Sh*t, Cussing's cathartic?

Shobhaa De's piece on cussing far from being insightful about taboos broken in Bollywood is actually classic liberal bu*****t (oops!). Sure, there may be good and bad cussing as described, and as she says maybe the latter's about malice, but what she conveniently misses, or maybe isn't aware of is what cussing's really about. Truth be told, cussing is classic lack of civility!

Shobhaa may sing paeans to 'Delhi Belly' and coo, 'How smart of Aamir Khan to zoom in on the last remaining frontier of 'taboo' in Bollywood (unparliamentary language). How smart of him to pepper the movie with 'dirty dirty' four-letter words...Aamir has sensed the shift in our sensibilities —it's desi abuses that score over phoren ones, folks. And Aamir has cashed in brilliantly on the altered vocabulary of the youth brigade. If 'DB' is being seen as a game changer, it is the rawness of the lingo alone that has done the trick at the box office.' She may also be raptures describing the grins on people's faces walking out movie theatres, but I am appalled. The grins she describes isn't illustrative of a 'newfound freedom', instead is more about a descendancy into oafishness. Its also about social legitimisation of what is crass and uncouth.

Such legitimised degenerate social behaviour means the world of brands too has to plummet in civility. Should it therefore be surprising that a denim brand like Diesel proclaims, 'Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls. Be Stupid'.

Unlike Shobhaa, we mustn't applaud the crassness of 'Delhi Belly', instead we should be asking exactly what Father Neil McNicholas is asking,

'What is wrong with us?

Sad to say, there just seems to be something fundamentally adrift in the society in which we live and, basic to the examples above and many more that we could give, is a total lack of respect for others and of civil behaviour and decency.

I always feel that swearing in and of itself, and, all the more so, the use of obscene language, is an assault on the other person, albeit a verbal assault.

To begin with, it is an abuse of the gift of speech, but it is also an abuse of the person to whom such language is directed.

No doubt just as the person using it intends, it belittles the other, it hurts them, it offends them, it treats them almost as a non-person.

It’s not the way we should speak to one another; it’s not the way we need to speak to one another. It treats the other person as somehow undeserving of the regard and respect that a fellow human being should expect and should be shown.

At one time, in an attempt to shame the person into an apology, we might have asked: “Would you use that sort of language to your mother?”

Sad to say, these days, the answer would probably be “yes” because they do, and, sadder still, that might even be where they learned such language in the first place.'

What can I say, I guess its time to mourn!

Comments

Unknown said…
shobha de is idiot , she is not even worth of writing a single line about her opinion's Sir.

she has proved that in her past column's as well.
For once, I won't second you.I loved Delhi Belly !

...and trust me, it wasn't coz of the language...it was rather a result of the effortless wit.

Most movies now have 'sex' scenes; and I can't think of one person with whom I will be cool watching a passionate sequence but have a problem with onscreen abuse. With my son and my mom, I won't watch either. With friends, I will be cool with both. So, what's the difference?

In short, for a 25yr old, hanging out with college pals, it's 'the' movie to watch out for !

Peace.
Aamir a self-proclaimed perfectionist is actually a egoionist and people like Shobha De who live and skim on the surface froth never know the depth and gravity of issues.
May be they can keep on Cussing each other!!!
Ray Titus said…
ABC,

I am pointing to the glorification of cussing. If cussing on screen means liberation of some sort, then I guess its time for the 'dude generation' to rejoice and proclaim crass is class!

Also I guess the call rings out thus, 'Onward brothers, duncedom beckons!'
If its about 'glorification of cussing', i am afraid, it must have been a pathetic attempt by Shobha De to connect to the youth...
...n the ones who wd support such writing wd be the proud members of the 'wannabe dude generation'
...n don't worry sir, most of your students, don't fall into that...n won't ever !

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