Profanity in Gorean RP

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May 2012

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[Shyla Timeless]

Something Mord brought up in another thread made me nod in agreement several times and I was tempted to quote his post and comment on that subject but I chose not to because this thought/question/opinion needs its own page for discussion.

For too long, I have twitched and winced when exposed to foul, vulgar language during role play.  I'm not a prude nor am I terribly offended by the use of expletives but I am, however, bothered by it since it seems so out of place and non-Gorean. 

I don't want to perseverate but I find constant f*ck this and b*tch that to be rather unnecessary.

Chivalry is not dead and I hope/believe that we can all be more creative with our choice of wording when posting an emote.

Does anyone agree or have something to add?  Thoughts?

[Nigaltwaddlesworthiii]

I have been guilty of it on a very few occasions myself.. although more OOC than IC..

ICly I have used the terms 'ass' or 'shit' as nouns more than anything.. and I think most people don't find them too horribly offensive.. Most of my profanity.. or what others would consider profanity.. comes in the form of some fairly explicit sexual scenes..describing body parts and what not.. but those are meant to be private if possible..

I have been known .. once.. or maybe twice.. to have used the word 'fuck' as a verb.. in place of the ever popular 'fur'.. We are all adults here.. and I don't know about you.. but I don't 'fur' any one in rl.. To me that sounds more like saying 'poo' instead of 'shit'.. I'm a grown man.. I don't take a 'poo'.. or a 'turd'.. or a 'number two'..

so yea..I use those words.. Ormr is far from jerk IC.. and it isnt an endless stream of foul language when he talks.. but he is also a Torvie.. and not a high one.. so his manner and speech may at times be less than the best..

Edit to add I also find this subject a little funny seeing that we role play a world where forced abject slavery and rape are some of the cornerstones of the genre.. just sayin.. if my calling someone a bosk's ass is some how more offensive then rape.. shrugs... Im missing something.. chuckles..

[Julliette Bade]

Something Mord brought up in another thread made me nod in agreement several times and I was tempted to quote his post and comment on that subject but I chose not to because this thought/question/opinion needs its own page for discussion.

For too long, I have twitched and winced when exposed to foul, vulgar language during role play.  I'm not a prude nor am I terribly offended by the use of expletives but I am, however, bothered by it since it seems so out of place and non-Gorean. 

I don't want to perseverate but I find constant f*ck this and b*tch that to be rather unnecessary.

Chivalry is not dead and I hope/believe that we can all be more creative with our choice of wording when posting an emote.

Does anyone agree or have something to add?  Thoughts?

Chivalry is pretty absent everywhere I travel sl and rl, I especially don't expect to find much in gor rp as NIgaltwaddlesworthiii alluded to, I don't think I agree with the connection of Rape in gor being so bad that who cares about cursing, cause that could get out of hand...and personally it doesn't offend me but...

I have noticed too that hearing common swear words takes me out of the zone a little bit, but I wonder if there are examples of any cursing in the books?  I would love to see a list of Gorean swears or phrases used in cursing, if not actually from the book than maybe some fun creative ones!...or is that GE then :/ 

[Shyla Timeless]

@Ormr:  I understand what you are saying and to a degree, I agree.  Most people in sexual rp scenes use colorful language (that was not where I was headed with my op) and yes, it is not uncommon for people to say things like you suggest in other scenes.  "Furring" or being "furred" makes me think of hairy men having their backs waxed.

And my point was -not- to argue or suggest discussing language vs. rape etc.  It was simply to see if anyone found it poor role play form to say things like, "Tal asshole.  How the fuck are you doing today?"

Also, I'm fully aware of the underlying theme and sensitive subject matter in Gor.  No need to suggest otherwise.

[Kaitlin Eiren]

I'll just snag this from the other thread.  

I have always thought that I was a bit of a prude in RP since it mirrors my RL in its lack of profanity.  Even hearing it grates on the nerve when it seems to be the norm.  The other day in a scene my character said "damn" to a slave and it was a big deal to me but it might have gone over as just saying "Tal" in the current environment.  I enjoy the male player who values caste, is humorous rather than sour/dour and can actually string a few sentences together without it being a binding auto emote.  Those players are becoming more and more rare.

This thread did remind me of this slave in RP recently who called herself "bitch" in every single post.  If that wasn't annoying enough she was in third person..."this bitch" that and "this bitch" the other.  I had to wonder if the guy was enjoying himself.  Gorean slaves were described as being intelligent conversationalists.

I do have to agree on the use of fuck rather than fur please.    I tend to extend more latitude to intimate RP.

[Alaria Voss]

I have been guilty of it on a very few occasions myself.. although more OOC than IC..

ICly I have used the terms 'ass' or 'shit' as nouns more than anything.. and I think most people don't find them too horribly offensive.. Most of my profanity.. or what others would consider profanity.. comes in the form of some fairly explicit sexual scenes..describing body parts and what not.. but those are meant to be private if possible..

