Cursing

Create content for those who don’t wish to watch such things.

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I think it is over done, it was a novelty at first, however now it is just over. People don’t need to hear the characters we see in the comics that we read showing a lack of vocabulary. Granted, we see more of their situations and depth of emotional trauma, but we are not them. We are not in their world. And they are not in ours. Cursing is reality. But these characters can and should be able to ascend to a level above ours.

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They have ascended to a level above ours. They’ve clearly gotten rid of the idea that words are cursed in some way. They have ascended to a level where people are clearly not offended by using these curse words we are hearing over and over.

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The way I see it, there are a few of ways that swearing/cursing can be used. I personally don’t use curse words because it makes my speech more powerful when I actually need to get a point across. I swear when I am literally swearing that I believe in the thing I am saying (this is how I differentiate swearing and cursing). I think that’s a healthy use of swearing, but it certainly isn’t for everyone. Most people use curses to elevate their humor, or to express everyday frustration. In the case of Doom Patrol, I think it’s appropriate for characters like Cliff, or Jane to curse as much as they do. It is a realistic depiction of their characters. Rita and Larry, however, reserve their swears for when they are in extreme circumstances.

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Cursing is overdone at times.

I’ve read that there’s a dang correlation between higher flipping IQ and swearing, and I couldn’t believe my fartin’ ears, shoot!

@biff_pow
I speak like that unironically on a daily basis. Dagnabbit is my go to expression of frustration.

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Cursing has it’s rightful place in communication. But like anything, too much is NOT a good thing.

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On a daily basis I use fictional curse words from all over the spectrum. Not just DC but multiple publishing companies or franchises. That’s the good thing about fictional curse words, they’re easily replaceable with real ones and just as satisfying without upsetting the people that have no idea what you’re saying.

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Oh snap DCCC whats up man!!

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As someone who curses like a sailor, I don’t mind the fowl language. It’s whatever, man.

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I don’t think of words as curse/cussing/vulgar. To me, they are just words. I can find plenty of ways to offend people without them. Certainly in a business/work context I am more careful of the precise words I choose. However, I have been known to insult people in Latin. The response to “What did you just say?” A smile and “It’s Latin, look it up.”

As for creating original content that is TV-14, I do think that’s happening. Much will depend on how well Stargirl does.

If the use or disuse of certain words or phrases is “ascension” than some of the most brutal and totalitarian societies in the last 100 years are “ascended”. As such, I disagree with the ascension argument.

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@DeSade Yes. We get it. These words don’t offend you. You’ve said it multiple times now. This person doesn’t like the words. Glad nothing really gets you down, but no matter how you rationalize it, that’s just not how everyone feels. Honestly, have any of you swear happy people made any good case for the inclusion of swearing? If it was taken out would you really feel cheated?

Also, what are creators supposed to do? Hey, I’m sure there are plenty of people who can help them write without a list of words and situations - producers, sponsors, fans . . . People have been making publicly acceptable stuff forever! Someone else pointed out that there aren’t many curses. And there are plenty of stories/situations without inappropriate content as well as ways to handle difficult situations respectfully and inclusively.

Unrelated note: I’m not watching DP (wait, wait, wait, they made a donkey throw up? Was that . . . digital? Tell me that was CGI) but if the swearing is anything like Titans it’s hilariously out of place and bad.

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In some productions, foul language fits the tone and rhythm of the dialogue. I haven’t seen Doom Patrol, but based on what I know of it, it’s possible that it’s one such series.

In other (most) productions, it’s fine but unnecessary, and excessive use of it is actually less mature, since it serves as a low-effort substitute for more carefully-crafted dialogue (and good dialogue does not necessarily sound like how people actually talk, because the way people actually talk is often awkward and uncreative).

I mostly don’t care, but I do find myself kind of rolling my eyes at it most of the time. They really are just words, though, so I’m also not certain I get the perspective of actually taking offense at it. I mean, I don’t swear (out loud, anyway; my brain-to-mouth filter works overtime to make that the case) but that’s really just force of habit. As a cultural matter, the twenty-first century has largely seen the death of swearing as an actual taboo except maybe around children.

So, short version: It doesn’t offend me, but it’s sloppy, repetitive writing, so people really need to tone it down anyway.

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I was born in Scotland and raised in Iceland and just about everyone around me swears like a sailor and I’ve noticed I’ve been swearing quite a bit since I turned 12, so swearing doesn’t bother me. I personally find a show more realistic when people do get to swear instead of going to some far-fetched way to fake swear (such as saying “shut the front door” instead of “shut the f*** up”). But if we’re talking about the using of curse words on the DCU Originals, there’s nothing I would change about Doom Patrol, but for Titans… Maybe tone it back a little. Let Jason Todd and Hawk run their mouth off as much as you can, but for the others they should hold the f-bombs in reserve until they can make them work effectively. Starfire in particular has been a character whose vocabulary has annoyed me because I’m so used to her being mostly formal in her speech, since she’s Tamaranian and English isn’t her first language, and the times she does swear, it’s always been in Tamaranian. But that’s not just her swearing that gets on my nerves, her entire speech pattern and behavior just comes off as too human on the show. Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints and I’m glad they’re actually allowed to swear like this on the shows.

