What is on his mind...

"A man only curses because he doesn't know the words to express what is on his mind."

- Malcolm X

I have always disagreed with this. From an early age, we are thought to believe that bad language is, well, bad. Very bad. So bad, in fact, that it warrants education. I vividly remember once when I was in 2nd Year in Secondary School. My German teacher, Ms. Kiernan, had ordered me to write out some passage ten times as punishment for mistranslating the piece. As I slumped back to my desk, my friend Phillip Kelly asked me what happened. My words were, "I have to write it out ten fucking times." I'll never forget what happened next. "Mister Lloyd, see me after class - you're in big trouble."

Of course, she wailed on me for about ten minutes and vowed to report to my Year Head. Which she did. Of course, I never cursed in her presence again. The reason this sticks out in my mind is because, even now, I think she overreacted. I mean, I can look back on all the disciplinary decisions that were made on my part and admit with hindsight that it was for the best. This, on the other hand, I can't let go of. Who does "bad" language hurt? I'm not talking about derogatory language or racial slurs. I'm talking about usage of the word 'fuck' as an adjective. It adds texture to language. It heightens the exclamation attached to whatever it is you're describing. It is, to my mind, the most versatile word in the English language. If you haven't see the documentary 'FUCK', I would implore you to see it.

Back to the topic. A particular woman I know goes absolutely batshit whenever someone uses the word 'cunt'. That happens to my favourite curse word. It's so visceral, acerbic - I love it. Say it to yourself now. The heavy 'K' sound just makes it all the more rougher and guttural. Now, I would rarely - if ever - use it to refer to a woman's genitalia. Nor would I use to describe a woman. The term is, to me, asexual and can be used on both men and women. I am, however, aware of the connotations it has for women. But is it not a case of women making the fuss? Is this woman simply making an issue out of this word?


Let's look at Josh Homme. He was reprimanded severely for using the word 'faggot' onstage when someone tried to throw a bottle at him. Like anyone would, he lost his temper and screamed expletives into the crowd at the man. The gay community went berserk and branded him as homophobic. Now. Give me a minute to sidestep any land-mines here. I know, for a fact, that gay people refer to one another as faggots. Now, this may be a case of them using the word to negate its negative connotations. In fact, I barely know anyone that uses that word as a derogatory term. It has no effect. Precisely because gay people use it to describe one another. I don't think Josh Homme is homophobic. I think he used the word in a mindless fashion. Now, if the gay community wanted to take umbrage with him over using the word to describe a bad person - then fair enough. It'd be like trying to take on a wave of piss by whipping your dick out and adding to it. In other words, ultimately futile. So why do it? Why go after them? Incidentally, he came out (no pun intended) afterwards with a huge letter, apologising profusely for using the word, refuting his status as a homophobe and so forth. And no more was mentioned of it.

The reason I use this case is because I find people that take offence to language used often have an agenda. In other words, they add the negative connotation to the word. They, personally, find it offensive. And they are attempting to impose their own views on the word on you. Now, I'm not advocating cursing in front of children or whatever. But what I am suggesting is that we basically take a liberal view of it and realise that they are simply words - and nothing more. We make the negative connections.

Slick Bastards...

That's right. A list of slick fucking bastards. Check this shit out:

Ray Winstone Ray Winstone is pretty much what I want to look like when I'm 50. A few love handles, but well 'ard. The man's acting may be a bit, well, shit - but when he's in his element, i.e. beating the shit out of people or being a complete bad-ass, he's amazing. What I also like is the fact that he comes across as completely down-to-earth. He hasn't lost that working-class charm.

Steve McQueen

The man needs no introduction. Before you were born, nay, a dirty thought, this fucker was going around being the legend he is. The crazy bastard even got arrested for, wait for it, doing his own stunts. In the 60's. It wasn't even required for him to do it. This was long before Harrison Ford was putting stuntmen out of their jobs, let me tell you. AND! He knew how to dress. Oh yes. Sit down and watch 'Bullitt' and come back and tell me he isn't suave as fuck. Brad Pitt likes to think he's cool as Steve McQueen - in reality, he's just nowhere near his league. He isn't even playing in the same sport. Nobody is. That's why he's Steve McQueen.

