To Curse or Not to Curse: On Pottymouth Blogging








Keep it clean




Who gives a @$^($?





From Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing

Managing pottymouth






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  1. Very informative post. Thank you for sharing.
    My opinion and practice where my blog is concerned is that if the appropriately placed curse word is done not for its shock value but instaed for its ability to emphasize my point then let it fly!
    Too much of it though can poison your point and leave a reader wondering what your point was in he first place. Excessively cursing in a post only leads one to believe that you are talented at cursing…not talented at writing and getting your perspective across. If all a reader wishes to hear is #@!* and %*@@# then they could just as easily hop in a rig with a truck driver tune in to the cb and get an ear full (please do not take that staement as a deragatory remark agiast truck drivers …just using the old stereotype to make a point folks 😉 ).
    However its just plain ad simply at imes to use a curse wod or two to drive the point home or emphasize how emphatic you truly are about something.
    Soooo, have a d@mn nice day and may your weekend be awesomey b@#ching!!!


  2. I tend to naturally curse, but I’m also aware as someone in the process of writing a YA book that doing so on my blog might not be appropriate (some parents might get upset). So, it’s a hard call. When I do curse now, I do try to replace with symbols when I remember to, or to use silly variations that also get the point across without the potentially jarring effect.


  3. I like the idea of attaching a tag to a post with questionable language. I do swear once in a while, more often when I speak as oppose to when I write. Sometimes a curse word is the only word that fits for me. The idea of a tag is a great way to be sensitive of the readers. Thanks for the tip. 🙂


  4. If the subject matter warrants it to emphasize a point or an emotion I have no issue with it. I dropped the F bomb on one post of mine out if about 10 . The subject matter warranted it in my opinion and I meant the sentence with every fiber of my being. Otherwise, I tend to not curse. If its your voice then be yourself.


  5. I don’t curse on my blog. Reason? Why should I do it? I prefer clean language. I think a point should be made based on good arguments and solid reasoning. Cursing can be a good outlet for yourself, but doensn’t do anything to build the argument and only adds to fire up the discussion with less arguments and more attacks on the person himself.


  6. I am a professional in some parts of my life, while in others, I am simply not. I like swearing..A lot. But when I am in pleasant company or at my job or on college my college campus, I am a good girl and don’t swear.


  7. Growing up in an area where “bad words” were considered to be a non-remarkable part of everyday speech, my natural language does include a certain level of questionable words. I’ve always been amused by people who considered that to be a mark of intelligence though (or lack of) since most of us have college degrees now.

    I’ve also noticed that there are some people who are just trying to find something to get offended over, and people don’t always agree on what’s offensive. I once saw a woman cover her child’s ears and throw a friend of mine a dirty look because she overheard him say his girlfriend was “ragging” him about something. That must have been a bad word in her book, but not to either of us.

    That said, I know there are people who put a lot of weight on words so I tend to censor myself in public or when talking to people that I don’t know very well. I absolutely refuse, however, to censor myself on my own blog. I pay a monthly fee to maintain it as a personal outlet for my thoughts, and that’s what it will be. Anyone who reads the “About” page gets fair warning.

    As for reading other peoples’ blogs, if it’s generally well written and/or contains interesting subjects I’ll read it without thinking twice about whatever colorful language the author chooses.


  8. I try to conserve my curse words and only bring them out when any other word won’t do – I think using them conservatively allows those words to make their intended impact when I do decide to detonate the f-bomb. I know I’ve hit the mark when I get comments from readers telling me that they laughed out loud, but thought “that was so wrong”. When I make people laugh in spite of themselves, it’s a major win.

    That being said, I have gotten some flack about my potty mouth – almost exclusively from older relatives. But in the end, I have to write in my own voice, and forget about the fact that my family is reading over my shoulder. I may curb my language at Thanksgiving dinner, but my blog is like my house – you don’t like it, then you can get the fuck out, Grandma.


  9. I’ve given this a lot of thought, but it comes down to two things for me: I am profane in real life, and this blog is ultimately for Future Kidling. Parenting is hard. Seriously f*cking hard. I want Future Kidling to see the beauty, joy, and absurdity of life as a parent in full color.


    1. How cool that someone else has the same idea as me. Or I have the same idea as you. Whatever. I have been writing a column for a local newspaper for the past 15 years. The boys are 20-18 and the daughter is 37. Not much intertest yet but I keep hoping ergo I am transisting to the Blogosphere.


      1. Which name is that? It is amazing how few of my original thoughts are both original and unique. I tend to find that someone has gotten to them before me. 🙂 Glad I’m not the only one!


  10. I try not to curse, but sometimes it really is necessary. Most of the time, I do #)%( it out, but I like the idea of just using a foreign language – that’s F)@#(%ing brilliant. 😉


  11. I have often been told, there is a time to curse and there is a time not to curse. I think that it really matters what the situation is and what your feelings toward the situation are.


  12. Why the hell would everybody get upset about a bit of swearing. Why is everyone so opposed to seeing the grit in life. I thought blogging was a place to be real. Life is not true without a mixture of light and dark, shade and colour. Sometimes it is needed to enhance the feeling and passion.