“I listen with horror to profane swearing. One can not escape it wholly, go where one will; that is to say, as one has to meet diverse associations one is sure to encounter it. Of profanity I have not yet heard one word of defense. It is wholly demoralizing, wholly base, to say nothing of the sacrilege and blasphemy ofttimes associated in the linking of the name of Deity with our perverse expressions.”
– James E. Talmage, 1931
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When I read denunciations of this kind from the past, I can’t help wondering what counted for profanity then. I’m not asking for examples. But I am willing to bet (a little) that some of yesterday’s profanity is today’s PG (or even G) language.
I know you are right Gary. Clearly the standards of public discourse and entertainment have declined. I am sad to say that profane swearing does not horrify me. I merely find it distasteful.
On the other hand, there were certainly questionable language in use all along. President Joseph F. Smith made some negative comments regarding “Arbuckles,” language that must have been coneyed in print since all of Fatty’s films of which I am aware were silent. Truman’s language included “behind the barn” words, and so on. I am astounded when I watch movies I had enjoyed as a youth such as “Goonies” and discover the language that I experienced as a child is inappropriate for my own children.
Very little of the bad language I experience today involves deity. I think the trend setters have gone from not caring for God’s opinion to total disbelief taking the shock value out of such expressions. That is perhaps much sadder than would be their continued use.
Eric,
I have come to believe that the use of the name of Deity in profanity is somewhat regional. I live in Maryland, and on a very regular basis, from a variety of people, hear the name of God taken very casually or as a curse.
Less than five years ago, the school I work at put on a production of a musical version of a popular movie. It included a song whose almost entire lyrics consisted of “OMG,” sung as the full words.
I still wonder if I should have said more at the time, but my perhaps paltry excuse is that I was new, and did not know the school culture very well, and didn’t want to be seen as a troublemaker or a whiner. Now that I am better known and respected, I feel completely confident about being able to have a positive, productive conversation about something like that if it happened on such an egregious level again. I have gained this confidence as my colleagues have found out that I simply don’t like swearing, and out of kindness to me have done their darndest to stop while they are around me.
But my personal theory, come up with when I realized that the OMG song was such a nonissue to many of the other adults in my building, is that this regional/cultural glitch is about the secular Jewish influence around here. Just as Mormons who don’t want to be Mormons anymore sometimes wear sleeveless clothes all the time (or whatever other obvious symbol of rebellion against church standards), once a Jew decides to step away from the religion of their fathers, reverence for the name of deity becomes not just not a thing, but something to be actively rebelled against. To be clear, I have done zero research on this other than to consult my own brain and own experience, but I haven’t seen anything to refute my theory so far, so it must be true, yes?