More on Language (& Other Things...)

More on Language

In which I tie a letter from Saturday's Pittsburgh-Post Gazette with Harry Potter. Stay with me now. Rowling really does have some great points to make to her young and not-so-young audience.

Reader's of the book know that Voldemort is frequently referred to (in whispers, no less) by other characters as “He Who Must Not be Named” or “You Know Who”, thus giving Voldemort power. “Fear of the name increase fear of the thing” Hermione says in one book, and Rowling emphasizes this fear by having her characters gasp, whimper, wince and chastise anyone brave enough to call “You Know Who” by his name.

Contrast this with Harry, who always calls the villain by his name and Dumbledore who actually addresses Voldemort by his birth name, Tom. By naming him, they take away some of his power. Dumbledore's insistence on calling Voldemort by his birth name is especially powerful because it recognizes Voldemort's abandoned humanity. Perhaps Voldemort's destruction lies in acknowledging the remaining shadows of his human self?

Anyway...

How does this tie in with the letter writer? The recent comments by Don Imus and sidekick, in which they referred to the Rutgers women's basketball as “nappy haired ho's” and subsequent whining over the African-American community's nerve to call the two men out on their behavior when the same words are used with astonishing frequency in rap music*, set off a series of letters in the paper. Now that the media is gorging itself at the trough of Virginia Tech shootings and willfully ignoring the President's continuing march forward to strip prisoners of their civil liberties, women of the right to make medical decisions without the interference of government, and the continuing slaughter of ill-equipped soldiers and innocent Iraqi's, the volume of letters has returned to normal.

Returning to topic...

It is an enormous pet peeve on mine, when reading or discussing language, to have to listen to other people refer to taboo words as “the B-word”, “the N-word” or “the F-word”. If we, as people, are ever to get the point in which such words are not used in a hurtful or hateful manner, then we must begin by actually naming the word we are discussing.

To wit, bitch, nigger and fuck. One I use never (except in the context of this type of conversation), one I use rarely and one I use with enough frequency to have earned the reputation of having a slightly foul mouth.

To read a letter to the editor in which the writer comes our for eliminating the negative usage of such words without actually bringing herself to name the words makes me crazy. How are we to have civility in discourse if we cannot have maturity? How are we ever going to acknowledge the power of context in the usage of such words? Have we really become so illiterate of a society that we assume others are going to be offended by using such language in an editorial? And when are people going to understand that language is a living organism?

*Setting aside the false notion that 100% of modern rap music is performed exclusively by young, African-American men.

& Other Things...

Thing 1:

I think I am going to give up on the New York Times travel section. I don't know what audience they are writing for, but it is certainly not for my little middle-class self. This Sunday has an article on the best steak frites in Paris. Since I am returning to the city this July, I have a vested interest in knowing where one might find such a meal. The writer, Mark Bitteman, lists five places, three of which start at 50 Euros for a full meal, two of the which don't include drinks. Since when did 50-60 Euro per person with moderate alcohol consumption become “not outrageously expensive”? Eighty-one dollars for a three course meal with one glass of wine? Is he serious?

I've noticed this trend in a lot of the travel articles recently. The writers attempt to show readers how they too, can have a great time on a smaller budget, then proceed to recommend hotels that start at $150.00 a night and restaurants in which the only meal you can get for under $20.00 is an appetizer. I question what reality these writers are living in, because it is certainly NOT MINE.

Thing 2:
I'm alone this weekend. J has scampered off to Niagara Falls NY/ONT to attend a bachelor party, the first of two such trips he will be taking during the wedding season.

I took full advantage of this fact by taking myself to the movies yesterday to see “Fauteuils d'orchestre” (Avenue Montaigne), a sweet, fluffy little French film. I loved it. The movie was completely pointless, its only purpose was to entertain an audience for two hours. An audience made up of senior citizen couples and me, the lone single and youngest person in the theater. And I am almost thirty-four years old.

Thing 3:
I shall never ignore the exercise gods again. I tried to after the several weeks of insomina I suffered over the winter after I injured my shoulder and had to cut back on my workouts. I almost suceeded. Until yesterday, when I tried on some clothes and discovered that I could fit comfortably into a pair of shorts a size smaller then I usually wear.