Why is it necessary? I don't understand. I'm not talking about words like "damn" or "ass." Those are crude but not as offensive as the ones I am thinking of. Since I don't swear, I am not going to start now by saying them. I don't think I really need to.
It takes away from the experience for me when a movie that is otherwise very good, with an interesting plot, a talented cast, and excellent scenery and special effects- think The Departed- is littered with the f-word.
Does it really add that much to the film if there's a lot of swearing in it? In my opinion, absolutely not. I don't understand why a screenwriter would choose to employ them when there are so many other words in the English language?
It takes away from the experience for me when a movie that is otherwise very good, with an interesting plot, a talented cast, and excellent scenery and special effects- think The Departed- is littered with the f-word.
Does it really add that much to the film if there's a lot of swearing in it? In my opinion, absolutely not. I don't understand why a screenwriter would choose to employ them when there are so many other words in the English language?
Real people swear. You may not swear but cops and gangsters swear. That's why there is so much cursing in the Departed.
however lke anything use it well and as said about it adds the character and well basically makes it realistic
It is just letter groupings that emphasize mood, tone, etc... WHY do people choose to waste emotion on letter groupings?
but when it's every character in every scene then it excessive and not because it's swearing but because if you used any word that amount of times in one scene it gets annoying
there are characters in all movies that don't curse
but normal people curse. especially when things are stressful or convoluted and movies aren't usually about quiet walks in the park.
i think if you want there to be no cursing in movies you are setting yourself up for a very sheltered reality.
and i mean if you go and see a movie like the departed how can you expect NOT to hear cursing.
it may disturb your delicate sensitivities to hear fuck but then the screenwriters aren't writing for people like you.
they are writing for normal people who expect a gangster or a policeman or even an average angry person to say, "get the fuck outa here" and not "kindly leave, sir."
And i agree with Amazondebs about the moderation. if you are fighting for your life it's not going to be in moderation. if you want to portray a drunk person you don't show them drinking in moderation. this is why they have MPA guidelines. i mean you have to be of a certain age to see a movie with a lot of cursing and i think by the time you are 16 or 17 you are pretty much ready for the realities of the world. if it still disturbs your sensitivities at that point you really need to get out from under your rock, or just crawl back in and stop complaining.
Most people do swear and it would be ridiculous if Mark Whalberg's character said things like "You piece of poo" intstead of "you piece of shit" It would laughable. I wouldn't be able to take it seriously. There wouldn't have been an Oscar for Scorsese if Marky Mark (sorry, can't resist) didn't run his mouth like that.
But I don't like swearing in comedies. I don't swear to be funny, I'd rather use butt face or something harmless. :D
While a supporter of using less strong language on the debate spot, one may realize that as I debated mac and doc and others on the issue, I slowly lost my drive. Mainly because I abhor censorship in all forms, and I think people should say and act as they please. It may seem hypocritical of me to support less swearing and no censorship at the same time. But my support of the swearing rule was mainly to keep others comfortable and keep an air of formality. After mac pointed out that we can't be afraid of stepping on people's toes all the time, and doc proved that swearing does not always take away from an eloquent debate, I gave up, because inevitably I cannot control what people say and nor do I want to.
As for swearing in movies, WritersMelody, you told me once that it doesn't bother you if I swear around you. Why are movies so much different? Unless it does bother you when I swear around you... Look, I respect that you don't like swearing, but I was just wondering why it bothers you? I've been thinking lately, about what makes these words so taboo, and the only conclusion I can come up with is remnants from history. I believe words have power, but I believe it's people who give them power. I don't believe in words having power over people, and I don't think they should. By that, I mean that (for me) there should never be a word I'm afraid to say.
The difference for me comes from racial slurs. Like Randal from Clerks I would love to "take them back" (but the way Randal goes about doing it is just hilariously offensive and I love him for it). I told you earlier that I support the telling of racist jokes so long as the teller and the tellee doesn't doesn't believe in or propagate the stereotype. Jokes take serious issues and make people laugh, therefore diminishes them. The more we can laugh about a stereotype, the less offensive it becomes. I love it when South Park or some edgy movie tries to do this. (South Park's link and "That Nigger Guy," and once again with Clerks and link.)
What gives racial slurs power is history, and the only thing that can take it away is comedy. Similar things can be said for swear words.
And that's my stance on the issue.
That said, I will agree with you (WritersMelody, that is) and Ratdog both, in the sense that in many films the language is not necessary, while at the same time in many other instances the expletives are used to accurately portray how certain types of people (often cops, crooks and other lowlifes) talk. The line can be a fine one, of course. A film like Back to the Future has a few expletives used for extreme emphasis (and, in one case, an ironic pun), and few people would say that the language there was excessive or unnecessary. On the other end, Midnight Run is justly lampooned pretty universally for using the "f-bomb" as subject, verb, adjective, and pronoun in most sentences (as if Charles Grodin and Robert DeNiro portrayed obscene versions of the smurfs) in the film. It's the subject of drinking games for the hardcore alcoholic set - those who want to get plastered really quick take a shot every time someone says an expletive. The Departed falls somewhere in the middle, perilously close to being ridiculous, but not quite (for me, anyhow) falling over the edge.
But there's a much more obvious reason why expletives are often used in films: they bump the ratings up to an "R", and statistics indicate to the movie studios that R-rated films do better at the box office.
With Cinders I disagree that telling jokes diminishes the power of racial slurs, or perhaps I only agree that jokes incorporating racial slurs diminishes the power of racial slurs for people who are third parties to the racial slurs - that is, those people to whom the slurs aren't directed. I would go so far as to say that that's true of other sorts of insults, too: you could tell me ten thousand jokes (if you could come up with that many) about retard Californians, and it wouldn't make it sting any less if someone called me a retard Californian in earnest, though to a third-party observer who'd observed both the jokes and the insult they might seem indistinguishable. What gives racial or any other kind of slur power is intent, not history.
Edit: But the mention of racial slurs is a bit of digression; it's not clear how that's supposed to connect to "swearing".
And yes. It is absolutely history. These words were common every day words at one time. Any one here know the true reason why they are now considered taboo among English-speakers?
Any one?
Or are you all just choosing to take offense at them because someone told you to?
A Priori arguments hold very little weight with me...
This is a new user - Fanpopping since April 2008
While you & I know this section is meant for articles, it is named 'Soapbox,' which generally indicates a place to rant; short or long.
If the Fanpop Four want articles, then they need to rename this section.
If a filmmaker wants his character to say the "f-word", who are we to say they can't?
It's not like I'm saying Disney movies should curse or anything. But... so long as it's rated accordingly, I don't see the problem.
And I understand that it's offensive, but so do the directors, actors, writers, etc., etc. That's what they meant it to be, right? If it takes awat for one's movie-going expirence, then maybe one just doesn't see it the same way the writer saw it.
Which is fine, I mean, we're all entitled to our opinions. But can we really critize someone for having a different view?
Anyhow, I just think we shouldn't put restictions on art. We can't tell someone "you shouldn't use this word in your movie. It's rude and might offend someone." I mean, the people who have been told these sorts of things in the past have gone on to to groud-breaking things!
It's art. The end. :)
in any way at the back of a dvd box or at the start of a movie they tell u wat typ of things are in it ,
in that casewords are actually just sounds used to comunicate a few bad ones wont kill u
xxxbety boop123xxxxxx
link
If you don't want to hear swearing, I really don't know what to tell you. People swear everywhere, sometimes for no good reason, so it makes sense that it would be in movies and on television. They want the shows and movies to seem as realistic as possible in most cases.
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