I watched Jumping Jack Flash on TV a few years ago. Loved Whoopi Goldberg in it. It's not a five star movie, but it's at least three star inching toward a four star. Whoopi has rarely found roles worthy of her talent.
However, I got the movie the other day and decided to re-watched. Since it was on DVD and not on the TV, none of the obscenities were edited out. Wow. That's why I downgraded it from a four star to a three star. I think of obscenities as seasoning on a meal. Too much and the meal is ruined. Mostly because the vulgarities start to lose their power. Eventually a four-letter word becomes meaningless through repetition.
A lot of writers do that: pepper their works with so many "shocking" words that the words lose all meaning. Especially if they use them as adjectives. A "f-ing good time" is the vulgar equivalent of saying a "very good time." Most people know to not use "very" because it is basically meaningless. Eventually, the overuse of the "f-word" empties the word of its shock value.
Use vulgarities to good effect if you're going to use them. Otherwise, they're bankrupt language. Worse than that, they're lazy language.
Whoopi Goldberg is synonymous with obscenity. She does have remarkable talent. Like Robin Williams, she overuses the profanity. I haven't seen that movie in quite some time, but as I recall, I enjoyed it.
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