two little tape recorders here."

Typically, the speaker is genuinely embarassed.

On rare occasion, when the speaker is obstinant (invariably female) I engage management.
It only continues if we tolerate it. If you're in public with your kids you are the filter.

I suppose the only recourse, failing the the first two approaches is to ask for the check, contact the general manager
and in a clear, firm tone of voice explain why you, and the $xxx.xx you spend weekly will be going elsewhere.

I've even had success with this at hockey games (and I'm not what you would call imposing).

90% of the time - it's related to alcohol consumption.
(The speaker, not me.)

I wholeheartedly agree with Biff. But I blame much of the language problem on television and the movies folks are watching and attending nowadays. Not many years ago you never heard SOB on TV but it's now commonplace on many of the shows we watch. There just seems to be no censoring.

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Originally Posted by Biff Johnson

Dovetailing off Joe Kieve's rant about music, I have my own rant.

When did people stop teaching their kids how to behave in public? I have been so many places with my family lately where young men in particular (but not always) think it is socially acceptable to spout off with foul language.

Let me say that I'm no prude and I've used salty language, even around my kids. However, I know that when I'm in public other people might not appreciate that language.

There just seems to be no filter anymore and the "f bomb" is dropped as casually as a gum wrapper. In the past, a staredown would shut many of them up but lately they seem more brazen and uncaring. Confronting them would probably just lead to a physical confrontation, given their already aggressive behavior.

I guess it's just part of a general downward spiral of manhood. Lump it in with not taking your hat off in a building, not holding the door for a woman, shutting up during the national anthem and wearing dirty shirt and jeans to the school "holiday" program.

Sigh...thanks for the rant.

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its a lack of proper rearing and likely the kid has heard often in his/her house that, to them at least, it becomes a normal way of expressing oneself. the f bomb is a substitute for a lack of vocabulary often. but i rate the f bomb right up there with the word "awesome" and others.

I blame it on television and parents. TV often bleeps the words, but delay just long enough so it leaves no doubt what the person said anyway. Several of the more popular shows the "stars" use a lot of swear words and because the TV depicts them as cool, kids think this is how they can be cool too. And their parents don't tell them that normal people don't talk this way. Cursing is a sure sign of a limited vocabulary. I exercise my right not to hear those words by changing the channel or as others have stating leaving the establishment. I'll have to remember to include telling management why I'm leaving the next time. That is a good idea.

I agree that television and movies has a lot to do with it. I don't let me kids watching hardly any tv because the parents are usually portrayed as buffoons who don't deserve any respect.

My Dad cussed at home, although certain words were never used. I guess I grew up knowing those few choice words were for extreme circumstances. Now they are used commonplace. Despite hearing cussing around the home (usually while working on a car) I knew that when I left the home and was in the general public that language wasn't tolerated.

Yes, alcohol is often involved but frequently it is a group of teenage boys and girls. Funny because my buddies and I used to be a hell-raising bunch and drank quite a bit; but we would have never considered standing in a movie theater line and using the f-word loudly and frequently.

Go to almost any high school, foul language has become commonplace in the halls and in the class rooms.

There used to be a law in my home town against violent and abusive language in public. The police would arrest you and take you to the city jail. Every city, state and the federal government should pass legislation against unacceptable language and enforce it religiously.
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I agree that it is the media, partly to blame. Remember how the eyebrows were raised when Rhett Butler told Scarlett O'Hara that frankly, he didn't give a d***. That stirred up a controversy. Now, anything goes. It is also those of us who are offended sitting quietly and letting it happen (me included) rather than face what might become a bad confrontation. Remember that Desi and Lucy couldn't even say she was pregnant - too suggestive. She was in a "family way".

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Originally Posted by Keith Outten

very city, state and the federal government should pass legislation against unacceptable language and enforce it religiously.

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Please, oh please, tell me you're trolling, Keith... I'm not a fan of younguns spouting colorful language, but laws against it? Would you like me to throw a book or two on the bonfire for you while we're at it?

I tend to agree with Dan. It should be socially unacceptable, but against the law??? This is a very slippery slope.

Part of the increase in public vulgarity is the result of a society that does not understand that there is a need of some formality .Every time I'm in a doctors office and hear a "Bob " or "Mary" called for their appointment and see someone three times the age of the receptionist get up ,I wonder how we got where we are. Heard a country's leader call another country's leader by a knick name in a press conference recently!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keith Outten

Go to almost any high school, foul language has become commonplace in the halls and in the class rooms.

There used to be a law in my home town against violent and abusive language in public. The police would arrest you and take you to the city jail. Every city, state and the federal government should pass legislation against unacceptable language and enforce it religiously.
.

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Keith, there was talk about verbally abuse [I hope that my spelling are correct ] against the older people maybe 2 months ago, simply put, if someone call you a hillbilly then you can get them arrested

The TV networks could certainly influence the studios to make TV shows without profanity. Bleeping out profanity is not a replacement for not using profanity. Almost everyone thinks about the real word when profanity is bleeped out.

Who decides what crass is? What about words spelled differently but pronounced the same or so similarly that you can't tell the difference? What makes people get offended at the f-word but not "frak" from Battlestar Galactica? Is a word not offensive if you don't understand the language it was uttered in? I checked the Bible for unutterable words and came up blank, is there some other moral compass that lists them? I'll have to check the first amendment, I'm sure it lists all of the circa 1776 dirty words like "darn", "dang", and "dagnabbit".

I don't hear much swearing at work or in public, but I don't frequent the high schools so I could be missing it. However, if forced to choose then I'd rather hear a continual string "swear" words than have the kids drinking and raising hell. I'm certainly not advocating the use of such words in public, just a little tolerance and grace towards users of words that some people decide to get offended at and feel they have the right to make others not use them.