Post break-up songs. Many women have them. Few admit to it. Even fewer share them. So when I received an email from a female friend with Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" uncensored version, I was jaw-droppingly shocked. And then thoroughly impressed. So much that now that I know the real lyrics, this radio regular cannot come on without me belting out the true lyrics. This coming from someone who regularly complains about other people's "profanity problems." But what is it about profanity, swearing, curse words, or whatever term you prefer, that is often intriguing and taboo? After all, it can take just a few "F-bombs" as some call them, to bump up a film's rating from PG-13 to rated R.
Cee Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow perform, "Forget You" at the 2011 Grammy Awards
According to research, over the last 20 years, 10 words have consistently accounted for 80% of public swearing. These range in level of offensiveness and include, "fuck, shit, hell, damn, goddamn, Jesus Christ, ass, oh my god, bitch, and sucks," (p. 156, Jay, 2009). Further,
fuck and
shit account from anywhere between one-third to one-half of episodes between 1986 and 2006. Whether or not the top ten truly counts as profanity is debatable. Let's be honest, three of the more innocuous ones appear with some regularity in my own speech. But maybe I'm just being defensive. Urbandictionary.com may have some things to say about the above list as well. Regardless, the question stands: Why do we do curse and what does it mean?
While swearing may be used to express a variety of emotions ranging from anger to surprise, evidence suggests that two-thirds of swearing incidents are related to expressions of anger and frustration (Jay, 2009). However, positive social outcomes may be derived from profanity, including use of taboo words in jokes, as well as the replacement of physical violence with speech that is felt as cathartic, though there is only little evidence to suggest this. Though largely understudied, researchers have noted that informal use of taboo words that are not intended as offensive are still largely viewed by individuals as impolite or offensive.
In their review on the ubiquity and utility of taboo words, Jay (2009) suggests that there may even be an evolutionary purpose behind swearing. It may communicate intense emotion that cannot otherwise be expressed.
He writes: "'Fuck you!' immediately conveys a level of contempt unparalleled by non-taboo words; there is no way to convey ‘Fuck you!' with polite speech" (p. 155).
Clearly, Cee Lo Green was thinking the same thing.
Who is most likely to swear? According to researchers, it has been found to be prevalent in a number of social groups including soldiers, police officers, drug users, juvenile delinquents, and yes, college students. Social rank is also suggested to be related to swearing, with low-ranking speakers swearing more than high-ranking speakers. Finally, personality can play a factor. Those who are more likely to swear tend to be high on hostility, and low on religiosity and sexual anxiety. They may also be more socially dominant, more extraverted, and less agreeable and conscientious.
So, now that we have cleared that up, what is the verdict on colorful language usage? Perhaps like most things in life, in moderation, it isn't all bad. I, for one, will say if I saw someone driving around town with the one I loved, I'd certainly have more to say than, "forget you."
Jay, T. (2009). The utility and ubiquity of taboo words. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 153-161.
