The Reason Alton Brown Just Made A Charity Swear Jar For Himself

If you haven't seen Alton Brown's YouTube show, Quarantine Quitchen, then be aware: Viewer discretion is advised. In fact, if Brown and his wife and QQ co-host Elizabeth Ingram had to submit episodes to the Motion Picture Association of America, the agency would likely slap them with "R" ratings for dropping more than one harsh swear word (via Vanity Fair).

Sure, Alton Brown comes across as the brainy, some might say know-it-all chef on the Food Network shows Good Eats and Good Eats: The Return. But no one should read "mild-mannered nerd" into that description. Despite the success of those mainstream shows, Brown has said he feels constrained by the limitations of network TV because certain foods or cooking techniques were off limits (via Engadget). Quarantine Quitchen not only affords Brown the freedom to cook how and what he wants, but he can say what he wants, too.

With Brown released from the confines of basic cable, his fans have learned something new about the chef: He likes to swear. A lot. Apparently, this came as a surprise to some. Brown took to Twitter on March 3 with some advice for these people: "If you can't imagine an R-rated version of me, do not watch #QuarantineQuitchen on YouTube. Really."

It took Alton Brown less than five minutes during the March 2 livestream of Quarantine Quitchen to drop two s-bombs. The week before on QQ, again less than five minutes in, Brown came perilously close to dropping the "mother" of all f-bombs as he groused about a particularly good vintage of Dom Pérignon he had on hand. He then went ahead with the standard f-word a couple minutes later.

Brown may not be too concerned about the sensitivity of his viewers' ears, but he does want all his swearing to bring some goodness into the world. With this in mind, he announced March 3 on Twitter, "Starting next week, there will be a #SwearJar on QQ with each ***** costing a buck. All proceeds will go to @HumaneSociety." It's unclear whether the jar will be filled for any swear word, or if he was going for a hidden rhyme in his tweet. Regardless, his followers expect the Humane Society to be enriched by his decision.

One Twitter quipped, "This just in: Alton Brown pledges thousands of dollars to charity." 

Another tweeted, "I've watched the shows regularly. With how much you swear, maybe you should make that a quarter instead."

Brown's charity of choice makes sense. He described his and Ingram's decision in 2018 to adopt a rescued Boston terrier from the Atlanta Humane Society as "completely life-changing" (via The Daily Meal).