I was at a pub in Bangalore with some friends. At the next table was a group of younger men and women. The generation gap between two tables was evident not only by the colour of our hair but also the language being used.
What seemed to us as unparliamentary just seemed to be common parlance at the next table. So, is this language peppering a phenomenon of the times we live in?
Observing thugs and drunkards sometimes provides great insights into base human behaviour. The alpha male syndrome is more evident at the bottom of society. The language and mannerisms get reflected in local folk culture and frequently captured in films. Dharmendra’s clenched jaw and fierce face spitting the ‘dog’ word followed by the threat of flowing blood legitimised cussing. So did the use of the f-word in umpteen Hollywood flicks.
Recently, I was watching Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear on CNN. He was beeped umpteen times for his use of bad language. Jeremy is a master of metaphor and brilliant in the use of the English language. However, he has an occasional penchant for use of adjectives rooted in male human anatomy. And that is always accompanied by peals of laughter from the audience in the show, men and women. Jeremy is an unabashed alpha male and hero worshipped across the world. Is the use of spicy language with overt anatomical allusions, in the form of adjectives, a trait of power and domination?
Which brings me to the use of words emanating from the reproductive region of the human body. It’s strange why the rest of the human anatomy is left behind. There has to be a massive correlation between domination and use of language that codes exploitation of certain parts of the human anatomy. The alpha male at his muscular best is almost expected to use a certain type of language to force the domination. So is the use of such peppery language decoded almost unconsciously as display of power? And power is gender neutral.
Hindi films and serials have portrayed the stereotype of a powerful dominating woman towering over the husband, son-in-law, son, daughter, gangs, political and all forms of relationships. Is the language of the alpha woman beginning to mimic the male? Is position of power or need to display it overcoming gentle language? How did this power play get in to the corporate world? This is not the language taught at home or in our educational institutions!
The use of intemperate language is seen as a metaphor to feelings, expressed in street language. There is a certain element of subliminal coolness that the user wishes to transmit with these words. Industries where coolness and counter culture are trending the assault on age-old social behaviour codes seems to be accepted by both genders. However, even in those places, the context of use determines the impact.
The same person changing vocabulary, depending on the social context, is but a natural phenomenon. In a casual environment, where people know each other, is the license to use cuss words to punctuate or short code feelings becoming so much more acceptable across genders and social groups that it is blurring the lines of the social contexts? Though women are far more circumspect in changing codes of language civility, in many contexts they do occasionally spice language.
There is also the subconscious desire to rebel against conventional language use. It is perhaps also a personality projection technique. So, could the use of expletives be linked to the desire to establish dominance in a group? Which brings me to the use of language as plumage. Not everyone is endowed with the genius of a Wodehouse or Tagore or Dickens. The absence of command over the language to translate inner desires and feelings short-circuits to expletives. Invariably the tone, manner, style, body language and volume of delivery economise the number of words used.
So, a complex web of circumstances is creating a proliferation of cuss words in a formal office environment. What makes the situation worrisome is the preponderance of use by a certain personality type. The impact of that can have ramifications leading to insults, defensive behaviour, avoidance and a negative social quotient inside the office.
At the end of it, I would love to hear what Reginald Jeeves would have to say on changing civility codes.
The writer is Subhabrata Ghosh, CEO, Celsius100Consulting, Banglaore
(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 04-05-2015)
