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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWhat makes a bad word bad?
by Anne Stickney 
Feb 1st 2012 at 2:00PM
Warning: This post may contain language that is offensive to some.
Our own Fox Van Allen tackled the subject of the odd quirks of the mature language filter last week -- the fact that some objectionable words have been mysteriously left out of the filter, while others of a much less objectionable nature have oddly been left in it. None of this was noticed of course until the mature language filter was bugged so that it reset itself, resulting in a lot of people spewing a lot of random keyboard symbols until they remembered to turn it off again.
Personally? I'm not sure if the mature language filter is at all an effective tool. Since the first days of WoW, Horde and Alliance players have not been allowed to speak to each other. Part of this was because of faction separation, but part of it was to discouraging griefing, which happened all the time in PvP situations. Players of the opposing faction could kill you repeatedly, but they couldn't swear at you -- until, that is, players realized they could communicate with keyboard symbols arranged into letters. This ability was soon squashed.
And that's the problem, isn't it? It doesn't matter how much you block a word. If someone is determined to have their say, they will find a way to say it. If you can't talk to the opposing faction, you roll an alt and cuss them out that way, or over voice chat, or via email, or on Twitter, or wherever they can conveniently contact you. So why try blocking it at all? More importantly, what makes a bad word "bad," anyway?
Our own Fox Van Allen tackled the subject of the odd quirks of the mature language filter last week -- the fact that some objectionable words have been mysteriously left out of the filter, while others of a much less objectionable nature have oddly been left in it. None of this was noticed of course until the mature language filter was bugged so that it reset itself, resulting in a lot of people spewing a lot of random keyboard symbols until they remembered to turn it off again.
Personally? I'm not sure if the mature language filter is at all an effective tool. Since the first days of WoW, Horde and Alliance players have not been allowed to speak to each other. Part of this was because of faction separation, but part of it was to discouraging griefing, which happened all the time in PvP situations. Players of the opposing faction could kill you repeatedly, but they couldn't swear at you -- until, that is, players realized they could communicate with keyboard symbols arranged into letters. This ability was soon squashed.
And that's the problem, isn't it? It doesn't matter how much you block a word. If someone is determined to have their say, they will find a way to say it. If you can't talk to the opposing faction, you roll an alt and cuss them out that way, or over voice chat, or via email, or on Twitter, or wherever they can conveniently contact you. So why try blocking it at all? More importantly, what makes a bad word "bad," anyway?
Apple Cider Mage had an interesting post earlier this week about objectionable terminology of a different kind -- the sexist kind. She takes a look at the disparity between male and female armor, but more importantly, she addresses the term "slut plate," used to describe scanty plate bikinis and other fabulously nonexistent protection from the wrathful elements of the Warcraft world. It's not the armor she's concerned with -- after all, scantily clad women warriors are pretty much commonplace in the fantasy genre. It's the term "slut" that is bothersome, and she does an excellent job of explaining why, even suggesting an alternative term to use.
All of this got me thinking back to Fox's article earlier this week and about words in general. Maybe it's just because I do a lot of writing, or maybe my brain just works in different ways. But to me, words are very odd, powerful little things. Here, we have a random collection of lines we call letters, placed in a certain order, given a certain pronunciation, and then given a collective meaning. All of that out of a little collection of lines.
But those meanings change over the course of years, and a word that meant a bundle of sticks at one point in the distant past now means something entirely different and particularly objectionable to the majority of the public. When did that happen, exactly? How did people take a word with one meaning and give it another -- and more importantly, why did we let it grow and fester into a word that we are now ultimately offended by?
There are words in the English language that I will not use, which is why this post has not been peppered with terms that I don't feel comfortable laying out there for you to read. But as I think about it, I wonder why I am so uncomfortable with saying them, writing them, or even thinking them. They're words. Little collections of lines, put together in a certain way and given a particular meaning -- and apparently that meaning is strong enough that I don't want to even place those words to paper or say them aloud.
Gamers and other people who use offensive language don't particularly care about that meaning in one way or another. What they care about is how people react to the meaning and the words. What they are doing is deliberately throwing a lot of of those collections of lines at people and taking delight when people get upset and take offense because of that meaning. It's a power play, and there are far too many people out there who buy into it on a continual basis.
