The Obscene Verbal Despair

Op-Ed

Why should a journalist use obscene language on air unless the journalist is emotionally disturbed and suffers from a noticeably detrimental linguistic deficiency which keeps the journalist from using commonly accepted decent vocabulary powerful enough to persuade the audience of what the journalist thinks is right and deserves to be believed? Obscenely expressed despair has lately become commonplace in the Georgian political playground and media, with the spoken filth completely inundating the place. The abundance of choice F-words, having lost their taboo nature, now dominate TV programs, and what is most astonishing, the public is learning to feel comfortable in said contaminated linguistic environment. In fact, the impression is that the public likes to hear the verbal dirt on the air, entertaining the porno-adaptive ear.

Now the question is whether this is right or wrong, and if the crude language in electronic or written media should be the subject of penalty. There is no law in the country that would ban the public usage of obscenities, which means that even if the air becomes totally saturated with unquotable lingo, nobody will be chastised for it. On the other hand, there is a mildly-functioning code of ethics, sporadically flaunted and not obligatory for media professionals to adhere to.

So, what to do? Should we continue putting up with such profuse usage of unprintable and unrepeatable lexical material in media, or should we revolt? Putting up with it is unsavory, and revolting makes no sense because even if we rebel, the result is going to be zilch. How about using psychological help for a change? Let medical experts provide us with relevant professional interpretation of what the newly-born trend of linguistic foul means, flowing so plentifully and with such disturbing stench down the ideological and cultural avenues of the nation.

Many would say that a well-built powerful word may have a stronger and more far-reaching effect on society than a regular profanity. And if this is true, why should our journalists apply in their routine vocabulary that is audibly disagreeable and distasteful in content? Where does the propensity to contaminate our beautiful native tongue come from? Could this be an erroneous belief in the power of an X-rated vulgarity? Or is bad language thought to be a good tool in the user’s mouth, juxtaposed with a regular linguistic format with decent content and pleasing configuration? How does obscenity as such serve the political landscape of the country to operate to the utmost benefit of our people? I might also guess that this is a psychosomatic exhaust that some unbalanced and neurotic medium needs to equip itself with to continue functioning.

And the conclusive opportune question: could the public usage of coarse language emanating from our TV screens or the internet be considered a form of violence against the addressee. The relevant elucidation towards this presumption might take the special effort of a proficient expert, and if the conclusion is that this is a legal category equal to violence, then the ill-fated thing must become punishable. I am afraid the culprits thereto will be revealed and apprehended in considerable numbers.

Let us now bounce back to the habitual usage of the obscene language on the air in Georgia! The situation is a little ludicrous because the freedom of media is totally misunderstood in this country. Here, the practice of wanton speech on television has become a norm only because the oppositional media feels totally unbridled to make use of any possible device to perpetuate the truth of their own molding and are doing this the way they think admissible. Meanwhile, the decision-making segment of our society, which is not currently armed with any legal power in this doubtful respect, keeps mum because if it decides to make even the fairest among the most lawful moves against ‘free’ media, the West might feel discontent. So should the nation admit the uncontrolled universal usage of obscenity by media for the simple reason that the nation feels uncomfortable with negative western reaction? This sounds pathetic!

By Nugzar B. Ruhadze

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