"bastard" like "lunatic" "knacker" and even "n****r" were once just descriptive words - their replacement by better terms has made made of them unacceptable
C***, fuck, shit, bollocks etc are slang words - now to be found in the New Penguin Dictionary of Slang'
None of these words are offensive when used inoffensively - that is in the mind of the would-be censor - it is the intention behind them that makes them unacceptable
There was a time up to bery recently when contraceptives and women's sanitary protection could not be discussed publicly - specially here in 'Holy Ireland' - now they are commonplace, no matter what the Mrs Grundys of this world think
Gordon is spot on
Jim