Look out! He's got a knife!

Attack of the killer 'C' word

Here's my take on the infamous 'starts with c, rhymes with punt' word. Bear in mind that it is my own opinion, is relatively uninformed (certainly I have made no particular study of linguistics) and I am not attempting to pass it off as a kind of fact. Nevertheless, I believe this most sincerely.

As I see it, language is a tool for communication. The problems start arising (almost immediately) when we use this tool to define the universe rather than to merely describe it - I suspect that everybody does this to a greater or lesser extent.

So a word, which was once merely a label used to describe something, becomes a thing in and of itself. Thus we let ourselves be enslaved by language, as we let the words dictate what our reality is rather than using it to describe our experience of that reality.

By finding a word offensive IN AND OF ITSELF, and therefore becoming upset merely by hearing or reading it rather than by taking it as part of the entire context which it is present in, we contribute to our own enslavement.

However! Through prolonged exposure to the word in myriad contexts, I believe we can free ourselves from this enslavement. This is happening with many words - the 'f' word is an obvious example; every day I hear more different people using this words in a totally casual context. Sometimes they are people who I know darn well were offended by the word in the past, but now couldn't give a fuck.

The 'n' word is in a similar state, thanks in no small part to Richard Pryor and those influenced by him directly or indirectly (like many comedians and rappers). This used to be an automatically offensive word, and anyone using it was obviously racist. Nowadays people of all colours and ethnicities cheerfully call each other niggers without a second thought, and only truly racist usage tends to offend.

A good example of this can be found in the song "Straight-Up Nigger" by Ice-T. Ice spends the whole song explaining his use of the word. After the wong has finished, we hear a white-sounding man saying "Look at those fucking niggers," and BAM it's offensive again. Because of the word? No, because of the context he said it in and the tone of voice he used.

So as far as I'm concerned, finding a mere word offensive in and of itself is folly, distorts your reality, and helps make you a slave. You silly cunt.

Posted by pearce at June 10, 2005 6:40 PM