That was in there why?

I just finished reading a book that was, overall, well written. But there were a couple of spots that made me wonder what the author and editors were thinking, because the language chosen was honestly inessential and actually detracted from the story. I couldn't see any need for such language or for some of the content for a couple of pages, either. It didn't build the plot, develop the characters, or contribute in anyway. It was almost as if they put it in there just to be rebellious, which is not the point of a novel. It reminded me of a conference I went to recently, hosted by a student chapter of a professional organization. The first part of the conference was a brainstorming session, where participants generated the topics for the morning's sessions. One group chose to use an offensive profanity in the title of their session idea, and rather than professionally *@% it out, the scribe opted to put the word in print, for no other reason than to be offensive. In a professional setting, it was highly inappropriate. It also defines the event, or in the case of the author, the book, as being for a very specific audience, and it doesn't speak highly of the character of said audience. So, the moral of the story is that, when writing, the language you use will have a great impact on the audience you attract. Just something to think about.