I have been known .. once.. or maybe twice.. to have used the word 'fuck' as a verb.. in place of the ever popular 'fur'.. We are all adults here.. and I don't know about you.. but I don't 'fur' any one in rl.. To me that sounds more like saying 'poo' instead of 'shit'.. I'm a grown man.. I don't take a 'poo'.. or a 'turd'.. or a 'number two'..

so yea..I use those words.. Ormr is far from jerk IC.. and it isnt an endless stream of foul language when he talks.. but he is also a Torvie.. and not a high one.. so his manner and speech may at times be less than the best..

Edit to add I also find this subject a little funny seeing that we role play a world where forced abject slavery and rape are some of the cornerstones of the genre.. just sayin.. if my calling someone a bosk's ass is some how more offensive then rape.. shrugs... Im missing something.. chuckles..

Very much this

I won't use the term "furring" it's just ...UGH!!!!  but that said, Ala's owner is a hunter, so when hawking his wares she will use "word play" for his "furs".  Especially if there are FW in the vacinity.  

IC her favorite profanity is "Sleen!  Beast!  son of a she task!!!!"  followed very closely by "BOSKSHIT!!!"  both of which seem to earn her gags...go figure!?!?

As for the use of other profanity, situational based, partner dependent, scene flavoured.  

I am definitely not a prude, but like Shyla, if I was subjected to the "tal asshole, how the fuck are you doing today?"  I would probably just walk off.  Thankfully, I haven't seen it.  

[Tertionus]

I've used everything from 'bugger' to 'cunt' within narrative, and, depending on the character, dialogue.

The suggestion that the inclusion of expletives is a standalone indicator of a lack of imagination or creativity, or an indicator of poor vocabulary, is myth, fallacy, and disingenuous on the part of the proponent.

Expletives don't bother me. Bad role play bothers me. Bad role play sometimes includes expletives. Lots of the time, it doesn't.

[Eternity Starsmith]

Something Mord brought up in another thread made me nod in agreement several times and I was tempted to quote his post and comment on that subject but I chose not to because this thought/question/opinion needs its own page for discussion.

For too long, I have twitched and winced when exposed to foul, vulgar language during role play.  I'm not a prude nor am I terribly offended by the use of expletives but I am, however, bothered by it since it seems so out of place and non-Gorean. 

I don't want to perseverate but I find constant f*ck this and b*tch that to be rather unnecessary.

Chivalry is not dead and I hope/believe that we can all be more creative with our choice of wording when posting an emote.

Does anyone agree or have something to add?  Thoughts?

Every individual has their own style. Profanity used in thoughtful and detailed roleplay doesn't bother me at all.

[Nigaltwaddlesworthiii]

@Ormr:  I understand what you are saying and to a degree, I agree.  Most people in sexual rp scenes use colorful language (that was not where I was headed with my op) and yes, it is not uncommon for people to say things like you suggest in other scenes.  "Furring" or being "furred" makes me think of hairy men having their backs waxed.

And my point was -not- to argue or suggest discussing language vs. rape etc.  It was simply to see if anyone found it poor role play form to say things like, "Tal asshole.  How the fuck are you doing today?"

Also, I'm fully aware of the underlying theme and sensitive subject matter in Gor.  No need to suggest otherwise.

 Oh hey there.. I wasn't meaning to suggest that you didn't Shyla.. if it came across that way it was a mistake on my part.. far from it.. I think its a good thread..

I was just putting out there that keeping things in perspective isn't always what we do best in SL GOR.. hell.. I am guilty of that as much as anyone...

My answer to your OP was actually an agreement with it.. Yea..I use some language.. but I always try to make sure it fits the situation and conversation taking place.. Frankly..it pisses me off when I see people just cussing away with earth profanities every other word too..  I could see an occasional word or two for flavor and realism.. but the endless litany is kind of pointless..

[Kail Lefevre]

My thoughts on profanity are this. It works nicely to accent a point. However, when used excessively it looses it's bite and just sounds stupid. I might also point out that John Normiepooh agrees with me. He uses the word bitch 40 times over the course of 9 books. The word F*ck 2 times in 1 book. Damn 2 times in 1 book. Bastard 1 time, 1 book. No shit's though. No C-word either.

That said, I continue to believe that profanity is a part of human nature. There has always been in human life, no matter where or what tongue, words that are taboo and get people all shocked when they are used. Gorean people are humans. It is in our nature to have these kinds of words. So, unless some one knows some gorean curse words, I will have to keep using the english ones. So yeah, you'll hear me curse and say bad things. But, at least from me you know that I will keep them to a minim to allow them to continue to mean some thing still.

[Shyla Timeless]

The suggestion that the inclusion of expletives is a standalone indicator of a lack of imagination or creativity, or an indicator of poor vocabulary, is myth, fallacy, and disingenuous on the part of the proponent.

I did not say anything about it being a "standalone indicator" of anything nor did I suggest the use of expletives meant a person was not creative.  I suggested that it was possible to -be- more creative when posting.  Maybe you didn't read the part where I agreed with Ormr ... there are occasions when certain words simply cannot be replaced because they fit.  

