Two weeks ago an uptight reader took issue with my "f*ck peonies" post, commenting, "your unrestrained use of expletives make you sound very dumb, i.e, can't find words to express what you mean, and down right trashy."My mom quickly responded by emailing me a link* to Dr. Andrew Weil's Weekly Bulletin and his description of a study from the August 5, 2009 issue of the journal NeuroReport... Turns out there's a reason it feels so good to say FUCK THIS. According to the study, "Swearing may actually reduce the pain of, say, slicing your finger with a kitchen knife or accidentally banging your toes or your head."
I know from experience it reduces the occasional pain of wedding planning.
*Okay, my mom hasn't quite figured out how to send me a link. But she pointed me in the right direction.
I have taken the liberty of illustrating this post with a polaroid of Amanda from, YES, Peony :: Love. I have a feeling she won't mind.
How funny that someone would chose to complain to the writer of a blog she doesn't like rather than just not visit said blog.
ReplyDeleteAs a doctoral canditate in English I can tell you that along with that NeuroReport (what?) study, there's a lot of criticism and theory that would say "fuck" is a powerful old word and you're using your language deftly when you deploy it.
As for your reader, she has some linguistic and grammatical infelicities of her own. I don't know what she means by "down right trashy," but her whole message sounds downright spiteful and lame to me. Also: "trashy"? Whoa.
i actually read this article last week!! it made me feel much better about my pirate mouth. if anonymous reader has issues with f*ck, then she can go elsewhere!
ReplyDeleteI also wouldn't characterize ESB as "unrestrained use of expletives." Has that reader been over to the penguin blog? Maybe she should berate them for awhile. She can i.e. the f*ck out of them.
ReplyDeleteI think that the commenter's problem was that she didn't understand. I personally thought it was fucking funny, and a quick peruse of the blog is enough to tell anyone that you *do* heart peonies (don't we all) but queen anne's lace was a fresh alternative. However, that particular mouthful doesn't sound as pithy as f*ck peonies, why have 15 words when two will say it better?
ReplyDeletef**ck yes.
ReplyDeleteI for one admire the restraint with which you use the word fuck. You really could use it a lot fucking more.
ReplyDeleteAs a self-avowed swearer and a lady with a linguistics degree, fuck would-be aristocrats like that commenter who are so shrill about their boring understanding of the English language. Language is fun, creative, and infinitely flexible. Long live expletives.
ReplyDelete(And you are one of my favourite bloggers precisely because of your unapologetic crankiness.)
What's the fucking problem? Was the reader afraid you hurt the peonies fucking feelings?
ReplyDeletewhat kind of a jerk emails you and tells you how to write on YOUR BLOG!?
ReplyDeleteshame on them.
to the complainer - "fuck you."
yeah, that's right .. i said it.
viva the expletive!
ReplyDeleteand thank you for solving my groom style dilemma in such succinct fashion... must. stop. micromanaging.
i love your style and use of language it's one of the main reasons I immediately bookmarked your blog
ReplyDeletedarn.
ReplyDeleteduuuuude. it's people like that who make me wanna swear even more. i love your balls-out writing style. keep on rockin in the free world, man.
ReplyDeletepeace and love.
There's nothing lick a well used Fuck thrown in to add umph. I hate uptight people. My mom curses like a drunken sailor and it's so damn adorable and funny when done right. Keep up the fucking good work ESB!
ReplyDeleteEhhh fuck her, ha
ReplyDeleteI read that study too, it seems to suggest that we store/use a diff part of our brain for expletives than for other words, which is why they are so enjoyable to say ... but even if they weren't ... its your fuckin blog! Say what you wanna say.
ReplyDeleteThat headline is precisely what made me love your blog. Please incorporate at least one fuck in every post from here on out.
ReplyDeleteYours fucking truly,
Jules
aw, i feel sorta sorry for little anon. she seemed to like esb, and here we are jumpin on her little case.
ReplyDeletealso a linguistics nerd, here, and big ol ditto to accordians. live outside the "bad words" and "good grammar" bubble and embrace the self-expression that is available via expletives.
Sticking with the theme, WTF?
ReplyDeletePart of the reason I love your blog is because of your trashy cursing ;) Kidding! Fuckity fuck fuck fuck!!!!
ReplyDeletemay i direct your commenter to a netflix pick?
