# History of Swear Words (2021)

> Nicolas Cage hosts a six-episode Netflix docuseries tracing the history and cultural impact of English's most notorious swear words.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/95490

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 20 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, comedy
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Elvis Mitchell, Jimmy McMillan
- TMDB rating: 6.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13617060/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: irreverent, playful, informative, crude

## What critics say

Audiences find the irreverent, profane tour of English swear words entertaining in short bursts, though the mixed audience rating suggests uneven appeal.

## Synopsis

History of Swear Words is a US Netflix comedy documentary miniseries from 2021, hosted by Nicolas Cage, who guides viewers through the origins and cultural power of the most notorious bad words in English. Across six short episodes of about twenty minutes each, the series treats each profanity as a small investigation, pairing archival material and expert commentary with playful absurdity. Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Elvis Mitchell appear as on-screen interviewees, adding dry scholarly and critical voices to the proceedings. The engine of the show is curiosity: why certain words shock, how they travel across centuries, and why societies keep reinventing their taboos. Its tone is irreverent yet informative, a mix of deadpan comedy and genuine linguistic education that keeps the profanity proudly profane. Fans of Drunk History and Adam Ruins Everything will find the same blend of goofy host energy and factual payoff. The show is self-contained and episodic in format, making it easy to dip into one word at a time. Its mixed audience reception reflects a niche appeal that rewards viewers who enjoy language, trivia, and crude humor. It runs as a single season and ended after its one run.

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