S*xagenarian Stones still too raunchy for Middle America after 40 years


The Rolling Stones were censored on the Ed Sullivan Show 40 years ago and they were again during the half-time performance at the Super Bowl. Two of their three songs were "bleeped" by the organizers in fear that any sexually explicit lyrics, even after 40 years might corrupt American morals. A few European papers (The Times ) printed the offending words which were apparently too sensitive for American ears even though they have become a bit shop worn in other Anglo-Saxon nations after centuries of heavy use. Mid-western Americans seem to believe that by using euphemisms for traditional anglo-saxon words no one will know that they are actually swearing: "shoot", "frigging", "freaking', "dang". Who are they fooling? Only their precious selves in my view. Let's hope they don't let their kids read Shakespeare who probably had the broadest command of swear words and bawdy of any English speaker alive or dead. I teach my kids all the good English words - anglo-saxon and latinate - and insist on their proper use and appropriate context. There are some words they can't use (in order of sensitivity) in front of their mid-western teachers, others they can't use in front of their Aussie Nanna (who is quite broad-minded and has been known to use a few choice words in her time), and those they shouldn't use in front of their parents on a daily basis. I don't mind the occasional use of the appropriate swear word in the right context but I do object to its hackneyed use (as one hears in the army and on TV on so-called reality programmes). There is nothing worse than boring speech especially when profanities are used to cover up the absence of thought and a good vocabulary. I would much prefer a child of mine who could call someone a "shoothead" (this is a nasty Australian swear word euphemized for American sensibilities) in ten different and creative ways much as as Steve Martin did in the movie Roxanne when someone described his nose as "big".

P.S. sexagenarian comes from the Latin "sexaginta" for sixty and has nothing to do with s*x.

no more

Posted: Mon - February 6, 2006 at 10:38 PM        

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