* Verbal Pollution II

“In the Beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word wad God”

On Monday 14th May 2007 a programme was broadcast on Channel 4; “Cutting Edge”. The theme of the programme was what has become a “cool” practice nationwide, in particular amongst the younger generation, that is the use of swear words in daily encounters, mostly in place of adjectives.
Britain is getting a reputation as one of the most foul-mouthed countries in the world. Young people are growing up seeing swearing as part of everyday life, and that includes at school (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
The programme, Mind Your F-ing Language revealed the rich and hidden world of the language that kids actually use, and looked at one school's attempts to deal with this problem.
The programme followed a case study on Wednesfield High School in Wolverhampton that is no different from hundreds of others around the country. Its children are from all backgrounds and abilities and it's rated well by Ofsted. But, as in many schools, swearing is an issue (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
The survey also reveals that many children feel threatened and disturbed by swearing, and a majority support a swearing ban. So the school brings in 'Zero Tolerance' for foul language on school premises; anyone caught swearing will be punished, and even suspended in the worst cases (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
The use of swear words of a sexual nature operates on the level of verbal abuse. It psychologically undermines self esteem and humiliates people who happen to be subjected to it. In other words, this type of verbal abuse almost has the characteristics of the act of rape. Some campaigners argue that as well as being part of a more general loss of respect for others, constant swearing is exacerbating bullying, leaving many children hurt and upset, and is helping to fuel aggressive behaviour (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
Although swearing in public places is against British law, those who are at the receiving end, whether directly or indirectly, are inhibited to complain to avoid involvement, confrontation and further abuse or even being publicly ridiculed by the group around them for being old fashioned or acting like wimps. That makes me wonder what on earth has become of those “English Gentlemen and Ladies” to whom once upon a time, as foreigners, we felt humbled. 1967: After watching an episode of 'Til Death Us Do Part with over 40 instances of the word 'bloody', Mary Whitehouse declared 'This is the end of civilisation as we know it' (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
It is very much noticeable that this type of abuse has now found new dimensions and forms. Swearing is no longer just a method of expression to release anger or aggression; it has become an epidemic that assumes a casual and cool identity across all sections of the society. Writer Anne Atkins is worried by the misuse of language and the casual use of swearing. She visits the school to discover the scale of the problem and is appalled at the streams of abuse she witnesses, much of which she can't even understand (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
Peter Coates, the Head of Wednesfield High School, put the blame heavily on the media. He thinks that many of the factors leading to the problem are outside the control of the school and parents: 'Children are exposed to so much swearing, they see it in newspapers, they read it in magazines, and they hear it on television, radio, CDs' (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
Furthermore, the Chief Inspector of Eastleigh Police, Diana Boyles, mentioned in the “Race Equality Forum” (24th May 2007) that a 12 years old boy, arrested for verbal abuse, was shocked when he realized the meaning of his foul language that he picked up somehow from the media.
The media appears to copy the unprofessional method of some untalented comedians who use swear words to get laughter. The media seems to glamorize and augment the casual swearing epidemic by broadcasting programs such as “The F Word”, in which a celebrity character constantly spices up the course of the show with its use. It appears that we cannot, now, even watch a cookery program without being exposed to foul language. If that is not bad enough, promoting the use of foul language is even extended to grand operas with a theme of a sacred nature. 2003: Jerry Springer, the Opera, the musical tale of a US television host, has been on stage since 2003 and has over 8,000 swear words (Channel 4 web-site 2007). The BBC could not wait to broadcast this opera despite its viewers’ protests.
I was shocked when a mature student, doing a degree in media studies, said that she felt obliged to step outside of her normal patterns of behavior; swearing and showing her breasts on camera in order to get extra marks for her project. That explained why so much foul language is heard across the open plan of the editing rooms when the students do not use their headphones. It seems as if the media students are pushed and prepared to adopt such attitudes during their training as a form of preparation for their later career.
You may agree with me that the media is pushing the world of communication to become more and more visually orientated. It is mostly due to the media that admiration for visual beauty and to desire to look presentable remains constantly at the front of our minds. The verbal discipline and the use of proper language, however, not only does not receive the same level of emphasis, it is systematically undermined; 1999: With the advent of Channel 4's Bremner, Bird and Fortune and The Eleven O'clock Show, all known swear words are finally used openly in entertainment TV (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
In such a climate, watching the Cutting Edge programme on Channel 4 was a breath of fresh air for the sufferers of the venom of this social epidemic, but unfortunately, it was soon soured by the next programme, “The F Word”.
But what can, and should, be done about it?
· Are the media programmers and policy makers sensitive to this problem?
· If they are, what measures are in place, apart from “beeping” out the offensive words or scheduling the programmes after 9pm?
· What policy have the media put in place to improve the language skill of the nation, knowing that “language” is “what makes us human”, and its development leads to the development of thought patterns, the build up of our characters and social structures? Peter Coates, the Head Teacher, is saddened: 'It's a pity when the children's language is impoverished. I think that swearing diminishes them. Sometimes they're unaware because they're children of how they're perceived, and that's a great pity’ (Channel 4 web-site 2007).
· What programs are made to stimulate the nation’s taste for verbal beauty alongside many that are designed to trim the figure or to make people look younger than their actual age?
· Is there any method to ascertain and respond to the opinion of the ethnic minorities towards the use of foul language in the media? Coming from Iran, I can share with you that the use of foul language is not practised anywhere across the media. That includes so-called reality TV and cinema. I can also share with you the teachings of two major religions, founded in Iran; the Zoroastrian faith and the Bahá’í faith. The foundation of the Zoroastrian religion is based on; “Purity of Thoughts, Purity of Deeds and Purity of Words”. The Bahá’í faith teaches that “the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk” the purpose for the creation of language is to facilitate worthy words, and it shall not be spoiled with foul ones. The idea of the sanctity of words is also supported by Christianity that says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (St. John’s Gospel).
· Would it be possible to investigate the psychology of the use of swear words in a science programme such as Horizon?
· Would it be fair to suggest that the use of foul language should be totally banned from the media and public places in order to avoid verbal pollution and to maintain a safe environment (as with smoking)?

Delivered by Parvaneh Farid at CDAGM (Cultural Diversity Advisory Group to the Media) Meeting with BBC South, Meridian TV and the Daily Echo
28th Jun 2007
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