Critical Nonsense
208! The Exquisite Euphemism Corpse
What do you think are the right places to deploy euphemisms, or should we abandon them altogether? How harmful is it to use euphemisms, and why not err on their side just in case? And, if we took all the euphemisms off the table, what do we do with language next?
This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron try out a new Exquisite Corpse segment where they pass along a conversation to each other one thought at a time. They talk about tech layoffs, pooping and peeing, the Space Shuttle Challenger, unreceptive audiences, buying used cars, the joy of playing with language, and protective speech. They don’t talk about exquisite jorps.
references
- Explaining Exquisite Corpse, the Surrealist Drawing Game That Just Won’t Die
- The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
- Revisiting Critical Nonsense 174! Askers vs. Guessers and Working Hours
- "Terminological inexactitude"