Dawn Is Me

There’s more to George Carlin’s seven dirty words than meets the eye.

Or so you have to deduce from the four page article published in today’s New York Times (registration required).

One inescapable conclusion from this article: if you want your written work to be memorable, pepper it with profanity. Your readers may not remember the plot but they’ll almost certainly remember the swearing.

For the rest of it, I guess having neurscientists and psychologists studying the physiology and the psychology, respectively, of cursing is better than government-funded ketchup studies.

And, in some ways, it’s fun.

Did you know, for example, that these innocuous words used to be considered ultra-nasty swear words: wretch, rascal, scullion, punk, gosh, golly, shucks, meddle (which used to mean to have sex — “Hey, baby, wanna meddle?”)

And then there’s my personal favorite: Jiminy Crickets.

Yes, that’s right. Pinnochio’s little buddy was evidently named after what used to be one of the worst things you could say to somebody.

Shame on you, Walt!

Speaking of those culture wars, I wonder where the Conservative Culture Police were when the TV network executives dreamed up this lovely stuff?

Although I don’t know why I should be looking for them. Given the contempt they’ve always displayed toward women (as typified in their mislabeled “pro-life” stance), it is no wonder that they are silent.

Women will complain about this, of course. Then, they will be labeled as pinko lesbian-feminist man-bashers.

Because everybody knows that real women don’t mind when entertainment industry executives pander to gruesome adolescent fantasies of violence against women.

We’ll be told that it’s “only” a TV show and that we should lighten up and get a life. I mean, it’s obvious, right?

Sponge Bob = serious cultural threat.

Flesh-and-blood live action women getting sliced and diced on prime time television = no big deal.

I’m left wondering if this stupid, dangerous stuff is based on any kind of actual survey research or demographic focus group, or if it’s just based on assumptions made by stupid network executives. I think I’ll have to conduct a survey of Turning Teens …

(And thanks to Mercenary D for the link!)

got to make the mornin’ last …

It’s kind of ironic that those lyrics were written back in the 1960s, when we were all strolling through life in a very laid-back and leisurely fashion compared to the frenetic pace we’ve set for ourselves today.

A friend sent me to listen to this, and I found it completely fascinating. Of course, this may be another case of being late, as I so often am, but this interview with Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slowness is an eye-opener.

Now, I need to go read the book.

In the meantime … deep breaths … relax your muscles … you have all the time you need.