Yes, I am alive. Despite my hilariously controversial column last week, I emerged from the backlash unscathed. I don’t take the criticism personally — I find it hard to take offense from peasants. Despite this, the folks who responded negatively were aggressive. I don’t feel comfortable walking through campus anymore; I’m afraid I’ll be assaulted by a radical follower of the #StopMichael movement. So, I’ve shaved my beard and placed a paper bag over my head to hide from potential assassins.
Then again, if their weapons are as strong as their arguments, I’ll be OK.
Let’s talk about profanity. I want to figure out its place in art and in comedy. Profanity has done many wonderful things for stand-up comedy, and stand-up has in turn done wonderful things for profanity. Back in the day, stand-up comedy thrived on profanity; television and radio avoided profanity like the plague, so stand-up carved its niche with it and gained momentum as a medium for social change. It got to a point where comedians began to address profanity in their routines ... routinely.
Throughout the early 1960s, Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenity in his stand-up performances; his routines incorporated the word “cocksucker” and the homophone-ish-ness of “cum” and “come.” His arrests caused an uproar among contemporary artists, and comedians such as Richard Pryor and George Carlin carried his torch of social change into the 1970s. In 1978, Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” incited the Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation decision, which gave the FCC flexibility in censoring “indecent” material. Carlin’s routine used the “seven dirty words” — shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits — to comment on the interpretation of language.
And language has always been tricky in that regard. “Idiot” is a common insult, but in the early 20th century, an idiot had an IQ of 30 or lower by definition. It was an intellectual disability, analogous to the word “retard” today. Yet “retard” hasn’t entered the same lexicon as “idiot.” Similarly, the word “bad” descended from two potential definitions: a hermaphrodite or rape. So which one of today’s words will drop its dictionary definition for the connotation this generation’s assigned it next? In this way, Louis C.K. and Carlin have discussed the use of words such as “faggot” and “retard” in today’s culture.
Comedy has been a bastion for profanity, but what place does profanity have in art? Many words can’t be broadcast without warning or censorship. Is that fine? I don’t know. I kind of like how we have certain words that are locked away for emergency. I also disagree with most cases of censorship.
Despite this, as a storyteller I avoid profanity. Too often, I see novice writers use naughty words as performance enhancers — writers will rely too heavily on profanity to inject emotion into their pieces. There are so many other ways an artist can convey tension, so why rely on profanity? Conversely, profanity is one of many tools on an artist’s belt, so why can’t it be used alongside other artistic elements?
Is it a big deal to censor profanity because we have so many other outlets through which to convey a point? Or is it a big deal to censor profanity because it stifles our ability to express something very specific? Would a universal freedom to use profanity undermine the intent of profanity?
I avoid profanity because I know the use of profanity deters a chunk of my audience, particularly children. But, as an artist, I feel I shouldn’t compromise my stance on profanity to please a crowd. So, I don’t feel like a hypocrite, but I probably am. Help.
Is profanity good? Does profanity imply censorship? Can we or should we ever remove either? Fuck if I know.
Michael Smith is a UCF telecommunication senior citizen. His column is an illusion and ceases to appear at all.
