In this little corner of the world we call the Western Hemisphere, there are two cultures that largely dominate the population distributions of North and South America. Between the Anglo and Latino cultures of the Americas the vast majority of cultural trends, attitudes, and perceptions are formed. The two primary languages in this region of the world are Spanish and English; each is as diversely spoken as the respective cultures that use them. As with any language and culture, there are certain words or phrases that have been deemed profane or obscene - and which little children and old ladies are forbid from hearing. The way in which profanity is perceived in both cultures is somewhat different, but what is remarkably similar is the degree to which profanity is uttered in everyday life. There is practically no limit to the colorful ways in which you can tell someone to "fuck off". Despite the fact that profanity is largely denigrated as a form of civilized communication, its use in everyday conversation precludes the notion that "bad words" are dead.
The use of profanity and obscenities has been around since man first used his higher brain function to express his feelings in communication. Although man has also developed the mental agility necessary to more accurately describe his surroundings, the use of generic, multi-purpose words to communicate feelings of anger, fear, and uncertainty has never waned. Words in common use today, such as fuck and shit, along with various other expletives, have their foggy etymological origins based in the times of Virgil and even earlier. As is the case today, these expletives were often used as a threat or insult. The phrase "fuck you" is thought to be the shortened form of "I fuck you" or "I fuck you in the ass". This latter was actually used on Egyptian legal documents with the phrase, "As for him who shall disregard it, may he be fucked by a donkey" (there was actually a hieroglyphic that depicted this). These types of insults and threats have been, and currently are, used predominantly by men. It is not uncommon for males in both Anglo and Latin cultures to carry on entire conversations with other men and have practically every other word be an expletive. Profanity has always been one of those things that were used only in crude, casual conversation with people whom you were familiar with. In that sense, profanity has also been looked down upon as the language of the lower classes. However, it is unlikely that a person of either Anglo or Latin descent would utter anything other than "Shit!" or "Mierda!" after a long day at the office and his car wouldn't start.
In order for someone to properly understand the context in which profanity is used, one must also understand how it can be used. It can be argued that the word "fuck" has more uses than nearly any other word in common use. Often heard as a verb ("He fucked her"), a noun ("You are such a fuck"), an interjection ("Fuck! A broken light bulb"), a present participle ("My fucking boss made me work an extra day"), a past participle ("I forgot to do my homework so now my grade is fucked"), and also within words via tmesis (" This is un-fucking-believable"). Each culture also has its own pet uses of this vulgar epithet. In Colombia, a not-so-nice way to tell someone off is to say "Despegala Pues!" (Fuck off!), while in Chile, "Andante a la chucha" does the same thing. "Fuck" has long been used to display anger or frustration with someone, with either a simple "Fuck You!" or in any creative combination of the above mentioned uses. Often, this expletive is used to enhance a statement in order to show greater displeasure or anger. Rather than saying, "It stinks in here", someone who was very displeased might say, "It fucking reeks in here". This type of verbal versatility allows someone to convey a concept or idea without having to employ a large vocabulary.
If "fuck" is considered to be the most potent swear word in current use, then "shit" would have to be a close second. The FCC has it listed right up there with fuck as a definite no-no word and Spanish seems to have a few choice usages as well. Whereas fuck as many different usages and meanings, shit is almost universally used to refer to excrement. Almost universally viewed as worthless, shit is something that is of absolutely no use, has no desirable properties, and which is despised by anyone even remotely civilized. Therefore, one can see the obvious implications for its use as an effective curse. To call someone a "worthless piece of shit" leaves no misunderstanding as to value of that particular individual. "Come mierda" is used in Guatemala to either tell someone to eat shit or describe someone who does. "Me cago en tu madre" is an excellent example of how the Uruguayans have spliced an insult about shit and someone's mother together in a super insult. These types of insults are effective, as are descriptions of objects. A person saying "Ford makes shitty cars" or "That computer is a piece of shit" is essentially transferring the inherently despicable properties of shit onto this new object and making an effective metaphor.
It seems that profanities fall into two major categories; insults and verbal stand-ins. The first category is used differently in Spanish and English speaking cultures. In Latin countries, the majority of very offensive insults are directed at a person's mother. In Panama, "Chucha de tu madre" is an extremely offensive insult towards a person's mother. Likewise, "La puta que te pario" is equally offensive in Argentina. In America, most insults are aimed directly at the person whom they wish to verbally thrash. "Goddamn you", "fuck you", "get fucked", "eat shit and die", and " go fuck yourself", are examples of just a few. This disparity between who gets cursed is in fact the result of whom and what these cultures place the most influence on. In the highly Catholic countries of Latin America, emphasis is placed on the family, the Virgin Mary (as Christ's mother), and motherhood. Because these are the primary items of reverie, it makes sense that for maximum insult, a curse towards ones mother would be the most effective. In contrast, Americans are perceived to be more individualistic, a culture that focuses on individual success and happiness. Everyone looks out for themselves so it makes sense that profanity has evolved to be more potent when focused at an individual. Even the Canadians have been guilty of profane outbursts. In a 1971 meeting in the House of Commons, then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau allegedly told opposing Members of Parliament to "Fuck off". He did not say, "I disagree with you and I wish you to leave me alone", no, he opted for the clearly frustrated/angry outburst of "fuck off". The use of "fuck" may not be viewed as sophisticated or cultured but its use clearly and unquestionably gets the point across.
It matters not from what walk of life you come because people of all social classes have used profanity in moments of pure frustration. Lawyers, janitors, pilots, and housewives are just some of the types of people that may find it easier to swear than eloquently communicate their feelings to another. But what happens when "the powers that be" deem profane language a crude smear in human evolution? The First Amendment protects Americans, yet most Latin countries lack similar laws regarding the preservation of free speech. Regardless, attitudes about profanity are decidedly negative. Schools give detention for students who curse, the Supreme Court often upholds rulings in which a person ambiguously violates the "comfort" of another, and religious institutions insist that cursing is the fastest way to earn a spot in hell. However, none of these things have stopped people from buying tickets to R-rated movies, Chris Rock stand-up comedy shows, or from tuning in when L.A.P.D. Blue became the first television show to have a character deliberately say "shit" in one of his scripted lines. Rappers like Eminem and Xzibit make millions of dollars from being controversial. By controversial, we basically mean they cuss more than they should. In Latin America, attitudes about profanity are somewhat different than they are in America. Many television shows have vulgar language and numerous sex scenes. However, Latinos feel that America's obsession with violence is more of a social threat than a few bad words and sex. This type of disparity of opinion on profanity has allowed for some colorful debates on just how free speech should be.
The prolific use of profanity in everyday conversation has been viewed by many to illustrate the decline of the human race. Their arguments make baseless claims about innocent children, proper English/Spanish, and how vulgarities are the work of the devil. Unfortunately, these people fail to realize that crude language is just as important as more refined dialogue. Often times, venting frustration or anger through the use of an expletive is much more healthy than bottling up your anger or frustration and unleashing your so-called sophistication on an unsuspecting public. Fuck and shit are just the tip of the iceberg because there are numerous other epithets (racial and religious) that can be much more damaging. As society slowly comes to terms with what it means to have truly free speech, we are reminded of Supreme Court Justice John Harlan's words, "One man's vulgarity is another's lyric".
The above work is the opinion of the author,
and not necessarily that of the Prometheus Institute.
