I fucking love swearing. I do it all the time. Far too much, probably. So, when Netflix announced the release of its new comedy docuseries, History of Swear Words, I was excited to learn a thing or two about my favourite vulgar vocabulary. Unfortunately, the show is neither informative nor funny, and is, to be frank, a bit shit.
Nicholas Cage (who plays a caricature of himself) presents the six-episode series and is its only redeeming quality. Cage, with his expert comedic delivery and more hit-than-miss jokes, easily trumps the interchangeable talking-head comedians who are also featured. Some are funnier than others (Nick Offerman, for example) but the jokes are all low hanging fruit.
It’s a shame that Netflix opted for a predominantly comedic route here. Had the history been at the forefront, and the comedy more subtle and refined, it would’ve made for a more interesting and subversive programme. Instead, primary school level commentary takes centre stage, and unfunny comedians essentially repeat the swears over and over in different ways throughout each episode. Simply saying “fuck”, “fuck you”, “mother fucker”, “fuck face” etc. isn’t funny. We all know what swear words are.
“Fuck”, “Shit”, “Bitch”, “Dick”, “Pussy”, and “Damn” each get a dedicated episode, in that order. There is a certain shock-and-awe that is going to entice some audiences, especially Americans for whom swearing on TV is still widely censored, but I can’t see many sticking around past the first couple of episodes.
The problem is that it all feels so thin. Almost as if the creators had an idea for a show but had no clue how to actually fill it. Even at a staggeringly short run-time of 20 minutes each, the show repeats content, themes and points from one episode to the next. I found myself thinking there must be more interesting stuff to talk about – and I’m sure there is, because the show features experts who have built academic careers around the subject – but it never materialises. It’s just a low brow take on the low brow.
Not only that, but much of what the show discusses will be common sense to most people. Did you know that swearing can be cathartic and reduce pain? If you’ve ever stood on a plug or Lego brick, of course you fucking do. And this series doesn’t need to tell you that numerous times.
Outside of a few minutes of brief history, the rest of the episodes are made up of cringe-worthy jokes, clips of said swears in film & TV (the absence of The Thick of It’s Malcolm Tucker is borderline criminal), and a brief, almost obligatory, examination of how they have affected modern culture. It is a shame, because between the crappy jokes are glimpses of something quite interesting. And if the show wasn’t so relentlessly trying to appeal to the masses, we would have gotten more of those moments. There is an unshakeable sense of “fast entertainment” here that leaves you feeling a bit dirty.
Structurally, History of Swear Words would have worked better as a standalone 90-minute film than a cumulative 120-minute series. One word per episode is forced and restrictive. Have you ever heard a word so much that it becomes meaningless? Well, get ready for this show to ruin some of your favourites.
I wish I had more to say about History of Swear Words, but I really don’t. And that’s because it didn’t give me anything to think about. There was nothing to take away. None of the episodes stand-out, and none bring anything new to the table. It is shallow and ineffectual. It isn’t funny and you certainly aren’t going to learn anything (unless you didn’t already know that “bitch” means female dog?). Do yourself a favour and give this one a miss.
Overall rating: 3/10
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History of Swear Words will be available to stream on Netflix from 5th January.
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Thank you to Netflix for providing a screener of History of Swear Words for review.
Featured image credit: Netflix