ReplyDeletef**k: a documentary -- http://www.netflix.com/Movie/F_k_A_Documentary/70058003?trkid=226870
...just in case you ever want to watch the ever-distinguished sam donaldson talk about why it's such a great, malleable word.
How curious, my comment seems to have caused the birds of a feather to flock together and cluster . . . you all know what.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why, if someone has SUCH a problem with how someone writes, why they would continue to come back again and again to read.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a word people. If you don't want to say it don't. If you make up rules about using it, (i.e. I will not say this in front of my father or grandmother), then great for you. But I think this is a perfect time to point out that anyone that would say something such as "you sound very dumb"...or "down right trashy" needs to learn a few things about manners. Remember what we all learned as kids? If you can't say anything nice then don't say it at all? Yea. Well in case you were confused, "dumb" and "trashy" are not nice.
plus, I know we've all felt a lot better after screaming said word when we've stubbed our toe, bent a fingernail, or slammed our finger in a door.
Thanks for letting me rant, east side.
happy to provide a forum. as always :)
ReplyDeleteamazing! so many great supportive readers.
ReplyDeletefun to read this little new "pro f*ck" forum.
so: f*ck anynone that doesn't like it here!
How pointless to even say that!? I just don't know what to say. Maybe fuck yeah to self expression?!
ReplyDeleteYou use the F word better than anyone else I know, ESB.
ReplyDeleteExpletives f*cking rule.
ReplyDeleteon an expletive-unrelated note...
ReplyDeletesolution to cupcakes vs donuts?
http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/08/doughnut-cupcake.html
Sometimes nothing else sounds quite right....
ReplyDeleteF*ck Yeah!
What the f*ck?
I could go on....
My point? To substitute the word may lesson the meaning and impact of what you are trying to say! You go gurl!
I myself quite enjoy using the word fuck, and find it therapeutic.
ReplyDelete" Anonymous said...
How curious, my comment seems to have caused the birds of a feather to flock together and cluster . . . you all know what."
I find it quite amusing that Ms Anonymous continues to read despite her distaste around the use of the word fuck. :) (It's ok to type the word clusterfuck, my friend!)
Sometimes you need the power and strength of the word fuck to clearly state your thoughts. :) I'm a new reader of ESB, but am enjoying it very much.
clusterFUCK. Ididntgetit.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that the language you use is part of the reason I love to visit your blog... that, and you seem just plain rad.
ReplyDeleteI too am an educated young lady and an avid swearer, so I thought it would be fun to share a few things I've heard regarding swearing. A few years back a British study found that swearing at work actually can increase a sense of camaraderie among coworkers. Sadly it also found that men can gain respect among coworkers by swearing at work, while women who swear can be "perceived to be of low moral standing." Personally, I think that's fucking bullshit.
Also, in August of 2007, Wired ran an article about Steven Pinker. He's an experimental psychologist who wrote "The Stuff of Thought," which essentially explores language as a window to the human brain. My favorite excerpt:
Pinker believes cursing is rooted in a primordial part of our brains, which means f-bomb-like utterances are not unique to Homo sapiens. "I wouldn't say that other mammals swear, per se, since they don't have the language," he explains, speaking in the academic tone of a spinster peering at a dog turd through pince-nez. "But I think the same parts of the brain are involved when you bump your head and yell, ‘Oh fuck!' as when you step on a dog's tail and get a very sudden howl."
Every time I hear a cat or a dog howl or yelp, I can't help but laugh thinking that cute little fido is yelling "FUCK" at the top of his little doggy lungs.
i love your blog! i just got home from vacation and these posts were like a little treasure waiting for me... to help ease the pain of REALITY!
ReplyDeleteListening to the TAL archives today;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=267
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletesee? ... this is why I need you. I just got done apologizing to all the relatives who've found mine about "all the swearing." Although only my mother seemed to mind ...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your expletives! Don't. Change. A thing!!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I swear like a sailor in my everyday life, but when I try to write a blog post (try is the operative word), I totally wuss out. I'll type it - and then I think, "oh - who will I offend" -- and then backspace and do a "do-over".
I say - Hooray for you!!
oh my... just read everyone's comments - LOVE 'em!
ReplyDelete(and I didn't get "anons" clusterf*ck reference either. It IS curious that he/she *still* comes back for more...? hmmm...)