Mr. Pizza's Hardy Boys Forum

Hardy Boys Casefiles Discussion => Hardy Boys Casefiles => Topic started by: JoeFan4ever on September 20, 2010, 03:36:15 PM

Title: Swearing?!
Post by: JoeFan4ever on September 20, 2010, 03:36:15 PM
I heard somewhere that Joe swears in one of the Casefiles. Is that true? If so, which one?  ???
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on September 20, 2010, 09:10:23 PM
Multiple references to Joe "swearing" or "cursing" are made throughout the series. It's left up to the reader's imagination as to just what word he uses.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: JoeFan4ever on September 22, 2010, 02:14:43 PM
But, do either of the boys actually use it? Where we read what they say? That's what I meant. Sorry for confusing you.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on September 22, 2010, 02:51:43 PM
Not in any of the Casefiles books,  no.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: MacGyver on September 22, 2010, 04:20:02 PM
The most the Hardy Boys Casefiles ever say are something like "Joe swore softly" or such. No curse words are ever written out. (And not to excuse it, but the main time I recall a line like that is when Iola was killed in a car bomb.) I'd rather not have any swearing going on at all, but at least this is a way to show that The Hardy Boys, while still admirable role models, are also human and have their faults. And this leaves it up to the reader to determine what words they might be using, rather than writing out choice words that some may not find offensive whereas others might find very offensive.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 06, 2011, 11:14:40 AM
Quote from: MacGyver on September 22, 2010, 04:20:02 PM
The most the Hardy Boys Casefiles ever say are something like "Joe swore softly" or such. No curse words are ever written out. (And not to excuse it, but the main time I recall a line like that is when Iola was killed in a car bomb.) I'd rather not have any swearing going on at all, but at least this is a way to show that The Hardy Boys, while still admirable role models, are also human and have their faults. And this leaves it up to the reader to determine what words they might be using, rather than writing out choice words that some may not find offensive whereas others might find very offensive.

Since the UB's have come out there seems to be swearing in them--I mean they're actually writing the words out. Why, what's the point? ???
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: tomswift2002 on February 06, 2011, 03:07:40 PM
Quote from: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 06, 2011, 11:14:40 AM
Since the UB's have come out there seems to be swearing in them--I mean they're actually writing the words out. Why, what's the point? ???

There's really no reason for Simon & Schuster to be having the words written out.  But Simon & Schuster even had mentions of the boys swearing in the Digest books as early as June 1990 when #102 Terminal Shock came out.  In that book Joe mentions how, when Frank gets mad at his computer, he'll start swearing, but Joe doesn't actually say the swear words.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 06, 2011, 04:57:31 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on February 06, 2011, 03:07:40 PM
There's really no reason for Simon & Schuster to be having the words written out.  But Simon & Schuster even had mentions of the boys swearing in the Digest books as early as June 1990 when #102 Terminal Shock came out.  In that book Joe mentions how, when Frank gets mad at his computer, he'll start swearing, but Joe doesn't actually say the swear words.

I liked it better when they didn't actually say the swear words. :)   
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 04:59:17 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on February 06, 2011, 03:07:40 PM
There's really no reason for Simon & Schuster to be having the words written out.  But Simon & Schuster even had mentions of the boys swearing in the Digest books as early as June 1990 when #102 Terminal Shock came out.  In that book Joe mentions how, when Frank gets mad at his computer, he'll start swearing, but Joe doesn't actually say the swear words.

Frank and Joe have been swearing since the 1920s. It just wasn't a swear word then.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 07, 2011, 05:00:32 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 04:59:17 PM
Frank and Joe have been swearing since the 1920s. It just wasn't a swear word then.

What was it then?
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 05:21:43 PM
I was thinking of the times they used the word "nigger" which wasn't considered offensive in the 1920s.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 07, 2011, 05:28:27 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 05:21:43 PM
I was thinking of the times they used the word "nigger" which wasn't considered offensive in the 1920s.

