"slut" in the news

[Jonathan Lighter]

For some reason I can't fathom, it looks like my last two comments on this
subject went to Nancy Friedman alone. Sorry, Nancy!

I
July 3:

Tot-mom attorney Jose Baez claimed in his closing argument that his client
was being defamed as a "lying, no-good slut."  Later, the Headline News team
expressed amazement that producers had not bleeped the word. Jane
Velez-Mitchell said she'd sought guidance about whether she could repeat it
on the air.

In my day, though "slut" was obviously insulting (and thus "offensive"), it
was not usually thought to be indecent.

JL
II
Today

On CNN this morning Kirin Chetry quoted Jose Baez's use of the word "slut."
She felt, however, that she had to spell it out rather utter it. She
apologized for using the word, saying that she was only quoting someone
else, and that she took the precaution of spelling rather than saying "just
in case any children might be listening."

JL

--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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