In short, it's not the words that are harmful; they're collections of lines. Placed in order, and given meaning. The person who gives those words meaning is the person who holds all the power over those words, not the person who is saying them. The person who is saying them is hoping beyond all hope that the ones who are listening are going to give those words the worst meaning possible and have some sort of negative reaction to it.
Maybe telling a person to stop using those words isn't enough. Maybe trying to block that person from saying those words isn't enough. The only thing making a bad word bad is the meaning we attribute to it. Human beings have been around for thousands of years, and in those thousands of years, we've decided that some words are bad and others are good. And over the course of history, we've taken perfectly good words and collectively decided to change the meaning of those perfectly good words into something that is considered bad and wholly reprehensible.
If we have the power to change the meaning of a word from positive to negative, why do we seem to lack the power to stop it from changing at all?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 7)
Mazort Feb 1st 2012 3:33PM
To say, "The only thing making a bad word bad is the meaning we attribute to it." is a nice thought. It would be nice to say that a word only has power because you give it power. But there are ugly words which are used in the worst circumstances, and for those on the receiving end the thought glosses over the reality.
When you hear a word as bullies hit you in high school... When you hear a word when empty beer cans and eggs are thrown at you from moving cars... When you hear a word used where the intent is to debase or demean... That word can bear, and cause, severe distress. And while in the perfect world people would not have been on the receiving end of this abuse, they have.
The discussion isn't bad, both sides of it are needed. It is dangerous to generalize that all things are one way.
tubby Feb 1st 2012 3:37PM
When that woman who's a regular in your raid group gets tired of being called many of those things you yourself say are just too naughty to be typed out here and make you so uncomfortable and moves on because she too gets uncomfortable when those words are aimed at her will you tell her it's silly to leave over words? Will you say the same to the black guy who doesn't like your guild mates dropping the N-bomb? Will you say that knowing it's how people bait bait bait for a rise and then excuse themselves from the fallout that they so wanted in the first place? Or is it your excuse too?
Jeff Feb 1st 2012 3:42PM
"Odd quirks" is a strange way of describing a situation that disallows the purely descriptive terms "homosexual" and "transsexual", but allows vicious, nasty slurs for the people described by those terms.
geordie388 Feb 1st 2012 3:42PM
Agree with every word posted by Matt above - head of nail, meet hammer. Also Michael.
Bart Janssen Feb 1st 2012 4:28PM
For me it's really simple. On our server Khaz modan there are bunch of people who spend their time trying very very hard to hurt other people, not characters but the humans at the keyboards.
When I see language used where the sole purpose is to cause harm to another human I report them. It's really that simple.
You can use any language you like to cause harm, I've reported perfectly ordinary words, where the use was to suggest that having a person raped would be a good thing.
I've also seen cursing or foul language used where the intent was pure humour - and successful humour at that - there is no reason to block that or report it.
For me it's all about the intent to harm another human.
Adam Feb 1st 2012 4:11PM
You cannot control what others do or say, you cannot control what they think or feel, you cannot control anything outside of yourself.
You choose what you say to others, and in turn, they choose what to say to you.
You can only control what comes out of your mouth, you can only control your thoughts, emotions. You can only control yourself, and to even suggest otherwise is just untrue.
You can choose to be considerate, or you can choose rude. You can choose to take offense, or you can choose to not.
Ugh, I'm done with this conversation.
I'm choosing to not read anymore topics about foul language.
mason.jdouglas Feb 1st 2012 4:33PM
Well, good goddamned article there Anne, and I agree completely. There are a hell of a lot of curse words out there today. I think in part, it's because people have such a vocal reaction to people saying the damn things. :)
Y'know, I think the glee that kids find in swearing is that its something they're told not to do. (duh!) My parents swore reasonably frequently growing up, when they stubbed a toe, or the cat jumped in their soup... and I learned that swears are for specific times. As such, I had an incredibly polite tongue from elementary all the way up through university. I'm still pretty averse to swearing really.
But... I've come to realize that alot of goddamned idiots weren't as enlightened as my parents about swearing. Unfortunately that "swears are fun, cause' they're taboo" attitude has rubbed off on me a little jesus bit; I swear more now than I ever used to.