Never heard of it. ???
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 06:17:51 PM
What planet do you live on? Just wondering.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 07, 2011, 06:22:00 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on February 07, 2011, 06:17:51 PM
What planet do you live on? Just wondering.

Earth, US, 2011. 21st century!
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: MacGyver on February 07, 2011, 11:34:23 PM
Well then- all you really need to know is that it is considered a racially derogatory term for African Americans and you should never use it.
(Of course, I have no idea why some black rappers choose to use the word in their music, but anyway...)
   You have to understand that in the 1920s, though not everyone was necessarily a racist or agreed with "how things were", people did commonly use the word. And in the instances that I've seen Frank and Joe use it (so far, just once in the original text version of The House on the Cliff - they were using it as part of a common phrase of the time, apparently meaning that they were caught unawares. It was not necessary, but I imagine that Leslie McFarlane and Edward Stratemeyer didn't think anything of it at the time because that is what was commonly accepted at that time. It doesn't make it right but there you have it. And in Frank and Joe's defense, at least in this one case, I really don't think they were trying to be racially demeaning- it was probably just a common phrase they had heard, and like the rest of their society, they didn't think anything of it.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 08, 2011, 10:13:54 AM
Quote from: MacGyver on February 07, 2011, 11:34:23 PM
Well then- all you really need to know is that it is considered a racially derogatory term for African Americans and you should never use it.
(Of course, I have no idea why some black rappers choose to use the word in their music, but anyway...)
   You have to understand that in the 1920s, though not everyone was necessarily a racist or agreed with "how things were", people did commonly use the word. And in the instances that I've seen Frank and Joe use it (so far, just once in the original text version of The House on the Cliff - they were using it as part of a common phrase of the time, apparently meaning that they were caught unawares. It was not necessary, but I imagine that Leslie McFarlane and Edward Stratemeyer didn't think anything of it at the time because that is what was commonly accepted at that time. It doesn't make it right but there you have it. And in Frank and Joe's defense, at least in this one case, I really don't think they were trying to be racially demeaning- it was probably just a common phrase they had heard, and like the rest of their society, they didn't think anything of it.

I know. Now that you mention it, I was reading Nancy Drew, Nancy's Mysterious Letter, (original text version) and it had some racists comments in it. I was like, "Whoa, this isn't like the 1960's version at all."    
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: SDLagent on February 08, 2011, 05:36:43 PM
Quote from: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 08, 2011, 10:13:54 AM
I know. Now that you mention it, I was reading Nancy Drew, Nancy's Mysterious Letter, (original text version) and it had some racists comments in it. I was like, "Whoa, this isn't like the 1960's version at all."    

Never heard of it.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 08, 2011, 05:56:55 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on February 08, 2011, 05:36:43 PM
Never heard of it.

Must have the wrong book, then. :-\
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: tomswift2002 on February 14, 2011, 08:33:19 PM
in the 1927 version of The House On The Cliff Fenton Hardy uses the phrase "Sounds like there's a nigger in the woodpile", which wasn't a swear word or swearing term at the time, but was more like someone saying "Out of the fire and into the frying pan" nowadays when referring to trouble.  Now then it could've been turned into a swearing phrase if someone had inserted some other colorful language in the sentence, but back in the 20's it was just a way of saying that there was trouble.
Title: Re: Swearing?!
Post by: Hardy Boys UB Fan on February 14, 2011, 08:41:35 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on February 14, 2011, 08:33:19 PM
in the 1927 version of The House On The Cliff Fenton Hardy uses the phrase "Sounds like there's a nigger in the woodpile", which wasn't a swear word or swearing term at the time, but was more like someone saying "Out of the fire and into the frying pan" nowadays when referring to trouble.  Now then it could've been turned into a swearing phrase if someone had inserted some other colorful language in the sentence, but back in the 20's it was just a way of saying that there was trouble.

Thanks! That makes sense! :)