Thursday, April 25, 2013

Dropping the F-bomb



This week, KFYR anchor A.J. Clemente was fired for using the F-bomb and other “language” on TV.

In his apology, he said he didn’t realize he was live even though he was miked.

Because  newsrooms are full of people who swear like stevedores, PR people often are surprised to find that emphasizing a point by adding color isn’t always appreciated.   

Because it plays against stereotype, I sometimes drop swear words into conversation with younger, more hip people.

But I rarely do in business meetings.  

One colleague said she deliberately drops a lesser word in meetings to see how people respond.

If no one looks askance—or someone picks it up and runs with it—she feels more comfortable taking it one step further. 

Swear words are part of everyday speech for many people, but use really depends on the formality of the occasion.   

Testing the waters may be the only way to find out how casual you can be—as long as you’re not on TV.  

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