Taking the High Road
Call me sensitive but I'm very weary of reading obscene or vulgar language in my professional publications. Recent case in point: Jack Gordon's editorial in the January 2006 edition of Training Magazine. It's called Straight Talk so I suppose he feels justified in including the phrase, "Bend over, here it comes again" in his rant about change management. I found it offensive, however, and showed it to several colleagues to see if they had the same reaction.
Their responses ranged from "Oh my gosh, he said that?" to "So what? Get over it." At the risk of sounding hopelessly out of date, I have to say that I don't think the world is a better place because we include obscene expressions in attempting to communicate. It certainly put me off and the value of the piece was lost on me.
I think it might useful to ask, before including a phrase like that one in an article or a training program: "Could I comfortably explain (without shifting my weight from side to side, avoiding eye contact, or blushing) what this expression means in front of:
My thoughts on a sensitive topic.....what do you think?
Comments
Hello Cindy and all....
Altho' I didn't read the article and don't follow-know Mr. Jack Gordon, when I read the sentence I interpret it as another "kick in the rear," Vs the more vulgar interpretation, that maybe the author meant....who knows...? I too however, become weary at the frequency with which I find myself subjected to perceptibally sexual and vulgar inuendo, references and content! Sara
Posted by: Sara White | January 28, 2006 04:02 AM
Cindy, I agree 100 percent. The comment was in terrible taste, and the editors would have been wise to cut it. Vulgarity has no place in communication whose purpose involves leading and teaching.
In addition to our own sensibilities, global communication demands that we consider how what we write may be read by people on the other side of the world. They may have very different views of what is in good taste.
Thanks for tackling this awkward subject.
Posted by: Lynn Gaertner-Johnston | January 28, 2006 09:53 PM