Ranty Friday this week and I am talking about the C word. To me the most offensive of any word and one that I cannot bring myself to ever use.
Is it right to use it?
And more specifically is it right to use it when describing somebody doing their job? Okay they may be doing it badly but does that give you the right to call them that word?
Even if you ARE Dom Joly.
It appeared on Wednesday that Dom Joly was having an issue with Cineworld. Fair enough he was angry and took to Twitter. I do the same. But to then finish the Tweet with the C word? Is that right?
Is it okay for the person who reads and manages that Twitter stream to have to read that?
Can you imagine going to work and having to deal with stuff like that? No. I can’t either.
Yes, I get angry. I was furious with Yodel on Wednesday over a delivery that should have been here on Tuesday but did I swear at them? No.
And I did not and certainly would never use the C word in a tweet to somebody doing their job.
Dom Joly says it is just a word.
So is faggot.
Do we ever use that anymore?
I get really angry when people are abusive to other people just trying to do their job. It is rarely their fault that something has gone wrong, and is never the fault of the person running the Twitter feed.
Ranting, losing your temper, and swearing is not going to get you a result. And then continuing to rage when I asked a question because, well maybe I was wrong? Maybe it is just a word. I asked Twitter. Maybe tweets of support would come in for Dom and people would say I was being a prude and should get over it. There were two of those. The rest overwhelming, were agreeing with me.
And then Dom Joly showed his true colours which makes me think that if you think using the C word publicly, to people you don’t know, is acceptable you just aren’t particularly nice, and are, in fact, quite angry alot of the time (disclaimer, if you want to use it amongst people you know and who know you use it, fair enough, I don’t have a problem with that, I am talking publicly here):
Seems using the C word just makes you look a tit. And losing your temper with people who are the ones buying your DVDs and watching your TV programmes makes you a bigger tit in my opinion.
Even if you are Dom Joly
I shall wear being blocked by him on Twitter as a badge of honour.
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Ranty Friday is a weekly linky for all your rants or mild grumbles, do go and read the others that have linked up:
Oh my goodness, what a horrible little man he is! I had no idea.
Quite aside from the points you make – which are valid – I’m amazed that he was unprofessional enough to carry on a rant at you on twitter. (I notice he appears to have deleted those tweets now so perhaps he is ashamed of himself – one can only live in hope).
Incredible.
For me, the C word is reserved for one person, and one person. And half the time, despite everything, I can’t bring myself to say it so he’s known as Twunty.
Dom Joly clearly is A up his own arse and B not capable of thinking of a better insult than 4 letters.
Spoiled little brat not used to people disagreeing with him! What a sad sad little man
I’m not overly bothered by swear words in general, but there’s a time and a place and I don’t think Twitter is the place for anyone to be using swear words, let alone someone who is also in the public eye and has a large fan base of children. Also not very impressed by how he’s handled this situation.
Disgusting behaviour, I don’t like that word anywhere but to spit your dummy out because someone disagreed with you is not what you expect from someone in the public eye
I have no issue with “the C word” as it’s known. Nor any other swear words. I use them all the time. Normally I’m on my own. Often I’m with my mother so they are usually followed with grovelling apologies – my mother rarely swears.
However it’s not appropriate to use them on Twitter, or when dealing with a customer. I don’t care how crappy they’ve been with their service. As you’ve mentioned, it’s rarely the fault of the person on Twitter, and even if they do something stupid and provide you poor customer service, it’s still not on to call them a c**t.
Have never liked Dom Jolly. Appears I was quite right not to.
I have used the C word myself although it would be reserved for extreme situations. I don’t have a problem with it if it’s not going to offend the people you are with and its behind closed doors but to use it publicly like that and directed at a stranger doing their job?
That’s not on at all. I’m a community manager and have had to deal with lots of rudeness through brand twitter/facebook pages but no one has every sworn like that at me. No one should have to deal with that.
I also agree Luci above that he handled it very badly and came across as very childish. A shame really as i would have expected better from him.
I used to work in customer service and have been shouted and screamed at, spat at and called any number of names but never the see you next tuesday word. I HATE it and if I ever heard my kids use it I would wash their mouths out with the foulist tasting soap I could find!!
And these people are supposed to be seen as role models? This is only one of the reasons why I don’t follow celebrities on Twitter – too many of them are far too up their own arse to even contemplate interaction with people who follow them, buy their CDs, DVDs etc. I reckon you touched a nerve here, Mummy Barrow, and this jumped up arrogant tit realised that using that word was indeed unnecessary. Once he realised he had a few equally arrogant followers on his side, he became the “big man”.
Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s the only celeb who speaks to followers this way.
