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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 21:41:21 GMT -5
Is it plausible that DC has a mandatory mild swearing policy? I used to ask myself this question in jest, but once you notice it, you can't un-notice it, and the once-per-issue each of "hell" and "damn" seems so consistent that I seriously think it's possible that it's forced upon the writers.
When Geoff Johns' star was on the rise at DC, I sampled his work. His reviews were so good from reviewers I generally agreed with that I gave him more chances than I normally give other writers. So, despite my distaste for him, I think I've read enough Johns that I can safely conclude that he at least has a personal policy of at least one "damn" and one "hell" per issue. I always heard Johns in my head with a Beavis and Butt-head voice whenever I read the four-letter words: "Heh heh. I made Green Lantern say 'hell'." ("See, comics are grown up now!" *groan*)
I gave up on DC for a while, but I'm sampling them here and there, and every comic I pick up has one "hell" and one "damn", and usually a third instance which is one or the other, which I suppose is a writer's choice, if my premise is correct.
Full disclosure: DC isn't impressing me with the sampling I've been doing, and I don't like my comic book heroes saying "damn" and "hell", even if it didn't come across as self-conscious as it does (there really are real live people who can go months and years without ever saying "damn" or "hell"). But even if you love current DC and don't mind Batman swearing, do you think it's possible they have an actual policy in place about it? Or is it more due to emulating the successful Johns? Is my sampling not really representative?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Mar 28, 2019 23:02:23 GMT -5
Interesting theory. I couldn't speak to this, myself, as I don't read any of the newer stuff, but it certainly fits with what I know about the current DC. You might get more responses if you had a moderator move this to the Modern Comics thread.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 23:06:35 GMT -5
I've just been lurking on this subforum for so long I didn't think to check for a more appropriate forum. That move makes sense. Do I need to contact a mod directly, or is my posting this wish to have the thread moved going to be sufficient?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Mar 28, 2019 23:11:50 GMT -5
I've just been lurking on this subforum for so long I didn't think to check for a more appropriate forum. That move makes sense. Do I need to contact a mod directly, or is my posting this wish to have the thread moved going to be sufficient? No worries. Technically, the Geoff Johns Era began more than ten years back, so this legitimately could be a classic comics discussion. I just think you'll get more responses in the modern section. And the best way to get their attention is to click the gear in the upper right of your post, select "Report Post" and then just write in the box that you'd like the discussion moved to the modern comics section  |
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Post by hondobrode on Mar 29, 2019 0:18:09 GMT -5
done
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Post by rberman on Mar 29, 2019 7:48:41 GMT -5
This happens for sure with movies to bump them up to PG or even PG-13, because "G" has lost the meaning of "everybody will like this" and now means "only babies like this stuff." I recently heard Shazam! reviewed as a "great family movie." So why is it PG-13?
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Post by Icctrombone on Mar 29, 2019 7:57:21 GMT -5
I'm still in shock from when Sue Richards said she was going to "knock someone on their ass."
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Post by rberman on Mar 29, 2019 14:21:02 GMT -5
This happens for sure with movies to bump them up to PG or even PG-13, because "G" has lost the meaning of "everybody will like this" and now means "only babies like this stuff." I recently heard Shazam! reviewed as a "great family movie." So why is it PG-13?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2019 14:49:48 GMT -5
I'd rather read a character say "What the hell is going on?" than some lame euphemism that no one in the real world ever actually uses like "What the blazes is going on?" the were ubiquitous in the Bronze Age. I don't expect realism in comics, I do like verisimilitude, and those lame made-up euphemisms kill any verisimilitude the dialogue has. Takes me right out of the story and into hey I am in Mr. Rogers make believe land when I read that kind of stuff.
If the OP lives somewhere where he can months or years without hearing someone say damn or hell, I envy him, as I would have to be in total isolation and have taken a vow of silence as well to go even 10 minutes without hearing that or worse. I don't think O can go 10 minutes at work without hearing at least 1 F-bomb dropped by a customer or co-worker, let alone something as innocuous as damn or hell.
But to each their own.
-M
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Post by Mister Spaceman on Mar 29, 2019 15:55:09 GMT -5
If I can accept super-powered adults in long underwear, I can accept euphemisms for swearing with no problem. It's all part of the fun!   As for DC having a "mild swearing" policy? I wouldn't put anything past that company these days. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2019 19:14:21 GMT -5
If the OP lives somewhere where he can months or years without hearing someone say damn or hell, I envy him. -M I didn't say without *hearing* it, I said without *saying* it. Without *hearing* it is indeed absurd. The average comic is a peek into what, a day in the life of Superman? Only Beavis and Butt-head need to hear Superman say hell and damn *every* day they visit him. I didn't mean to just generally complain about distaste for four-color swearing (although I like that too! the distaste for it, that is), but I really am curious if mandating something like that is something a publishing company would do, especially since every comic I've sampled follows the specific "One hell and one damn" rule, plus a third instance of the writer's choice. I like the comparison to targeting movie ratings. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2019 23:01:56 GMT -5
If I can accept super-powered adults in long underwear, I can accept euphemisms for swearing with no problem. It's all part of the fun! I agree. It's natural in the world they live in. The mild swearing takes me out of the story, because it sounds so out-of-place. OTOH, I like some dark stories with the traditionally kid-friendly heroes, and I don't even mind an occasional "damn" out of them in such stories, but more often than not, it sounds clumsy. Giffen and DeMatteis usually made it sound natural. I prefer the "#$%&" kind of substitution (is there a name for that?) for the real naughty words over using the semi-naughty words they're allowed to use, but I'm not sure why. I think it takes the attempt at shock or edginess out of the equation. |
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Post by Confessor on Mar 30, 2019 4:48:29 GMT -5
I'd rather read a character say "What the hell is going on?" than some lame euphemism that no one in the real world ever actually uses like "What the blazes is going on?" the were ubiquitous in the Bronze Age. I don't expect realism in comics, I do like verisimilitude, and those lame made-up euphemisms kill any verisimilitude the dialogue has. "What the blazes..." wasn't a made up euphemism. It was a fairly commonly used phrase back in the 70s (and probably earlier), though it's become rather archaic now. But I can definitely remember hearing grown ups using the phrase in real life back in the day. It's clearly a more polite version of "What the hell...", but it wasn't just something that was made up for comics or TV. |
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Post by badwolf on Apr 9, 2019 15:53:09 GMT -5
When I saw the title for this thread, I was expecting something a bit more severe. I don't think hells and damns are anything new at all. I feel like I recall down-to-earth folks like Green Arrow using them with some regularity way back when. Of course, it would seem weird if Superman did it.
What bugs me that I've seen a lot in modern comics (both Marvel and DC) is constant *!#&@#$. I think they might even sometimes use dingbats that resemble the word (i.e. "@$$".)
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Apr 9, 2019 20:11:30 GMT -5
I don't even notice it.
It's characters talking like real people instead of old fashioned caricatures. Now realistic diction has its practical limitations, but in general mild profanity is way more acceptable to me than weird euphemisms.
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