THE POWER OF DIRTY WORDS
The New York Post September 25, 2012 THE POWER OF DIRTY WORDS--Illustrated!!! by Norman Spinrad In memorium: Lenny Bruce Fuck, shit, piss, cunt. Have I gotten your attention? Of course I have! These words have that magic power. As we all know, fuck, shit, piss, and cunt are the rock bottom basic “dirty words.” Neither the New York Times nor any other establishment publication will print them. They may not be uttered on broadcast television. Copulate, defecate, urinate, vagina. These four words mean precisely the same things, but are perfectly kosher for polite discourse, publication, and prime time. We all know that too, but do we all know why copulate, defecate, urinate, and vagina are “clean,” whereas their exact synonyms, fuck, shit, piss, and cunt are “dirty?” Why these words even have the power to re