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4 July 2007
The people of The Netherlands should understand that foul language in English is still unacceptable to the majority of English speaking people
One of the features of Dutch society I noticed during my stay in Holland in the 70s was the public toleration of grubby and blasphemous language. Those most guilty of using such language were leftist political groups, and people in the media and entertainment. In fact, it seemed that foul language uttered publicly was a sort of political act, a demonstration of one's freedom - a childish one at that. At that stage, foul language in English was not part of the scene. That has changed dramatically.
Dutch television and radio is now spiced liberally with the worst of English foul language - sometimes in the most gratuitous way; at other times totally out of context. Tragically the trend has crept into the average Dutch home. During an afternoon tea in a normal middle class Dutch home a few years ago, an Australian was greeted with the question 'Who the f... is that?' when an unknown person was mentioned. To talk of a neck-dislocating double-take is an understatement.
Two years ago while wandering around a market in a provincial Dutch town I found myself walking behind a boy of around fourteen who wore a red sweater with 'f... you' written line after line all over his back. He was otherwise dressed normally and was accompanied by his Dutch mother, father and younger sister.
In 1998 a Dutch language international television station, BVN, was set up in a collaboration between the Dutch and Belgian public broadcasters (de Nederlandse Publieke Omroep, de Wereldomroep en de VRT http://www.bvn.nl/overbvn/overbvn). The best programs from Dutch and Belgian television were chosen for broadcasting. Ten years later BVN has proven an enormous success. Dutch speakers in Australia, via a satellite dish at a modest price, can watch Dutch news and current affairs, entertainment programs, films and series as if they were being broadcast locally.
But now the worst of foul language in English is filling lounge rooms in English-speaking countries around the world courtesy of Dutch and Belgian television. What is rejected or prohibited on local Australian television is coming unhindered from the other side of the world.
There are many examples that could be cited, but the worst I can think of came during a satirical program called 'Kopspijkers' a couple of years ago. In a send-up of a controversy involving the Dutch royal family the viewer heard a character who was supposed to represent the Dutch queen exclaim in English in reference to a future daughter-in-law, 'If she f...s with one, she f...s with all!'
Too appalling for words.
The programmers of Dutch and Belgian television may find among their English-speaking friends those that find this funny. But I would claim that the average person in English-speaking countries would find it crude and disgusting, and another example of the degradation and debasement of civil society.
Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com