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@DGWJTWTDW

I acknowledge and respect that some people take issue with certain words. They don’t like them or feel they should be used. I can respect their opinion and yet disagree with it.

Would the infamous “F*** Batman” line from season 1 episode 1 been better as “To heck with Batman”, “Stuff Batman” or “A pox upon your house Batman”? Which of those three would you choose as being better and more suitable? What about “Go copulate with your dead mother, Batman. That is if you can get the canine phallus out of her rotting corpse mouth” That has zero curse words in it. Would that be more “acceptable” for those who object to curse words.

When you write anything, you accept not everybody is going to like it. In broadcast TV there are actual laws on the books of what you can and cannot say. Specific words or scenarios that are simply off limits.

Let us be clear, these curse words are publicly acceptable. I can stand in a public park and literally spew out lists of “curse” words and that is publicly acceptable. Sure, some people, including some with small children may not be happy about it. And that is their right. However, I do not need or have a requirement to stop spewing out that list of “curse” words. The words are publicly acceptable. They many not be liked by all, but, their acceptability cannot be denied.

Who gets to determine what is “appropriate content”? Be that words, actions, situtations, or characterizations.

Should we be more concerned with Titans version of Greyson scrapping people faces against brick walls and car window frames embedded with glass? Is say “F*** Batman” more crippling to social “morals” than scraping someones face across brick or broken glass?

Do we really need to see someone put there arm into a running garbage disposal? Is that less offensive than a curse word?

Some people find certain words objectionable. OK. I understand that.
Do they understand that DC could have MANDATED the production companies make these shows according to TV-14 standards. They choose to no do that. Could the writers have written it to be more “less offensive to certain sensibilities? Yes. Could the have written it to be much more offensive. Yes.

DC is certainly hearing some of the complaints. They put HQ Animated on an f-bomb count. Are they getting rid of them, no. But, the show, past the first couple of episodes, will lessen it’s use of profanity.

Did DC have to do a TV-MA animated series? No. They choose to. So far all the shows (with maybe the exception of YJ) have been experimental. “We no longer have FCC regulations, so lets try some things and see what happens.” Is Titans going to drop it’s use of curse words and TV-MA rating. Highly doubtful. They are getting more positive than negative feedback about having these characters be able to cuss and being a TV-MA rated show and all that allows.

If you find such language offensive, than yes, you are going to take offense with Titans, DP, & HQ.

Will Stargirl probably have a more TV14 rating and the lack of cussing that entails. I’d say the probability is high.

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Can someone give me the cliff notes of that book report? I’m too lazy to read it.

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I’ve been someone who has almost never cursed and someone who has cursed uncontrollably, and I find that the more I curse, the less I like myself. I’ve tried to figure out why I feel this way and have come to some conclusions.

  1. Cursing when something upsets you is the verbal equivalent of having a temper tantrum. Like a child screaming and kicking their feet against the floor when a parent takes a toy away from them at Walmart, I’ve often reacted to problems by letting loose a torrent of words which amount to little more than screaming my anger at the world, and like a child throwing a tantrum, it doesn’t do a single thing to improve the problem at hand and demonstrates to everybody around me that I whine loudly when I don’t get my way.

  2. If you think about the actual meaning of the words you are speaking, they are either crude, literally offensive, and/or nonsensical. Saying that a car that broke down has the quality of sexual intercouese fecal matter isn’t a particularly apt description. Suggesting that someone or something should be damned (condemned to eternal torment in Hell) or F-ed (have a negative form of sexual intercourse) is not particularly nice thing to wish.

  3. It’s lazy. There is a form of cursing that isn’t about expressing anger but is used for descriptive or comedic effect, but curse words have a big emotional impact without much informational utility. They are the junk food of language, high calorie/low nutrient discourse which carries little actual meaning. Cursing quickly becomes a crutch for people to find easy yet inarticulate ways to get a laugh or express a thought instead of finding better ways to communicate.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say cursing is an absolute wrong, but I think it’s wrong for me and would suggest others consider what they are actually doing when they curse.

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My my, this has turned out to be a good thread.

I hope it doesn’t get deleted.

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Regarding cursing in Doom Patrol, I think the show is quite brilliant and I have a hard time believing the writers cannot think of better dialogue. There are plenty of excellent moments of dialogue throughout the entire show, so that’s not the issue. I think it’s a stylistic choice to represent the mental state of their two angriest characters, Cliff and Jane. In as far as it shows they are both emotionally insecure and frustrated people who don’t know how to deal with the world in an appropriate manner, I think it mostly works for the purposes of the show. The problem is that there is always a balance between realism and entertainment value in television and movies, and having a character such as these express themselves in constant F bombs, however appropriate it might be for who that character, is not necessarily entertaining or pleasant. As someone above mentioned, writers frequently make people’s dialogue more articulate than people are in real life. Where the balance should be between realism versus entertainment is a personal judgment call, and of course people who have moral problems with cursing will have another whole factor to consider.

For my tastes, I think Cliff went a bit far with the cursing. The constant F-bombs became predicable at some point and therefore stale. It’s also a bit grating to just be berated by constant cursing. It’s kind of like, “I get it. You can curse. Congrats.” Dial it back on Cliff by 50% and I think that’s about right.

Whatevs, though. I think Doom Patrol was excellent and look forward to its return.

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