Yesterday evening the television was on and the programme was hosted by Gordon Ramsey, the foul-mouthed TV chef who has become extremely rich by becoming well-known for his use of the 'F-word' expletive. We changed channels. However, the Gordon Ramsey programme was followed by the TV Reality show 'Big Brother', and this is another programme where the use of obscene language is so blatantly used by the contestants that it almost slips by without notice.
When I was growing up, we were taught that the only people who constantly felt the need to use obscene or blasphemous language were those whose education was sadly lacking, and who simply did not have sufficient command of the English language to know the correct way to express themselves. In this age where the teaching methods instigated by various government 'red papers' leave much to be desired it has long been felt that the standard of education has caused a 'dumbing down' of those in receipt of it, the result being that we have reared a couple of generations of people to whom the use of expletives is as normal as riding a bicycle.
Interestingly, one contestant in the Big Brother programme, a female named Belinda, blasphemed the name of Christ at one point, and then said to her fellow contestant, "I suppose that I shouldn't have said 'Christ', it would have been better to say 'Fxxx'. How sad that her educational standards are so lacking that she feels that they are the only two alternatives that she knows to express herself!
I realise that in writing this blog today I open myself to ridicule by those whose standards match Belinda's and many millions of others, but I feel strongly about the manner in which the use of profanity and blasphemy is such an everyday event in so many people's lives. It is an insidious encroachment into our lives which has lessened the quality of them rather than enriching it.
What do you think about it all, dear reader? Does it really matter, and if you think it does, what can be done about it at this late stage in the day?
What drives me bonkers is the people who swear on a regular basis but say 'oops, pardon my language' when children or certain people are around. Not that I don't appreciate their efforts not to use filthy language around my kids, but we shouldn't do or say anything that we have to hide from our children or others. Our children learn by the examples we set, not the rules we set. The only thing that teaches them is that adults use filthy language.
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