The power of profanity
As memorable as Friday’s championship parade was in Philadelphia, the lasting memory from the event comes from just three words.
In case you don’t want to watch, the beloved second baseman/legend Chase Utley began his speech by saying:
“World Champions.”
(Pause for applause.)
“World FUCKING Champions!”
While TV stations and the FCC fretted, everyone older than 10 rejoiced. My mouth and my eyes opened wide as I cheered. It got by far the loudest applause of the day.
He said exactly what we were all thinking, and no one could have imagined anyone would ever actually say it.
The appropriateness of the comment aside — I don’t much have an interest in debating the challenges of parenting, and I don’t much care how many Philadelphia-area 8-year-olds repeated the phrase in class the next day — I’m fascinated that he was able to so succinctly compact the breathless emotions of an entire city in just three words.
It said everything. It captured the can-you-believe-this-is-really-happening feeling better than any other three words could ever hope to.
It wasn’t, as the tsk-tskers of our language like to say, a crutch to compensate for an inadequate vocabulary. There isn’t a word out there that’d create the same, wonderful feeling he accomplished.
I love wordplay. I love finding the unexpected word that needles the consciousness.
Sometimes it takes the collision of social values to make that happen. When its not worn down from excessive and lazy use, profanity can be one of the most powerful weapons possible. That’s nothing to fear; it’s something to appreciate.
well, not only did i learn something - the phillies won the world championship! but also, you are an entertaining writer! i’m glad you decided to keep a personal blog, moving on from good ol’ livejournal. haha. it was time.