The Woman’s Owncolumnist has her say on swearing, sweets and poached eggs
BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEPING BLEEP!
Why is it frowned upon when a woman swears?
If you haven’t yet had a chance to catch up with Olivia Colman’s current movie, Wicked Little Letters, do try to give it a go. It’s f**king funny.
Her words. And mine. Because the language is fruitier than the Man from Del Monte in Carmen Miranda’s headdress, lost in a pineapple-canning factory.
And it’s all said by women. Which is where we have a problem, evidently. Because, according to multi-award-winning actor Colman, women are STILL judged differently from men for using ‘bad’ language.
A sentiment that surely drives her nuts, given that her favourite swear word is the C word.
And she’s right, isn’t she? Little has changed from the movie’s 1920s period where two women were accused of sending poison-pen letters. The judge in the case refused to believe that a ‘respectable’ woman would use the kind of profanities used in the notes.
Well, they did. And we still do. So why, in 2024, are we still being branded – not to put too fine a point on it – brain-dead, common slappers if we swear in public?
Men from all social classes can swear as much as they like. In fact, it makes them seem more ‘masculine’, one of the lads.
But woe betide any woman doing the same. Incredibly, I was gently chided by a work colleague the other day for using a few choice words in front of people (admittedly, I do swear rather a lot, after a lifetime on tabloid newspapers).
Naturally, I told him where to go – but would he have even dreamt of saying that to another man? No! Of course not!
You may not think swearing is big or clever for either sex, but the point here is that there shouldn’t be a difference. And, get this, swearing is GOOD for you. Various studies have shown that it can increase pain tolerance and calm frustration and anger. It’s like saying ‘ouch’ when we stub our toe. It doesn’t stop the pain, but somehow it helps, doesn’t it?
Interestingly, research has proven that men do swear more than women – unless the women in question are in an all-female group. Then we’re the same.
Another curious fact is that there isn’t a single language on Earth that doesn’t involve what is viewed as a swear word, though cultural and religious differences mean that what is considered a cuss in one language is acceptable in another. In many countries - Australia being
