I love movies, but I often wonder who killed off all the scriptwriters who could create drama and comedy without using the F-word—like they still do on network TV shows. A few decades ago, the word either shocked or amused audiences, and stimulating emotions was part of the entertainment. Now, it has become boring.
According to Wikipedia, the F-word was used 398 times in the 1995 movie Casino. Okay, we assume mobsters talk that way. What about the 2008 comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno? How many viewers hoped to see some sex, but what they got was the word—219 times. In one scene the main character, who worked in a coffee shop, shouted it repeatedly in front of customers who didn’t bat an eye. Hollywood seems to think everybody talks that way all the time, and moviegoers are believing it.
I admit, the word can be versatile, expressing either joy or sorrow, elation or depression, pain or ecstasy. But that’s the problem. It’s lazy language that often fails to communicate. If a friend sent you a one-sentence text message saying “I got f**ked yesterday,” you wouldn’t know whether to congratulate him or recommend a lawyer.
In real life, the F-bomb is typically used to complain, criticize, or tell someone off. It expresses anger, impatience, hostility, belligerence. It can be rude, crude, and crass. It really doesn’t make us pleasant to be with, help us make friends, make us sound intelligent, win arguments, strengthen our family relationships, get jobs or earn promotions. Myabe saying makes you feel good, but it sounds bad, and makes you look bad.
photo by NeueDeutsche
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