Los Angeles Times Film Critic Says “Please Watch Your Language”

We know the language in movies is getting bad when a hardened film critic questions why four letter words are peppered throughout many movie scripts. In her commentary titled, “Is It Time to Wash Out Hollywood’s Mouth” Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey appears to be motivated by letters she has received from readers complaining about profanities and explicit sexual talk heard in a variety of movies. Turning to the summer movie schedule, Betsy is preparing for some vicious verbiage:

“I’m bracing for what could well become a raging torrent of moviegoer disgust and distress, because despite what anyone claims about the modern acceptance of and appetite for language of the roughest, rawest, most graphic sort, the truth is that a huge contingent of the paying crowd objects to it still.”

I appreciate her candor in addressing this topic. Already the comments on her online column are polarizing between those who have also had it with unnecessary crudities and the many who accuse her of being the prude she claims she isn’t. For my own part, I not only find much of the profanities offensive but also a distraction to many great stories and concepts that would be just as relevant, if not more so, without the foul fodder.

I encourage you to read her complete column at the Los Angeles Times website.