Additionally, do not assume or suggest I am disingenuous.  My intention was to get opinions on the use (or casual and constant use) of words in role play that do not come across as Gorean in nature.  

[Shyla Timeless]

I thoughts on profanity are this. It works nicely to accent a point. However, when used excessively it looses it's bite and just sounds stupid. I might also point out that John Normiepooh agrees with me. He uses the word bitch 40 times over the course of 9 books. The word F*ck 2 times in 1 book. Damn 2 times in 1 book. Bastard 1 time, 1 book. No shit's though. No C-word either.

Thanks for pointing this out.  Even "Normiepooh" kept the use to a minimum, all things considered. 

[Delaynie Barbosa]

I thoughts on profanity are this. It works nicely to accent a point. However, when used excessively it looses it's bite and just sounds stupid. I might also point out that John Normiepooh agrees with me. He uses the word bitch 40 times over the course of 9 books. The word F*ck 2 times in 1 book. Damn 2 times in 1 book. Bastard 1 time, 1 book. No shit's though. No C-word either.

That said, I continue to believe that profanity is a part of human nature. There has always been in human life, no matter where or what tongue, words that are taboo and get people all shocked when they are used. Gorean people are humans. It is in our nature to have these kinds of words. So, unless some one knows some gorean curse words, I will have to keep using the english ones. So yeah, you'll hear me curse and say bad things. But, at least from me you know that I will keep them to a minim to allow them to continue to mean some thing still.

Random language fact:   Much "profanity" is only profane because of social factors. Invaders often destroy native languages in thier quest for domination. For example, when the Romans invaded what is today the UK, cunt became vagina, prick became penis, tits became boob/breast.  It's only profane because it's taboo.


I dont mind cussing as long as its not excessive. I've let a few drop, though I do perfer Gorean ones like, "you sleen" and "bosknuts!"

[Tertionus]

I did not say anything about it being a "standalone indicator" of anything nor did I suggest the use of expletives meant a person was not creative.

My apologies, Shyla. Your statement of "For too long, I have twitched and winced when exposed to foul, vulgar language during role play.." coupled with "I hope/believe that we can all be more creative with our choice of wording when posting an emote" very heavily suggested that that was precisely what you were saying. Still does, upon my re-reading of it. But if you say that was not your intent, fair enough.

Maybe you didn't read the part where I agreed with Ormr

I was responding to your OP.

Additionally, do not assume or suggest I am disingenuous.

With all due respect, I will assume (from evidence) and suggest whatever I wish. It is your right, of course, to object to that.

I claimed, and still do, that the proposal that a person who uses expletives in their prose is automatically less creative than someone who doesnt, is disingenuous. But this was not, apparently, what you were suggesting. So then we can assume that if you were not actually saying what you typed, I was not calling you disingenuous. Since the proposal that I was calling disingenuous was not, in fact, what you were saying at all, but something completely different. Apparently.

If your goal was to say "excessive expletives can spoil immersion", then I would agree. But I would also point out that what is 'extreme' or not is entirely subjective. Presumably, as with every other preference, people avoid those who do not meet their personal preference, and do not expect too much in the way of change from the other play, who is evidently playing at their preferred level of [insert thing]. If someone is weaving a brilliant story and they drop in a 'cunt' or two, I'm not going to flinch. Others will run screaming into the night. Preference.

[thyri Carver]

I think that colorful language is appropriate in some situations, and not appropriate in other situations, just like in RL.

Just as in RL I find people who use colorful language too often to be perhaps less educated than those who are not using curses every other word. 

I know I curse like a sailor.  But when I play Thyri, I tend to tone her language back when "she" is speaking.  I know I've picked up using the british "bloody" as a replacement for other colorful words even in Thyri's speech. 

I would never however replace "sex" with "fur"  Fur is a noun, not a verb.  And yes I've bopped a few people over the head for using it as a part of OOC speech too.  Though.... in fairness to those who like to use the substitution... in old english sex was referred to as "bedding" someone.  And to the best of my knowlege bed is a noun and not a verb as well.  So i can see a SMALL validity in fur being used as a verb as well.  However not to the extent that I see people using it today. 

But back to swearing.  I think there is a time and a place for swearing, and I think the utilization of colorful language does have a place at times.  I think that if a scribe came across a peasant, yes they'd hear a lot more colorful language.  I think in a heated verbal exchange, you'd hear a lot of colorful language.  Even from the warriors.... I mean come on...  the phrase is used "curse like a sailor".  But if I hear a physician or a scribe using colorful language often, I think I do look at them strange because that kind of language is so out of place for that kind of character. 

So I think swearing can add flavor to a scene when used appropriately, just like any other word.  However when you hear someone dropping the F bomb every 2 seconds.... ehhh I do wonder about their breadth of vocabulary. 

I was talking with someone a few weeks back about how at their meetings their language was the F bomb every other word.  I suggested a swear jar for the sim.  25L for every swear used.  It would pay for the sim's tier in a matter of one meeting!