*Caution: The following links contain offensive language. If you are easily offended or don’t believe you can experience the following project with an open mind, then DO NOT bother clicking on the above images.

This project started off as a fascination with the profane. When was it created? How did vulgar language ever originate? Who is to designate the combination of a few letters as offensive? Upon further research it turned out that there were various stories behind the words we regard as profane. Whether it was an acronym or a term placed upon those of lower class value by a King or Queen, there were multiple stories (whose accuracy may be argued) that accompanied each word.

The fascination with these words began to evolve and eventually took shape within my Senior Projects class, a senior graphic design class at RIT that was designed to let the students focus on a project they wished to add to their portfolio.

It must be understood that the focus of these projects was not to offend or stir up any bad attitudes. I simply am questioning the level of offense and the strength of each word’s meaning according to different contexts. Just the mere viewing of the word raises various reactions, but it may be safe to say that the majority of reactions circulates around shock and awe.

By taking profanity and placing the words within a different context than is expected, we realize that these are just words, a simple combination of letters from our alphabet that take upon dual meanings.

These words are only as offensive as we make them.