Taboos Lifted

[John McClane]

Howdy all. I've been paying more attention to my conversation's and just been amazed at how many taboos have been thrown to the wind. Tell me, can you remember any taboos from "your time" and are they still taboos today.

[7thson]

Well I may be showing my age..but oh well

Any clothes that were midriff for man or woman were not allowed.

I had to say the pledge of allegiance in school, it is was taboo not to say unlike today when it is taboo too say it.

I used to never swear at all, and I rarely do so today, but some words that used to be considered swearing back in the day are acceptable now, eventually it just will not be considered swearing to say anything.

There is a lot more but I am feeling guilty now....thanks alot...



;) :D

[John McClane]

Ah, no problem that's what I'm here for. Yes, I'd agree on the swearing taboo. Most of my teachers don't even take to students who swear.

[Caitlyn]

I never said wordy-dirds when I was younger... and, even now, only say one once in a while… but never around my Mom or Grandmothers… they'd still take a bar of soap to my mouth… :p

[John McClane]

I never said wordy-dirds when I was younger... and, even now, only say one once in a while… but never around my Mom or Grandmothers… they'd still take a bar of soap to my mouth… :pI'm surprised about my mom. I slipt up and said damn and she didn't care. I was very surprised about that one.

[gummo]

At my school my profs swear occationally... but we ARE in Canada, maybe that's the difference hehehe. I find it hard to walk down the street without hearing someone going on a swearing spree. A lot of people can't spit and swear at the same time in my n-hood. It is kinda sad because I think a lot of the time swearing is completely unnecessary...but then at other times, well, I think you need to throw in a f**K just to show your passion...just don't get carried away with your passion :) I grew up in a strict catholic household and yet my father swears up a storm. Is that twisted? What I don't agree with are the people who swear constantly and in public. Not everyone can take this with a grain of salt. I think it shows lack of intelligence to constantly say f this f that and worse, in my book, the c or w word. It is obviously lack of vocabulary...ever watch Trailer Park Boys? and though it is funny and my favorite show, Ricky is a perfect example of who I am talking about.

[Strummer521]

I'm surprised about my mom. I slipt up and said damn and she didn't care. I was very surprised about that one.

The older you get the less concern parents seem to have about that. But really, your parents must be kinda strict if getting away with "damn" is a big deal.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

I never said wordy-dirds when I was younger... and, even now, only say one once in a while… but never around my Mom or Grandmothers… they'd still take a bar of soap to my mouth… :p
"wordy-dirds"?? oh my god.... :laugh:

[thmilin]

i used "pansy" on my dad i once when i was 16 and he nearly went down my throat and pulled my spleen out with his bare hands. later on i realized it was because he was born in 1952 and was in the military as soon as he was old enough and on a navy ship you get super careful to make sure people know you aren't a "sissy" or a "pansy." the irony now being that it doesn't, in general use, have that meaning. it only has the "you're queer" meaning if you're a homophobe. if you're not, then you just think it means wimpy. hopefully "wimpy" isn't the same as "sissy" and i'm managing to make sense here.

and in a casual conversation in chat with him once I threw out a "hell" or a "damn" and he was like, "why do you swear at me."

it was a crime to curse or speak rudely during childhood around elders, but I did curse occasionally in high school. i don't tend to do it now often but when i do it's because i'm in a "mood" the mood usually being exacting and blunt. i'm not necessarily angry just feel like cursing to get my point across.

we used to have to do the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of special events, and then they stopped asking us to do it, so i forgot the words, until the next event. and then it all came back. :)

my dad came from a strict southern background - and my mom's from the philippines. she remarried, and I visited my little sister and brother this xmas. the last time i saw them they were in their early teens - no cursing. now, they're 15 and 17 and every other word they drop is "b*tch" or "sh|t" or "f*ck" or "motherf*cker" and it really really really annoys me. in general there is never actually a need for cursing, so I feel when you use it, you better really have a reason to use it. it shouldn't be as natural as throwing in a "hey" or a "wassup" - they're forceful, negative words and you should only use them if you really mean them. it's like the word "hate" - back in the day, people never used it unless they really hated something. now people throw it around when they really mean "kinda dislike."

[Tacitus]

I never said wordy-dirds when I was younger... and, even now, only say one once in a while… but never around my Mom or Grandmothers… they'd still take a bar of soap to my mouth… :p

It's strange that, but my mum and dear old granny (90 and still going strong) are no strangers to utterances of fruity language. Apparently the first word I learned which wasn't mamma or dada was 'bollocks', a favourite expression of my dad and pronounced balix... ;)

Anyway......tattoos on women. Especially those chav ones just above the arse which mystify me. Are they there to help line up the knicker-label?

