The F-word seems to be part of every sentence these days

This week’s column in The Kerryman newspaper.

Michael Commane

The CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority (Daa), Kenny Jacobs has been in the news. He’s a person who easily attracts attention. Before moving to the Daa he worked as chief marketing officer with Ryanair. He always catches my attention when he’s on radio or television. 

For the last few months there has been talk of his leaving the job and being offered a mega settlement deal. The original contract was for seven years. But as I write this column there are moves afoot to keep him on board.

There have been allegations made about his style of management. The Sunday  Independent has reported that a complaint was made against him. 

Rumour has it that Mr Jacobs has the tendency to use ‘flowery language’ in the workplace.

I have no idea if that be true, all I know about the man is what I read and see in the media. I have to say anytime I see him on television or hear him on radio I am drawn into what he has to say. There is fire in his belly. As someone who tries to say a few wise words at Mass I’m always interested in those who can catch our attention and how they do it.

I’ve no doubt the style of people such as Jacobs and Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary can annoy people, nevertheless, I bet they are few and far between who don’t listen to what they have to say.

It set me thinking about how we use vulgar or ‘bad language’. Up to recently the F-word seldom if ever appeared in print or broadcast but I think I’ve seen it in one or two tabloid newspapers in the last 12 months, and I’ve certainly heard it on radio and television. Maybe some people can use bad language and get away with it. It seems to work sometimes for comedians. Are there times there is no other word to use?

When I heard Ivan Yeates advising Fine Gael to ‘smear the bejasus’ out of Catherine Connolly I was annoyed. Honestly I considered it disgusting, cheap and low. On hearing it I immediately said to myself: ‘how dare he speak like that, who does he think he is’. It all sounded unprofessional.

If I heard my boss use bad language on a regular basis should I tell her/him to stop? I hope I would have courage to do so? What would happen if I were working for a company or organisation and went public on the general use of bad language? Is it really that big an issue? It seems managers and bosses can get away with using vulgar words but what happens if I tell my boss to F-off. Maybe that tells us something.

Only yesterday talking to a stranger about the weather for a few minutes, he used the F-word twice. 

This week I saw the letters WTF on an advertisement on the side of a bus. Most people know for what that stands. Because the F-word is now used so often has it lost all meaning and sense? 

I find it hilarious when a stranger says the word to me and suddenly says: ‘Oh, sorry Father for the bad language’.

A funny old world indeed.