Taboo Language is Aright with me

John McWhorter believes “Taboo Language simply reflects our social mores”, he makes this statement in his short essay “Lettings Words fly”. In this essay, McWhorter points the fact that a federal ruling that overturned a Federal Communication Commission policy geared towards language on live television had no affect on life itself. He goes on to give several examples of the use of “Taboo Language” in almost everything we encounter today, which he does not feel is the problem. The problem he feels is the way Taboo Language is viewed and how it is often criticized when it used in public or in the media. The essay was short but impactful and represented the author’s thoughts very well. From the essay came the questions of my opinion of the use of Taboo Language from the 1960’s up until today. Why I think Taboo Language should be used uncensored in media and the effect this type of language has on character and their ability to sound like reality. I do believe that the use of taboo language has grown since the 1960’s and that people are far more reluctant to shy away from the use of it especially when there are some many different outlets where literature can be published, and if not for the explosion in technologies Taboo Language might be still in minor use.
The use of Taboo Language is great when used in ways that do not offend or disrespect intentionally, if that is possible. I for one am glad that I am not subject to overbearing censorship of language, which at it foundation represent the reality I live in. McWhorter spoke of how Victorians of the past would suggest that certain words be renamed because their original name may refer to sexual body parts. Victorians or not that way of thinking is selfish and full of shit. Humans being should have the right to make their own decision when it comes to what type’s languages they want to hear or speak. For me, the only way to spread language is for it to be spoken it truest forms no matter how offensive it may be. Censoring Taboo Language in media would only allow distortion of reality. The way we view Taboo Language has changed because as humans, we seek knowledge and knowledge is not obtainable if it is constantly being covered, or hidden from us. Thus, more I do believe that Taboo language is a key skill in the repertoire of skills an actor should have in order to play an effective television character. It is not expected for an actor to draw a healthy crowd if the script or show he is performing does not represent a reality that an audience can relate to. I do not know about you but every day I hear some type of word or sentence structure that has language that could be labeled Taboo, but to me it is just another part of my reality. For me, it is the language itself, that is instilled in our culture and it speaks for us, and is not necessarily spoken by us.