Status Turned Rant: CURSES!

Good grief.  I realize I'm a bit of an old lady at heart, but the world is making me feel this way. 

Lets discuss a topic shall we? 

Swearing.


I'm not going to lie, I curse like a sailor from time to time (though I haven't met any sailors, I've heard things.)  I shouldn't do it, it's a personal choice that I would like to avoid using curses.  I despise the "F" word, yet here it slips out of my mouth at least once a day.  I try to find alternatives.  I say lots of "B" words for all occasions: blah, boom!, boogers, and when I'm really irked, "Balls!"  (usually to express my failure at life.)  I'm getting pretty good at just mumbling sounds or "grrrr's" under my breath.  

As a youngster, I hated swearing.  I would gasp at swears.  I never dreamed I'd let myself use the "F" word unnecessarily, but I am also a strong willed individual who gets angry and frustrated from time, so I lose my class here and there.  Thankfully I know there is a time and a place for everything and I have a decent filter.  I was raised to respect my elders, my peers, and to be a positive influence on those younger than myself.   Outside influence has been my biggest hurdle and is a huge culprit in my changing language that began its laps a few years back, but it is up to myself to choose my language and use my words better. 

I find it disrespectful and rude using horrible language for no reason, I don't care what your age is.  In a store, on the street, if I am not part of your conversation and I can hear your cursing, it is just a tad bit rude.  Our language has millions of words, personally I feel like I sound uneducated when I can't find a better one.  Making them up is also fun, there are bound to be a few in this blog, but I digress... 

My irritation that has led to this rant is the negative reinforcement for this bad habit is everywhere and has begun infiltrating my radio more than ever before.  I have been finding myself depressed at the amount of swearing that has moved into music we now hear on public radio, and that it takes more than a few "F" bombs to earn yourself an explicit rating on an album. In my job I am listening to music 100% of my work day whether I like it or not and I can't take a song seriously that is trying to relay a strong message, but chunks of the song have to get blanked out for "radio edits" (if you can even call them that anymore.)  I applaud artists who show actual creativity by singing alternate versions, or find creative ways of using their words to express their thoughts and emotions.  Cee Lo has shown some courtesy, Pink is good at it, even Britney Spears has impressed me a time or two.   Lots of customers get surprised to hear when certain artists have an EDITED or EXPLICIT option because that singer keeps their expletives under the radar.  I have a tendency to use the warning "situationally explicit" about a few albums to let parents be aware of content, especially when it lacks an advisory.

I am not saying there should be no swearing in music, or that innuendo needs to be toned down.  I hum along like many people do.  I am just trying to point out that with all the options of places to hear music online, satellite radio, or whatever newfangled techafied gadget or app you have, not to mention the hundreds and thousands of songs that come out throughout the year, why must my radio bleep swears at me? I get enough of it from customers and movies.  I don't like to be censored, hence this blog, so I will not be joining a "people against swearing in public media" group or marching the streets of the capitol to tell the entertainment industry to tone it down, but I will still attempt not to say the "F" word today, in hopes that I also don't say it again tomorrow.

That is all.  For now.  I'm sure I'll complain about this again in the future.