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Carlin on today's morality

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Comedian George Carlin, famous for dissecting the "7 bad words" makes commentary on the debate of morality in the media and market and how religion is tied into it.

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Well obviously. People should be able to say whatever the fuck they want when they feel it is neccesary. The only damn restriction is fucking religion and people who feel the need to do some ass kissing for their church. Also, notice how they always target sex-related stuff. Eighty percent or so of all curse words are sex-related. The Janet Jackson thing was sex-related. Its the assinine trifecta of middle-eastern religions that for some retarded reason decided to pick violence over sex. Just look at the kind of stuff we have all over the media these days. Teenagers getting facial reconstructive surgery in front of cameras on MTV, the Jesus Chainsaw Massacre, live footage of Palestinians being gunned down, all kinds of shit.

So I encourage all of you to cuss as much as possible and go dogging in the park.

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"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things -- bad language and whatever -- it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. ... There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

I think he has a point. Religion creates taboos. Why are we supposed to be ashamed of our bodies? Why should we be feeling guilty when we curse? Isn't cursing just a way to release some anger?

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Its amazing how much controvesy the statement "There is no scientific reason to be monogamous, paticularly not when you use protection" caused on a gay message board, and they where supposed to be against religion! heh

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How is that against religion? The Catholics took some time to warm up to the idea of "protection". My grandmother had 15 children, for god's sake.

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deathbringer said:

Its amazing how much controvesy the statement "There is no scientific reason to be monogamous, paticularly not when you use protection" caused on a gay message board, and they where supposed to be against religion! heh


what the fuck are you talking about? The average gay person is no more anti-religion than the average straight person.

And any form of contraception is considered a sin by the catholic church. But then again any kind of sexual act not between a married man and woman is considered a sin by them (including, but not limited to, any sexual act not involving intercourse, even between married folks).

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Ok, the thing about cuss words is when kids grow up, for the most part, they are tought that cussing is bad, and would get disciplined accordingly. Children become conditioned to not cuss and to fear cuss words, because they associate it with pain, at least around their parents or other adults. When they grow up, they still "know" cussing is bad, and they only do it in private if at all, just depending on who they are. Back in the old days when bad word censorship was still being defined, a woman came up to a podium at some hearing and had to read a list out loud of the offending cuss words, and there were many. She couldn't finish the list; she broke into tears before she did. Why? She associated cussing with pain, or she "knew" cussing was bad, at some basic level.
If you really think about it most cuss words are just slang terms for other things, so why are they bad then? Thats why. I think the cuss word that stands out the most is fuck. Basically it means "to have sex," but supposedly it is an old acronym for Fornication Under Carnal Knowledge, which means indecent sex in pornography, which is something that would have been number one of the things you're not supposed to talk about.
The thing about censorship of sex isn't so much of religion (though it has a strong influence) is culture. Europe is much more relaxed about sex, as you can walk down the street and you will eventually find something that can be considered pornographic. For example, I went to Paris once, and in every trinket store you cound find nudity of some kind on something that was in sexual context.
And why is everyone making a big deal about Janet Jackson? She just flashed her breast where she knew most people would see it just so she could get some popularity back. It was a very cheap and desperate thing to do, and she deserves no credit for it. She does not deserve all of the media attention she has been getting for it either.

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I like how he cuts through the bullshit and explains why it is fucked up. People should listen to him more often.

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Danarchy said:

Well obviously. People should be able to say whatever the fuck they want when they feel it is neccesary. The only damn restriction is fucking religion and people who feel the need to do some ass kissing for their church.

Don't the people who want to profess their faith (as stated in the latter point) have the same right to freedom as those stated in your former point?

Also, notice how they always target sex-related stuff. Eighty percent or so of all curse words are sex-related. The Janet Jackson thing was sex-related.

Considering this is against their religion, and in conjunction with their religious freedoms; the same freedoms that give to the right to cuss and shit I might add, it is rather obvious the reason they target this.

Its the assinine trifecta of middle-eastern religions that for some retarded reason decided to pick violence over sex.

It'd be kinda hard to suicide fuck a bus or crowded restaurant. ; P Come to think of it, I don't really know how this could be accomplished.

Carlin is awesome, but as with anything, I don't take him too seriously. He is a comedian afterall. One of the best imo, but still just a guy who makes observations to amuse people for a living.

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Yep, I agree with thet last line. And everything else, now that I think about it.

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Scabbed Angel said:

Don't the people who want to profess their faith (as stated in the latter point) have the same right to freedom as those stated in your former point?

