It’s one of the few things out of his mouth that I *haven’t * found offensive. I’m sure the Janet Jackson Task Force will give him a pass on this.
I think the potential for damage comes from what was said, rather than how he said it. Okay, it doesn’t make the POTUS look like a sophisticate to have him talk with his mouth full or use the word “shit”, but everyone who’s been paying any attention over the last 5+ years knows how he behaves. Tempest in a teacup. It’s silly season, and even if World War 3 is breaking out, we want light-hearted news, dammit.
On the other hand, what he said (in the whole overheard conversation, not just the infamous naughty-word bit) made it very clear that the US’s heart was not at all in the G8/UN decision, and in fact Condi Rice will be going on a mission outside of that plan at some future date. That doesn’t exactly give the involved parties any incentive to even pretend to listen to any proposals before Condi gets on the plane.
But how damaging that is, I don’t know. Was anyone planning to listen to the UN anyway? Did it come as a surprise to anyone that the US wasn’t really behind the summit’s statements?
What is the true subject matter that this ‘gaff’ is distracting us from?
/tinfoil hats for everyone!
Of course the US is going outside the UN. We want to see results sometime this century.
Overall, however, I agree with Diogenes in that the most disturbing aspect of this story is that this story got more news time than Israel blasting the crap out of Lebenon.
Proof that the sixties were right: Bush is just doin’ his time, workin’ for The Man.
I’m more offended by Bush massaging German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Boy if looks could kill, we’d be talking about President Cheney today.
Pffft! Some gaffe. There’s crap like this all over the cutting room floor of any network newsroom, it’s “leak” a cynical tactic no different than making an appearance at a county fair with shirtsleeves rolled up, just to get a few “regular guy” points. He needs all he can get these days.
Is “shit” still considered a swear word? Or even naughty?
It’s a great word–short, simple, and it conveys a very clear idea that no other word does. Language is to convey meaning, and “shit” does it. I don’t know of any word that conveys the figurative idea of “shit.”
“Crap” would have worked just fine in this case.
To me, “crap” is a minor annoyance. “Shit” is deep doodoo.
And the terrorists have won.
My favourite bit was that Bush apparently calls Putin ‘Pootie-poot’, which tickled me no end.
Seriously, people are offended that he cursed during what he thought was a private conversation?
I see no evidence of anyone taking offense at all. Only people speculating that other people might take offense - which I presume is where a lot of this hand-wringing about “PC gone mad” actually comes from - cf. nonsense about banning of Christmas, no England flags allowed during World cup, etc.
For me, there’s a difference between swearing to provide appropriate color, flavor, or emphasis to a particular thought, and using a swear word because your mind simply doesn’t have the ability to express itself any other way.
Bush’s comment, to these ears, sounded like the latter.
I’m not offended at the word per se. I’ve used 'em all and heard 'em all. But there is a time and a place and I am disturbed by two things.
The first is his choice of language plus his utter informality while talking to another head of state at a formal event when they were far from being alone or private (albeit unknowingly miked). It just makes him look like a rube.
The second is the larger context of the sentence is question. He sounds like he has no grasp whatsoever of the complexity of the situation, as though Hezbollah were a couple of kids throwing rocks at a dog and their dad comes outside and says, “Hey, you kids, stop that shit!” and then they just stop.
“Embarrassed,” rather than offended.
I think CookingWithGas summed up my feelings nicely.
Yeah, that was actually funny. Do you say “yo” to somebody whom you address by last name? What’s wrong with “Yo, Tony”? I’m pretty sure they’re close enough to address each other by first name.
On a slightly different topic, did anyone else read the transcription and think “You know, that sounds exactly like they’re playing Diplomacy”?
For some people, it’s fairly common for them to refer to other people by their last name, or other people just have something about them that makes people refer to them by their last name. A lot of people call me by my last name, for reasons I’ve never quite fathomed. Blair and Bush are supposed to be close friends, so presumably Blair’s not bothered by that.
Of course, it is kind of funny, and it would have been hysterical if Bush had tossed Blair a beer after he said, “Yo, Blair!”
And yet, when TV networks use “bad language” :rolleyes: , he wants to fling huge fines at them.
I’m reminded of this line from Life, the Universe, and Everything (American edition):
“So, for instance, when in a recent national speech the Financial Minister of the Royal World Estate of Quarlvista actually dared to say that due to one thing and another and the fact that no one had made any food for a while and the king seemed to have died and most of the population had been on holiday now for over three years, the economy was now in what he called “one whole joojooflop situation,” everyone was so pleased that he felt able to come out and say it that they quite failed to note that their entire five-thousand-year-old civilization had just collapsed overnight.”