Question: profanity in dialog

[Dennis]

Reviews are coming in for our newest scifi thriller. Some are five star and no mention of the profanity. Some reviewers are put off by it, and focus on it and give it two stars. I would love to hear the opinions/experiences from readers, and from other writers, of using profanity with such characters as: navy seals, Russian thugs, and a foul mouthed lawyer.

[Carole]

I have spent my entire adult life around the transportation industry and for a loooong time, I was the only female in the room. Profanity was a big part of that culture. I don't like it, but it has been part of some of the lexicons I have experienced. So if I was reading about thugs and their language reflected a tea room education, I'd doubt I'd feel it was authentic.
I also love to read historicals and believe me, nobody cursed more fluently and colorfully than the characters in Shakespeare's stories.
If you are going to buy a book that involves the underbelly of criminal culture chances are you are going to come in contact with that kind of language.
While some say cursing is the lance of the dimwitted- and it is part of the character's personality- it has to be expected.
Gratuitous cursing is another matter. If the language reflects the character and situation- I'll read it, if it feels overdone and doesn't belong- I usually put the book down- but that is a matter of taste and shouldn't reflect in a review rating. IMO

[D.J.]

Maybe we swear more in the UK. It doesn’t bother me at all. That said, I can’t say I’ve read anything recently where any profanity was out of place.

[Dennis]

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. It was interesting that the profanity bothered one reader but the sex robots did not. But then, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction, https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-cult...