Do they have more of a right to regulate what is seen than we do? I mean, freedom of religion used to be the cornerstone of our society, but having a religion does not give you carte blanche to speak out against images and words you find offensive when you have the freedom not NOT SEE THEM. If you're offended by an underwear billboard on your way to work, I understand-- but for god's sake, turn the TV off if you don't like what's on it. Or buy a V-chip. There are plenty of ways to block unwanted transmissions, and no, you're not doomed to live in the Stone Age if you don't want them in your house. And on a separate note: the TV is not a babysitter.

Considering this is against their religion, and in conjunction with their religious freedoms; the same freedoms that give to the right to cuss and shit I might add, it is rather obvious the reason they target this.


Again, religious institutions should not regulate the media. Television and radio were created to transmit information, and that information is sometimes harsh and disgusting. But it's information that people sometimes look for. The footage of the 9-11 attacks was pretty gruesome, and they played that all damn week-- did anyone complain about that? No, because it was a significant event that the world needed to know about(for the purpose of my example). Now, Janet Jackson's tit is slightly less significant, but its decency should never be brought into question.

It'd be kinda hard to suicide fuck a bus or crowded restaurant. ; P Come to think of it, I don't really know how this could be accomplished.

Heh, that brings to mind an awful inside running joke with some high school friends. It all started with Barney the Purple Dinosaur...

Carlin is awesome, but as with anything, I don't take him too seriously. He is a comedian afterall. One of the best imo, but still just a guy who makes observations to amuse people for a living.

Yeah, many of the people who we see "making sense" of our messed up world seem to be comedians, or color commentators. The problem is, we all know what would happen if they spoke out against subjects like these WITHOUT trying to make light of them. Take Eminem, for example(and I apologize for using him as a poster child in advance): there are three types of reactions to him. 1. The discard: he's a stupid wigger who wasn't raised right, so whatever comes out of his mouth is uneducated trash. 2. The reactionary: dear lord, he'll kill us all! This disgusting, unscrupulous monster must be stopped before he ends up on a clocktower with a rifle! 3. The realistic: human emotion is a powerful and complex entity; it can destroy a spirit if it so chooses. There are times when you say you truly want to put your wife in a trunk and drop her in a river, but you never will. Expressing that anger lessens it, which is what he's trying to do-- in a sense, come to terms. Sure, there's shock value in there, but it's purely for the sake of omitting talk of "his feelings", which would make him look like a fag I guess. So either you take them seriously, or don't take them seriously, or understand them. Remember why the Jester can criticize the King.

Oh, wait, I forgot 4. EMiNEM iS tha SHIZnit n hIs BeAts r bumpiN hEs goNNa b in teh NEW Garnd Theft Auto!!one!! ItZ gon RAWK teh HOuse Fa ShiZZle!!!!111

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I saw Carlin on Bill Maher's show last week. He was saying the exact same thing, except since it was on cable he could use all the obscenity he wanted to get his point across. And I agree with him.

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Scabbed Angel said:

No, but I understood that Danarchy was talking about their outrage. In which case I believe that they have that right and similarly the right to talk about it. Certain things shouldn't be on a network where children can be exposed to. (ie anything but cable). If you want something a little more racey, buy cable. I completely agree with your view on tv not being a babysitter and v-chip. Ultimately its the parents' responsibility to monitor what their kids watch, but there should only be so much on tv anyway. I agree with carlin where he states that there were other things that were unacceptable like the hardon thing and something I read about about a horse farting in some chick's face.

Eh, you and I come from different worlds, then. I believe in freedom of information, and I'll take the cute with the vulgar if that's what it means to have that kind of freedom. Others disagree, but their proposed solutions(bans, fines, and strict regulation) are completely in the wrong direction. It's like when you fight with your sibling over a donut, and Mom takes it. Now neither of you are happy. The definition of "compromise", about which I'm refraining from ranting.

Radio, TV, and the internet are mediums for free speech and expression, and bit by bit that freedom is being taken away. I could propose a much fairer way of dealing with public indecency, but it's not like it would matter in the end. At this point I'm powerless to watch my heroes being silenced for being themselves, offering new viewpoints that break barriers, taboos, and stale societal habits.

And besides, this is all one-sided. Would anyone take me seriously if I claimed I were seriously offended by talk of God, feelings, and politics? People would think it absurd if I went on a mission to ban Lifetime from the airwaves. It's like pleas of insanity in murder cases: if the murderer says his dead mother or his dog told him to kill, he'd head for the asylum. If he claimed his mission to kill came straight from God, they'd sentence him to death and add "blasphemy" to his reputation. The problem with censorship begins at the first attempt to discern what is "moral" and "immoral". Every famous philosopher in history wasn't able to do it, so what makes us believe a large board of bureaucrats with money in their ears can do it? In short: THE SYSTEM IS FUCKED.

