Amanda Montell states that gender is directly linked to power in many cultures, as is language. It’s just that we are unable to identify the difference. People use language to express gender.
As do a whole lot of actual swear words.
When Netflix dropped the first (obviously) sweary trailer for
History of Swear Words late last year
, it seemed to be an appropriate way to usher in 2021 with a different energy. Visually appealing and hosted by king of comic gravitas Nicolas Cage,
HOSW promised audiences the kind of release only a well-placed expletive can offer.
Following its premiere earlier this month, the six-episode docu-series tries its best to deliver that promise. Sitting by a (fake) fireplace in a (fake) drawing room set, Cage delves into the history of F k , Sh t , Bitch , D k , Pu y and Damn (inconsistent asterisks courtesy of Netflix) with etymologists and comedians.