Swearing in the media
François Legault was so steamed up in a recent presser that he swore over how Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon accused him of breaking pandemic rules by socializing with his adult sons. I clicked on this CTV link in mild curiosity, watched the story – and when they get to Legault swearing, they bleep it! That kills the story, right there.
La Presse reports the incident straight up. Legault was speaking English at this point – I wondered if he’d curse in English or if he’d slip in a tabarnak – and, without fuss, La Presse translates what he said: merde, s’il vous plait, n’impliquez pas les enfants.
Really? The delicate ears of Quebec anglos can’t hear someone say “shit” on TV? In 2021, in French?
I wish this pretense would stop. The bleeping and the asterisks. If the story is about swearing, especially, there’s no story unless we know what was said. Kids say worse in kindergarten: stop treating us like babies!
Also, do we believe Legault’s adult sons both still live with him? Plamondon had to withdraw his accusation when Legault assured him that they do.
Kevin 21:23 on 2021-02-11 Permalink
Believe me, people complain about swearing on TV. The regulators have determined it’s okay to say the word Fuck on French TV, but airing profanity on English TV before 9 pm is unacceptable—even on specialty channels.
DeWolf 04:06 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
As far as I can tell, anglo North America is the only part of the English-speaking world that is so fussy about swearing.
steph 10:24 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
His sons are 27 and 28. I don’t believe they live at home.
Kate 10:34 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
But fiction shows on television show sex scenes now – don’t they show some swearing?
GC 10:47 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
I don’t trust Legault, as a general rule, but it is at least _possible_. They could have moved back in during the pandemic even if they weren’t already there? I have no idea how wealthy their family is, but it’s probably not like they would all be cramming into a 4 1/2 or anything. Now that he’s doubled down on the indignation, it’s going to look really bad if it proves to not be true.
Kevin 10:59 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
Kate
CRTC rules are that swearing is only allowed after 9 p.m. It last came up with Star Trek Discovery where one character said fuck during the 8 o’clock hour, and the network had to run an apology multiple times over the following week.
Kate 11:29 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
People are so weird. Words they hear and use every day, but hear it on TV and there’s pearl‑clutching.
jeather 11:43 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
Yeah, I’m sorry, you leave the kids out of it when they are kids, once they are adults if they are breaking pandemic rules they can be held accountable. That said it seems possible that at some point in this past year they decided to move back in with their parents.
David Senik 12:14 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
Totally agree with you the silliness of censoring swear words in the news, Kate. I’ve even noticed that the anchors on CNN will occasionally swear and include colourful metaphors in their reporting. Isn’t the US supposed to be the puritanical country compared to our liberal paradise? My kids are in elementary school and know what swear words like fuck and shit are. I’ve tired to inculcate the notion that these are bad words (emphasizing that they’re just words) but that kid shouldn’t use them because it’ll just get them in trouble. Once they’re older they’ll understand when they’re appropriate to use or not. We all figure it out eventually.
Blork 12:47 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
When Schitt’s Creek first started, ads for it on CBC Radio would bleep it. “Sch…FADEOUT …’ts Creek.” They eventually stopped.
When Schitt’s Creek was getting all those awards at recently, the host of one of the US shows (I forget who it was… Jimmy Kimmel maybe?) mentioned that he was only allowed to say “Schitt’s Creek” if he preceded it with “Television series…”
People really need to grow up.
walkerp 13:26 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
Once you have a child and start entering the world of thinking about swearing, it gets anthropological. I mean what even is swearing? Why does one set of syllables create so much conflict in one language and none in the other? Or just shifting syllables slightly completely neutralize a word? The other weird thing that happens is the child becomes the one policing the parents about swear words, because they learn all these rules at school that you hated at that time and have now abandoned.
It’s all a bit moot as, like with pornography, technology is driving culture. All these new channels of content don’t have to follow any of the old rules.
dwgs 19:43 on 2021-02-12 Permalink
15 and 18 year old boys under my roof, I largely gave up trying to police the f bombs long ago. When we could go to weddings and such things I would get feedback about how polite and well spoken they are so apparently we have done our job well enough that they know when to curb the potty mouth. Small victories.
Uatu 12:56 on 2021-02-13 Permalink
Didn’t Kids in the Hall have salty language and racy sketches back in the 90s? And on prime time CBC no less. What’s the big deal?
MarcG 13:15 on 2021-02-13 Permalink
SCREW YOU TAXPAYER!