In case you hadn't noticed, I have a potty mouth... or more appropriately here, potty fingers. I swear. A lot. I do. I'm aware that I do. I do try to curb the swearing in front of small children, or at work. But for the most part I'm good with swearing like a sailor or a drill sergeant. I enjoy the creative freedom of swearing. Oh, those of you who do not think there's anything creative about swearing have never heard me in high dudgeon.
But why bring this up? Because I've had several people tell me they'd take me more seriously if I didn't swear. Or scold me for it, either in the guise of "wanting me to be taken more seriously," (translation: For my own good). Or who actually own their sexism and tell me it's just not ladylike. Honestly, I get called out for my swearing far more often than the men I know. Frequently by men who have just said "fuck" in front of me.
All, right, listen up neanderthals, I'm NOT ladylike. "Lady" is a very specific construct of feminine helplessness and decorum.
Fuck that.
I'm not helpless, I'm not weak, I'm not decorative.
There are times when "shoot," "golly," or even "Great Googly Moogly!" just do not convey the level of anger, rage and disgust that a subject engenders. That's when it's time to bring out the big guns. And since a lot of the topics I cover here push several of my buttons, there's a lot of profanity.
But honestly, if you go back and read what I've written over the last several years, you'll note that the swearing comes and goes in waves. Sometimes I can write for months with nary a "damn" in sight. And at other times, well, let's say the F-bomb and I are very close friends.
There are limits to my swearing. You will not hear me utter an ethnic slur, nor the other "F" word pertaining to homosexuals, unless I'm talking to my crowd of homosexuals, and then it's just a term of endearment. But I do not EVER use it as a perjorative. I mean, let's face it. If you can't come up with far, far better insults towards someone you despise than picking on who they're fucking, you just aren't trying.
I posit that profanity has it's place. Even, and particularly, for "lady" writers.
Mickey Schulz is a guest author for the California NOW blog; her opinions are not necessarily those of California NOW. Copyright Mickey Schulz, with permission granted to California NOW for use on this site.
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