Sweary Books, Part 1: Self-H*lp
***Content Warning: Foul Language***
If you object to the current prevalence of swearing in our culture, please read no further; this will only tick you off.
If you're still reading, it's safe to assume you're okay with salty talk, correct?
So: what the frilly heck is up with all the swears in self-help publishing right now?
It's hard to say where the bleep the phenomenon started – a certain notorious "children's" book from 2011 seems like a likely culprit. It may also stem from a 2009 study that showed that swearing improves pain tolerance. But whatever the spork the reason is, for the past couple of years, it's been like a flippin' fandango of a non-stop cussfest in the world of letters.
Self-help publishing seems to be particularly potty-mouthed, perhaps for obvious reasons. There are books telling us to eff things:
F*ck Feelings, by Michael L. Bennett, M. D., and Sarah Bennett
F*ck Love, by Michael L. Bennett and Sarah Bennett
…and not to:
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, by Sarah Knight
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
…and to un-eff them:
Unf*ck Your Brain, by Faith G. Harper
The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, by Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson
…and, just for variety:
The French Art of Not Giving a Sh*t, by Fabrice Midal
Get Your Sh*t Together, by Sarah Knight
And that's just the self-help section. Coming soon: Sweary Books: Dining and Etiquette edition.
What do you think about the sweary book phenomenon? And what's your favourite fake swear word? Let us know in the comments.
12 thoughts on “Sweary Books, Part 1: Self-H*lp”
Frak.
A classic! (You wouldn’t be a Battlestar Galactica fan, by any chance, would you? And if you were, can I ask what you thought of the ending?)
or a Terry Fallis fan. “One Brother Shy” Used in his latest book frequently.
Good to know! He’s a funny man.
Battlestar Galactica owns me, or at least a large part of my soul. In regards to the ending, though, I can’t respond without using words a great deal stronger than frak.
I’m guessing you feel the same?
Frak, yes.
I was given to understand that there would be more Gaius Baltar. *sobs*
I should really give these books a f@#$ing look.
Grahzny bratchny, from A Clockwork Orange!
I still find myself saying “shazbut” from time to time. As that dates me, I think I should try to switch to “flippin’ fandango”. Love it!
That’s horrorshow, muy droog!
Ahh, memories! We had the Mork From Ork board game. You had to periodically grab a styrofoam egg and shout “Shazbut”. Good times.
Holy mother forking shirt balls I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned The Good Place. I’m such an ash hole. It’s a brilliant sitcom set in “the good place” where all swearing is translated into innocuous words and everyone should be watching it.