On Wednesday, Netflix announced a new series, History of Swear Words, starring the national treasure himself, Nicolas Cage. The series will span six 20-minute episodes and will take viewers into the intricate history of everyone’s favorite four- and five-letter words.
In the just-released trailer for the upcoming series, the Oscar-winning actor meticulously explains the origin of one word in particular while putting the finishing touches on a painting of a flower. (We’ll leave it to you to watch the clip and find out which one.)
“It is a thing of great wonder and mystery, quivering with complexity, strength, and resilience. However also, buried within, a delicate femininity and, dare I say, naughtiness,” Cage explains as he paints away.
He playfully adds: “And a term for that kid too afraid to play dodgeball in gym class… it also can be a cat.”
As per Deadline, a slew of swear words that can’t be printed here will be examined on the series, with the help of experts in etymology and pop culture, historians and entertainers. Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Isiah Whitlock Jr, and Nikki Glaser are among the celebrities that folks can expect to pop up. Judging from that list of names and the faux-stately vibe of the trailer, it seems like this new series will be reminiscent of Drunk History.
Benjamin Bergen, cognitive scientist and author of the 2016 book What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves, will appear in History of Swear Words, as one of the experts, according to Deadline. Netflix also reportedly enlisted linguist Anne Charity Hudley, professor of feminist studies Mireille Miller-Young, film critic Elvis Mitchell, Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing author Melissa Mohr and Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries author Kory Stamper.
Fortunately, those anxious for some fresh Cage content won’t have to wait too much longer. History of Swear Words is set to premiere on Netflix on January 5.
