I apologize beforehand if this post offends anyone. I don't mean to offend anyone with this entry, but I thought it would be an opportunity for me to post an interesting project that I did for a class I took during my undergrad program at UMBC.
I did an Installation Project where I created nine posters that had the word "fuck" painted on in different typefaces/styles to invoke different emotions. I also wrote down several different emotions on paper (i.e. hate, anger, fear, love, etc.). I had everyone in my class say the word "fuck" with the emotions that I had written down and I recorded them on a tape player one person at a time. So on about 3 tapes, I had the word "fuck" being said in a lot of different ways, voices and interpretations.
After that, I went into MS Word and printed about 100 more sheets of just the word "fuck" on them in tons of different typefaces. I hung all those sheets all around the walls of classroom along with the nine posters. I then hid 3 tape players around the classroom and starting playing the 3 tapes of everyone saying "fuck" in different ways. I re-arranged the tables in the room so that it constructed a maze pattern. I had everyone walk through this maze and listen to "fuck" being said in many different ways and seeing "fuck" written on the walls in many different typefaces. The effect was that it seemed as if the walls were actually speaking, but saying this very vulgar and explicit word.
I picked this word because I think that in our society, negative things become prominent because of certain aspects of society. Profanity becomes cool because someone considered cool on TV or in the movies swears by it (pun intended). We as a people become desensitized by thing that are censored and the very content that we try to protect kids from. It's a harsh reality when the kids themselves are embracing negative things.
I mean, there are worse things happening out there than bad words, but I picked this word as an example that even though we know it's profanity and it's censored (on TV, on radio, on certain non-premium Cable channels, etc.) we tend not to flinch anymore when we do hear it. We've simply come to include it in our everyday language. I guess I just wanted to make a social comment on us being desensitized to this word.
3 comments:
Interesting. The shock value is there, but also humorous. It does allow you to read into each one. I see the literall meaning in some, which may have been the intent and one of them seems to have movement. This is what I call stepping out of the box and out of your comfort zone. I don't think I would be brave enough to do this word myself but I admire you for how successful you have made this. The only one I don't like is the one with the line border around it. It doesn't say much, at least to me. Overall, good work.
It's funny, but projects like this make me more aware of peoples' reactions to words, rather than to the words themselves. I don't think twice about most swears, so I'd be interested in seeing how people reaction.
My sons are always surprised when I don't flinch at profanity (they get annoyed when people swear in front of me) - because they have so seldom heard me use it. I've never been sensitive to language unless someone is intending disrespect. I love the point you've made about the word itself being separate from intentions. This reminds me of an acting exercise - how many ways can you say, "I love you?" Lots and lots of different meanings. Brave and interesting work - thanks for sharing.
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