Bad Language?

Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:55 pm

At the end of an emotional ceremony at Fenway Park this afternoon, David "Big Papi" Ortiz, the heart of the Red Sox for the past decade, addressed the crowd, ending by emphatically stating "this is OUR f*cking city!" This was in a nationally broadcast game, live, with no tape delay. Of course, the FCC had something to say about it as expected.

The FCC's authorized twitter account wrote:David Ortiz spoke from the heart at today's Red Sox game. I stand with Big Papi and the people of Boston - Julius

And who might Julius be, you may ask? Julius Genachowski is only the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

I too stand with Big Papi, Julius, the people of Boston, and the United States, Earth, the Milky Way, and this and any other universe that may exist.

Post by **elfshadow** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:24 am

Hmmm...nope, can't say I'm the slightest bit offended. In fact, I'm quite touched.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:03 am

I absolutely loved that.

Post by **Frelga** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:10 am

If ever there was an appropriate usage, that was it. That's why I tell my son to save bad language for extreme situations. If you throw f-bombs around every time your toast burns, what do you say when your city blows up?

Post by **anthriel** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:51 pm

Okay, I was going to keep out of Lasto for a while, but I couldn't resist posting this.

What great timing to have bumped this discussion!

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment ... 13372.html

Poor guy.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 5:00 pm

Wow...that's a pretty bad day at work.

Though on a personal level I'm more bothered by the fact that he barely seems to know where he is and that he's supposed to be reading stuff...

Mon Apr 22, 2013 5:04 pm

I saw that too. My reaction was similar to yov's.

Post by **anthriel** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:43 pm

Apparently he didn't know the mic was on. Probably a rather common rookie mistake, but that is tragically bad timing for him.

Poor guy!

Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:11 pm

If David Ortiz's use of "bad language" was, as Frelga suggested (and I agree) an example of "an appropriate usage," then this was a perfect contrast: an example of a completely casual, meaningless use of bad language. I have little or no sympathy for this guy.

Post by **anthriel** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:11 pm

It was probably a habit, Sir V, for him to talk this way, and he was caught with an open mic. I do feel badly for him; his debut as a news anchor, and this is what people will remember. It has to be pretty embarassing.

This is possibly a pretty good commentary on why this sort of language being habitual can be problematic. If you have a habit of consistantly using this language, and someone accidentally overhears you, it might just sound like this.

Mostly, that wouldn't be a problem, of course. In this case, I think it was.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:02 am

You're a much nicer person than I am, my dear Anth. If indeed it was a habit for him to talk that way in a casual manner, and he couldn't control himself under those circumstances, than I think he got exactly what he deserved.

Post by **elfshadow** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:37 am

I have to agree with VtF on this one; I can't say I feel sorry for him. When I'm with my friends in a casual social situation, my language is downright raunchy. But I would never let a curse word slip into conversation with my grandmother or with a patient, for example. It shouldn't be that hard to keep your language clean in a professional situation.

Post by **anthriel** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:46 am

I guess that's my point. He thought his professional situation started a hairsbreadth after it actually did.

He probably wouldn't have chosen to speak like this during the actual broadcast, if he had been a bit more in tune to the clock.

Post by **yovargas** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:46 am

Generally speaking I agree but I can't judge the guy too hard without knowing what he was so upset about. He didn't just curse, he seemed really disoriented which makes me think that something legitimately terrible had just happened to him.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:46 am

Exactly, Elsha. Thank you.

Post by **elfshadow** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:59 am

anthriel wrote:I guess that's my point. He thought his professional situation started a hairsbreadth after it actually did.

He probably wouldn't have chosen to speak like this during the actual broadcast, if he had been a bit more in tune to the clock.

I definitely see your point. My gut reaction is that even though he wasn't on the air, he was fully aware that there were multiple cameras in the room, and so he should have been more professional regardless. But I don't really know the social etiquette of newsrooms.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 1:43 am

I watched it again. There is no excuse for that. If I were in charge, I probably wouldn't have suspended him, I would have fired him.

Post by **yovargas** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 1:45 am

He has been fired, per his twitter.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:02 am

Good. As a friend of mine pointed out to me, he doesn't just say "f****g s**t" he says "gay f****g s**t". There is no way that any one of you are going to convince me that he doesn't deserve to have been fired.

Edited to add: he apparently claims that he did not say "gay" but it sounds pretty clear to me.

Post by **JewelSong** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:04 am

I watched the clip. I do not think he seemed disoriented or that something terrible had happened to him... rather, he was reacting to whatever it was he was reading in front of him (perhaps the news story about a car crash?). Even when he knew the mic was on, he seemed woefully unprepared to be on the air.

Definitely not ready for prime time.

ETA: He definitely says the word "gay" before the two more colorful words...but I am not at all clear what he is referring to. Very bizarre incident.