It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Eddie Murphy was the hottest thing going in the mid-80s, and for some reason he made UNC a stop on his tour. (Consider that oddity for a moment: when was the last time someone toured to support a comedy album?) I was among the thousands packed into a humid Carmichael Auditorium that night, and it was one of the highlights of my year. For every bit that fell flat, three more sailed out of the park. I know some comedians say, "I don't need profanity to be funny," but he does. Back then, of course, it was more shocking (ergo: funnier) than it is now, when every comment on YouTube is stuffed with epithets and the country's #1 song is a bouncy singalong entitled "F*** You."