Jonathots Daily Blog
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Sometime back, but still in my retainable memory, I was invited to speak at a youth convention.
It started out slow, as those kinds of gigs often do until the audience realizes you are acceptable and hearable. It ended beautifully, with enthusiasm, passion and even a few tears. I was feeling so inspired that I turned to the gathered and said, “God, you guys look great.”
Afterward, I was greeted by the sponsor of the event, who seemed to lack my joy. He shared that he was greatly uplifted by the message I imparted to the students, but found the use of the word “God” in my closing to be a classic case of using the Lord’s name in vain.
OMG.
Move ahead a little while and it is such a common phrase that we have an Internet abbreviation for it.
I ran across the same problem over the years when I appeared in front of pristine-thinking audiences, using the word “crap.” Once again, move ahead, and I’ve even heard “crap” used in prayers: “Lord, save us from all this crap.”
We get nowhere with language by thinking that certain words are perverse, others are acceptable and a chosen few are supreme.
Let me give you an example:
I have a bottom. I don’t call it a bottom very often, because the occasion to use that word doesn’t arise, and I don’t feel the need to ever be that formal. So instead, I may say, “I’m going to sit on my backside.”
That’s about as vanilla as I can get. I refuse to use the word “tush.” Sometimes when I’m trying to motivate myself, I will say, “I got off my butt and finished dinner.” (“Butt” in this case is required to express to the hearer that a process was necessary to change my stationary position to an active one.)
I would never say, “I got off my derriere and finished dinner.”
Moving along, if I were referring to a woman’s attractive backside today, I might call it a “booty,” only to be playful. But I don’t think I would get the same reaction from her or anyone else by saying, “She certainly has an attractive gluteus maximus.”
Words justify us—meaning they make us come across clearly—or they condemn us—causing us to sound foul or overly cautious.
I have to be honest with you—if I were discussing the government of the United States in its present stand-off, I would certainly put forth this sentence: “The government should get off its ass and fix some things.”
I wouldn’t use “bottom” and I wouldn’t use “butt.” In this case, the word “ass” has a double meaning. It refers both to their languishing position as well as their attitudes, which prevent them from being proactive.
Do you see what I mean?
We need to stop this foolish, politically correct mindset regarding the American language. If a word communicates, it communicates.
For instance, I never say, “I’m going to have a bowel movement,” but I might say, “The baby did a poop.”
If I run across something that’s plain bull, I will call it crap.
If someone is being mistreated and bigotry is being fostered, I might spout, “What the shit is going on?”
If you feel that I should say, “What the potty is going on?” I think you’re either being insincere or you should find a time machine and join us here in the twenty-first century.
Stop looking for whether words are perverse, righteous, foul or sacred. Start noticing how they fit into sentences or questions that communicate the depth of our passion.
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