[The Taxi Driver]

Most of the teachers in my high school don't do anything when someone swears its not a big deal anymore. And the only thing i don't say around my parents is the F word. I guess Im lucky everyone isnt that strict about that stuff around me

[Twain]

Tabboos lifted? Well, interracial relationships are certainly far more common today. When Jack Johnson, the black heavyweight boxing champ of the early 20th century married white women, it was scandalous. Ali said about Jackson "He married white women...back then...I'm bad but he was crazy."

Tattoos...far more common and accepted. Also piercings.

Language...far more "colorful" today. Only the F and the C word still raises an eyebrow (sometimes).

Homosexuality...more accepted. By about everyone except the religious right. It was deep in the closet a few decades ago.

Living together, sex before marriage, children before marriage...all accepted more and not the scandal they once were. Abortion...legal and safe. Not the scary back alley scandal it was prior to Roe. If Alito is confirmed and attempts to overturn Roe, stand back and watch the shiite hit the fan.

One thing unthinkable not that long ago...same sex marriage. Tell someone in the 50s that same sex marriage was seriously being considered and they'd laugh til they had convulsions.

[Caitlyn]

At my school my profs swear occationally... but we ARE in Canada, maybe that's the difference hehehe. I find it hard to walk down the street without hearing someone going on a swearing spree. A lot of people can't spit and swear at the same time in my n-hood. It is kinda sad because I think a lot of the time swearing is completely unnecessary...but then at other times, well, I think you need to throw in a f**K just to show your passion...just don't get carried away with your passion :) I grew up in a strict catholic household and yet my father swears up a storm. Is that twisted? What I don't agree with are the people who swear constantly and in public. Not everyone can take this with a grain of salt. I think it shows lack of intelligence to constantly say f this f that and worse, in my book, the c or w word. It is obviously lack of vocabulary...ever watch Trailer Park Boys? and though it is funny and my favorite show, Ricky is a perfect example of who I am talking about.

I never really had a teacher/professor who swore… at least not out loud… but swearing was the norm among the students… and it is the norm on the streets here. As far as I'm concerned, it gets pretty irritating when the only way someone seems to be able to express themselves is to say "f you, f this, or f that, etc"…


"wordy-dirds"?? oh my god.... :laugh:

I felt a bit nostalgic when I read this thread… and that was my grandmother's name for them… we always thought it was hilarious too… :D

It's strange that, but my mum and dear old granny (90 and still going strong) are no strangers to utterances of fruity language. Apparently the first word I learned which wasn't mamma or dada was 'bollocks', a favourite expression of my dad and pronounced balix... ;)

None of my grandmothers were strangers to colorful language either… and my Mom was an Army nurse… so… you can imagine what she heard… but they all pretty much agreed, for the most part, swearing was not an acceptable method of communication… so, all the kids learned early on how to blow soap bubbles… :p

Anyway......tattoos on women. Especially those chav ones just above the arse which mystify me. Are they there to help line up the knicker-label?

I don‘t have a clue… tain't where mine is located… ;) :blush:

[undercoverlover]

I'm 18 and I can't say Ive ever been subjected to taboos but i am subjected to hypocritical parents. They swear, but they dont like me to. My mum has 2 tattoos (she had them done in the past 5 yearsi hasten to add) and yet she doesnt want me to have one done. And both my parentals smoke and they frequently say they'll kill me if i start smoking. Its just so freakin irritating. I feel my generation have nothing to do, no taboos to break anymore, nothing specific to be angry at so we're angry at everything. In england the levels of teen and pre teen crime has risen to astonishing levels. Rebellion against everyone, no respect for authority or people in general.



We are the rebels without a cause.

[Tacitus]

I don‘t have a clue… tain't where mine is located… ;) :blush:

You're gonna have to spill the beans on this one me'girl. :yup:

[SpoOkY]

I'm 18 and I can't say Ive ever been subjected to taboos but i am subjected to hypocritical parents. They swear, but they dont like me to. My mum has 2 tattoos (she had them done in the past 5 yearsi hasten to add) and yet she doesnt want me to have one done. And both my parentals smoke and they frequently say they'll kill me if i start smoking. Its just so freakin irritating. I feel my generation have nothing to do, no taboos to break anymore, nothing specific to be angry at so we're angry at everything. In england the levels of teen and pre teen crime has risen to astonishing levels. Rebellion against everyone, no respect for authority or people in general.



We are the rebels without a cause.

I think it's also linked to our lack of social identity in modern day society. In times gone by you were part of a clan of people but progressively families have got smaller and smaller until now they are mostly nuclear (sisters, brothers + parents). Teens nowadays get forced to go to school and wear a freaking uniform! you might think nothing of it because it's always been like that but what could be mind-numbingly more oppressive than making kids all look exactly the same. It's designed for the same reason a prison uniform is created to quash individuality. So how do kids express themselves? tell the world who they are?

