my how our standards have changed (contains cursing)

[Listener]

When I was younger, no one thought twice about TV characters saying "G-d damn" on TV, but no one cursed beyond the very occasional "damn", "hell", or "ass".

Now, MTV is bleeping out "G-d" and "whore" but not "damn" in Panic! at the Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies".  On "Jack & Bobby", the epithet "dick" was thrown around with impunity, usually paired with an anti-drug reference.  (It's like, "okay, you can say 'dick', but you have to also stand up and say 'drugs are bad m'kay'.")  Piss and tits are heard more and more.  And on late-prime programs like "Blade the Series" and "Touching Evil" (USA a couple of years ago), there's plenty of "shit".  In fact, it sometimes surprises me how many times they say "shit" on "B:tS".

So G-d is bad, but shit is okay?  Did we learn nothing from It Hits The Fan?

I guess cursing really doesn't bother me, but who are we trying to protect by bleeping G-d and not damn?

That Wikipedia page, btw, makes note of the fact that the first ever "real" curse word on network primetime was on CBS's Chicago Hope, uttered by Mark Harmon, who was pissed off about the way a medical procedure went and said "shit happens".  CBS allowed affiliates to decide whether or not to bleep it.  My local CBS did choose to bleep.  There was a big fuss when the news broke, but once it passed (heh heh... shit passed... heh heh... I'm so juvenile...) no one said anything about it.

[Bennyhana]

I guess cursing really doesn't bother me, but who are we trying to protect by bleeping G-d and not damn?

Religious people who will care if the lord's name is taken in vain.  Really.  It's not because God is bad to the liberal media.  I swear.  And, though I always thought it was dumb, to my knowledge it was always the God and not the damn that they bleeped.


Also, you're hearing swearing on cable more often because they know that the FCC has no jurisdiction over cable and sponsors are being more permissive than they used to be.

[Alice]

I hate that whole "Lord's name in vain" bullshit.

Sorry, taking the Lord's name in vain means that you're doing something in his name that he didn't ordain.  Like a war, or drowning your children.

Saying Jesus Christ isn't taking the Lord's name in vain. 

[Bennyhana]

I hate that whole "Lord's name in vain" bullshit.

Sorry, taking the Lord's name in vain means that you're doing something in his name that he didn't ordain.  Like a war, or drowning your children.

Saying Jesus Christ isn't taking the Lord's name in vain. 

How about Jesus Creeping Shit?

Jesus Motherfucking Mary Christ?

[Alice]

I hate that whole "Lord's name in vain" bullshit.

Sorry, taking the Lord's name in vain means that you're doing something in his name that he didn't ordain.  Like a war, or drowning your children.

Saying Jesus Christ isn't taking the Lord's name in vain. 

How about Jesus Creeping Shit?

Jesus Motherfucking Mary Christ?

None of it.

[Bennyhana]

I hate that whole "Lord's name in vain" bullshit.

Sorry, taking the Lord's name in vain means that you're doing something in his name that he didn't ordain.  Like a war, or drowning your children.

Saying Jesus Christ isn't taking the Lord's name in vain. 

How about Jesus Creeping Shit?

Jesus Motherfucking Mary Christ?

None of it.

Good then.  Looks like I'm not going to hell. 


Anyway, I was just explaining why the bleep out the Goddamn "God" in "God Damn."  I always thought it was ridiculous, too.

[Alice]

No, I know what you were explaining and I totally agree.

I just think it's dumb as hell.

[Bennyhana]

No, I know what you were explaining and I totally agree.

I just think it's dumb as hell.

I just wanted to type "Goddamn 'God' in 'God Damn.'"

[meredith]

It wasn't just running wars in His name, it was also about invoking God in the sense of a asking for a curse upon someone, or casting a spell -- God doesn't take commands from anyone, dammit!  Saying "God damn <noun>" is asking that someone be damned, which is His call, not some pissed off mortal's.  This is one of the possible reasons they believe people call it "cursing" today.

[Gamplayerx]

I remember being shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya!, when as a young lass I was home from school sick one day and was watching All My Children, and someone called Erica Kane "a raging bitch."  First time I'd ever heard that word spoken.

[Bennyhana]

It wasn't just running wars in His name, it was also about invoking God in the sense of a asking for a curse upon someone, or casting a spell -- God doesn't take commands from anyone, dammit!  Saying "God damn <noun>" is asking that someone be damned, which is His call, not some pissed off mortal's.  This is one of the possible reasons they believe people call it "cursing" today.

Well, Fuck.

Hell it is.

[ReBurn]

I think it's funny that they bleep "God" and "Jesus Christ" but they let "bitch" and "ass" through.  Political correctness is slowly but surely undoing western civilization.  Back in the day, if you didn't like something, you had to get the heck over it.  Nowadays people expect the world to change to suit them.

[Jessie]

I think it's funny that they bleep "God" and "Jesus Christ" but they let "bitch" and "ass" through.  Political correctness is slowly but surely undoing western civilization.  Back in the day, if you didn't like something, you had to get the heck over it.  Nowadays people expect the world to change to suit them.

You need to turn in your fundie card for not backing this.