We hold these truths to be self evident: That all words are created
equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights
among which is the right to life — to simply exist free of harassment;
liberty — the right to be seen and spoken freely and used whenever
deemed desirable. And happiness — the special joy that comes when
they happen to say best what is in one's heart.
That the
four letter words and their friends are especially deserving of attention
and protection. They include but are not limited to the seven of Supreme
Court Fame: fuck, shit, piss, prick, cunt, cocksucker,
and motherfucker. Few other words have their force, directness,
or clarity of meaning.
That for
this reason, these words are deserving of special status as endangered
species; to be treated with respect and their use encouraged in those
circumstances for which they were intended.
That there
is no such thing as "bad" words, only bad usage. No word is "obscene"
by itself. Like all other words, those of the four letter variety should
not be judged as separate entities but in the context in which they
are employed.
That what
is "obscene" is language used not to communicate but to obfuscate, to
cloud our minds, to lie to us and manipulate us to buy useless and destructive
products. What is "obscene" is not these isolated dirty slang words but the
sanitized language of government and the media and the hucksters who
control it: disinformation, sound bytes, weasel words. spinning, puffery,
and a style of speaking characterized by a former President of Yale
as "candid evasion," all of which may be safely subsumed under the rubric
"bullshit."
That respect
for language is respect for our humanity. Honor our words as we would
honor ourselves. Deny none a hearing.
That language
of by and for the people shall not perish from this earth…Fuck
yes!
Do
Your Part!
Give
us your tired, your poor,
your much maligned phrases
Your shop-worn clichés and scabrous puns
Your huddled masses of vile and ill-tempered expressions
Your blasphemies, obscenities, and profanities
Your censored, your edited, your outright banned
Wretched refuse from the editorial cut
Struggling words yearning to breathe free
Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed to us
Encourage
both the use of the four letter words and their protected status as
well as the awareness that they are not to be used frivolously, nor
overused, to the point where their power and meaning is diluted.
Expand
and sophisticate your bawdy vocabulary. Buy the book! There are times
when other sexual expressions and dirty phrases which might serve you better than
those of the four letter variety. Become acquainted with these synonyms.
Use them, saving the more incendiary words for those special moments
when they alone say it best. Context and intent is everything in determining
your choice of curse words.
Help
further the creative use of dirty rude language. Send us your favorite dirty poems, quotes, sayings, sexual phrases and slang expressions and any interesting anecdotes or information concerning
their use. Post them on our Sex
Talk Forum." Join the discussion. Support our work. Buy
the book!
Join
with us in identifying the truly "obscene" use of language. Post examples on the
Sex
Talk Forum. Our panel of experts will pick from among them and help identify the
"obscenity of the week." Make your nomination now! Which politician’s
or huckster’s words are most worthy of the honor?” Join the discussion
under The
Scarlet O.
