OPINION
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Is the C-word ever okay?
Its use this week in a text between warring politicians has prompted our newsroom to ponder that question.
Views are varied. But the general consensus is the C-word is not for general consumption.
There are very few words in the English language that can get under people’s skin as much as the C-word. Women seem the most disturbed – just as the n-word can rile African Americans and fag--- hits a nerve with gay men.
Feminists hate it, comedians avoid it and grown men have been severely punished for uttering the single syllable that sounds plain brutal.
A voxpop of work colleagues shows the C-word, C-bomb, or C U Next Tuesday still has a sting in its tail.
A male offered: ‘’I don’t think it’s an appropriate word to use in pretty much any context really, but that said, I’ve heard it used plenty in my lifetime and it doesn’t personally offend me.’’
A female colleague agreed: ‘’I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s ever appropriate. I’m not a fan of people using it around me, and I would ask them to curb their language if it was flying around in my presence,’’ she said.
Another male colleague said he just doesn’t like it, ‘’simple as that’’. He can handle it however when it’s said by someone who would never normally use such an obscenity.
‘’In that case I guess it can show just how ticked off they are, it shows they’ve been pushed to that point where they are beyond upset.’’
Moving further afield, I consulted a mother of two.
‘’My 12 year old step daughter once mentioned she used the C-word and upon further investigation from yours truly said the C-word was CRAP.
‘’Maybe that’s a good thing that girls in year 7 think the C-word means crap. Perhaps she is the minority.’’
Another friend who lived abroad for many years believes generally speaking the word is ‘’way less offensive’’ in Australia.
‘’For example, when I lived in Canada, it was considered the absolute worst of the worst. If anyone ever mustered up the courage to say it socially they were subject to instant scorn,’’ she said.
‘’And when I saw my Aussie mate’s band play in Canada, one of them announced to the crowd that all they needed to know about Australia was Fosters tastes like cat piss and c---t is not an offensive word.
‘’I have heard people snigger about Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm because her last name is pronounced C-bomb. Now THAT is funny.’’
This one might be a political hot potato but it is funny nonetheless. A true story:
My Bathurst friends were out one night and ran into two indigenous brothers who were up for a chat.
One of them said ‘‘what's the name of this place?" and my friends answered "Bathurst". He pondered for a minute and then said "well it is a c---t of a place".
My friend said "where are you from?" and he answered "Boorowa.....and it is a c---t of a place too!"