You may have realized that in last week's Davespeak, Dave didn't actually say the f-word. That's because he was practicing a new method of self-censorship.
"This thing I just did, I don’t even know if you noticed—but what I’m trying to do is take the expletives out of my language because I’m a father.
At first what I’m doing is just taking them out like someone’s turning down the volume. If I say, ‘Why don’t you go … yourself?’ You see? And then you all know what I said, and I apologize, let me apologize now, but I really shouldn’t have to apologize because I didn’t really say it.
So I’m starting by turning the volume down. You know, like: ‘Eat … and die.” And then eventually I’ll just forget about it altogether. The reason is that sometimes they’re fun.
I don’t want my kids to go to school on the first day--get a call from their pre-school teacher: ‘Little Grace just told me to fuck off.’
So I figure it’s a good place for me to start, and then later on when they’re older I can put it back in and I can be groovy. I can be hip and everything."
Dave and Tim
Date: 03/20/2003
Venue: Thomas Ryan Center
Location: Kingston, RI