Did they really use that much foul language in the Old West? This is a little fictional and a little factual. They did use bad language in Deadwood's early days, when the camp was primarily filled with rowdy men and rough characters. It was so bad, in fact, that the newspaper headlines reported, in 1879, that residents were organizing to suppress the profanity. However, in those days, such words as crap, shit, damn, and bitch were considered to be very foul language. Today, these words are used in every day common language and we hear them all the time, usually taking little offense. Therefore, the show uses the "worst" words (of today) in order to get the point across.



The original intention of the series was to use period slang and swear words; however, according to David Milch, the series' creator, the results sounded downright comical. Utilizing current profanity, the words have a much greater impact on modern audiences, sending the message of of how lawless and "barbaric" the camp was during its early days.