No, it was M.I.A., a British songstress who used a bit of sign language during the performance, a gesture urging viewers to give themselves a gentle caress.
People saw and were outraged then apologies were made and fines were levied. And now we can be certain that the next half dozen Super Bowl half-time shows will feature acts closer to their government pensions than the impetuousness spontaneity of youth so embodied in Miss M.I.A.
But what’s really missing in action is a reason for her to urge the 114 million viewers to love themselves just a little bit more. She didn`t seem mad, upset or perturbed. No, just casual cursing, just because she can.
And, as I see it, that`s really the problem here. It`s not the oft-thought-of-children that we have to worry about here. Really, can you think of a little one that has the attention span to get through a half time show that is also unfamiliar with the one finger salute?
No, it`s us everyday people that are cheated. She`s watering down our gesture of frustration, our words of anger. To do nothing more than pander.
When profanity becomes profuse, it starts to lose its meaning. Cuss words aren`t commas, they`re really supposed to be reserved for those special occasion when un-salted language doesn`t fit the situation.
This isn`t just me talking, there`s hard science backing this up. Professor Richard Stevens of Keele University in the U-K has linked swearing with a reduction in pain. Apparently A-hem and A-ha are an analgesic for our ailments.
But you probably knew that. If you’re like most, you’ve had an oral flow of effluent, probably as recent as your last toe stubbing. You may not be proud, but it made it feel better, didn’t it?
What is it that those people who use these words like they’re going out of style do when they need to make a point? What is it someone like local Member of Parliament Pat Martin does? He seemingly can’t help himself from tweeting out words banned by Beauchesne's.
He’s unapologetic of it, and that’s fine. I can well understand how the life of a career opposition member might make Martin feel like he needs a gimmick to draw attention his way. There is, after all, only so often you can call for an axing of the penny before people just yawn and move on. And it’s not like he’s the first politician to toss out a fuddle-duddle, and nor will he be the last.
But the more often the well is visited, the shallower it will become. An explicit lyrics warning sticker once meant albums would shoot off the shelves and into stereos. I imagine if people still bought CDs, the warning would now just blend in with the album’s artwork.
We can’t allow the dirty words we know and love to lose their status. And maybe we do have to think of the children the next time we think about contributing to the swear jar. Because if we aren’t careful to conserve our curses, what words will they have when they need to make a sailor blush?
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