F*ck

Along the lines of The Aristocrats, this documentary chronicles the history and current usage of one of our most infamous words. Featuring commentary from various pro-expletive comedians, producers, and television personalities as well as anti-profanity arguments from moral leaders, family groups, and some older celebrities (Pat Boone comes to mind), Fuck seeks to explain the origin, usage and offensive qualities of the word. While the true origin is not known, one of the most interesting segments involves dispelling the popular belief that itâs an acronym for ãFornication Under Consent of the Kingä. The little animations in between chapters are also rather interesting.

While Fuck is an interesting and informative look at a rather fun subject, it lacks the humorous charm of The Aristocrats, something itâs sure to be compared to in every review. Simply, watching a bunch of people talk about the Germanic origins of the word over a black background can get a bit dull after 93 minutes. Also, the fact that the documentary doesnât take an especially strong stance for or against the word makes you feel like youâre watching some kind of HBO version of a Discovery Channel special. As a great fan of stand-up comedy, I found The Aristocrats much more amusing, engaging and entertaining than Fuck. To be fair, one of my friends is not into stand-up comedy at all and hated The Aristocrats. Fuck might be much more up her alley because it doesnât focus on an unfamiliar subject like stand-up comedy and, despite the constant use of the title word, contains far less graphic language that that film as well.

This film is a good place to start in the profanity documentary category, but be sure you continue on to The Aristocrats afterward so you can see a documentary thatâs really engaging.

BACK to Fresh Garbage