Should Margie Orford, patron of children's book charity Little Hands Trust & writer of school books use foul language on Twitter?

Dear Margie Orford,

         I’m all for freedom of speech but I am at a loss to understand why women, particularly female journalists, are so much more likely than men to use the word “fuck” in ordinary conversation and on Twitter in particular. It reminds me of a little kid in a supermarket, who thinks that by shouting out some swear word or other he will shock everyone there into giving him the attention he craves.

         Surely a woman in your position should know better. As an internationally acclaimed journalist; writer and President of  the South African arm of Pen, the organisation that represents writers of the world, it may be acceptable to some for you to publicly use this kind of language, although my feeling is it cheapens your standing.

         But is it acceptable when you also write school text-books and are patron of Rape Crisis in South Africa and the children’s book charity Little Hands Trust?

         I don’t think so, especially when, like the supermarket kid, you are so proud of what you did.
         Readers you be the judge. Here’s our Twitter conversation.

         Regards,

         Jon, the Poor Man’s Press Ombudsman and a Keep Twitter Clean advocate.

P.S. Margie perhaps you would like to be posted on my Sweary Woman’s Wall of Shame. You would probably be the most prominent personality there.
See also:wall of shame; sweary lady rebecca davis
P.P.S. I had a swift reaction to my tweet promoting this post.

     It had me trembling. It took me back to my school days. I imagined the stern telling off I would have got from the headmistress, if I had had one, for saying something like that.
     "Sorry Ma'am, it's just that the use of that word was forbidden in our home when I was growing up."