But also... I don't really care when people swear. They're not mad, the cat didn't jump in their soup, they're doing it cause' its taboo, because it makes people say "don't say that!"
Honestly, I tire of it.... WoW players are particularily childish... I assume alot of them are kids, and adolescents vying for approval from their peers and older players, and hoping to make everyone else think they mean "SRS BUISNESS! RAWR!"
But they wanna hear that you're offended...not that you're currently thinking they're having trouble finding neaurons to rub together... and you all give right in to it. And so they do it all the more.
styopa Feb 1st 2012 4:45PM
It's the coastline paradox, written in semiotics.
The fact is that society defines what is considered 'scandalous', it's social consensus and is dynamic. Words are denotations we agree to use to represent concepts that we culturally agree on.
To start to navel-contemplate about what makes words have value is an amusing intellectual exercise, but pointless. You can dissect them down to the point where they are meaningless, but to then conclude that they can be void of meaning is to deny the power of language.
One point in the column is true: that words power to hurt is entirely in our own power. If we disregard them, they can be meaningless. So in that case, no, language filters are not necessary in a theoretical utopia.
The fact is that children play this game, and there are words that our culture finds offensive and would prefer kids not be exposed to. (In reality, of course, they've heard them ALL by 1st grade on the bus.) So in order to be good citizens - and more significantly, to enjoy the approval of parents and keep their revenue dollars coming in - Blizzard institutes a filter list.
You might argue with certain words being on that list, meh, either play or don't. If it so bothers you, just lobby Blizz to change it. If they have enough people commenting, they'll change it. I doubt sincerely they have a vested interest in any dogma about it, except to maximize the happy people (who keep paying) and minimize offended people (who will quit). If what's happening bothers you so much you quit, but 2 people are happy about it and stay, then your opinion has lost in the capitalist battle for relevance. Write your own game.
Otherwise, if it bothers you but you don't want to quit, get over it.
StClair Feb 1st 2012 6:26PM
Thumbs up for referencing the coastline paradox. :)
I think it's significant that when you said, "The fact is that children play this game", my first thought was not of WoW but the "game" of using bad words without getting in trouble for it - pushing the boundaries, seeing what they can get away with, as children (and many adults) do.
emberdione Feb 1st 2012 4:49PM
Saying someone shouldn't be offended when they are called a derogative name is like when school teachers tell children to let the bully's insults "flow off their back like water off a duck."
It's horridly bad advice. You can say it until you're BLUE in the face, but that doesn't make it easy to ignore the words people throw at you. When I call someone a b.itch, I am not doing it just for their reaction. I am doing it because I want to hurt them and I know that word hurts. WoW is supposed to be one of those places where we can escape to, and have fun in, and that includes not being forced to deal with bullies and small minded people who would rather call people horrible names than deal with their own issues. You can't just say "Don't let the words hurt you!" It's like when someone is poking you in class and the teacher says just ignore them. YOU CAN'T. If you could, you would NEVER have said anything in the first place.
Except... for that wonderful little thing called /ignore. This is what makes this whole "bad words" discussion moot. (Well, it would if it were greater than 50 people... get on it Blizzard, mine's been full since Naxx 25.) If someone in my guild says something that hurts me, I can put them on ignore and it's glorious. If someone uses words that cause pain, I can ignore them, perfectly, within the system of the game. Right click, ignore, and bam, forgotten and gone forever. The filter is a "catch all" attempt at this.
Really, a better way to do it, is to allow people to edit their filter on the client side. So then you can edit all manner of things in addition to the Blizzard ideas, and remove the Blizzard ones you disagree with. It's a win/win. You can take the time to prevent future pain, and then your sensibilities aren't forced on everyone.
On that vein, I don't care about any of the cuss words, but if I could filter the word r.ape out, I would, in a heartbeat.
Shadda Feb 1st 2012 5:39PM
The big problem with language filters is that words are only as "bad" as the intentions that provoke them. You can sensor the words all you like, but you can't sensor the player's intentions, and if they really want to insult you, they'll find a way, whether through gesture (/spit and the t-bag come to mind) or through Internet slang (OMFG L2P NOOB). As a woman, I find it no more offensive to talk about "slut plate" than to have some hordie pantomime the desecration of my lifeless corpse, but maybe I'm just odd?
