Rethinking What "Clean" Language Means

I watched History of Swear Words, that documentary about cussing on Netflix. Starring Nicholas Cage, it's an in-depth exploration on the history and etymology of various swear words, where each word gets its own dedicated episode. The scholarly approach, combined with the subject matter, is a fascinating romp through how humans use and develop language.

I don't remember which episode it was, but one of the people being interviewed made an observation I find especially salient. The most offensive words to young people aren't the Four Letter words for bodily functions anymore. 

They're slurs for marginalized groups.

Imagine having that lesson in Young Women.

"We're having a lesson on clean language today. Why the N-word is wrong for you to say and I better never hear you say it. You've been warned."

There's a lot to be said about making sure that kind of language is included, confronted, and specifically condemned in those lessons. Otherwise, we may end up raising children who casually using the language that is actually the most offensive in the societies in which they live.