What's your take on foul language in books and movies?

[jongibbs]

When I'm reading, there are some swear words (like the 'c' word) which kick my eyes off right the page. On blog posts, if I see that word (or even the less-offensive 'f' word), I stop reading right there. If the 'c' word's in a book or movie, or it feels like every other line of dialogue contains an 'f-ing', there's a better than 50/50 chance of

Comments

[msstacy13]

As you may recall, I was recently rebuked by a seminarian
because the story I was reading to an audience
which included High School girls
had a tastefully written scene about sex in the trunk of a car.
I admitted afterwords that the seminarian was correct;
my reading that story to that audience was inappropriate.

And it does seem dashed absurd that editors
find adverbs more odious than profanity.

And when a character shouts,
"Oh, f^iddlesticks@%&!"
Are we being shown anything, or merely told?

[black_faery]

Completely OT, but every time I see one of your comments on Jon's blog, I keep wanting to read it like a poem... :-)

[msstacy13]

Some people find that annoying,
others enjoy it.

I'm not even sure why I do it.

[temporus]

Yes, you are being shown something. You're shown intensity. Or anger, or frustration or many things. Profanity means something. It's use MEANS something. It shows something about your character when they use it. How they use it and how often use it

[jongibbs]

"I think we can all tell the difference between natural dialog and contrived swearing for shock value."

Indeed we can. Probably because the latter happens so often. :P

[temporus]

Foul language should be necessary. I don't exactly shy away from it in my work, but I do try to think hard about it whenever I can. Do I REALLY need it. Could I give the same impression without needing to drop the f-bomb? Does the story ring true without the inclusion?

Sadly, some people do mistake vulgarity for edginess. On the other hand, I can just as thrown out of a story if the author goes above and beyond to avoid vulgarity. If Bob would have cursed in a situation and you don't have him curse, I'm going to feel disjointed from the character.

Mind you, I'm okay with replacement curses. So if in your story, the f-word is replaced by 'flurg', I'm okay with that, so long as it's clear to me that the usage is pretty obvious, and that people react to that word in much the same way as you might expect the f-bomb in english.

[jongibbs]

'Sadly, some people do mistake vulgarity for edginess.'

Sadly most of them are comedians, or think they are.

You're spot on about using alternate words. Joss Whedon in Firefly and the folks who wrote Battlestar Gallactica did just that with 'rutting' and 'frak'.

[temporus]

I think that works better in a context that isn't supposed to be the real world. Or at least the real now. Use of a made up word in a story set in generally modern times always gives me the same skewed feeling I get when you watch an R rated movie on broadcast TV, and they over dub the curses with words like fudge or fool.

[jongibbs]

They overdubbed a certain line in Die Hard with 'Yippee-Ki-Yay, kimosabe :)

[jongibbs]

Oh yes, it's definitely required on occasion, I just find it offputting, especially when it doesn't seem justified.

[maryjdal]

I watched The Big Lebowski one too many times. I'm desensitized now to the F word. I hate the c word though. But I agree with a lot of the comments. If my character swears, she swears. To avoid that would make her seem less real to me. As for MG and YA literature. I suppose you have to be much more careful. The thing is, if the setting is now can you avoid it entirely? It just feels so mainstream now. But I agree with you last statement. Just because we can, doesn't mean it always fits or is necessary.

[jongibbs]

I've never seen The Big Lebowski. Is that the bowling movie with Jeff Bridges?

[maryjdal]

Yes that is the one.
It's hilarious. I don't know if it required that many F words, but it would definitely be an entirely different movie without them.