Netflix's smart and funny 'History of Swear Words' is a perfect binge.

 

Netflix's smart and funny 'History of Swear Words' is a perfect binge

Swear words are a fascinating aspect of language. Where do they come from? Who decided they're bad? What the fuck do they really mean?

With host Nicolas Cage, a few language experts, and a handful of entertaining guests, Netflix's History of Swear Words answers these questions and many more, focusing on six iconic swear words across six episodes. The series enlightens viewers on such words as shit, damn, and pussy, digging into the words' roots, their usage, and how they fit into modern society.

Each episode of Netflix's new, bingeable series focuses on a single word for roughly 20 minutes, starting with one of the most notorious: "Fuck." The entire first season is about two hours long, making for a great little afternoon diversion that left me feeling both a little smarter and a little lighter.

As the premise suggests, there is a ton of swearing in this series. Between Cage, the experts, and entertainers like Sarah Silverman, Open Mike Eagle, Nick Offerman, and Patti Harrison, the rate of profanity per minute is rather high. How could it not be?

At first the abundance of curses seem almost gimmicky, but each episode gets to the meat of the matter quickly enough and with enough facts that it feels more educational than anything. But there's still plenty of humor and references to iconic movie lines and song lyrics to keep it all from feeling like a language lecture.

In the first two episodes, "Fuck" and "Shit," we learn a bit about our relationship with swear words as humans, where they reside in our brains, and how using or hearing them can affect us on a primal level. One interesting experiment involving people putting a hand into a bucket of ice water showed that those who could swear were able to endure the unpleasant experience longer. It turns out throwing around words like fuck and shit can release adrenaline and give us some physical catharsis.

The next three episodes, "Bitch," "Dick," and "Pussy" weave in discourse around gendered language and how the meanings of these words change based on context, who's using them, and who or what they're directed at. The discussions are both frank and fascinating examinations of our language and society.

The final episode, "Damn," focuses on the mildest and most innocuous curse in the English lexicon but manages to be one of the more illuminating episodes, digging way back in history to outline what, exactly, curse words really are and revealing damn's full arc from a regular word into a forbidden word into a toothless word.

History of Swear Words delivers on its promise of being an entertaining and educational romp through the words that we deem bad, with discussions of N.W.A.'s "Fuck Tha Police," appearances from iconic "shiiiiiit" dropper Isaiah Whitlock Jr., and unearthing of defunct, ancient swears like "God's bones."

It's just a really solid series that's very easy to digest. As long as you don't mind hearing a shitload of swear words.

History of Swear Words is streaming now on Netflix.

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Comments

  1. Super entertaining. Nice quick escape from the the negativity.

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  2. Someone shared the first episode with me. Thought it was a waste of time.

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    1. Karen Narc GIF

      https://gph.is/g/ZlQLweG

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    2. Learning is never a waste of time.

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  3. How can you have a show about swearing that doesn’t include an episode on the c-bomb?? Soft AF. 😡

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    1. I'm hoping there will be a second season

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  4. https://www.razasjournal.com/.../whatsapp-reassures-users...

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  5. The only good thing about this """comedy""" series is Nicolas Cage. Not funny at at all.

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  6. Never realized Nic Cage is EMINEMS dad till now.

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  7. I love the part when Nicolas says "lets take a look at this random actor swear word percentage" and its him. That part had me dying ;D

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  8. If there isn't a whole segment dedicated to George Carlin and his "Seven dirty words" I'm gonna riot.

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  9. Netflix: Who's better for a thing like this?...
    Nic Cage: Im down! Shit!

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  10. Can I just say that Nick Cage is actually... Perfect for this host role?

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  11. 13 year olds will be binge watching this, especially if they are in 6th — 7th grade.

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  12. This show deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

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  13. I'm guessing it's 5 percent of Nick Cage during the whole thing and the rest is other people talking.

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  14. I've binge watched this, and Nic Cage is so good in this, i sense the comeback of the man in the future

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  15. Imagine if Samuel L JACKSON WAS IN THIS OR CO-HOSTING IT WITH NICOLAS CAGE

    damnnnnn

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    Replies
    1. I have something better for you. Watch Amos & Andrew.

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  16. People: So how was 2020 for you?

    Me: 0:01

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  17. lol. can't wait to see this
    added to list

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  18. Samuel L. Jackson woulda started off, "Listen up, mother****ers." Still, I'll take Nicholas anyday! Lol

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  19. I'd like to see Nick Cage again in a high budget movie. Such a great actor

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    1. Takes a good writer and director team to make proper use of him. I hope the same though!

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  20. This is something I've never knew that I wanted.

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  21. This show was made for George Carlin. RIP. He would have been the perfect host.

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    1. Without Geoge Carlin or Lenny Bruce, how about Lee Camp of Redacted Tonight. He'd be perfect.

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  22. Samuel L Jackson should be presenting this

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  23. Finally the shit we deserve! Shout out to Netflix!

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  24. I wish George Carlin was alive! He would have been a no-brainer host. But I DIG Nick Cage!

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  25. They did an entire episode of the word Bitch and not one reference to Jesse pinkman from breaking bad.
    Fail

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  26. Nicholas Cage = BEES! MY EYES :P HAHAHAA

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  27. First 10 seconds is my phone ring tone.

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  28. This looked so good until the other people started talking

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  29. I cussed out loud after not recognizing the new Nicholas Cage

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