Question to native English speakers

[rainsometimes]

I've started to think - a bit late, I know - that maybe I ought to be more responsible about the ratings I give my fics, especially perhaps when I post things outside my private journal on comms or on ffnet (though they have their own rating system over there). But when it comes to swearwords, I still don't think I really know enough about their impact and how it affects the rating. (Nor do I know the MPAA system very well, for that matter - but I'm not expecting an indepth explanation of that.) Should anyone reading this have the inclination and patience to give me a hint, I'd be very grateful - though I understand if no-one feels like it.



For instance, I'm curious about the words "shit" (and "shitty") and "goddamn". Are they generally considered about equally strong, or is one worse than the other? If they were to appear in a fic whose language and content is otherwise all within the G rating, how high should the fic then be rated?

And what about the f-word? Does that generally mean an R-rating? Or maybe PG-13?

I am of course aware that it's very hard to give hard and fast answers on this type of question, and in any case fanfics on LJ is hardly the same as movies. But some general hints would be great, even if they can't help but be rather subjective.

Comments

[zero-dances.livejournal.com]

Well Goddamn can prolly be really really offensive to a religious person, but that same person would be offended at throwing GOD and JESUS around willy nilly.

It's shocking to people if you say it to people that don't know you or know you that well, or if you're not in a setting that opens a floodgate of swear words. Like at work, you're not really supposed to swear, obviously, and I generally try NOT to, but when I become relaxed around coworkers that I know don't care about swearing so much, I start swearing and they honestly get shocked--because they thought I was too polite to swear.

So I mean, just like it is for your langauge I'm sure, there's times you can swear and times you can't, it's all in the context.

[serrende.livejournal.com]

Well yes, sure - me, I seldom use the stronger swearwords since I'd rather save that for when I get really angry or upset or excited. And even the milder ones I tend to leave off if the company doesn't seem right for it, of course. I actually have a lot of affection for the more sillier type of swearword-substiutions - things like "dagnabbit" and "heck" and so on, and their Swedish equivalents. :D But then again, I tend to like silly stuff.

It's just that the Swedish word "skit" while in some contexts is plenty strong still doesn't really shock most people like the English word "shit" seems to do. It might not always be accepted but it wouldn't shock people either in most casual conversation between adults or, say, any type of TV entertainment except a highly serious program or a show for young children. I've heard the Japanese "kuso" is pretty similar in those respects (though what do I know? Absolutely bloody nothing.;))

[zero-dances.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think SHIT is just strong because we have a wide variety of different ways to say that word? In Swedish, do you have many other degrees of way to say "skit" that are "less offensive"? Like as you're aware we say crap, or just silly little kid words like doodoo or what have you.

Kuso is like that, it means "shit" but it isn't as offensive, again, maybe it's because they don't have as many words as we do with varying degrees of acceptability? No idea hahah.

As for worrying about ratings because most Americans use the internet I wouldn't worry TOO much about it. You can get away with more on the internet than media, of course, I've ULed short fanfics to FF.N rated PG with like 3 uses of "shit" in them (thank you Sanji) and had no problems, I just put warning of swearing in the disclaimer and at least made SURE it wasn't G, because, as the other person said, that wouldn't have any swears except you could get away with like "GOD" or "CRAP" I should think.

[serrende.livejournal.com]

In Swedish, do you have many other degrees of way to say "skit" that are "less offensive"? Like as you're aware we say crap, or just silly little kid words like doodoo or what have you.

I've never thought of it like that, but I do believe you're right - there's no real stylistic equivalent of 'crap' in Swedish I can think of, not with that meaning. (There is a kiddy word, but that's considered embarrassing for adults to use, though nowadays many hip young people do.)