I'm well aware of WP:NOTCENSORED but it seems that Wikipedia has very inconsistent rules about what is not appropriate for the main page, and this is the case in point. Today's DYK section has the Fuck Tree. Not included in the hook, but one click away, is the explanation that it is so named because it has a shape suitable for having sex in public.
I was reminded of a long-lasting case surrounding the user User:The C of E. In August 2020, this user was blocked from proposing DYK hooks regarding such issues as British-Irish relations, LGBT community, and using the N-word. Fair enough. The evidence seemed to support that the user was proposing hooks that supported one side of complicated and sensitive political issues. Wikipedia is based on impartiality after all. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Archive324#User:The_C_of_E_and_DYK]
In January 2022, it was raised on DYK Talk that The C of E had proposed two hooks using the F-word, one of which belonging to the article title. The arguments brought up were that these F-words could cause Wikipedia to be blocked by schools, and that this seemed to be The C of E getting a thrill from posting profanity instead of audacious political positions. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Did_you_know/Archive_184#For_fuck's_sake]
In the subsequent ANI posting, the C of E was not de jure blocked from DYK full-stop, but the closing summary included "any pattern at all of trying to use rude/racist/provocative wording in articles is going to result in a trip back here with a possible site ban". [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/IncidentArchive1088#The_C_of_E_and_DYK]
So what are the rules about profanity and referring to man's base instincts on DYK? "Fuck" is bad because it can get the site blocked by schools, but only if the hook proposer has previously been accused of racism and sectarianism? "Fuck" in a title about use of the word in films will end in a trip to ANI, but "Fuck" in a title about shagging in public is OK? This reminds me of the South Park satire "It Hits the Fan" in which "shit" is celebrated when used figuratively, but still profane when referring to excrement.
WP:DYKTOP includes six uses of "fuck", one of "shit" (referring to the figurative but hook joking about the literal), one of "tits", six of "porn", four of "cock" (either referring to the penis or the hook joking about such), two of "slag" and two of the N-word. Some people get topic banned for this, others get their work up in lights. Unknown Temptation (talk) 17:27, 19 June 2025 (UTC)
:Perhaps that was about WP:TENDENTIOUS editing which is frowned upon rather than words themselves. I do remember occasional exempts for main page (like featured picture of Michele Merkin that, alas, was deemed too salacious), but I'm not aware of a general main page ban on adult content. Generally, Wikipedia is written not exclusively for children, but for a broad readership of all ages, walks of life and mindsets (as Jimbo put it, "to every single person on the planet"). In that sense, a minority cannot mandate a particular censorship as it would compromise the accurate conveying of such content. Had it been otherwise, Wikipedia would have been something like a children's encyclopedia. Brandmeistertalk 19:35, 19 June 2025 (UTC)
:I do not see how these two examples are comparable. Fuck tree is not presented in an intentionally rude or provocative way, and the hook was not proposed in bad faith. The use of offensive words would only be a potential issue if they are used superfluously and beyond reason. In this case, Fuck Tree is the proper name. GGOTCC 20:41, 19 June 2025 (UTC)
::I don't appreciate my name being dragged up in relation to controversies that happened years ago. I am trying to put that past behind me and no longer be that editor that did those things and it doesn't help that I keep getting reminded of it. The C of E God Save the King! (talk) 04:49, 20 June 2025 (UTC)
:DYK, by its nature, doesn't really lend itself to consistent rules -- a huge number of people propose hooks, anyone can approve one, and many different hands work on putting them into sets. There's certainly a case that putting this article on the front page is unnecessarily courting trouble, or not a good thing for Wikipedia's image and reputation -- I've been in DYK conversations where similar decisions have been made, particularly around BLPs which, while they may be true and well sourced, are particularly unflattering to people with relatively little public presence. However, while we may (and perhaps should) choose to be kind in those circumstances, there's no policy that obliges us to do so. Here, WP:NOTCENSORED is policy, while decisions about what's wise or in good taste to include are left to individuals (mindful of WP:GRATUITOUS, but I don't think that applies here). Part of the reason we have NOTCENSORED is because people have such strong disagreements about what is "inappropriate", so I think a proposed policy or guideline that advised keeping the main page family-friendly would a) end up causing more harm than good and b) be very unlikely to obtain consensus. I agree with Brandmeister above that the cases raised don't seem relevant here, without wishing to go into the differences at length. UndercoverClassicist T·C 06:47, 20 June 2025 (UTC)
::Yeah, DYK runs these kinds of things all too often. When I see them, I object, but typically to no avail. WP:NOTCENSORED tells us that Human penis is allowed to have a photo of a human penis. But WP:STAYCLASSYWIKIPEDIA is what tells us we don't have to put Fuck Tree on the main page. Or at least it would if it weren't a red link. RoySmith (talk) 00:41, 21 June 2025 (UTC)
