Saturday 20 October 2012

Time flies (whether you are having fun or not).

Isn't it amazing how fast time goes by?   Every Saturday The Times carries a list which is headed 'On this day'.   Would you believe that it is forty-four years since Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis?

But the big story, the one which makes the headline in the article is that on this day in 1960, in the Central Criminal Court, Lady Chatterley's Lover was considered.   Penguin Books had published it and were being prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act for publishing an unexpurgated version.

I love the way it says that after the case had been opened it was adjourned until the next Thursday to allow the jury of nine men and three women time to read it.   And they had to read it in the jury room at the Court.

Doesn't it all seem old-fashined now, fifty two years later, when anything goes?    Was it Kenneth Tynan who was the first person to use the F word on television?

I do remember buying the book and someone telling me that it would automatically open at "the" page.   The trouble with all these things is that if you ban something everyone will want to do it/read it or whatever.

On the other hand, I do sometimes feel that we have gone too far the other way now - I wonder - have we degraded the English language somewhat by being able to use the F and C words, as well as many others?  Some folk do tend to use them as expletives or even just in the general flow of conversation (Have I got News for You is a good example of this - although I love the programme).  I don't recall hearing my father swear at all when I was a child.  And when I first met the farmer I remarked that I had never heard him swear - did he ever do so?   To which he replied, "Not in front of ladies." - ah the age of chivalry is not dead after all.

13 comments:

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Here in the states, we had a dreadful period when frightfully ignorant people were attempting to ban Harry Potter books. Sadly, they were Christian people convinced that each new book in the series was nothing more than a tutorial on witchcraft. Of course, they'd never read them and were proud of that fact.

I am of two minds about the prevalence of curse words. I love the Farmer's attitude and appreciate it greatly. And I deplore the use of bad language in the young. But sometimes I think the more words like that are used the more impotent they become. But truth be told, I'd rather not hear them.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
xo,
p

Heather said...

Cherish your gentleman Pat, but I am sure you do anyway. I always appreciate gentlemanly behaviour and sometimes think that over zealous feminists make it harder for men to be gentlemen.
I do think the pendulum has swung a bit far these days and I suppose if we are patient the niceties of life might reappear, or is that a vain hope?

Mac n' Janet said...

I wish more people felt like the Farmer, I'm offended by bad language.
I guess I'm getting old but most of the programs on tv are offensive. Watched a trailer for one last night and the "funny" line was said by a girl who said,"I'm not wearing any underwear." And that was supposed to be funny.
Nothing is left to the imagination, how boring.

The Solitary Walker said...

I understand what you are saying, Pat. How times have changed! From the unbelievable innocuousness of 'Lady Chatterley and 'Ulysses' to the present time, 50 or 60 years later, when absolutely anything goes at the click of an Internet site.

I'm not offended per se by bad language, nudity, or the graphic representation of sex. It all depends on the context, the motivation, the way its done. And, sadly, so much of this is done badly and cynically — with manipulation, exploitation, money-making, ignorance and lack of education behind it. 'The Guardian', for instance, permits the 'C' word now as well as the 'F' word — but it's used rarely, and sparingly, and within rightful meaning and context. Freedom with intelligence — that's what I say.

Woman Seeking Center said...

I'm not greatly fond of strong 'off' language for shock value alone nor used in anger (tho I've uttered my share of 'baddies' lol - mostly when cooking truth told as I'm a good baker but a nightmare cook)! But if the situation and context in real life, online, or entertainment warrant (highly subjective I admit) it bothers me far less....

Nudity, much the same - for shock or unnecessarily? I think that sad really, stealing it's beauty and depth.

But I confess (perhaps odd duck in the pond on this) that I find the endless, senseless, commonplace scenes and verbiage of VIOLENCE the most bothersome and usetting of all poor behaviors.

It's pervasive on tele shows, magazines, adverts, movies, computer and online games. The list is long and ever growing of where small and large acts of physical and emotional violence are treated and proffered as 'no big deal'. It offends and moreso it worries me. Enough so that I now on occassion write to some of the advertisers for such shows - (or the owners of companies showing their products thru violent adverts) to say as much. A pebble in a pond perhaps, but one can (or must?) try...

And speaking of trying, I should try to learn how to write briefly! lol

TTTFN!
Issy Faye

Penny said...

Two posts full of things to think about. Sometimes as I get older I wonder if I think at all!
Swearing in public is too frequent and not at all nice, but I do confess to using the odd one when something really goes wrong, but not usually the f word and never the c so sometimes I wonder if d..n is still considered a swear word at all!

Gerry Snape said...

the F-word cropped up in most sentences in country areas when I was growing up in Ireland...but I never heard either mum or dad use any.

Irene said...

I try not to use any swear words myself unless something incredibly shocking happens and even then...

I do get bothered by the one's using feminen body parts as if those are just to be used for that purpose. That does offend me.

I do like to say: "F**k a duck." When I sat it quickly here, nobody knows what I'm saying.

Crafty Green Poet said...

it always strikes me that people who use too many swear woods too often lack imagination! Then again sometimes a well chosen swear word is just what you need!

Em Parkinson said...

When I was growing up, alone with my mother, she swore like a trooper; a product of art school in the early 1950's I think. I thought nothing of doing so until my son was born when I decided to stop entirely and set an example. It has been very refreshing actually although I wonder what he's coming out with in the playground as a result of it being seen as something we 'don't do'!

Acornmoon said...

I was very surprised to read this post, I had thought that Lady Chatterley's Lover was much earlier. So much for the swinging sixties.

Rachel Phillips said...

.... and the funny thing is we now live in an incredibly politically correct time but it is all right to swear...

The Weaver of Grass said...

Opinion seems to be pretty general then - sometimes a swear word is the only answer but on the whole we avoid using them indiscriminately.
Thanks for the visit.