4 ms·

I really like profanity laced erudite articles, for some reason. Maybe it scratches a similar hitch that Rick does in Rick and Morty. Which makes me think, man

by make3 9y ago

I really like profanity laced erudite articles, for some reason. Maybe it scratches a similar hitch that Rick does in Rick and Morty. Which makes me think, man I'd love to read a scientific paper written by Rick! :)

mprev 9y ago
It took away from the whole thing, for me. Almost like the author is not wanting to look like a nerd and, so, over-compensating.
YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago
In Greece we had a writer called Nikos Tsiforos whose schtick was exactly that. He wrote entire history and mythology books in a Greek argot (the language of the "manges" and the rebetika, which you probably won't find about on the 'net). He used the slang of a criminal subculture that was full of profanity, sarcasm and disdain for authority and polite society to treat scholarly subjects like the Francocracy, the Conquistadores and the histories of Greece, France, Britain and the United States. That was back in the '50s or so and his books were widely panned by the literary critics of his time but they were still popular several decades later when I was growing up.
- bartread 9y ago
  This idea isn't particularly new: even the New Testament is written in what was basically street Greek rather than the more formal variant usually employed for written documents.
  - YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago
    The language in the New Testament is not formal, yes, but it's not "street Greek" in the same sense that we mean "street speak" today. At the time, Greek was the lingua franca of that part of the world, basically the Roman empire, so it was used by people who didn't have another common language to communicate in their daily interactions. It's not a slang though, nor a subculture's secret argot. For instance, today the de facto lingua franca spoken around the world is English. So, if the New Testament was written today- it would be obviously written in English to reach the broadest audience possible. Now, imagine if the apostles decided to write about Christ's life not just in English, but in the kind of English used in gangsta rap. I have read the New Testament in the original and I can assure you that is not what it sounds like :)
rdiddly 9y ago
I like the use of hip hop lingo too, like the "Slavic shit" the Romanians are "on" and the "dope" way the Gaulish moustache-boys talk. Actually - and I don't know whether this was intentional on the writer's part - there's a parallel there, between people being attracted to how the Gauls talked (i.e. away from the very uncool "official" language of Latin), and the widespread appeal and co-option of hip hop lingo. Hip hop subculture came from a segment of society that had every reason to distrust the "official" culture, and made every effort to differentiate itself. Maybe that's how it was in the waning days of the Roman Empire too, especially in the farther outposts like Gaul.
- SerLava 9y ago
  Oc. It's not only a joy to read- it's probably more accurate in the end. You can't really capture the spirit of any of that human behavior if you try to lean on dry academic rigor.
acobster 9y ago
This. ;) I think what tickles me about it is that they clearly know what they're talking about, but they're also actively setting themselves apart from the Ivory Tower and signaling that their interest is one that brings them some earnest fucking joy.
- taneliv 9y ago
  It is probably only appreciable because it contrasts starkly with the expectations. But if people were to regularly write academic treatises peppered with obscenities, I think it would get rather old rather fast. Which is not to say that one could not use more, ummm... vernacular language. But in quite moderation, I would say.
  - __s 9y ago
    Here's a bit of a metatake on this: https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0167274 https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/... where it's reflecting on indigenous culture while preferring to write in a prose styled after that culture
- jinushaun 9y ago
  I enjoy reading this kind of stuff regardless, so adding profanity to make it “cool” strikes me as childish and lame.

by make3 9y ago

mprev 9y ago

It took away from the whole thing, for me. Almost like the author is not wanting to look like a nerd and, so, over-compensating.

YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago

In Greece we had a writer called Nikos Tsiforos whose schtick was exactly that. He wrote entire history and mythology books in a Greek argot (the language of the "manges" and the rebetika, which you probably won't find about on the 'net). He used the slang of a criminal subculture that was full of profanity, sarcasm and disdain for authority and polite society to treat scholarly subjects like the Francocracy, the Conquistadores and the histories of Greece, France, Britain and the United States. That was back in the '50s or so and his books were widely panned by the literary critics of his time but they were still popular several decades later when I was growing up.

bartread 9y ago
This idea isn't particularly new: even the New Testament is written in what was basically street Greek rather than the more formal variant usually employed for written documents.
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago
  The language in the New Testament is not formal, yes, but it's not "street Greek" in the same sense that we mean "street speak" today. At the time, Greek was the lingua franca of that part of the world, basically the Roman empire, so it was used by people who didn't have another common language to communicate in their daily interactions. It's not a slang though, nor a subculture's secret argot. For instance, today the de facto lingua franca spoken around the world is English. So, if the New Testament was written today- it would be obviously written in English to reach the broadest audience possible. Now, imagine if the apostles decided to write about Christ's life not just in English, but in the kind of English used in gangsta rap. I have read the New Testament in the original and I can assure you that is not what it sounds like :)

rdiddly 9y ago

I like the use of hip hop lingo too, like the "Slavic shit" the Romanians are "on" and the "dope" way the Gaulish moustache-boys talk. Actually - and I don't know whether this was intentional on the writer's part - there's a parallel there, between people being attracted to how the Gauls talked (i.e. away from the very uncool "official" language of Latin), and the widespread appeal and co-option of hip hop lingo. Hip hop subculture came from a segment of society that had every reason to distrust the "official" culture, and made every effort to differentiate itself. Maybe that's how it was in the waning days of the Roman Empire too, especially in the farther outposts like Gaul.

SerLava 9y ago
Oc. It's not only a joy to read- it's probably more accurate in the end. You can't really capture the spirit of any of that human behavior if you try to lean on dry academic rigor.

acobster 9y ago

This. ;) I think what tickles me about it is that they clearly know what they're talking about, but they're also actively setting themselves apart from the Ivory Tower and signaling that their interest is one that brings them some earnest fucking joy.

taneliv 9y ago
It is probably only appreciable because it contrasts starkly with the expectations. But if people were to regularly write academic treatises peppered with obscenities, I think it would get rather old rather fast. Which is not to say that one could not use more, ummm... vernacular language. But in quite moderation, I would say.
- __s 9y ago
  Here's a bit of a metatake on this: https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0167274 https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/... where it's reflecting on indigenous culture while preferring to write in a prose styled after that culture
jinushaun 9y ago
I enjoy reading this kind of stuff regardless, so adding profanity to make it “cool” strikes me as childish and lame.