Is there too much swearing on TV ?
Whilst I can understand a lot of swearing on reality shows like Traffic Cops
(after all who would be happy at being arrested or having your car towed away)
is swearing justified on Jamie Oliver's shows?
Should the bleep be used more often or is swearing such an everyday part of life that nobody notices anymore?
What do you think?

Swearing on television is out of control - Telegraph

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Yes there is Red. My post on the Ross Affair and obscene phone calls makes my point. Gordon Ramsey started it "in bulk" and that half wit Oliver has tried a similar type of programme with his cooking programme in Rotherham. There are other dishes other than f****g chip butties and f****g stews. Copulating cookery should be banned along with the presenters.

I think the context of the swearing is key. Certain situations would result in many people swearing, and if the show is trying to genuinely capture that situation then the language is ok to an extent.

Celebrity swearing appears to be a new means of giving the shows an earthy, honest, I really mean this appearance. I'm not convinced this is needed in all cases. I suspect Mr Oliver is following a lead from Mr Ramsey who pioneered "copulating cookery"

I'm not offended by it personally and hardly notice it, but.... I know that people are offended and take care to moderate my language accordingly depending on who I am speaking to, the situation and how well I know them. I would have thought that television producers would do the same sort of thing and consider their audience, maybe they are making the incorrect assumption that no one cares anymore, in which case it is up to those who are bothered by it to make their feelings known either by complaining to the relevant bodies, or switching channels.

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I'm a big big fan of swearing.

I think it is a highly valuable component part of our language. Used correctly, it adds enrichment, vibrancy, colour, passion, meaning and import to it's contextual foundation.

I am never offended by swearing, no matter how base it may be.

HOWEVER, inappropriate use and/or over-use, robs our language of all those potential benefits which swearing offers.

Once it has been fully accepted as nothing-more than the oft-repeated, involuntary "grunt" of society's oafish underbelly - we have lost a priceless facet of our ability to communicate meaningfully, and shall fill that void with what ????????

A well-chosen swear-word can be an absolute joy, or a kick in the teeth. But it fails to be either once we are conditioned into the expectation of two or three per sentence.

Only one of several ways in which Mr. Oliver is impacting negatively upon society, in my view.

I disagree sorry. I loathe the way virtually all youngsters use the word f**k or c**t*. They can't say one sentence without these words being said at least 2 or 3 times.

Another example I can give where I cringe when I hear it is when you see a young mother pushing a crying toddler in a pushchair and her shouting "shut the f**k up".

Where has expressing oneself using the ample choice of pronouns out there without resorting to swearing gone ???

I hate hearing people swear all the time, there is no need, there really isn't we have thousands of words making up the English language - swear words are but a very small proportion, why highlight your ignorance when you can't think of another word so use a swear word instead ??? You are simply being brainwashed if you think its an acceptable part of every day language because its not it truly isn't.

Swearing goes hand in hand with the emotions anger and aggression NOT general discussion and I'm sure everyone feels there is more than enough aggression around these days. Going on the amount of swearing one hears then as a nation we can only be deemed as being full of anger and aggression

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My opinion is that swearing can become a habit. Some time ago I realised that I was using the F word far too often and I think it was due to the company that I was keeping at the time. I then realised that it had become part of everyday conversation with my son and I think it was his use of the word that made me realise how immune I had become to it. When Matt incude f*** in a sentence it didn't seem right so I made a conscious effort not to say it and gradually it disappeared from our vocabulary.

As far as the use of the word on TV is concerned I cannot comment as I don't have TV.

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Bunny

anyone has the right to be stupid...some just abuse the privilege

People on telly, like it or not, become role models and I dislike how people readily utter obscenities.

In the vast case swearing does nothing to add to the rich vibrancy of our language.

There have been cases where it can add to a piece but would be lost on the majority of people looking for a suitable adjective, noun or adverb.

At the risk of boring some chatters, this country is dreadful in its seeming acceptance of foul language.

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I agree. Swearing has got out of hand in this country. I once remember a mate of mine saying that in most situations, using an appropriate 'proper' word in place of swearing can have far more impact and also shows a higher level of intellect.

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Slight aside here but last year I had a Swedish colleague working with me for eleven months.He moved his family over and rented a nearby lodge. This meant that he had to deal with the frustrations of trying to deal with BT, Npower and British Gas via the telephone (never easy even if you are a native). He had improved his English by watching American films and TV shows so it came as a shock when talking to utility companies if he used the phrase WTF? they hung up on him. It took him several months to work out that swearing in the UK is less well regarded than in the US or even Scandinavia.

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