Friday, May 7, 2010
taboo :)
For this weeks blog we were given three different prompts and since I could only find two of them in the book I went with the one on page 424. For this prompt we had to discuss different reasons why we think taboo language should be UNcensored. First I decided that I was going to discuss what taboo language is. And taboo language can be described as a universal language that should not be used, especially not in polite company when an act is considered taboo, the words describing it often are, too close correlation between how taboo the concept and how taboo the word are used not to mention that taboos are culture-specific, even if two countries share the same language. And then there is non taboo language. And like non taboo language, arbitrary sound symbol pairings language is only dirty or clean when a community decides it is hearing a foreign curse word does not have much effect on you. You have to be brought up knowing a word is dirty for it to pack that punch taboo-ness of words can change over time. but there are benefits, or what can be seen as possible benefits, with linguistic taboos because they change with the development of society. and because linguistic taboos exists in almost every aspect of people’s life and is a universal social phenomenon it can help change things a lot quicker. There are also different kinds of linguistic taboos, like vocaulary and actual use of certain words, pronunciation with how these words are said and even grammatical taboo this has to do with saying the correct words in the proper order. Just by the way we speak and sound it says a lot about the person because the better the speak the more educated they sound. Like other parts of language, the origin of linguistic taboo is deeply rooted in the primitive social and cultural background and its change is greatly influenced by the development of human society in order to satisfy human beings’ needs for smooth communications. With the advancement of science and technology, many puzzles about the universe are solved, and with the increase of material wealth, human demands for spiritual civilization are also becoming higher. Evidently, linguistic taboos are a reflection of these social development and the value concepts and beliefs of the culture in which they are born. So without the uncensorship of taboo language we would never be where we are today. and if we want to continue to develop we need to allow these different taboos. taboos help us to notice our flaws and our mistakes so that we upgrade how we are. we take the bad out in kind of like a filter type thing. also there are different classifications of taboo language. there are taboo language referring to religion, gender, profanity, sex, drugs and many more. Back in the past there were not any real restrictions because people were not as fragile back then as they are today. but nonetheless taboo language should be uncensored so we can continue to develop much further than we are now.
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Hi. I also did mine on taboo and uncensored language on television. I thought that it was acceptable to have that type of language on television because nobody is forced to watch it and can alternately change the channel is they are offended. I really like the statement that is made about language changes as human beings develop in society. I think that it so true because there are words that develop different meanings and connotations as each decade progresses and changes. For example, in the past, the word “sick” would describe someone who wasn’t feeling good, had a cough, or a high temperature. Now, the teens of this generation have changed the word “sick” to mean something is “cool” or “tight.” I really like how you stated everything, but I just had a little opposition to what you said about the people in the past not being so fragile as people are today. I think that the people in the past were actually more fragile than today. There were no such things as blood and gore movies back then because people would get easily queasy, at least compared to today when we see all the victim has to suffer. Well, all in all, I enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! I would have to say that I agree with you. I think that maybe taboo language should not be frowned upon. Maybe we should embrace it for what it is. The only reason we really consider taboo anything to be taboo is because we were raised around it as you said. If you were to bring cannabilism up in a cannabalistic society they would just welcome the conversation like you were talking about the weather. I think maybe taboo things need to be talked about, but our fear about it being so rebellious takes away the courage. I think we need to talk about certain things in order for us to learn about them. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi there. You bring up some interesting points about taboo and why we seem more concerned about censorship today than in the past. You made a state indicating “back in the past there were not any real restrictions because people were not as fragile back then as they are today”. I’m not sure that I completely agree with that, but I do see your point. There was more of a sense of self-censorship among private citizens, and in the media. Taboo subjects where just as prevalent back then as now, but people seemed to be more self-restrained about discussing taboo subjects – especially in public. What’s really changed is our perception of those “taboo” subjects. We obsess about how celebrities live, or who said what to whom in a public quarrel. We are glued to the TV when dirty gossip arises about some sex tape by yet another celebrity or pop singer. But if one looks as newsreels of the 1950’s or 1960’s or 1970’s we see the same “dirt” surrounding the same publicly taboo subjects. In other words, it may not be that people were more tolerant or indifferent of taboo subjects in the past; they just kept it to themselves more. And there seemed to be a general sense of courtesy among members of the media about slinging dirt around to get ratings – it simply didn’t happen as frequently. If John Kennedy or Roosevelt were alive today with the digital media covering their every move 24/7, we would probably be outraged at some of the taboo deeds those highly respected Presidents had been doing in office and behind closed doors.
ReplyDeleteHey girl! Your blog was very interesting this week. I also like how we wrote about different topics this week. I really like how you first started off your blog by saying exactly what you will be talking about. Another good point was describing exactly what taboo language is, this was a great idea! I was trying to think before I read your definition of exactly what taboo is. You gave a great definition and it really made things clear for me. I really liked your example when you talked about hearing a foreign curse word. Since we do not know what it means then it does not affect us in any way. It is like standing next to someone who is speaking a different language and you are listening but you really have no idea what is going on so it does no affect you. If we could really understand what everyone was saying in a different language then I think most of us would be upset about what is being said. I always wonder what people are talking about when they are speaking in a different language. I also like how you talked about how the better someone speaks the more we think they are educated. This is true because when someone uses a word you do not understand we automatically think that they are smarter than us. You did a great job explaining what taboo language is!
ReplyDelete“taboo language can be described as a universal language that should not be used, especially not in polite company when an act is considered taboo, the words describing it often are, too close correlation between how taboo the concept and how taboo the word are used not to mention that taboos are culture-specific, even if two countries share the same language.” Great definition of what taboo language is, an a great way to start your essay. May I suggest reading the sentence for clarity though, as it runs on a little bit. Also the first couple of sentences in this blog act as “announcements” letting us know what you’re going to talk about. I think you don’t need to do that and can just jump right on it with all your thoughts. You give us some excellent thoughts in here about culture and taboo. I love that you point out the taboo words and actions are decided upon by the subjective and arbitrary rules of a particular culture.
ReplyDeleteYou also present very interesting ideas about using taboo language to point out our mistakes and make changes. This essay ties in very well with what I’ve been studying in Cultural Anthropology. Great job, Great blog. Can’t wait to read the next one.
-Ben Andrews : )