Ofcom relaxes rules over swearing

They once caused public outcry. But swear words such as 'poof' and 'queer' can now be said at any time of day, according to the media regulator Ofcom.

Due to the softening of attitudes towards swearing on TV, words like 'nutter', 'lezza' and 'Jesus Christ' are also socially acceptable and are named as the least likely to offend.

After the 9pm watershed words like 'b****', 'w*****' and 's***' can be used.

But Ofcom said people are still more relaxed about them and are even willing to hear them earlier in some circumstances.

Yesterday the regulator acknowledged this change in attitude as it published research giving detailed guidance on public tolerance of bad language.

They commissioned it to help staff who deal with complaints from the public about TV and radio content.

The watchdog said the public are willing to tolerate mild swearing and offensive language at any time of the day, though a spokesman said that it was not intended to provide a definitive account of the public's views.

The 'C-word' and 'F-word' were also found to be acceptable after the watershed but it was suggested people were also softening against this.

When John Lydon used it to 10million ITV viewers recently fewer than 100 people complained.

Participants in the study were shown popular TV shows, including Gordon Ramsay's Great British Nightmare, and it was found that many words that prompted complaints in the past are now acceptable.

Campaigners expressed concern that abusive language about mental illness or homosexuality should not be used casually.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: 'These sorts of words often betray fear and ignorance rather than lack of sympathy. The main lesson is that they should not be used lightly.

'If people with mental health problems want to use these terms and find the humour in them – as some do – then all well and good. But it is not for others to denigrate their experience with thoughtless words.'

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Hopefully they may start being less restrictive on sexual content on tv as well

I used the C word once in this forum( i was very angry at the time) and it got changed to muffin!!!! Does that make Ofcom now more liberal regarding language than us!!!!!

I've heard fairly recently 'Shit' and 'Bastard' used as early as 7pm.

C*nt does seem to be creeping in to more programmes when in the past if would've been cut or bleeped... As Jimmy Carr said on '8 out of 10 Cats', "According to BBC guidelines the most offensive words are the F-word and the C-word, but we're on Channel 4, so we can say whatever the fuck we like and those c*nt's can't do anything about it". Unfortunately on that occasion the C-word was bleeped, which kind of pissed on his point really.

This is funny news, but it makes sense considering that the women can do almost everything except showing it all after the watershed, yet swearing was still censored.

I won't mention names, but I heard someone on a certain channel two nights ago say the F word (FUCK) twice in a row, which made me suspect things had softened a bit.

Here's hoping the bodily censorship will be softened some in the future.

Remember the line: "I have had it with these muthafucking snakes on this muthafucking plane!"?

Here is the kiddie friendly version, possibly the greatest dub job ever:



And the original version:

Crevice is a rude word Blackadder; job is a positively filthy word!!

Hmmm, I don't think vostok 1 thanked SeriousEh's post enough.

I once watched watchdog and they were doing a consumer report on supermarkets and one of the spokesman from Asda just happened to be named Paul Bastard, so if that was his surname then how can that be deemed as a swearword, also in the past Germany football team have had a few kunts playing for them too. Ps fuck ofcom.

(15-06-2010 17:04 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  I once watched watchdog and they were doing a consumer report on supermarkets and one of the spokesman from Asda just happened to be named Paul Bastard, so if that was his surname then how can that be deemed as a swearword, also in the past Germany football team have had a few kunts playing for them too. Ps fuck ofcom.

LMAO................hahahahaha