NSFW, Or, Pretty Good For Work; Is Robert DeNiro The F-King Of Cinema?

Funny how things coincide. Yesterday I came across this pretty duh story where so-called experts say that swearing at work can be good for you. Not only can swearing at work help you express your feelings (it took human beings thousands of years to reach this insight?), but it can also make you "more relatable" to your co-workers and help you build valuable relationships with them. The story didn't address the benefits of swearing at your customers; maybe after the next round of funding they'll look into that issue. I wonder how this all applies to the self-employed.

All of this comes a few days after seeing the new Robert DeNiro movie, Being Flynn. A long-time DeNiro fan who's been sort of forced to bite the bullet over the last twenty years or so, I really enjoyed the movie and DeNiro's performance, as well as the subtle nods to his bravuro performance in Taxi Driver. In the middle of the movie, though, as a drunken DeNiro was railing at anybody and everybody in his path, I had this thought: In the history of mainstream cinema, is there another actor who has said the F word and all its colorful variations more than DeNiro? I think not. He was just starting out when the F word seemed to become acceptable on-screen, and his prolific career marked by many turns as cops, crooks, etc. has certainly provided him with ample opportunity to utter, spew, shout that powerful word again and again. Who else would be in contention? Nicholson? Pacino? Pesci? Heavyweight F-bombers for sure, but I don't think anyone can match the longevity and consistent F-bombing of DeNiro? Can you think of anyone else? There must be some wing of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences that functions like the hallowed Elias Sports Bureau and can do the calculations. My guess is well over a thousand Fs issuing from DeNiro's lips have been preserved on film over the past 40 years. Considering the accolades he's won and the reputation he commands, I guess DeNiro proves the point of the above story: Swearing on the job can be very very good for you.

As much as I love DeNiro, I must say, though, that cinema's all-time greatest F-bomb scene is this one, from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, courtesy of Steve Martin and the delicious Edie McClurg: