Do Swear Word Coloring Books Count as Swearing for Lent?
Of all the things that some people give up for Lent, swearing ranks as one of the most common. Interestingly, this Ash Wednesday morning on Amazon, the number one best selling books in at least eleven (!) book categories are "swear word" coloring books.
Yes, really.
Swear word coloring books have been around for a few months, but I swear (ha!) sales of them are spiking right now. During Lent!
These best sellers are mostly in odd book categories like "Art, Antiques and Collectibles" (vintage curse-words?), "Arts & Photography Criticism" (I can see how one might look for swear word material there), and "Oil Painting" (perhaps like "He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay," from Jean Shepard's A Christmas Story?).
But at least one of these books in the overall best sellers list. It is ranked at position number twenty-one at the moment.
Out of all the books on Amazon. All of them.
I'll let you digest that for a moment.
What is the deal? I get why they were funny initially, but I figured the novelty would wear off. Instead a search for them on Amazon shows 209 hits, and several are best sellers!
My theory? At the moment there are people turning to their coloring books to cope with the hole in
their lives left behind from whatever they gave up for Lent. Chocolate, caffeine and social media holes are being filled with crayons, markers and mandalas.
I also think that some people gave up swearing for Lent, but decided swear word coloring books don't count (because you don't say them out loud?), and I think they are going through buying binges on Amazon. That's the answer I'm going with to explain these best sellers, 'cause I don't get it.
If you just need to fill a regular Lent-emptied hole in your life, I've got you covered between now and Easter! Good things are coming!
If you are in the second category of people and happen to like my coloring books, you should know that I will not be publishing a swear-word coloring book.
That is, unless you want a vintage/clean curse word book, filled with "Gadzooks", "Dagnabit" and "Poop" (my personal favorite). Hmmm...if you want to see this happen, go comment on the Humann Touch Creative Facebook page. I might do some coloring pages just to help anyone trying to stick with their Lenten promises.
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