The subtle art of not giving a fuck about swearwords in book titles

After years of swearword-emblazoned book covers, are readers all out of fucks to give about bad language? Since Adam Mansbuch’s 2011 bestseller, Go the Fuck to Sleep, book titles have been swearing profusely to grab audience attention. The author followed up on the winning formula with You Have to Fucking Eat and Fuck, Now There … Read more

The mystery of the disappearing ‘bitch’ at the heart of NZ’s democracy

Did a National MP really call a Labour MP a “bitch” in parliament? And if so why did it vanish from the official Hansard record? It was just another ennui-inducing debate in the House of Representatives. A scattering of rostered MPs were debating, if you must know, the Appropriation (2017/18 Supplementary Estimates) Bill and Imprest … Read more

Fucking? Fecking? Fricking? What did Angry Cop really say on Shortland Street?

The S***off panel of experts present their learned assessments of what was said on the nation’s favourite soap. The Broadcasting Standards Authority has ruled on a complaint about the perceived use of a very naughty word on the beloved TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. The complainant reckoned that “despite the subtitles provided by TVNZ, the actor’s … Read more