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Sometimes children remind us where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.
Recently, a family with a 10-year-old girl visited my television station. In other words, she is a “little woman.” She was well-dressed, well-dressed, and well-spoken.
As she and her family were making their rounds, the news agent leading the tour mistakenly uttered the word “shoot,” as in “shoot, I forgot to bring you here.”
The little girl was surprised. “I heard that,” she said. “What did you hear?” said my man. “I heard what you said,” she answered. He was surprised and said, “All I said was shoot.” She said, “My dad swears sometimes and I let him know!”
We were all a little surprised when that story was shared across the studio, but so grateful that a young woman had missed out on the more colorful language often heard in TV newsrooms.
Growing up, my house was filled with PG versions of various curse words. It was okay to shoot, dadgum, son of a gun, shoot, shoot, and say “Oh my go.”
At my family’s store, construction workers would sometimes tear it down. If one of them accidentally drops a Dr. Pepper bottle on the floor, you can be sure the words that come out of his mouth are not, “Go ahead, shoot!”
When I became an elementary school student, my vocabulary increased. Some of my colleagues were exposed to more abuse than I was. Of course, in order to hang out with the cool crowd, I also have to take advantage of them. That is until I lost something at home. “Don’t ask your dad that!” message received.
Our little visitor’s reaction was unusual, but actually quite refreshing. I wondered if she had ever been exposed to the television, movies, video games, and streaming channels that are pervasive in most homes. Social media sites are filled with clips of young children saying naughty things. Parents (and viewers) think it’s funny to hear a two-year-old swear like a sailor.
These kids can pick it up naturally. They repeat what they heard from their parents and grandparents and from the TV screen and his I-Pad, which are constantly blaring in the background.
This off-color language isn’t just from risqué sitcoms and reality shows. Watch a political channel masquerading as a news network, and within minutes you’ll hear a barrage of obscenities and adjectives.
It’s strange when you think about it. Politicians campaigning on a platform of returning America to the Mayberry era spout words that would raise an eyebrow in Andy or Bernie. Even Gomer Pyle drew the line at “Golly!”
Current presidential candidates don’t necessarily set the best example, but their supporters seem to recognize that.
During the 2020 campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden promised to abolish the word “malarkey,” which was commonly used in my youth, even though he knew it meant something else. is famous. Lately, his off-the-record words have gotten even more authentic, as he was caught speaking on a live mic about what he really thinks about Donald Trump.
Speaking of Trump, his record of using vulgar slang to describe women’s private parts hasn’t offended most of his followers, and he has gradually expanded his off-color comments. Most of his campaign speeches are broadcast live, and anything goes.
While President Trump was president, his comments at the National Boy Scout Jamboree were so outrageous that the head of the organization apologized to the Boy Scouts and their parents. From then on, his words became more profane, and the audience roared in approval.
We have come a long way since the days of John Nance Garner, vice president of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s.
He reportedly described the vice president’s job as “not worth a bucket of hot spit.” As it turns out, he didn’t say “spit,” but instead used a slang term for another bodily fluid. Perhaps he needed his 10-year-old granddaughter to protect him. Maybe we all do.
David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor and his new book, “I Won’t Be Your Escape Goat,” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405 or RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.
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