# Forbidden Words **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083 "2010-03-19T23:30:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/1 "2010-03-19T23:30:16Z")
So is there a **REAL** reason why we are forbidden to use the word ‘cunt’ here? Let’s be real, my wife just called her best friend a cunt (jokingly) for forgetting her birthday. I’ve seen people call each other goat felching assholes so why is that one word forbidden? on edit…and just because **Ed** says so is not a valid reason. Granted, he is Cecil but still. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/2 "2010-03-19T23:31:08Z")
Ed doesn’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/3 "2010-03-19T23:37:40Z")
Still not a very good reason though. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/4 "2010-03-20T01:59:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Ed doesn’t like it. [No, sir.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zENuDflPejY/SS1mK9V63tI/AAAAAAAADSs/tD6OvdyTzUQ/s400/mr__horse.png) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/5 "2010-03-20T02:02:52Z")
> [@Xploder](#): > > Still not a very good reason though. I think it’s the only reason you’re going to get. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/6 "2010-03-20T16:16:27Z")
Both Ed AND THE MODERATORS don’t like it. There are other words or phrases or situations that are forbidden, as well – can’t call someone a fuckin’ nigger, say, or a goddam kike, neither. Racist or sexist epithets in general are viewed as below the line for polite (or reasonable) discussion. If it were up to me, I’d say that there were other words that are equally offensive. But I’m only one vote amongst the mods, most of whom are more liberal than I. ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/7 "2010-03-20T16:44:41Z")
Thanks for the response **Dex** but are you seriously equating the word “cunt” with the phrases “fuckin’ nigger” and “goddamn kike”? I could call someone a fucking cockgobbler in the pit right? Or maybe just call someone a dick? Because as far as I’m concerned, either one has as much meaning as the word cunt. Equally offensive in other words. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/8 "2010-03-20T16:46:02Z")
And this is a great example of the lack of intellectualism. “I don’t like it” is not even close to a good reason. It can be used to justify absolutely anything. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/9 "2010-03-20T18:07:29Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Both Ed AND THE MODERATORS don’t like it. There are other words or phrases or situations that are forbidden, as well – can’t call someone a fuckin’ nigger, say, or a goddam kike, neither. Racist or sexist epithets in general are viewed as below the line for polite (or reasonable) discussion. You have GOT to be goddamned shitting us, right? Seriously. This is one of the stupidest justifications I’ve heard yet on this board. And I’ve heard quite a few. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/10 "2010-03-20T18:17:22Z")
> [@Xploder](#): > > on edit…and just because **Ed** says so is not a valid reason. Granted, he is Cecil but still. Blasphemy! Ed is just another admin. Cecil is our all knowing perfect master. I think you should pray with me. “Our Master, who art in Chi town Hallowed be thy name Thy will be done On earth as it is on the boards.” ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/11 "2010-03-20T18:47:59Z")
On this I completely agree with Ed & the mods. The word is, at least here in the U.S., widely considered beyond the pale / hateful to women. There’s an air of viciousness to it, far beyond “prick” or “dick” or whatever the male equivalent is. And while some women use it the way some black people use nigger, gleefully calling themselves or others cunty mccuntersons, that doesn’t make it less hate-filled to the majority. (It’s used far more often in the U.K., but Ed et al. aren’t from the U.K., and this is a U.S.-based board, so their tastes apply.) Honestly. Of all the things on the boards to bitch about – and there are definitely legit things to bitch about – harping on this one word seems bizarre. Even if you disagree with me and more importantly Ed et al. about the vileness of ‘cunt’, at some point you should realize that your taste, or my taste, isn’t what matters. We’re not all going to agree on what’s offensive, and in the end, it’s the board admins that call the shots. There are like four or five words Ed and the rest don’t want us to say, and after ten years Ed finally noticed all the cunting that was going on and belatedly put his foot down. Maybe if he’d done so earlier people wouldn’t be so offended now\*, but that can’t be helped. Of all the hills to die on, this seems the most pointless. However can you possibly communicate without the rich panoply of scuzzy curse words at your disposal? Gimme a break. The rest of the 200K words in the English language are at our disposal. Go forth and use 'em! - I can’t blame people for bristling at this management style, by the way. Ed comes across like a one-time neglectful dad who suddenly decides to become a more attentive parent and tries to discipline kids he’s been ignoring for months. The punishments he dishes out may even make sense, but the kids are bound to resent it because why does dad think he can just waltz in and take over again? Where the hell has he been the rest of the time? And why didn’t he come to our school play like he promised, dammit?! ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/12 "2010-03-20T19:01:23Z")
Profanity is one of the lowest forms of superstition. But I can abide by the rules just the same. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/13 "2010-03-20T19:13:27Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Profanity is one of the lowest forms of superstition. Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/14 "2010-03-20T19:28:29Z")
