Holy Swearing Cuss!

Many movies have their own vernacular. It's a way to set apart the world of that particular film from the plane of existence that the viewers inhabit. The movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox is no different, but the jargon of that particular movie might not sit well with some parents. The film is rated PG, interestingly enough, for "slang," a reasoning that I had never seen before, but makes perfect sense once you watch the film. There is absolutely no swearing, but "cuss"-ing abounds. In the world of Mr. Fox, there is one universal swear word, and that is the word "cuss." For example:

Badger: The cuss you are.
Mr. Fox: The cuss am I? Are you cussing with me?
Badger: No, you cussing with me?
Mr. Fox: Don't cussing point at me!
Badger: If you're gonna cuss with somebody, you're not gonna cuss with me, you little cuss!
Mr. Fox: You're not gonna cuss with me!

And also:

Ash: I'm not gonna eat mud!
Beaver's Son: Cuss yeah you are.

I don't know about you, but if I was a small, impressionable child, I would think that this is the best loophole ever for getting out of punishments for swearing. In our world, cuss is a verb, not a noun; it describes the action of saying a foul word, rather then being the ultimate embodiment of one. While it may not be best for children to start "cuss"-ing, I think it would be great for adults. Imagine how much cleaner shows like Jerry Springer would be if the many wild and colorfully-tongued guests "cuss"-ed instead of swearing up a storm. I could watch the show without my ears ringing for an hour afterward from all the mandatory censorship that must take place at present. Personally, I am completely against censorship. But, discretion and censorship are not the same. I think that the way swearing is handled in Fantastic Mr. Fox is honorable, and the movie practically deserves a G rating for being more sensible in the language department than most movies I have seen over the past decade. After all, Snow White is rated G, and a woman is thrown off a cliff at the end. Think about that.
~Sushi