Oh s---! Nicolas Cage to host Netflix series History of Swear Words

Nicolas Cage wants you to give a f--- about the word "f---." And "s---" And "damn."

The Oscar and Golden Globe winner will be hosting the upcoming Netflix series History of Swear Words, the streamer announced Tuesday. The loud and proudly profane series explores the origins, pop culture usage, science, and cultural impact of curse words. Through interviews with experts in etymology and pop culture, as well as historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of "f---," "s---," "bitch," "dick," "p---y," and "damn."

In the first teaser for the comedy series, Cage paints furiously while delivering a Shakespearean soliloquy all about the word 'p---y,' revealing a painting of a flower at the end. "It also could be a cat," he quips.

Guest stars on the show will include Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Cage will also consult with an array of experts, from academics studying cognitive science and feminist studies, to film critics and lexicographers.

There's certainly a lot to talk about when it comes to swearing in film and television. In 2013, The Wolf of Wall Street broke a record for the number of f-bombs dropped in one movie, with liberal estimates clocking around 570 f-words and 715 overall curse words. Last year's Uncut Gems beat out older flicks like Casino and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back for the film with the second most amount of profanity.

And of course, there's been plenty of discussion over who gets to use certain language in media. In 2019, Olivia Wilde criticized Delta Air Lines' decision to mute words like "vagina" and "lesbian" and cut a same-sex love scene from her coming-of-age comedy Booksmart, while "every 'f---' is heard loud and clear."

Cage, who starred in Jiu Jitsu and The Croods: A New Age this year, has quite the varied slate of other projects lined up, including embodying Joe Exotic in a show, playing himself in a movie, and fighting against nightmare theme park attractions that come to life.

History of Swear Words premieres globally on Jan. 5.

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