# Ban swearing - the campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977 "2011-08-25T00:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/1 "2011-08-25T00:23:42Z")
The Gruen Transfer in a show about advertising. It screens 9pm on Wednesdays on Australia’s national broadcaster (a bit like the kid brother to the BBC) which doesn’t have paid advertising. Each week they have a segment “The Pitch” where two agencies are asked to produce an ad to to sell an unsellable concept e.g. pro-child labour, pro-whaling, pro-global warming etc. This week (24/8/2011) they try to convince Australians to support a national ban on swearing. NSFW If gratuitous profanity offends you mate, [just don’t clink the bloody link](http://www.abc.net.au/tv/gruentransfer/thepitch.htm). In Australia, we have no constitutional right of free speech, but speaking freely on prime time TV isn’t an issue. How would this go over in other juristdictions e.g. US or UK? (Personally I thought the Gruen’s best remains the “Invade New Zealand” campaigns, but the first (from Meerkats) is a podium finish. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/2 "2011-08-25T02:59:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Each week they have a segment “The Pitch” where two agencies are asked to produce an ad to to sell an unsellable concept e.g. pro-child labour, pro-whaling, pro-global warming etc. Reminds me of [this sketch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q4txN1ut20&feature=related) from _Mr. Show._ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/3 "2011-08-25T05:41:56Z")
My usual response to banning swearing, requests to moderate language, etc. is, “Fuck that!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/4 "2011-08-25T06:27:48Z")
A national ban on swearing? It’d be easier to pass a national ban on sex. In America, at least. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/5 "2011-08-25T11:04:29Z")
Much as I dislike the omni-present potty-mouths, I’d prefer a campaign to encourage civilized, intelligent conversation over a ban on swearing. Oh, wait - how about a ban on athletes saying “ya know” 47 bazillion times in post-game interviews? I could get behind that! ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/6 "2011-08-25T11:27:22Z")
That was a top approach! Thoroughly enjoyed that first one. Very clever and funny 🙂 Was good to re-watch it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/7 "2011-08-25T11:32:44Z")
I’m pleasantly surprised to see that this show is still running. I thought It would be one of those shows that runs it’s course over one or two seasons. Last time I watched it I got around to wondering if the whole show was a cynical (but excellent) ploy to get adverts through to credulous people who think they are above advertising influence, and now I find it’s made by a commercial free channel (In NZ it’s on commedy central, with ads) I seem to be in the minority, I actually think the second ad is more effective, even though the first one is funny(Especially the space shutle at Uluru), that second one is almost like a few of the public service ads I’ve seen lately. ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/8 "2011-08-25T11:56:23Z")
I also must add that the ‘worst products’ bit of the site contains some _jaw-droppingly_ awful ads. I know with certainty that if I saw the microsoft songsmith ad twice in one day I would throw a boot at the TV - Did that actually make it on air? ---
**Author:** ![downtown1441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@downtown1441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/downtown1441)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/9 "2011-08-25T12:32:36Z")
I remember seeing a clip on YouTube a little while back from something along the lines of the “Australian Sex Party” wanting to keep the Australian government out of the bedroom. Suffice it say, it was pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/10 "2011-08-25T13:20:10Z")
Those were hilarious. I love the premise of the show too. I think I’ll have to lose some time soon searching down previous episodes. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/11 "2011-08-25T13:21:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My usual response to banning swearing, requests to moderate language, etc. is, “Fuck that!” 🙂 No, _no!_ It’s “Fuck that _shit._” It’s essential, in this context, to get that second obscenity in there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/12 "2011-08-25T13:34:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > No, _no!_ > > It’s “Fuck that _shit._” > > It’s essential, in this context, to get that second obscenity in there. 🙂 Yeah, and leave the money in the swear jar, thanks. Some of us have a national debt to pay. Love _Gruen_ and I did the happy dance when it returned to the small screen recently. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-swearing-the-campaign/593977/13 "2011-08-25T16:32:24Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > No, _no!_ > > It’s “Fuck that _shit._” > > It’s essential, in this context, to get that second obscenity in there. 🙂 But you could easily work a third obscenity in: “Fuck that shit, you asshole.” And possibly a fourth? “Fuck that shit, you goddam stupid asshole.”