I must say "hell" about 37 times a day. If I stub my toe or realize I failed to lock the car once I'm inside. It is a pretty low level sweary-mary around our house. So odd it is to read this:
If it's not the bloody, it's the hell.Cultural barrier to the hellish? What the hell is that? You want religious cultural sensitivity? This is religious cultural sensitivity. Seeing as the kids see a great Canadian beer called Maudit around from time to time, I think they would have a hell of a time finding fault. Hasn't Satan largely been neutered in Canada anyway, relegated to the image on a sports team's jersey? If I were to describe someone as Old Nick, hell, they'd likely think I was referencing Santa, not Satan. Even - with all due respect - the holy rollers have long since moved from the fear of hell to the fantastic welcome at the pearly gates that they (and they alone) deserve and shall receive. It's all about upside these days.When British censors banned a controversial Tourism Australia ad campaign this month, they did so because it used the word "bloody" in the question: "So where the bloody hell are you?" Now the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says it won't run the ad during family programming because of the word "hell."
"It just shows you the different taste levels of audiences in various cultures," said CBC spokeswoman Ruth Ellen Soles. " 'Hell' is a problem for us in terms of kids and family viewing. It comes under the category of 'taste' and in these situations we listen to what our audience tells us."
Comments
Chris Taylor - March 21, 2006 9:49 am
I think part of the shift can also be attributed to a changed understanding of the nature of Satan.
In the past he was often thought of as the flipside of a merciful God, an Evil-Spock-style deity with goatee and <i>Exorcist</i>-style powers, the ruler of Hell, tormenting people and really mucking things up.
These days the view is that he is really more of a disgruntled ex-employee of Heaven, Inc. with no special powers above and beyond that of standard-issue angel. Hell is understood as a place of internment that the devil does not rule, but will be consigned to -- Kingston Pen for rebel angels, where Satan is a mere inmate, not the warden.
It's a bit of a comedown from quasi-parity with Jehovah, to terminated-with-cause, bitter worker-bee spirit.
Alan - March 21, 2006 9:55 am
Being raised by Scots Presbies and having a minor in Russian Lit of the 19th century, I have no such dillusions about the invalidity of the pop-demon nature of the goat-footed one.
ry - March 21, 2006 12:01 pm
Well, Satan can't be all that powerful. Japan smacked around Cuba last night. The CinReds beat the Oakland A's for the Title(and we all know that Jose Conseco sold his soul to he who shouldn't be named).