How important is the title of a level?

[BigOto2]

BigOto Returns has a level named "Things That Make You Say Oh $#!^" (but with the actual S-word) and while I think it is a hilarious title, it is obviously not geared toward all audiences. I've been debating whether I should put symbols or something like that in it's place for a long time now. What do you guys think about this, or should I just choose another word altogether (which may cause it to lose its effect)? I know that if the level gets into CCLP1/4, it will likely be re-named to something much better altogether, so I'm not sure whether I should change it myself or just forget all about it.

[rockdet]

I'd say you wouldn't change a song's title when it's composed and released.

[BitBuster]

Artists have been known to add parenthetical titles to songs after they were released, or to restore the original title after the record company insisted on altering the title (e.g. Laura Nyro's "Hands Off The Man").

But anyway, for the BigOto level, I'd say to keep it as it is.

[geodave]

BigOto Returns has a level named "Things That Make You Say Oh $#!^" (but with the actual S-word) and while I think it is a hilarious title, it is obviously not geared toward all audiences. I've been debating whether I should put symbols or something like that in it's place for a long time now. What do you guys think about this, or should I just choose another word altogether (which may cause it to lose its effect)? I know that if the level gets into CCLP1/4, it will likely be re-named to something much better altogether, so I'm not sure whether I should change it myself or just forget all about it.

I'd change it. Maybe to "Things That Make You Say Oh Chip!".

[Ida]

Sorry for constantly referring to Swedish culture, but it's funny how the s-word is such taboo in America while we use it all_the_time (the actual English expression, "oh sh**" or just "sh**"). My husband is a youth pastor and preaches in church some Sundays, and if he tells a story or something and uses this word, I doubt any of the churchgoers would even react. He would never use other bad words though.

[rockdet]

In French Canada, we mostly don't react to those as well. In fact, those are part of the Quebec culture, as we use them in French (sh*t and f*ck), as funny as it may sound. I dunno for English Canada, maybe Ben and James could help us on the topic.

[BitBuster]

I'd change it. Maybe to "Things That Make You Say Oh Chip!".

Simply making it "Oh Chip!" might work as well. Actually, I quite like that as a title...

I always found it funny that the "h word" is fairly accepted in America, while other curses are considered more taboo. It's funny when you compare the literal meanings of various expletives and realize that telling someone to "go to h---" is far worse than telling them to "f--- off."

[PB_guy]

People use expletives when they can't find another word to express themselves; expecially in emotional circumstances. When I was in grade 11 (high school), another student said that "The more expletives a person uses, the more they declare their inability to use the common language ..." (whatever it is, Anguish, French, German ...) in its completeness. Intelligent people should never have to stoop to it. Shows how dumb I am, I guess.

Ian

[BitBuster]

I never understood that argument. Apart from the fact that most expletives have no good synonyms, the fact is that any word that communicates what you're thinking/feeling is perfectly acceptable for the purposes of communication.

[geodave]

The point of an expletive is to express emotion more than meaning. If you can do that without offending people, why not? Like in the etrade commercial where they guy doesn't win the scratch-off and yells "FRANK!"