Reader discretion is advised.
Whenever you hear or use the word "fuck", you probably realize the social implications the f-bomb carries, but do you ever wonder about the possible legal implications of the word itself? Probably not. Although maybe now you will. At least one Ohio State University student's curiosity got the best of him when he decided to write a 78-page college paper on the word fuck. Fascinating, right? Christopher Fairman has published a scholarly paper called "Fuck". It's as simple and provocative as the title suggests. It explores the legal implications of the word fuck. The intersection of the word fuck and the laws pertaining to the word fuck. It's examined in four major areas: First Amendment, broadcast regulation, sexual harassment and education. Now that's fucking deep!
The legal implications from the use of fuck vary greatly with the context. To fully understand the legal power of fuck, the non-legal sources of its power are tapped. The visceral reaction to fuck can be explained by cultural taboo from drawing upon the research of etymologists, linguists, lexicographers, psychoanalysts and other social scientists. Fuck is a taboo word. The taboo is so strong that it compels many to engage in self-censorship. This process of silence then enables small segments of the population to manipulate our rights under the guise of reflecting a greater community. Taboo is then institutionalized through law, yet at the same time is in tension with other identifiable legal rights. Understanding this relationship between law and taboo ultimately yields fuck jurisprudence.
Too many big words in there for you? Well let me keep it simple then by summing this up and throwing in a 4-letter word. Read his f-ing paper, maybe not all of it, but at least scan it. It's pretty interesting. Hard to believe someone took that much time to research something as simple as a cuss word. In particular, take a look at Chapter IV Section C "Genderspeak and Workplace Fuck" on page 50. You will learn how to properly use phrases like "fucking idiot" and discover who says "motherfucker" more - men or women? Fascinating literature indeed! Read it all here, Fuck.pdf
Related past post of interest...
- 10/18/05 The Usage Of The Word Fuck
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