The F Word, continued

Returned to the Left Coast after some time travelling and non-blogging, to find that Ann Coulter has used the F word in reference to John Edwards.

I correspond with a wounded young gay Marine. I recently used the word "fabulous" in an email in such a way that he had to use the word as well in replying. He told me that this was the first time in his life he had ever written that word and that he had never actually said the word "fabulous" out loud. Now, THAT's an "F word".

If only Ann had called Edwards a "pussy", she could have made her point, been suitably offensive and not been dragged off to the stocks for punishment... If JohnBoy were not a pussy, he would have called Ann an ignorant bitch...and that would be that. What ever happened to the glory days of SNL's Point-Counterpoint? "Jane, you ignorant slut." I actually wish Ms. Coulter and Ms. Edwards would settle the issue of verbal insults in the same way that I wish Isaiah Washington and TR Knight had settled it (see post of 1/14/07...The F Word). I'd be fascinated to see who won the fist-fight portion of the program. Any bets?

I'm not thrilled that she called him a faggot. I'm a faggot and I don't want him to be one of us. Rude language is, well, rude. But therefore effective. What good is name-calling if it doesn't offend?

But: What does it say about a society when even right-wingers sign petitions disassociating themselves from someone who has served their cause, caustically but consistently, because she uses a word that "faggots" themselves use all the effing time? It's like "nigger". When a non-black uses it, all hell breaks loose. But it's a staple of black conversation, comedy and music, at least among the cool set.

Am I the only one who finds this more troubling than Ann's nastiness?