David Bowie

OK, this may seem like an obvious choice. In fact, they all may seem like obvious choices. But I'm sticking David Bowie in here not for his fashion sense. Or his musical abilities. I'm sticking him in here for the fact that his godlike ability to reinvent himself. The dude's basically a chameleon. There was the Ziggy Stardust-era, the Berlin-era, the Thin White Duke-era, the Heretic-era. They were all fucking amazing-era. He is deserving of your praise and admiration. You don't even have to dig his music, but you are required to respect his ability to be consistently relevant and entertaining. Plus, he's screwing Iman on a regular basis. That alone deserves honourable mention.

Muhummad Ali Not only could this man beat the shit out of you in the first round, he was also able to knock the crap out of the US Government at the height of Segregation. The sheer amount of chutzpah this fucker showed in standing up and rejecting the Draft is absolutely unspeakable. It was completely unheard of; he made himself into a pariah. Now look at him - he's considered a living legend in sports circles. And rightfully so. If you've ever seen any of his matches, the skill the man possessed makes him one slick bastard. The thought and preparation, studying every part of his opponent, and then dispatching them with ease is nothing short of astounding. Plus, the smack talk - he was a king of it. He knew how to get into his enemy's mind and weaken them. He was, simply put, the Greatest.

Feminism - A Discussion

I stumbled upon this interesting Flickr photostream today. Basically, the idea is that people get their picture taken holding a piece of paper. On this piece of paper is their own view of feminism. It ranges from the intriguing to the humourous to the somewhat backward. In sort, what does feminism mean in this day and age?

For me, it was never an issue. My mother was the boss in our house. If I so much as spoke out of turn, my head would be buried in the wall. Now, I'm not saying she was abusive, but you get what I mean. Coupled with the fact I had a big sister, it meant that I was pretty much thought to think of women as equals, or as the case may be, my betters.

I'm older now, and I still think the same. Any relationship I've had with women, be it platonic or romantic, has always been based on mutual respect. "K", for instance, is FAR smarter than me. She's an NUI graduate with a 2.1 degree, ridiculously clever and comes from a family of academics. So there's that. Granted, I could beat the crap out of her when it comes to film trivia, but in everything else, she wins. Hands down.

It amazes me that, in this day and age, discrimination occurs. My own opinion is that it's an age / generation thing. I'm not saying my own generation is completely devoid of discrimination, but it's a lot less prevalent. Older men were brought up to believe that women were frail and delicate. Science has pretty much proved this to be completely false, given the fact they have a higher pain threshold and all the rest of it.

I'm a huge fan of 'Mad Men'. I always wonder how accurate its description of male/female interaction in the office environment. Was the sexism really that blatant? And what, exactly, did it stem from? Misogyny? Upbringing? Pack mentality? And does this still occur today? For me, feminism means women having choice. They have a choice to be mothers and wives or be academics or business women. And being respected for making a choice.

I know one or two feminists who, for lack of a better word, look down on women who have chosen a more "traditional" lifestyle. I've always thought that was wrong. If a woman wants to be a housewife and raise a family, that is entirely her business. If she wants to go on and be successful in her chosen field, she can do that too. It's choice - she can choose to do whatever she wants. And, for me anyway, that's what feminism boils down to - being able to choose and being respected for it.

Sore Thumb

So. To begin with.

Was at this thing in the city last night. I was flying solo. See, when I go to gigs or whatever, it's absolutely fine. The attention is focused, or at least should be, on the musician(s) at the front. Nobody's looking around. However. This was not the case last night. It was a DJ set. Now, to say I stuck out like a sore thumb is an understatement. I mean, it looked great - everybody was having fun, dancing and so forth. I just couldn't get into it. It's only now that it dawns on me. When there's a DJ / nightclub scenario, it is virtually impossible to blend into the background. There has to be a group dynamic. Live performances, on the other hand, is ideally suited to the singular figure. Nobody's paying attention to the person beside them. Now, that's not to say that this happens in nightclub scenarios, but your attention isn't drawn to anything in particular. Except the people around you.

This, of course, explains why I intensely dislike going to these shindigs alone. I couldn't convince anyone to go to this thing with me. It was basically where all the fashionistas of Dublin hide at the weekend. I'm convinced of it now. So there's me, a permanently jet-lagged, twenty-something dood with massive hair and lacking social skills. Of course I stood out.

And naturally, I bailed after ten minutes. Note to self - never fly solo.