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So you think its entirely appropriate to have tits on public TV, and in not having it more often, people are not being allotted their due freedoms? Rent a porno or get showtime. Heh, and how's Janet Jackson your "hero"? ; p

There's (imo) already to much sex on tv, in advertizing, etc. where's my freedom of choice? To just look constantly away from everything so people can have their lusts filled with everything from sitcoms to tv commercials? So now we need to add nudity to this as well otherwise we are comprimising our rights? What ever happened to plot, honest advertising (that is simply about the facts of a product) and everything else that must now be obscene to enjoy? I don't think everything should be teddy bears and rainbows, no, but sometimes isn't this shit needless. Consider House of the Dead the movie. It started out with a titty scene (that was prtty subpar imo anyway). Why? Because there was no interesting or quality content after that. The movie (as I knew it would be) sucked very very badly. Like a 50 year old vacuum cleaner with faulty wiring. There's just no sense in it, and I don't find the logical sense to have sex in everything. That's just me though I guess. I still believe in the integrity and art of nudity. Anything more is exploitation in my eyes.

Heh, yet violence and swearing I have no problem with. Oh well.

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don't like nudity, what are you some kinda fag or something!?

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This type of censorship wont stop anytime soon.......the people in charge are getting too powerful to be stopped. :( :( :(

I once saw a bumper sticker....it said "Quit your bitching, start a revolution" sounds fun

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Numbermind said:

Do they have more of a right to regulate what is seen than we do? I mean, freedom of religion used to be the cornerstone of our society, but having a religion does not give you carte blanche to speak out against images and words you find offensive when you have the freedom not NOT SEE THEM. If you're offended by an underwear billboard on your way to work, I understand-- but for god's sake, turn the TV off if you don't like what's on it. Or buy a V-chip. There are plenty of ways to block unwanted transmissions, and no, you're not doomed to live in the Stone Age if you don't want them in your house. And on a separate note: the TV is not a babysitter.

Right on.

Scabbed Angel said:

What ever happened to plot, honest advertising (that is simply about the facts of a product) and everything else that must now be obscene to enjoy?

Sex in advertising is nothing new, not by a long shot. I do agree that television programming has become more and more raunchy over the years, because sexual humor comes cheap because sex is the oldest subject in the world, and it is the only subject that will never get old. I hardly ever watch TV anyways. I only like very few shows, and for the most part those are on cable.

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Hey, now, I don't want to be associated with some other Neanderthal who would go see "House of the Dead" just because it starts with tits. Believe me, there are public images in media that *I* find repulsive or with little cultural value, and I could rattle off at least a dozen off the top of my head:

Rap videos featuring lots of ass
Seinfeld
Many types of porn, including Scat and Insertion
Tubgirl
Goatse
Harlequin Fetus
"I Want to Look Like a Celebrity" or whatever the fuck its name is
American Real-Estate corps. profiting from Iraq's overthrow
Suicide Cults
Celebrities who have a 5th-grade reading level who also make millions
Shock Jocks trying to discuss serious politics
etc.

Now, I don't like stuff like this, but it makes me feel like the Constitution meant something when I know it exists. However unagreeable, pathetic, or plain disgusting, these forms of media are created by people with(sometimes narrow) visions and opinions. And it makes me feel better if I can speak out about it-- but I wouldn't want to change a damn thing. If someone tells me, "If you don't like it, look away," I'd say, "I already do, but I still say you're a vapid piece of shit who needs to remove himself from the gene pool immediately, and it's my fucking right to say so".

This isn't the only problem. I know what it's like to have a certain pasttime or ideal to be publically shunned and deemed unacceptable. This makes me feel as if there is a part of myself that I have to subdue or keep private. Take Yiff Porn, for example. Would it be wrong to say that I liked furries? Most would say so. Most would be disgusted to hear that I find it exotically arousing. They'd tell me to keep it to myself. Even now, by giving my example I'm compelled to say, "What would you say if I liked this ***not that I do, or anything***..." That's a terrible example of our freedom of expression when we're limited to expressing it to ourselves.

Yeah, I might be "invading your space" by offering something that breaks your social mores, but you may be unwillingly invading mine when you speak out against things I enjoy-- especially when I have to remain silent to avoid persecution. Adding insult to injury is the fact that my argument would likely be discarded by commenting, "Oh, well you're one of THOSE people." Face it: the world is getting smaller, and we are all invading each other's space. We don't have to accept it, but we do have to let it happen in order to evolve. And I'd love for you to disagree, cause man, I can talk about this forever.

*wears flag*

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