Cussing on TV

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Peace N. Love, Oct 7, 2015.

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  1. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    Good point. I was just thinking as I saw someone in a retail store cursing up a storm in front of their and my own children how as recently as 60 years ago that would not have been considered classy. :sigh:
     
  2. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    First of all, just because people use strong language or don't live in a house where all of the clothes are neatly pressed and everything in the house is placed just so doesn't mean that we don't have values. I resent any implication otherwise.

    Secondly, I didn't mention The Waltons or The Brady Bunch, which I consider to be different than Father Knows Best. I know there are families like The Waltons. I grew up with them. As for The Brady Bunch, that was kind of a campy, caricature of an American family, but I understand the archetypes in that show.

    Families today are not lacking of values any more than they were in the 1950's.

    Here is where you and I agree.

    I can't stand Two Broke Girls. (I mentioned this in a previous post.) The reason that I don't like it is because the humor is adolescent. It is lazy and not clever. I feel the same way about Two And Half Men. That doesn't mean that I have a problem with explicit sexual content or foul language in television shows. I find Veep, Transparent, and Californication quite entertaining. They are funny and very well-written. But they are on pay cable and streaming services because of their content. You have to seek them out. Yet, it seems that this thread was created because they exist at all.

    The biggest problem that I have with network television right now is that it seems to be only adolescent sitcoms (i.e. Two Broke Girls) or graphic crime dramas (just insert initials and city). It's like they aren't even trying. I tired as I am of The Simpsons and Family Guy, at least I can call those shows clever.
     
  3. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    There is always a problem in relating these kinds of things, because of course nothing is always 100% either all bad or all good. So yes, I certainly take your point that of course not "all" families are lacking in values today. However, I think it's enough in general to arrive at this overall conclusion. And actually, it's not just "my" observation, it's a basic climate out there that family values have trailed off.

    I think it's obvious they are. I mean, most families no longer even sit down and have dinner together, when they're not all on their individual phones and isolated from each other. Parents today are controlled by their kids, not the other way around. Of course there are exceptions to this -- there always are -- but these are not my findings alone.

    Actually, I think that TWO AND A HALF MEN is better written! I don't mind that as much, for some reason. I actually think it's a pretty good show (or WAS -- it went south after Charlie left). I don't mind offbeat stuff here and there... hell, even ALL IN THE FAMILY (one of my favorites of all) went offbeat in 1971.

    I haven't seen any of those shows. I do like CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, though -- if that demonstrates at all that I'm not all about FATHER KNOWS BEST.

    Fair enough.
     
    jriems likes this.
  4. Scott222C

    Scott222C Loner, Rebel & Family Man

    Location:
    here
    Sure. Dream on.

    [​IMG]
     
    LivingForever likes this.
  5. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Well, I don't want to get too far down this "family values" rabbit hole because we can get too far off-topic and into things that the gorts would end up having to remove.

    To a certain extent, we'll have to agree to disagree. There are some things that we've lost over the years, but there are, also, things that we handle head on today that used to be swept under the rug. I think, in the aggregate, it balances out. I know others disagree.

    You may not be as stuffy as I've made you out to be.

    Charlie Sheen and Conchata Ferrell hid a lot of the weaknesses of Two And A Half Men. For me, without Charlie, it is as bad as Two Broke Girls.

    BTW, I know it just went off the air, but Parenthood was a pretty good family show.
     
  6. And often these are the types of people being portrayed on TV and consequently the profanity fits their character like a glove (I'm looking at you Veep!).:agree:
     
    PHILLYQ likes this.
  7. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I suppose a happy medium is the way to go. In some ways it's good to acknowledge some things previously swept under the rug -- but wallowing in the more unpleasant facets of society and human nature, almost exclusively so lately -- I dunno. But at the same time, I can't even watch THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.

    I'm not. And believe me, I sometimes can't believe that I'm talking the way I am here. Just goes to show you that if I'm noticing this pattern, something's gotta be pretty off.
     
  8. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Me, neither, but I understand its charm.

