Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
Suddenly the f-word is everywhere: Two presidential candidates. A Supreme Court case. Bookstore bestsellers.
Why it matters: A casual, ever-coarser culture has embraced a word that once shocked, and now bores. The ultimate epithet is now everyday conversation. And we've lost a surefire device for cutting through life's white noise.
The tone comes from the top: Back during the 2016 campaign, a New York Times editor wrote a column responding to "an onslaught of reader mail" after the "Access Hollywood" tape surfaced: "Printing Donald Trump’s Vulgarities."
- In March, during two-hour remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump twice used "B.S." (only not abbreviated) in referring to investigations of him. The White House transcript faithfully recorded it.
The curse is now commonplace. Just this week:
- Olivia Nuzzi writes in a New York magazine cover story about Mayor Pete: "I asked Buttigieg if he was afraid he would [eff] this up." He replied: "Anytime you’re in a position of responsibility, you’re afraid of [effing] it up."
- During Supreme Court oral arguments on Monday in a trademark and First Amendment case involving the clothing line FUCT, Chief Justice John Roberts daintily described it as the "vulgar word at the heart of the case," per AP.
And the internet loved it back in November, when Beto O'Rourke said on live TV, during his concession speech for U.S. Senate in Texas:
- "I'm so [effing] proud of you guys."
For 121 weeks (and continuing next weekend), the N.Y. Times bestseller list for advice books has included "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life," by blogger Mark Manson.
- Manson's message: Positive thinking is overrated.
- "F**k positivity," he writes. "Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it."
- "Not giving a [f---] does not mean being indifferent; it means being comfortable with being different."
- The paperback is coming in January, prolonging our f-storm.
Back in December, Slate asked: "Why Are There So Many F**king Best-sellers Right Now With F**k in the Title?"
- Among them was a picture book parents can relate to: "Go the F**k to Sleep."
Go deeper: Rashida Tlaib's profanity got 5 times more cable coverage than Steve King