Feature Article

America: Land of the Free, Home of the Profanities

By Nicia Sanelli

The French brought the world “Bonjour,” the Italians “Buongiorno,” and the Spaniards “Hola.” What language contributions have Americans made? Due to increased worldwide popularity of American pop culture, music, television, and film Americans have inadvertently brought the “F”-word to represent the United States in our global culture. Elizabeth Lev from Politics Daily points out that, “the same Europeans who heap contempt on American politics, cuisine and fashion apparently can’t seem to get enough of our arsenal of expletives.” Lev also touched on the desensitization of Americans to profanities when she stated, “the F-word has been rendered innocuous due to common usage particularly in music and cinema.”

With this accusation, one would expect to come to America and hear a constant flow of four-letter words. However, foul language is rarely heard in the typical American conversation. Interestingly enough, most Americans do not speak with profanities at all, but, as Lev acknowledges, “those of more refined speech find themselves drowned out by the cussing brigade, who often have less to say but garner much attention saying it.” Where, then, is this stereotype coming from? It is very possible that the language stems directly from American media exported around the world; however, Lev also believes that “our legions of college-age students studying abroad in Europe with its lax drinking laws have fostered this new Anglo-invasion, as has our anonymous Internet chatter, which frequently takes coarse language as a new form of philosophical exposition.”

Though foul language may not dominate the typical American conversation, it does seem to be consistently relevant in American pop culture. Even at 14, Hilary Duff, who at the time was starring on the Disney Channel original series, Lizzie McGuire, admitted in an interview with WHO Magazine, that she had “a bit of a potty mouth.” Could this have been a feeble attempt for Duff to get people to treat her as an adult? In Lev’s research she formed the conclusion that “pop culture suggests fluency in profanity has become the modern rite of passage into adulthood.” Another TV star, Olivia Wilde, who stars on House, was reported to have a problem with profanities. Wilde’s co-star on the show, Omar Epps, says that she is “a great girl and she is great to work with. But she curses … a lot.” Wilde was recently awarded the “top spot on Maxim’s Hot 100 list for 2009, ”which falls directly in line with Lev’s prognosis that “power and conviction in a performance seem strangely proportionate to the use of profanity.” Has beauty and glamour changed since the time of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly? The facts point to yes. This also aligns with Lev’s idea that “profanity has become as cool in the 21st century as smoking was in the days of Bogey, Bacall and Billie Holiday.”

While the knowledge of this U.S. cultural export may be quite shocking to many Americans, it may also be safe to assume that, internationally, others employ American expletives in culturally creative ways. That is, foreign use of American profanity is, in all likelihood, not seen as harsh or taboo in those cultural settings. It will be interesting to see the cultural trends created by American media in the upcoming years.