    My son is eleven. Check on me in five years. I might be where you are. :laugh:
     
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  9. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident Thread Starter

    This is true. And ironically perhaps, having started this thread, I just remembered that my favorite line in The Sopranos used the F-word (Tony: "F*&#in' Internet!"), so I am not totally opposed to it.
     
    Vidiot likes this.
  10. jriems

    jriems Audio Ojiisan

    I can also live with it where it's impactful. But Wolf of Wall Street, with 569 F-words? Nope. That's the reason I made it through about 1/2 the movie before giving up on it.
     
  11. progrocker71

    progrocker71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Wolf Of Wall Street didn't phase me. I don't get offended over hearing the f-word. It's a word, it has no power other than what we give it. If it offends you, it's because you've chosen to be offended by it.
     
  12. royzak2000

    royzak2000 Senior Member

    Location:
    London,England
    The words we are talking about are just normal parlance, women use them more than men in my world, a sure sign of rebellion.
    They are so not important, the sooner we let them go the better, it's only thinking they are swear words that makes them so.
     
    Henryflowr likes this.
  13. musicfan37

    musicfan37 Senior Member

    I could do with never hearing a swear word on TV again. I never have liked it.
     
    Steve...O and jriems like this.
  14. Platterpus

    Platterpus Senior Member

    "The Killing" series on AMC had some pretty harsh language and other vulgar innuendos. It was a good series but for prime time, and a non premium channel this series had some explicit subject matter.
     
  15. jriems

    jriems Audio Ojiisan

    Do you have any word or phrase whose overuse bugs the crap out of you? Just curious.
     
  16. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    For myself, I'd say "disappointed" more than offended, per se. In general terms, in everyday life, it's just kind of a letdown.
     
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  17. jriems

    jriems Audio Ojiisan

    Same here. More groan-worthiness to me than righteous indignation, but groan-worthy, indeed.
     
  18. agaraffa

    agaraffa Senior Member

    Are you talking about network TV (non-cable)? i don't really watch any network TV except sports so I don't really know if that's what you're talking about. If it is, I'm pretty shocked that they now allow that. I remember when it was a big deal that they let Hawkeye say bitch on the last episode of M*A*S*H.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2015
  19. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    Lenny Bruce did a brilliant bit on the suppression of the word giving it power. He contended that if everyone went around just saying the offending word over and over, it would lose its potency and hence, its power. I've always been amazed that Bruce was stripped of his cabaret card and jailed for saying things that we see musicians get up on stage and say routinely: "How the *#%# are you, Cleveland?"

    Bruce and Carlin both had a laser-light focus on the power and meaning of language and how it affects society. Two brilliant social satirists.
     
  20. PhilJol

    PhilJol Forum Resident

    I hear the F word on golf fairly often including Tiger Woods saying "G__ D___ F___!" during the 2000 US Open on CBS. A big negative during what is considered to be the greatest display of golf ever in a major tournament (15 stroke victory).
     
  21. progrocker71

    progrocker71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I'm beginning to think I've somehow landed in a Mayberry circa 1960 instead of an online music discussion board. You prudes actually attended rock concerts? :laugh:
     
    Grant, agentalbert, PHILLYQ and 2 others like this.
  22. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I think a big part of Wolf of Wall Street was that this was a story about reprehensible, arrogant, overly-entitled millionaires who acted very badly. So it follows that that's the way they would use language as well.

    More than one expert has said that movies merely reflect what's going on in society. Things don't necessarily get worse because of movies. I would bet there's far worse language on the streets nowadays than there was 50 years ago. Cultural shifts happen over a period of time, and media is just one of many causes.
     
    Grant likes this.
  23. frankfan1

    frankfan1 Some days I feel like Balok

    It's why I quit watching Jon stewart a few years ago. His Daily Show was a half hour of shouting and bleeping.
     
    Karnak likes this.
  24. GLENN

    GLENN Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kingsport,TN, USA
    As an occasional writer I certainly hope words still have meaning and power. To deny them that requires an emotional numbness that I hope to never reach, although sometimes it can be a struggle.
     
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  25. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
    Truly a symptom of elocution deficiency, absent causative mischief or simple deliberative motivation.
     
    jwoverho likes this.
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