A reader writes:

Here's something I've observed about profanity on television: when it's wiped clean from a show, the dialogue feels inauthentic. You're really telling me that in twenty whole seasons of "Law & Order" no person on that show ever got pissed off enough to drop the f-bomb? Scripted cable shows are more honest when it comes to language. And take "Louie." It's a terrific show, not just because it's funny, but because it delivers brutal truths about life. And yes, profanity is part of it. Anyone who doesn't think profanity is mainstream in American life is living in a fucking fantasy land.