It's a dirty job but someone has to say it

There is nothing better than to sit down and listen to a good comedian. Then there is the debate what makes a good comedian. Is it the one that comes out with foul language and obscenities to perform their show? Is it just as enjoyable to listen to a comedy routine with no cursing? Obviously it is a personal choice, and you do have the choice to attend or not to. Yet if you buy tickets to see for example Bob Saget, Patrice O’Neal or Whitney Cummings then be prepared to have your ears curled. That is part of their show and there must be people who are not bothered by it as they sell out all the time.
So what is the reason for comedians to use the foul language? If we go back a few years we can take a look at George Carlin the king of foul language. Many of us remember the seven dirty words that can’t be said aloud. Well he did and caused quite a stir, now those words are pretty mild in comparison to what some comedians use. Maybe it’s the whole shock factor that these comedians are searching for. There is one thing for sure it does not affect their reputations as good comedians.



Then you have comedians that are successful as well and never used a curse word in their show at all. People would argue that there are different audiences that attend either comic. I would disagree I think you would find the same person paying to listen to Bob Saget then pay to listen to Bill Cosby . Comedy is comedy and a good laugh is a great thing. Maybe the majority of the audience doesn’t really pay attention to the foul language. Is it possible it becomes so much a part of the show that many of the curse words are not even acknowledged? It would be interesting to find out what the comedians, who use the vulgar language, have to say about it.

Maybe it’s the whole shock factor thing. I am sure many of us remember the first time we said a curse word, especially when our parents were around. Their shock was worth every repercussion we got for saying it. Possibly that’s the pleasure these cursing comedians get is the shock value. Maybe the ploy is to see how vulgar they can get and the various reactions from their audience. We could certainly analyze the reason behind it forever. Possibly it’s those comedians way of hiding their nervousness by using the vulgar language. This way they take the focus off of them and on to their language.

It is hard to say and unless we ask the comedians themselves we can only speculate. As mentioned previously for those comedians that do use vulgar language it doesn’t seem to affect their audience attendance. When purchasing a ticket to see a comedian we know who they are and you at that time have that choice. It’s quite clear that vulgar language is accepted and not an issue with the majority of people.