young men and C word

crystalrose · Oct 17, 2009, 07:38 PM

Hi everyone, i'm a young woman and It seems lately that a lot of young men are calling each other the C word. (c***) In a casual everyday way. They will just drop it in every sentence. I find it offensive. I don't understand how young men find it ok to just refer to each other as C and think its a friendly way to interact.

AAAAA · Oct 17, 2009, 08:05 PM

Crystal,

The last place I worked, even the young women would drop that word frequently!

I HATE HATE HATE it.

onlymedid · Oct 17, 2009, 09:08 PM

Really??? That is horrible!

NuckingFutz · Oct 17, 2009, 09:23 PM

Totally unacceptabke! Reflective of their respect of themselves.

VickiesPath · Oct 17, 2009, 09:35 PM

I guess I'm showing my age here.

I have always found using any profanity unacceptible. I do use the S*** word when I hit my thumb with a hammer or the like. But that's about it. I have always considered that there are sooooooooooo many words in the English language. Why choose only those to express a sentiment? It merely shows a lack of education and skill. I have always been amused when someone can grafically defile someone else by using perfectly acceptible words but paint a painfully lude picture of the other person in the process. It takes real talent!

Oct 17, 2009, 09:37 PM

Back a few years ago when my mom and step-dad were more liberal they pretty much told my brother who was 16 at the time that he could swear if he wanted to, except for the c word because it's worse then the f word which is like...the ultimate swear word. Now all my parents are pretty much strict on the no swearing ever but I'm pretty cool about it because I've never felt the need or urge to swear...I have better ways to expressed myself. The general consensus between my brothers and I (because I don't talk to my sisters too often) is that excessive swearing doesn't make you cool or mature it just reflects your poor vocabulary.

lynn P. · Oct 17, 2009, 10:07 PM

That's disgusting that young men are using that word. I didn't realize that young men are doing this -it's probably because I only have girls. I also hate the way they also call each other "gay".

Maven · Oct 18, 2009, 04:02 AM

I disagree that use of profanity makes one uneducated and unskilled. There are many words we use everyday, the same words over and over, that aren't curse words, but that doesn't mean a person is uneducated for using them. There are many famous people who are known for being highly skilled and educated who used swear words.

As far as "The C Word" goes, I am generally offended by it, not so much for what it means, but the inequality of that word and words for men. While you said guys are using it, it's generally a descriptive of a woman, but there are no words that really sound as vile in describing an unpopular man as some words, including The C Word, that describe an unpopular woman.

Timgt5 · Oct 18, 2009, 04:40 AM

It is a general reflection on our continually deteriorating social decorum. Young people today seem to have gotten the message from mass media that it is cool to be impolite and disrespectful to others.

Part of the continued moral corruption that has been ongoing for years.

kim_johnson · Oct 18, 2009, 05:04 AM

What words are 'offensive' or 'friendly' or whatever are defined by our social group. For teens, in particular, they are often trying to develop some kind of 'in group' identity or process of identification that distinguishes themselves (most notably) from older generations and from their parents. Taking something that their parents find offensive and 'reclaiming' it as a term of 'affection' for each other is one thing. Though... I do agree that often people don't seem to speak very fondly to their friends... I guess I think that that is a different issue from language, though.

VickiesPath · Oct 24, 2009, 10:53 AM

I agree that "famous" people use swear words......but that doesn't make them either educated or skilled. Nor does it show good taste.

Oct 24, 2009, 11:09 AM

I think it's funny. It's silly and British. Being an American, I tend to think of people as d**ks.

I've noted that here in the Bay Area, the term is used almost affectionately. I think that feminine-based metaphor/epithets are often more good-natured than male-based ones. But maybe that's just a male perspective. Mike

lisasays · Oct 24, 2009, 11:31 AM

Here in Scotland it is a more common word than in England. Some people use it just to mean person 'he's the type of c*** that...'. Depends who you muck about with though. It's the only swear word that can make me cringe, it does sound ugly 'you'll be out on your c*** if u do that again' great!

Oct 24, 2009, 11:35 AM

That word sounds so vulgar. My dad used to say it a lot. I happy that I didn't live by his example. I never use that word. In fact it has been erased form my vocabulary.

lizardlady · Oct 24, 2009, 12:45 PM

hmmm.... interesting thread....

My first thought was males using the C-word about each other? What's up with that? Then some posters mentioned the geographical aspect. I never thought of that.

I have mixed feelings about the whole cursing is the sign of lack of education or skill with the language. I have a Master's degree, can be very articulate and can also swear like a sailor. It depends on the circumstances and situation.

I have a Christian co-worker who hates any kind of swearing, but says JC when angry. Seems hypocritical to me. We work with at risk adolescents at my agency. Two of my co-workers (including the one who says "JC") refuse to allow their clients to curse in session. Me? I figure if that's the language they need to use to express themselves it's OK with me. I do set a limit that they are not allowed to curse at someone else in the room.

like I said, interesting thread and educational.

05:20 PM

it does sound ugly 'you'll be out on your c*** if u do that again' great!

[/quote]

Snicker! It makes me think of someone being thrown out of a house and landing in the splits.

lizardlady · Oct 24, 2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kim_johnson

What words are 'offensive' or 'friendly' or whatever are defined by our social group. For teens, in particular, they are often trying to develop some kind of 'in group' identity or process of identification that distinguishes themselves (most notably) from older generations and from their parents. Taking something that their parents find offensive and 'reclaiming' it as a term of 'affection' for each other is one thing. Though... I do agree that often people don't seem to speak very fondly to their friends... I guess I think that that is a different issue from language, though.

Excellent point, Kim! Language evolves and each generation has it's own slang etc. As an example (and moving away from curse words) back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth if someone said "That's sick!" they meant it was gross. Now it means something kewl. The first time a younger person said "Shut up!" to me I was insulted. I thought they were telling me to be quiet in a rather rude way. What were expressing was surprise.

All of this aside. I do find the word that started this whole discussion personally offensive.

Rmdctc · Oct 24, 2009, 09:05 PM

Sometimes I think words are only as offensive as you want them to be.

crystalrose · Oct 24, 2009, 10:04 PM

it just sounded awful that the young people were saying it as a replacement for the persons name. ie 'this c here . . .' however i think that young people definatly have the right to express themselves in the way that they want to. Especially in therapy.

Blue93 · Oct 25, 2009, 12:59 AM

Well i'm not sure what the c word is lol
but, sometimes people need to losen up already. We dont live in the time you were a kid and were 'kids still respected their elders' anymore.
Sure i dont like it if people feel the need to curse every other sentence but as long as they dont do it infront of little kids.. whatever you know?
Going back on the respecting thing for a bit, i think its good that respect isn't just 100 % expected from kids anymore by parents, older people, teachers etc, but must also be earned...
Concluding, things like this have been said about generations of kids ever since we humans got the ability to speak... Instead of writing of entire generations as lazy, inconsiderate, rude, unrespecting etc... Try to to understand them and their point of view a little better?

(btw this is not pointed at the creator of the thread -i wouldnt like being called a curseword either-. nor really pointed at any poster here, either btw)

lizardlady · Oct 25, 2009, 04:49 PM

Blue, I think the word in question rhymes with runt. If not I've been lost through the whole thread!

Maven · Oct 26, 2009, 02:02 AM

Vickie, you misunderstood what I said. I wasn't saying using swear words made anyone--famous or otherwise--intelligent. I said that there are intelligent people who use swear words, some of them famous. Using swear words doesn't make someone smart or dumb. It might make them tacky or low-class in your mind, but it doesn't make them stupid.