I must admit to using the C word rather regularly. But it’s never directed AT anyone, nor would I ever dream of using it while complaining to a company about their service (or lack of). Working in customer services for a number of years, I know how unpleasant it is to be on the receiving end of abuse for something that I have had no part in. He simply comes across as an obnoxious, petulant child. Go T! *waves pom poms* I think you handled it beautifully 🙂
I’m a swearer and I’m not massively bothered by the ‘c’ word, though more of an effer myself. But I am bothered by abusive tweeters. Also – making money out of underage audiences comes with a certain responsibility, which he doesn’t seem to grasp or accept.
Never heard of him. I agree with you. That and the N word. Never put stuff in print you wouldn’t want the world to see.
He’s a horrible little man. I have no idea why people think he is remotely funny, and it is never appropriate to use that word, directed at someone!
I wonder who deleted his tweets!
It saddens me that someone who could reach out to so many should miss the chance to show respect for another human being. Wouldn’t that be a powerful message to his audience. Real people, with real lives, read the tweets. Not a faceless corporation.
Yes I noticed he had deleted them too. A real shame when somebody finds that kind of behaviour to another human being they have never met acceptable. Banter between mates is one thing but I wonder how he would like if his daughter or son came home from work in a few years time upset that somebody had said that to them down the phone.
I must admit that I don’t have a problem with that word at all. But I do have a problem with people behaving like dicks on the internet. He really couldn’t have handled it any worse, could he? Deary me…..
Its not a derogatory term for a woman – I used to live in the South East and its more likely to be used for a man in the same way as you would use “bastard”. However, I would never use the term on social media because some find it very offensive and it means different things to different people.
Who is this little brat? Only heard of him today for the first – and LAST time, I hope!
Does he have an employer? Does he talk to his boss like this?
I think he needs more exposure. We must not hide this talent from the world, say i.
He is a “comedian” and “tv star”. I use the words loosely. And I suspect if he did have a conventional employer he would not be behaving like this. I wonder how he would feel if his wife came home in tears because somebody had said that to her down the phone whilst she did her job. Just not acceptable.
PS Happy Birthday 🙂
Wow! What a horrible man! There is never an excuse for using that word publicly – especially for people doing their jobs. But then for someone in the public eye to behave so rudely on twitter is just shocking.
I’m not particularly bothered by that or any other swear word when used in the context of being a swear word and I have said it myself before, but, I would draw the line at using it on my public twitter stream. I have more of a problem with people being offensive to each other on twitter in terms of how they conduct themselves rather than their usually isolated usage of swear words (people who said it every other tweet might annoy me though).
I am not sure whether he was right to use the word; it is after all only a word and you/one is free to follow or not follow him as you/one likes. You could argue that he was having a conversation and you interrupted it, which is also rude (yes, I am aware that is how twitter generally works and he didn’t have to use twitter as his means of communication etc but I am talking about “in theory”).The way he treated you after that though was quite offensive and I think I would have blocked him.
Personally, I thought the word was etymologically more an originally descriptive term which in ‘general usage’ is applied to both men and women depending on the context of the swearing, rather than a specific derogatory term for a woman, however I accept that others do not see it that way.
I always thought he was more intelligent than that. Sarah Millican used it the other day too; it seems to becoming more socially acceptable but I just spend more time muting people! I know a lot of people think I’m prudish for censoring my own swearing on social networks but I also know some people think it’s good. What a shame we’re in the minority! Another good Friday rant 🙂
Oh I must be weird then as I love that word. I wouldn’t say it around my kids, God no, but I do like a good swear away from them. I find if I stand in the shed, at the bottom of the garden, when I am really annoyed, and say that word, quite loudly, it does do much to relieve the tension. Kind of like the unacceptable word version of Prozac. I know its not for everyone though. I think Dom’s perception and handling of what you said to him were very wrong, he should have said “oh I am sorry if I offended you, bad day” and that would have been the end of it. He clearly needs a PR person to run his feed. I think you handled it very well my dear.
I hate that word too, its one of the most offensive words. Yes my children aren’t on social networks but I hate it and sometimes they look over my shoulder..
I personally don’t like the word, on twitter or off, but it is subsequent tweets that make me realise he is actually even more of an idiot than I gave him credit for.
I absolutely hate that word too. He is such an arse and obviously too far up himself to understand why he shouldn’t use language like that. Well done Mummy Barrow.
Personally not offended by the first tweet, just feel pity for anyone that feels they have to act like that on twitter. However, the following tweets?! Oh my gosh!!! I have no idea who this sad little man is but I can’t believe people actually watch him on tv or whatever he does. He has just shown how pathetic and ignorant he is to the whole world! I can’t help but laugh
P.s. I also know how horrible it is to be publicly humiliated whilst working a dead end job. Some loser from LBC radio came into a shop I worked in a couple of years back, then ranted for 20 minutes about me and two other colleagues on LBC because we didn’t have enough carrier bags to give him… and it’s now on youtube for anyone to listen to! What is wrong with people?!