Bradley Robb

Perhaps the most widely cited reason for the inclusion or usage of profanity in any artistic medium is the desire for realism. The logic itself makes sense because people do, in fact, swear. Some of us frequently. And some, like the Coen brothers, David Mamet (video with strong language), and even William Shakespeare, have become legends for their use of profanity. Numerous others have raged against the use, labeling it as crude, grotesque, and a mark of artistic laziness. How, then, is a modern writer supposed to handle the situation? To swear or not to swear is an important artistic question.

The Power of Profanity

In an article lambasting the use of profanity in literature, Charles Benton ironically provided an argument for its use that is as true today as it was when he wrote it over a century ago. Benton noted that “the essence of profanity is a Vandalic desecration of those inner temples, without excuse save the depraved desire to show contempt for that which is dear to another.”

Or, to paraphrase, profanity in its many forms is an assault on the reader and what they hold as dear, a form of mental shock that when used correctly, can jolt the reader.

Understanding Profanity

After all, art is simply a means to communicate without being present. A method to convey thoughts and emotions to an audience. Profane words are taboo because they are powerful, they question or challenge the various parts of our humanity that we are the most self-conscious about: our religion, our sexuality, our race, our base bodily functions.

The use of these words has the same effect as the Vandals, dirty barbarians, riding into the white marbled Rome. They desecrate. They destroy. They tear down what we hold dear, they become what we fear.

The Desecration Principle

As these words are the metaphors that sack Rome, one should consider the Romans. For, just as profanity is a part of the reality of many, it is also abhorred by a vocal group. And understandably so. Just as Charles Benton described the power of profanity in his missive rallying against it’s use, so does the modern audience. For many people, profanity simply has no place in art of any medium.

The Corruption Cliché

The common cliché regarding power and corruption holds true when extended to profanity. The overuse of profanity creates an awkward, contradictory situation.

In the first part, when profanity becomes common place, the words themselves lose specific power as the audience becomes first accustomed, and then desensitized to said power.

The contradiction arises when, despite these words losing their individual power, the whole of them taps into the strength of their original intent. That is, despite the individual use of profane words losing value, the whole gains a greater value. When collected in an individual work, the work itself becomes profane. When stretched amongst a series of works, in which the unifying, notable feature is the profanity itself, the works are reduced to little more than a gimmick reaching for shock value. And shock is a momentary experience which stands opposite the immortality of art.

The Question Begets Questions

The most difficult task with regards to profanity and art might not be the binary question or do or do not, but rather the more cumbersome questions of when, where, and how. Unfortunately, these questions are ones that each artist must individually grapple with, and the only guide is that of tone and questions.

To Each Their Own

Each artist walks their own path, even today in our age of digital mashups and artistic appropriation, and so there are no hard and true rules for the use of profanity. The pure fact is that sometimes a piece of art has a critical moment when it is necessary to sack the white marble temples of Rome. In others, there are ways to show desecration sans exacting details.

In literature, the artistic area with which I am most accustomed, the decision can often come down to the specific medium. As a writer, I would be hard pressed to use profanity in print journalism. When traipsing into fiction, I do have stories in which the characters swear, and have used profanity in the narrative when it fits the voice of the narrator. Here, on my personal website, there is the occasional use of profanity, but then this is written in my voice. And I do swear. A lot.

Useful Questions

Perhaps the best guidance for the use of profanity in any artistic medium can be summed up in a set of questions:

• Is this usage appropriate for the setting?
• Does this usage achieve the message I wish to purvey?
• Am I using this profane term because no other will suffice?
• And finally am I willing to risk isolating my audience?

When measured against these questions, profanity does still carry a risk, but if the artist is honest in answering them, profanity can be a powerful tool. The end result, the line between a profound piece of art and a profane piece of garbage, might actually be best determined by borrowing from the Supreme Court’s ruling on pornography. In the words of Justice Stewart “I know it when I see it.”

In preparation for this piece, I contacted numerous peers including Justin Koeppen, fellow writers at Lyran Tal Press, and Debbie Stier at HarperStudio. All of whom put up with my pestering without resorting to using profanity.

Tags: literature, swearing