Swearing on the radio

[Holdmeclosecooedthedove]

I had R4 on recently in the car on the school run and Stephen Graham was being interviewed. Another female guest used the word wanky which was quickly followed up by SG saying wanker again. Cue intrigued questions from my child about what a wanker is. I turned the radio off, but this was radio4, am I just a prude? Is this normal now? Should I have actually told my kids what a wanker is rather just dismissed it as a swear word that should have been on a morning news programme? I don't know if iabu or not

Well I'm someone who was a lifelong listener to radio 4 - I listened to it for large chunks of every day. But now usually when I turn it on I have to switch off virtually straight away because it's unlistenable to.
And yes I've been surprised and disappointed by some of the language and swear words, and what I feel is really quite inappropriate and sexualised content at any time of day.
I've really sympathise with people such as yourself OP who are listening with children. I think whether you should have explained the actual meaning of wanker to your children very much depends on their age and their maturity. If they are still young I would think saying it's a derogatory swear word would be adequate.

I wouldn't really call 'wanker' a swear word. Yes, there's the actual meaning, but it's also used as shorthand for an unpleasant idiot. That's all you had to say really, "it's a rude word and you're too young to say it".

You'd be shocked in a lot of European countries where there are no restrictions on radio. The unedited versions of songs are played and the presenters happily say 'fuck', in English, and/or their native language!

I wouldn't called Wanky or Wanker a big swear word really. Just explain it's a word grownups use and it's not polite.

I agree with you op. And don’t get me started on our Eurovision entry “What the hell just happened”

Its fairly mild swear word imo. I wouldn't expect it on a child's programme of course, but this was a program aimed at adults that you happened to be listening to near your child.
And depending on age I would have explained. You can both tell them roughly what it means, but also that people use it as a swear word to mean x.
I'm of the opinion people should know that the words they are using (or might use) actually mean, not just that they are Bad Words.

Wanker not a swear word? Wow I must live in a different world. I'm pretty sure if I said it in front of a teacher or my boss it wouldn't go ignored

It's a swear but a mild one imo.

Yeah there's no radio edits in Finland so radio that children listen to is full of songs with all the swears in. On the one hand its nice to listen to songs without that annoying little edit cutting the swear out, but on the other hand its awkward when children are listening to particularly graphic lyrics.

If I said wanker in front of my boss he'd laugh.

There have always been occasional swear words on Radio 4 though - it always makes me laugh as they say 'you can't say that on R4!' but they always do. My ds, about to start university, used to ask to listen to 'the radio station where they have the interesting programmes and the swearing...' it's not a new thing.

IMHO you should not listen to Radio 4 with children in the car. Some of the comedy maybe but not the news or current affairs programmes.

My parents always had Radio 4 on in the car and in the home and a lot was not suitable for children.

Eg as a small child I asked my mum, "What's rape" as it was being discussed on the radio.

We only ever had radio 4 on in the car when I was growing up and we always listened to the radio 4 news at teatime. It gave me an interest in current affairs and in retrospect I think it was a good thing (at the time I groaned because we never got to listen to music on the radio)