Quite simply they do stuff that they think is cool & rebellion has always been cool. They fall into the web of conformity that surrounds them, if they fall in with the wrong crowd they can go completely off the rails. If an adult happens to meet a lot of drug users that doesn't mean this person will just start using because they can think it through and decide on their own values whether they want to take drugs. WHY DO TEENS JUST FOLLOW THE CROWD?

-well I think it's because they are too scared not to. All their lives they are pushed into things; the most popular toy is what they're given and told they want, the best school possible to secure their future (they're told they need to learn). So when do kids get a chance to make decisions for themselves? & what preperation do they have in terms of knowing what values they have? So when a young person is told by their friends that they should get smashed off their head on alcohol/drugs every weekend can you see how it would be so hard for them to refuse. They have no sense of self, no sense of belonging in society anymore. I'm of course talking about western society. Just think of what a young 16 yr old boy in Zambia looking after his 3 younger siblings would do in similar situations and you may see my point. :)

[undercoverlover]

How old are you Spooky if you dont mind me asking? Because many older people assume that teenagers just follow each other. Teenagers are the pioneers, everything begins with us breaking the rules and norms, changing the value system. We do what we feel like even if it may be a misguided choice. We are true anarchists and we follow no one. What is commonly confused as following set examples from lets say celebrities is actually us seeing something we want. No different from anyone else on this earth. Seeing what you want, how you'd want to live. We mostly do things because we want to or because its in our best interests.

[John McClane]

How old are you Spooky if you dont mind me asking? Because many older people assume that teenagers just follow each other. Teenagers are the pioneers, everything begins with us breaking the rules and norms, changing the value system. We do what we feel like even if it may be a misguided choice. We are true anarchists and we follow no one. What is commonly confused as following set examples from lets say celebrities is actually us seeing something we want. No different from anyone else on this earth. Seeing what you want, how you'd want to live. We mostly do things because we want to or because its in our best interests.I'm a teenager and I would have to strongly disagree on that one. I usually do set my own image and do what I want but, many a times I do things because friends are doing it. Now, I would never follow anyone if it brought me harm.

[gummo]

How old are you Spooky if you dont mind me asking? Because many older people assume that teenagers just follow each other. Teenagers are the pioneers, everything begins with us breaking the rules and norms, changing the value system. We do what we feel like even if it may be a misguided choice. We are true anarchists and we follow no one. What is commonly confused as following set examples from lets say celebrities is actually us seeing something we want. No different from anyone else on this earth. Seeing what you want, how you'd want to live. We mostly do things because we want to or because its in our best interests.


I will have to agree with Undercoverlover, for the most part, for me when I was a teenager...and a lot of the people I hung around. We did think for ourselves and actually, for me, I hated people who "followed the crowd". The philosophy of that is...if the crowd you are with all thinks this way, then you are really "following the crowd"....Even to this day I feel a hatred for people (most often teens and young adults) who follow the trend...not so much "the trend" as following a celebrities "advice"...unless that's the trend, i dunno. But a lot of adolecence/young adults do "follow the crowd". Undercoverlover, I like you because you don't follow a crowd...I love the unique people who can think for themselves. :D

[Caitlyn]

You're gonna have to spill the beans on this one me'girl. :yup:


Hmm... let's just say it's in a rather cheeky place… ;)

[undercoverlover]

I'm a teenager and I would have to strongly disagree on that one. I usually do set my own image and do what I want but, many a times I do things because friends are doing it. Now, I would never follow anyone if it brought me harm.


John I do not speak of each and every individual but i think i speak for a large percentage of our age group. When I speak about doing our own thing or not paying attention to what we SHOULD be doing, going along with your friends is not generally a part of that.

Following friends is a part of the process of growing up, it will help you weed out what you like doing and what you don't like doing. Say you went along with something that your friends were doing, right there you have made your own choice - you aren't just following the crowd like a zombie, you have chosen to do it. And if you find out you don't like doing that any more you will find the courage to make the decision that you don't want to do it again.

John as we grow up we learn to find that courage more and more believe me. You'll start to challenge more and more things because the older you get the more seriously people start to take you and they'll start to actually listen to what we have to say, whether they like it or not.

Also something from a film that i think fits in with what we've been talking about:

Tyler Durden: Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy **** we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

[Tacitus]

Hmm... let's just say it's in a rather cheeky place… ;)

It's on your cheek? :eek:

This could be taken two ways...

[undercoverlover]

oh you saucy minxes