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Tacky Talk
This made me laugh when a friend posted it on Facebook the other day.
My pal Denise may well be above average, and it’s likely that I am too.
You can’t always believe a social media meme, of course.🙄 So I did an accuracy check with ChatGPT. Yes, a study found 80-90 curse words per day for average Americans. But other research put that figure at 21 swear words every day.
That is a big disparity, isn’t it? My AI buddy blames that on differences in what people label “cursing” and on the vagaries of self-reporting.
Numbers? Who knows. Here’s what I’m sure of. Both reports were from 2022. And people are swearing way more now than they were back then. Or at least, they’re using more off-color language in public places, in business, and particularly in political discourse.
I don’t really like it.
That goes especially for public officials spewing the stuff in press conferences, interviews, and social media posts.
The cameras were rolling in the Oval Office when President Trump said the leader of Venezuela “doesn’t want to fuck around with the United States.” He may be right in his assessment; I hated hearing him put it that way. I don’t want to listen to the president being so ugly in an official, public setting.
Trump may be first and foremost when it comes to coarse language, but the president is by no means alone. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted a video decrying Republican budget plans and saying the Democrats’ response is, “No fuckin’ way!”
If you follow politics at all, you’ve heard similar expressions from candidates and officeholders in both parties. And from both men and women.
Used to be, our leaders used profanity in private but took pains to keep it clean when the microphones were on or the people were listening. Trump set us on a new path using rough language at rallies and press conferences.
And Democrats have caught on that keeping it clean in public didn’t help them look like strong leaders.
A National Review columnist wrote recently that politicians’ profanity isn’t a slip-up anymore, much less a scandal. It’s a campaign strategy. “They curse not because they’ve lost their temper. They curse because their social media team ran the numbers.”
What about the rest of us?
You might remember our exchange a while back about swearing in business conversations. My informal survey found most people not at all in favor of foul language at the office.
I wonder if people are changing their minds though. Getting more comfortable with vulgarity, as we hear more and more salty talk from our elected leaders.
Tacky talk shows up increasingly in news stories, TV clips, and interviews. Television still sometimes bleeps the bad words, but for those who get their news from social media, there’s no such filter.
I also wonder if viewers and voters are following the politicians’ lead … or if it might be the other way around.
Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
The question that usually comes to my mind about ‘swearing’ is who, when, how words get ‘labeled’ as swearing.
It’s a fair question, Ellen. Certainly the line has been moved many times over the years.
I am a self proclaimed potty mouth but not in the business environment. I have learned to withhold my inclination to use profanity in a public setting and opted for a strong voice with out the offensive language. However, with friends and family I am me.
Yes to that strong voice, Debbie! We all need that. And yes, we can be strong without being vulgar, in those professional situations.
After a long career in radio, I developed the habit of “holding my tongue” when the mic was on. AND…for public speaking, the mic was always on.
However, in the last couple of years, I’ve actually noticed that a well-placed ‘f’ or ‘s’ word gives emphasis…and gets the desired attention.
So, for me, ‘tacky talk’ is a strategy that seems to work well in professional settings as long as its strategic and not overdone.
The climate has changed, hasn’t it, Karen? I remember someone complaining because I said “hell” in a Presentation Skills Program. I didn’t even think of that as swearing, but it sure offended her. I can’t imagine that happening today. And I CAN imagine that you find the occasional “f-word” working with the audiences you speak to.
I absolutely agree with you Catherine – I find being on the receiving end that it only cheapens the conversation. I don’t believe that it has any place in a professional or public conversation other than the unexpected little reactionary blurb. Certainly not on any sort of repeat basis. I find that it tends to come from a more emotional/reactive posture, rather than a professional, informed, and thoughtful one. I have much more respect for those professional, informed, and thoughtful people. I do find that acronym references which are not blatant can be pretty funny. One of my favorite distilleries currently has a specialty bottle of their Purpose Rye which has ‘FAFO’ written across the top. I had to look that one up, and then it made me laugh!
Funny about the acronyms, Michelle. Somehow they do take the edge off the words they stand for, and yes, they can be funny. I come across them in blog posts, and sometimes have to turn to Google to find out what they mean. That might make me laugh … occasionally it makes me cringe!