Fweet Feb 1st 2012 5:48PM
When I was a young carpenter, my boss would have a fit whenever I used the word "damn." He had no problem with any other mild foul language, but "damn" (in any form) was off limits. I never even stopped to think about why that particular word bothered him. He was the boss. I did what I was told.
Whenever I made a bad cut or dropped something on my toes, I began saying, "Pants!"
After a week or two alone in the shop, training myself away from The Damn, he and I were out on a job and I dripped a tiny bit of paint on the carpet while touching up. "Pants!" I said, proud that I hadn't slipped and cursed.
He was not pleased. "It's not about the word. It's about the intent. I don't care what the fuck you say. I care about what you mean."
Valis Feb 1st 2012 6:27PM
That seems stupid to me. Seems like he was just Trolling you, so that he could be offended, no matter what you said.
Caylynn Feb 1st 2012 6:01PM
I find that people who swear lack the creativity or the intelligence to come up with a better way to express themselves. Down rate me all you want, but that's generally been my experience.
Alysandir Feb 2nd 2012 9:29AM
Not sure I can agree with this one.
Whatever you might think of his humor, George Carlin was a very intelligent man. You're likely aware that he's done entire routines on not only swearing, but idiosyncrasies of our language and what words we use when. (One of my personal favorites being, "Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?")
But beyond the humorous side of it, one thing Mr. Carlin worked into his routines is an honest assessment of the impact words have when used at appropriate times. For example, the scriptwriter who wrote the now iconic line for Pulp Fiction, "English motherf**ker! Do you SPEAK IT?!" knew what the impact of using that specific profanity in that instance would create. He wasn't unintelligent, he wasn't uncreative; he was going for a specific impact on the audience; given that the line is now iconic, I believe he was successful.
So yes, there are many people who swear like sailors and curse every three seconds out of habit, ultimately meaning nothing. But I believe discounting the power of profanity when used selectively, is akin to removing tools from your lexicon. Sometimes, a well-placed profanity is both appropriate and tactical.
Valis Feb 1st 2012 6:34PM
Let's just stop using all words....I wonder what the world would be like then?
andrews Feb 1st 2012 6:34PM
I do think we should be courteous and watch our speech as much as we can, but some people will often be offended no matter what we say. People on both sides of any contentious issue often get offended when someone says anything that could be construed as disagreeing with their stance.
This is unfortunate, but is a fact of life. Ironically, it is often the ones claiming about being censored that end up being the most controlling themselves.
Tj Feb 1st 2012 6:48PM
ss ee oo p =]
arkhan Feb 1st 2012 7:20PM
What a bunch of pansies you all turned out to be. But I guess it was to be expected since the majority of commenters are from the US, a country with a profoundly weird relationship with sex and "naughty" words. Violence is fine and dandy, but god forbid some guy dares to say "fuck" on television while people are getting shot to bits besides him. Or even worse, instead of bloody corpses there might be a woman's naked breasts on display. Won't somebody think of the children?
Look, I agree that obsessive profanity can be annoying in an online game, especially one that kids and old cranky adults play and so it makes sense for Blizzard to employ a word filter, though it is of course a pointless exercise, since there's no word filter some 13 year old douchebag can't get around when he feels the need to express how hard he just owned you in PvP or whatever.
But people who feel that profanity in itself is somehow wrong or that there are "bad" words you should never ever say just creep me the fuck out.
Joakim Feb 2nd 2012 2:07AM
I called Romogg Bonecrusher (the ogre boss in Blackrock Caverns, Rom'ogg, Rum-n'-Egg?) a son of a gerbil once.
He was greatly offended. In fact, he went on a killing spree.
Calling him a twat had the same result.
I didn't know ogres was so easily offended.
(In a more serious note: A lot of people believe using curse words and foul language makes them look/sound tougher or more "cool". Well, very few people manage to use the F-word with coolness, in fact I believe it's only Al Pacino who can get away with it. It's sloppy thinking, trying to be the bad-ass tank by screaming F-k that and f-k this.
Do your bloody job and keep aggro instead of picking away at the keyboard just to impress the rest of the group. The best tanks usually are the one's who don't say a word, save the helpful hints.
I mean - where do people find the time for their harangues? They writing them with the nose or what?)