Philosophy
So, apparently I am the Lenny Bruce of the Central Pennsylvania Planners Association. Certified planners -- city planners, zoning officials, land use managers -- have a mandated requirement for continuing education to remain in good standing and they must have an hour and a half of that continuing ed relate to ethics. Last year, the state-wide gathering was in Gettysburg and they asked if I could lead the ethics session. I agreed and it went well.
So, a few months ago I get an invite to speak again to the central regional group in Harrisburg. I agreed and went up yesterday and did my schtick. Afterward, I'm chatting with some of the planners who are on the organizing committee and they tell me that there was controversy around the invitation. The committee was split down the middle between those who found my stand-up comedian style refreshing given what these continuing ed seminars tend to be and those who were set against having me back because apparently last time I used a couple of four letter words during my lecture and they thought that some one who used bad words was not someone who had the credibility to talk about ethics. Of course, I use them as "flavoring particles" to shock, surprise, or get a laugh when I feel my audience slipping away, so they serve a purpose for me in the classroom. It is not gratuitous. But, needless to say, I am still chuckling about it.
And, of course, is re-raises the question, what is the meaning of "bad" in bad words? What makes profanity problematic? Is it a moral problem? Is it mere social etiquette? Are there contexts where it goes from a faux-pas to an unethical act? Is it a sign of disrespect? What is the nature of their naughtiness?
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Philosophy
Why Are Bad Words Bad?
So, apparently I am the Lenny Bruce of the Central Pennsylvania Planners Association. Certified planners -- city planners, zoning officials, land use managers -- have a mandated requirement for continuing education to remain in good standing and they must have an hour and a half of that continuing ed relate to ethics. Last year, the state-wide gathering was in Gettysburg and they asked if I could lead the ethics session. I agreed and it went well.
So, a few months ago I get an invite to speak again to the central regional group in Harrisburg. I agreed and went up yesterday and did my schtick. Afterward, I'm chatting with some of the planners who are on the organizing committee and they tell me that there was controversy around the invitation. The committee was split down the middle between those who found my stand-up comedian style refreshing given what these continuing ed seminars tend to be and those who were set against having me back because apparently last time I used a couple of four letter words during my lecture and they thought that some one who used bad words was not someone who had the credibility to talk about ethics. Of course, I use them as "flavoring particles" to shock, surprise, or get a laugh when I feel my audience slipping away, so they serve a purpose for me in the classroom. It is not gratuitous. But, needless to say, I am still chuckling about it.
And, of course, is re-raises the question, what is the meaning of "bad" in bad words? What makes profanity problematic? Is it a moral problem? Is it mere social etiquette? Are there contexts where it goes from a faux-pas to an unethical act? Is it a sign of disrespect? What is the nature of their naughtiness?
- M.b.a.'s And The Meltdown
A letter to Marketplace made an interesting point. This economic meltdown was the result of the actions of businesspeople at a time when more people have M.B.A.'s than at any time in history. The letter-writer was bemoaning the fact that the graduate...
- Auto Mechanics To Quantum Mechanics: Any Questions?
It's been a while, so here it is again. For those new to the Playground, I have a schtick I do at the beginning of each class where I let the students ask absolutely any question they have, any question at all, from auto mechanics to quantum mechanics....
- What Are The Most Pressing Moral Issues Today?
Regular readers know I've been working on a book called Was It Morally Good for You, Too?: A How-To Guide to Ethics in Sex, Politics, and Other Dirty Words. The idea is to present a readable, funny, but robust framework in which to meaningfully discuss...
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Much has been made of Stephen Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondent's Dinner last weekend. I'd like to add a Comedist perspective. Comedians use the term "bomb" to mean that your routine was not well-received by your audience....
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Ephemeral New York... The Empire State Building was not supposed to be just the tallest skyscraper in the world; its planners also wanted it to have a dirigible docking station at the very top. It was the late 1920s, and the grand new world of...