Nun of the above
A deadpan joke? Or a reporter's satirical protest against his employer's censorship policies? (I refuse to consider the non-ironic possibility.)
From a ReutersMetro (UK) article about a nun who read a list of banned swear words in class: "Sadly, it has not been reported exactly what swearwords the nun used, although it seems likely that ****, ****, ************, **********, *** and **** were on the list."
Comments
Finally, proof that the major news media are no more mature than a Catholic high school. Also, why "sadly"?
Posted by: Martin | December 10, 2007 6:22 PM
"Sadly" says to me that the reporter was definitely joking.
Posted by: Charles | December 11, 2007 8:29 AM
That's an Associated Press story, not Reuters -- Reuters reporters aren't allowed to fail that badly in trying to be funny. Correction please!
Plus, Reuters doesn't mind swearing: the word "fuck" alone has appeared in at least two dozen stories on the wire in the last year. Here's a great example: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP303377
Here's another great example:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1639276420070816
Posted by: Patrick | December 11, 2007 9:11 AM
You're right that the story originated with the AP, but as far as I can tell, the joke was added by someone at Metro.
Posted by: radosh | December 11, 2007 9:27 AM