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Hmm, I find this thread interesting. I wouldn't have imagined that so many people felt so strongly about the use of profanity in fiction. I rarely use profanity in real life, usually saving it for moments when I'm very angry and alone, for example, if a computer glitch caused me to lose a huge chunk of work, I might indulge in a four-letter tirade directed at my flat-screen monitor.
However, in fiction, I don't bat an eye when characters express themselves (dialogue or monologue) with personality-appropriate verbiage, no matter how offensive. If they're twenty year-old gang-bangers, I would expect foul language, and would it find it unrealistic for them to speak any other way. But even if they're, say, 40-something moms, the occasional string of cuss words would neither surprise nor fluster me. It's all about whether the words are appropriate for the characater.
--Maria
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