The 3 Words You Can’t Say
According to comic George Carlin, everyone has a list of words which they find offensive. What some may consider taboo is based on a person’s life experience, and as George Carlin stated in his most famous set, “The 7 Words You Can’t Say on TV”, the list could change from day-to-day and what is offensive to one may not be offensive to another. Not surprisingly, George’s list was filled with words that in 1972, were considered taboo. The shocking part of George’s list is the naughtiness of each word. Fifty three years later, while we may hear them in casual conversations, songs or television shows, the words still have the ability to make us blush. But in 2025, despite all our worldly advances, the most mundane boring words have been chosen as the new “dirty”. The attempts to squash what makes this country unique are both comical and sad. But these 3 little words are what have shaped Improv Utopia. The different life stories, identities and experiences shared through the individuals who attend is a part of what makes Improv Utopia fun.
The new dirty words
The idea behind the weaponization of DEI is to force each of us to focus on the outward appearance and use this as a rubric in determining who should advance and have more opportunities. But the goal should be to push forward, not back to antiquated ideologies. While understanding the power of words and how they may affect those in our communities, a key component to standing up to this harmful mindset is the power of action. This could mean supporting organizations like Improv Utopia by making donations, sharing your camp experiences with those who have yet to attend and volunteering to make sure that camp runs smoothly.
Part of what makes Improv Utopia different is its focus on making sure that everyone has access to its fun-filled weekend. By offering same-gender cabins, scouting for a diverse group of instructors, Improv Utopia is doing the work to make sure you will see a piece of yourself represented in the planned activities. Also, there are adult crafts!! Leadership is trying to normalize what inclusion looks like. And it does it without making it look performative. Being intentional is key to reversing how people perceive diversity, equity and inclusion. If we never speak or type those words again, we can still show up as our authentic selves. No one can stop you from being you. It’s your superpower. So, we continue to create inclusive spaces. We continue to uplift the marginalized. We work to provide opportunities for those who have been excluded. We don’t need permission to be human. To be kind. We can just BE! The goal in reclaiming the 3 words you can’t say is normalizing inclusion to the point where it’s no longer an ideal that can be separated from who we are. If we keep doing it, at some point we won’t need to create “DEI” initiatives, as it will become ingrained in our everyday life. This effort may be exhausting, but it is necessary to show those who are against letting folks be free.
