Big Controversy in Australia

[Merika]

http://www.wherethebloodyhellareyou.com/

Apparently the fight is in the UK who won't air the ad due to the word 'bloody' being used in it. We don't use that word here so it isn't very controversial......but it's a good example of what doesn't offend in one place....can certainly offend elsewhere.

[Weiser]

that commercial rocks...and it's a hottie who says it. what's the bloody big deal?

[twinkle]

It is a beautiful commercial ! A tad contreversial for torism, if you ask me, LOL! I don't know about the word "bloody" ... it sure is better than "hell" .

[Vautrin]

Strange, as bloody seems to be a very common adjective. Ever heard of "bloody Mary"? Without doubt Meanon will be able to fill you in on all the essential details.

I can't see a problem with this add.

[Merika]

Originally Posted by Vautrin

I can't see a problem with this add.

That's cause you are a Heathen Dutchman!

[TKDLady]

I kind of liked the comercial. I want to go to Australia even more now. By the way, what does "bloody" mean? What would be equivalent in US swearing?

[Merika]

Originally Posted by tkdlady

By the way, what does "bloody" mean? What would be equivalent in US swearing?

Everything anyone would want to know: (very interesting reading)

Some say it may be derived from the phrase "by Our Lady", a sacrilegious invocation of the Virgin Mary. The abbreviated form "By'r Lady" is common in Shakespeare's plays around the turn of the 17th century, and interestingly Jonathan Swift about 100 years later writes both "it grows by'r Lady cold" and "it was bloody hot walking to-day" [1] suggesting that a transition from one to the other could have been under way. Others regard this explanation as dubious. Eric Partridge, in Words, Words, Words (Methuen, 1933), describes this as "phonetically implausible". Geoffrey Hughes in Swearing: A social history of foul language, oaths and profanity in English (Blackwell, 1991), points out that "by my lady" is not an adjective whereas "bloody" is, and suggests that the slang use of the term started with "bloody drunk" meaning "fired up and ready for a fight".

Another theory is that it simply comes from a reference to blood, a view that Partridge prefers. However, this overlooks the considerable strength of social and religious pressure in past centuries to avoid profanity. This resulted in the appearance of words that in some cases appear to bear little relation to their source: "Gee" for "Jesus"; "Heck" for "Hell"; "Gosh" for "God"; "dash", "dang" or "darn" for "damn". These, too, might be considered implausible etymologies if looked at only from the point of view of phonetics. Given the context in which it is used, as well as the evidence of Swift's writing, the possibility that "bloody" is also a minced oath cannot be lightly dismissed.

Although in the 1600s the word appeared to be relatively innocuous, after about 1750 the word assumed more profane connotations in the UK and Commonwealth. The use of bloody in adult UK broadcasting aroused controversy in the 1960s and 1970s but is now unremarkable (as can be seen by the fact that in the Harry Potter movies, which are geared toward children, the character Ron says "bloody hell" many times in all four movies).

The origins of the United Kingdom's objection to "bloody" may be in part due to the connotations of Bloody Mary, most commonly referring to a particularly divisive queen of England notorious for her violent suppression of anti-Catholic views.

[Luba]

One of the girls at work showed me that ad in a magazine today as well as to others and we had a big laugh! How weird is that to come home and see it again...

I don't think there's anything wrong with that commercial...I think the word "bloody" is used a lot here in Canada....I remember as a small kid my Aunt (who loved to swear) used it all the time! Everything was "bloody" to her

[Merika]

I think the simple solution would be for the Australian Tourist Board to simply make another ad for the UK and not fight it....other than probably MORE people have seen the ad due to the controversy...than who would've seen it in the first place!

[sweetbilly]

Some say it may be derived from the phrase "by Our Lady", a sacrilegious invocation of the Virgin Mary. The abbreviated form "By'r Lady" is common in Shakespeare's plays around the turn of the 17th century, and interestingly Jonathan Swift about 100 years later writes both "it grows by'r Lady cold" and "it was bloody hot walking to-day" [1] suggesting that a transition from one to the other could have been under way. Others regard this explanation as dubious. Eric Partridge, in Words, Words, Words (Methuen, 1933), describes this as "phonetically implausible". Geoffrey Hughes in Swearing: A social history of foul language, oaths and profanity in English (Blackwell, 1991), points out that "by my lady" is not an adjective whereas "bloody" is, and suggests that the slang use of the term started with "bloody drunk" meaning "fired up and ready for a fight".

Another theory is that it simply comes from a reference to blood, a view that Partridge prefers. However, this overlooks the considerable strength of social and religious pressure in past centuries to avoid profanity. This resulted in the appearance of words that in some cases appear to bear little relation to their source: "Gee" for "Jesus"; "Heck" for "Hell"; "Gosh" for "God"; "dash", "dang" or "darn" for "damn". These, too, might be considered implausible etymologies if looked at only from the point of view of phonetics. Given the context in which it is used, as well as the evidence of Swift's writing, the possibility that "bloody" is also a minced oath cannot be lightly dismissed.

Although in the 1600s the word appeared to be relatively innocuous, after about 1750 the word assumed more profane connotations in the UK and Commonwealth. The use of bloody in adult UK broadcasting aroused controversy in the 1960s and 1970s but is now unremarkable (as can be seen by the fact that in the Harry Potter movies, which are geared toward children, the character Ron says "bloody hell" many times in all four movies).

The origins of the United Kingdom's objection to "bloody" may be in part due to the connotations of Bloody Mary, most commonly referring to a particularly divisive queen of England notorious for her violent suppression of anti-Catholic views.

That's really interesting Merika, and i'm sure all those things are also intended as well when you say "bloody hell", but i had heard from an english friend, who may have been wrong, that "bloodyhell" had a a little something more to do with a females uhhh "monthly cycle" if you know what i mean? LOL. Now you can imagine why using the words "Bloody hell" might be offensive to some in England. hehe

[Duke]

Originally Posted by Merika

That's cause you are a Heathen Dutchman!

ahahahahahah, lmfao

[Merika]

Sweetbilly....that is what I always thought too! I was surprised with the internet explanation.