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Swearing in TV

AntonyF

AntonyF

Administrator
Staff member
I didn't think I'd ever post something like *this*. But does anyone else find swearing in TV contrived and unecessary?

I'm not talking about the odd bastard or piss, which is fine. But more the likes of Odyssey 5 and Dead Like Me (thus I assume most SHO shows) which have to punctuate multiple sentences with 'fuck' for no apparant reason.

I think it's a TV thing. In film it doesn't bother me at all. But in TV it feels wrong as I'm not used to it.

But really, having watched every other TV programme without swearing, then coming to the likes of Dead Like Me... it seems just so not needed. Other shows can get away without using it, so shows like DLM just seem to be saying: "Look mummy, I'm swearing. I can do it so I will!"
 
I treat my favorite TV like mini-movies, especially since I don't watch commercials, so I don't see a reason to hold different standards between them. Especially since a lot of directors are straddling across both mediums, TV shows are being shot in widescreen, etc. The lines are blurring.

People swear in real life. A lot. I see nothing wrong with it on TV.
 
I agree! Sometimes it seems that they over do it because they can. I have no problem with swearing as long as it belongs in the story. I think the only restriction they should have is playing more mature things later at night. ;)
 
Well, I'm not saying what I'm thinking is logical... I don't understand it. :D

Maybe it's the frequency. If it feels right, fine. But I just feel like they're a little kid trying to get their parents' attention.
 
Maybe. Then again, I acknowledge that I'm an immature dufus and I like hearing cussing.

People feel that Tarantino movies also have too much swearing. But I think it's f***ing funny.
 
I think that people swear a lot in life, so having it on TV doesn't make it seem wrong or out of place.

HOWEVER - I agree that in MANY situations where people swear on TV or movies, it looks forced -- like its just there to be in there. Its rare where I see situations where swearing on TV or movies seems actually natural or believable.
 
I'm with Recoil on this one. It isn't the swearing itself that gets me it is the delivery or even perhaps how it is written that bothers me. If it doesn't sound right or natural, it bugs me.

I found the swearing in O5 off somehow and felt they were doing it just because they could. However, in DLM it sounds more natural and even funny at times. ;)
 
Well, most uses of f*** are bleeped, as well as others.Sometimes it is just a waste, but in the case of South Park, it's quite funny.

I really don't care too much.
 
Swearing in TV is a good idea. I've always thought that TV should be sworn in. Then maybe it wouldn't lie so much. Or, at least then it could be prosecuted for lying under oath. ;)
 
South Park the movie ruled... and is firm proof I don't have anything against swearing in general. Shut your fucking face uncle fucker! :D :devil:
 
haha i love the part where they installed the electrochip in the kid´s brain :LOL: What´s funny is that if it really existed, i´m sure hundreds of moms would use it!


As for the original topic, i don´t mind if its a show supposed to be realistic, Jeremiah is the perfect example.
 
There is actually an episode of South Park where they made a really big deal about saying the word "shit". Even though South Park is on cable, it's still on commercial TV - so the most offensive they tend to get is saying "asshole".

But Comedy Central went ahead and crossed the invisible line. The irony of it was that they used it something like a hundred and fifty times and actually had a counter on the screen. Equal parts comedic value and envelope-pushing. And fucking brilliant.
 
I was watching Tom Green the other night on MTV, and was amazed when he was interviewing this guy, and they were saying "Shit". And they weren't bleeping it out either. So is it becoming more acceptable on television? Is it slowly becoming a more acceptable word past the censors?

Rommie ;)
 
Maybe. Then again, I acknowledge that I'm an immature dufus and I like hearing cussing.

People feel that Tarantino movies also have too much swearing. But I think it's f***ing funny.
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It depends on how over used it is. For me, at least. Let's face it "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" is simply a great line in Gone With the Wind. After seeing what he has been through throughout this long movie, it really is a perfect line for that moment in time. At the time it was a word that IIRC only barely made it past the censors.

Stand up comedians sometimes use words like "F***" just to get a laugh. I don't find it funny, I find the word much better when used in a context of anger, quite frankly.

I guess it's all just a matter of personal taste. But I actually just stop watching shows with too much unemphasized cursing. Like all writing, it can be applied well or applied terribly.
 
Well, Tom Green is on later and it's mtv. I'm pretty sure I've heard shit on Jackass aswell. Now that's a funny show!
 
As for "shit" becoming more and more prevalent on TV, we in the US cn look no farther than the FX Network. A few yers ago, it was just another cable network, but their original programming (The Shield, Lucky, Nip/Tuck) with breasts, revealing sex scenes, and the prodigious use of "shit" has put them on the map. By being the first with three high-profile shows using "shit", FX has put itself on the map. Pretty soon other cable networks will stop censoring their shows, too, and "fuck" will be the final frontier.
 
:LOL: Fuck: the Final Frontier. :LOL:
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:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Otherwise known as ST the original series, right? ;)

As I was getting dinner tonight I saw the end of a classic movie (starring Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sydney Poitier, and others) "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner".

In light of this thread I noticed a line Spencer Tracy says near the end of the movie. "Well, I'll be a son of a bitch" or something to this effect.

Again, well written and well placed for what the author wanted to communicate.

Cursing, like many things, is sometimes best used when used sparingly. IMHO.
 
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