> [@choie](#): > > On this I completely agree with Ed & the mods. The word is, at least here in the U.S., widely considered beyond the pale / hateful to women. There’s an air of viciousness to it, far beyond “prick” or “dick” or whatever the male equivalent is. And while some women use it the way some black people use nigger, gleefully calling themselves or others cunty mccuntersons, that doesn’t make it less hate-filled to the majority. > > (It’s used far more often in the U.K., but Ed et al. aren’t from the U.K., and this is a U.S.-based board, so their tastes apply.) > > Honestly. Of all the things on the boards to bitch about – and there are definitely legit things to bitch about – harping on this one word seems bizarre. Even if you disagree with me and more importantly Ed et al. about the vileness of ‘cunt’, at some point you should realize that your taste, or my taste, isn’t what matters. We’re not all going to agree on what’s offensive, and in the end, it’s the board admins that call the shots. There are like four or five words Ed and the rest don’t want us to say, and after ten years Ed finally noticed all the cunting that was going on and belatedly put his foot down. Maybe if he’d done so earlier people wouldn’t be so offended now\*, but that can’t be helped. > > Of all the hills to die on, this seems the most pointless. However can you possibly communicate without the rich panoply of scuzzy curse words at your disposal? Gimme a break. The rest of the 200K words in the English language are at our disposal. Go forth and use 'em! > > - I can’t blame people for bristling at this management style, by the way. Ed comes across like a one-time neglectful dad who suddenly decides to become a more attentive parent and tries to discipline kids he’s been ignoring for months. The punishments he dishes out may even make sense, but the kids are bound to resent it because why does dad think he can just waltz in and take over again? Where the hell has he been the rest of the time? And why didn’t he come to our school play like he promised, dammit?! Well then, you fail. If I were to call the average American guy a cocksucker, he’d be just as pissed off as if I called the average American woman a cunt. Also, if you REALLY think that Ed just noticed this after ten years then you fail at reading comprehension. By the way, Ed isn’t my Dad. Never was and never will be. As for the rest of the words, do you really, and I mean REALLY think that I can still call someone a goat felching, cockgobbling, retarded fat fuck and NOT get in trouble? When you say that I can use the rest of the words, you have to let me use ALL of them, not just the ones that you approve of. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/15 "2010-03-20T20:11:10Z")
Specific mods didn’t like being on the receiving end of that word and a new rule was born considering how unlikely it was that they would stop inviting the use of such word. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/16 "2010-03-20T20:25:19Z")
> [@Xploder](#): > > \ > > o you really, and I mean REALLY think that I can still call someone a goat felching, cockgobbling, retarded fat fuck and NOT get in trouble? Why, yes, if the accusations are true and the fat fuck in question is sufficiently retarded. And if the FFiQ **is** sufficiently retarded, it explains the goat felching, no? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/17 "2010-03-20T21:14:53Z")
> [@Xploder](#): > > on edit…and just because **Ed** says so is not a valid reason. Granted, he is Cecil but still. Why not? I mean, Ed runs the board, he (and many of the other mods, apparently), don’t like the word, so they banned its use. I don’t really see why thats not valid. I don’t have any problem with the word, but I’m posting on someone elses message board, I don’t really feel the need to kvetch about not being able to use a word that makes them uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/18 "2010-03-21T03:11:39Z")
I can understand (although not necessarily agree with) the prohibition on the word “Cunt”. What I do have a problem with is not being allowed to say things like “Fuck you”, “Get fucked”, “Go Fuck yourself”, or anything like that in The Pit. There are times in a “debate” (not that we really have those here anymore, what with the group-think and the unofficial list of non-allowed opinions) where that’s basically the only way you can effectively respond to someone spouting utter bullshit, making things up, twisting people’s words, or otherwise being a fuckwit. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/19 "2010-03-21T03:28:21Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Why not? I mean, Ed runs the board, he (and many of the other mods, apparently), don’t like the word, so they banned its use. I don’t really see why thats not valid. What if they don’t like a topic? Can they ban it? What if they don’t like a poster? Same thing? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083/20 "2010-03-21T03:30:30Z")
_sigh_ I’m sure no good will come of me speaking up here, but I just can’t stay quiet any longer. (Disclaimer: I am speaking for myself–not as a moderator nor representing Creative Loafing in any capacity whatsoever.) If my favorite restaurant or bar put up a sign saying, “please do not use profanity in this establishment,” I would not complain vigorously, ask for a list of words I can’t say, gripe about the list, and then push the line by using variants of words. I’d figure, “Fine. I like the place. I think I can carry on conversations here without swearing. Might have to change the punch lines on a few jokes, but I can do that.” If my local library or church said, “Don’t say ‘American Indian’ in here. Use ‘Native American’ instead,” it wouldn’t impede my ability to say what I want or make any point I desire at all. Yet people–to borrow **choie** ’s metaphor–decide to die on the “cunt” hill on the SDMB. I honestly don’t get it. Why is this word so phenomenally important that it generates hundreds of agitated rants in dozens of threads? No government agency has violated our First Amendment rights here. We’re using Creative Loafing’s servers, staff time, and bandwidth here.\* Why shouldn’t they be able to set guidelines? I don’t see anybody throwing tantrums about the “no spam” rule or the “put comments on Cecil’s columns in the ‘Comments on Cecil’s Columns’ forum” rule. What is it that makes people grab onto the most offensive words they can find and vigorously defend their right to shout them out any time they please? - Yes, I realize that some of us are helping to defray costs with membership dues, but the SDMB is not a profit center for Creative Loafing, and many of the people complaining about the forbidden words aren’t members. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-words/533083.md?page=2)