THEY say that imitation is the best form of flattery and there is plenty of truth to it.  Let’s face it, we’ve all done it. Some have even made successful careers out of it.

I’m referring to imitation in the performing arts, of course, and not the imitation of luxury or trendy products.  

Children learn through imitation. Parents have to exert self-discipline to be on their best behaviour in the presence of their children, especially in their use of language.

As a young parent – meaning I only became a parent recently – I often catch myself swallowing my favourite cuss word or replacing it with another alliterative word, like “fish”, when my kid is around, especially when I read the local news.

I feel torn about this supposed “norm”. They will eventually pick up the language from their peers at some point or through social media. 

I know this because my six-year-old son recently said “Hell yeah” when he was excited, although his pronunciation was a bit off and it sounded more like “Helya”.

I know for a fact that it was “Hell yeah” because he has free rein over the remote control.

I know there is YouTube Kids but as we all use the same smart television in the living room we never really bothered to set it up.

In fact, I don’t mind my kids picking up cuss words in their seminal years (not that I encourage it) because I feel it will take away the excitement of saying it and desensitise them to its usage in everyday life.

People are pretty liberal with their cuss words and let’s face it, it’s therapeutic.

In relation to the performing arts, it is etiquette to not cuss on stage unless it’s part of the script or lyrics, of course.

As a teenager, I imitated my favourite movie character’s cussing because it was fun.
 
As a performer, I’ve found that small doses of offhand cussing on stage (not at the audience) often breaks the ice and eases any stage anxiety.

There is relief when one cussing intentionally in public that is unmatched by mere just everyday cussing. 

It is, however, an art to cuss tactfully. If I cuss, I use it as an exclamation; it is never gratuitous.

Letting slip a cuss word or two on stage during banter between songs is special, in Malaysia at least, because it breaks the notion of having being on your best behaviour when communicating with the audience.

It is special also, in the Malaysian context at least, because it shatters the myth of the artist as someone more than a mere mortal.
 
It demystifies and humanises the artist, makes him “one of us”. 

If the artist is a punk rocker or a hip hop performer, they are expected to cuss for authenticity.

However, one gets the best effect when it’s unexpected, like when a pop star with a squeaky clean image cusses.

But I don’t cuss all the time in my shows. I am a gentleman.

I guess the stars were aligned one day when between my two recent performances on tour, everyone’s favourite “boss” was finally sent to jail.

In a move that was slightly off character, I let my cusses flow, but in jubilation.

The crowd loved it.

 This is my own “opinion poll” on my audience and we shared a moment, whatever the future may hold or however it may conspire against us.  – August 23, 2022.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.