The Toilet: An Unspoken History

I found this documentary surprisingly very interesting for a while. It was good, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it fascinating. The subject really grew more thin as the show went on. I enjoyed the first chunk that dealt with the history of how we came to have toilets as we know them today-for instance, I never knew the Romans wiped their behinds with a sponge on a stick! They go all the way from the Roman days right up to the present. It did make me feel vaguely lucky to live in a country that actually has this basic human necessity. I can personally think of worse things to take for granted, like oil, water, air, parents, wood, a reason to get out of bed in the morning...but no, no, bloody crapping is right up there too! Too bad only about half the program was about history, the rest was about alarming and depressing modern day problems involving waste disposal and the possible future solutions to them. It was pretty entertaining stuff, but to me after a bit it became something almost stomach-churning. After so long all that endless talking of natural bodily functions, and waste and toilets, and people saying the brown word and pooh-yeck, I 'freakin hate that word! It's so childish and awkward to say. I never like to say it, I don't like the way it feels on my tongue.(incredibly gross faux-pas not intended!) Of course I don't mind saying Winnie the Pooh, but that's a whole other story... Anyway, the sheer banality and undeniable natural crudity that comes with talking about crap for any length of time started really bringing me down. It made me feel "dirty" just to watch it. Not that the program didn't do a good job of staying serious and tasteful and not sliding into childish comedy territory. But from my point of view, this seriousness only served to heighten the humour and ickyness of the subject matter and made it stick out all the more. There was this really funny part where the lavatory historian guy went to Japan to take a look at this insane futuristic toilet, which was covered with buttons that did god knows what, that "cleaned" the user by shooting little high- powered jets of water!(that's not good for you)The room the loo was in had surrounding forest collage wallpaper and played soothing jungle sounds to mask any embarrassing noises, as well I guess to make the user feel as though they are in the caressing bosom of nature or whatever.(just turn on the tap!) I thought all this was really extravagant and ridiculous. The toilet is merely a place of business-(namely, everyones!)they should all be grey! And then it showed the major sewage disposal problems facing some huge Indian city where there was like, practically no sewer systems at all and everyone basically had to just go in a giant cesspool in the ground.(no wonder they always look so grouchy!) After that the finale was about this big toiletiers of the world convention type deal where all the facilitorial-enthusiasts were getting together and pitching their own designs and ideas for toilets and methods for the disposing of waste, that could maybe be put to use in the future.(seriously, if toilets were your business, this was the event of the season!) And there was this one gent who had a rather startling idea for a compost toilet that didn't smell, and would quickly break down the waste into usable fertiliser. Oh and of all people Bill Gates showed up to lend his support, which just added to the bizarreness of the whole thing. I was really annoyed and damn opposed to a running attitude throughout that seemed to suggest that never speaking of doing one's business is supposed to be a bad thing, and that we need to challenge this terrible mindset for some reason... No, not talking about that is not like being all hung up about sex, we are not in any way shape of form better human beings if we are all suddenly completely open about this. It should be unspoken, because it's literally disgusting. That's your waste, you wouldn't talk about it at the breakfast table, now would you? That's why Eddie Murphy always got such big laughs when he brought it up in his comedy routines! I don't get how people can plant themselves down there for like an hour while they read the paper. I just like to get in and outta there as quick as possible! What goes on in the bathroom is just between you, and the bog!(not intended!!!) Sigh, the s**t they put on telly these days, I swear...

I did not expect it to be such a good hour of documentary. Beautiful scenery (where appropriate) and smart commentary, full of euphemisms or straight language where appropriate. Amazing how many idioms come from trying not to speak of the unspeakable and how different cultures treat the same subject totally different!

Watching Britain from a totally new angle was a pleasant surprise. This is the real history that usually passes unnoticed.

This documentary could deserve a higher mark but American input seems to be edited out, while US proudly believe the actual birthplace of the toilet is west of the Atlantic.

Well worth an hour of watching. I will be careful now to get the "right end of the stick"!

That is a good question shall we discuss it?

They even say nether regions.

We get a quickie on pre-toilet paper; there are roman sponges, Tutor wool-wipes, feathers, shells, corn cobs (They missed catalogs) finally toilet paper marketed by Joseph Gayetty 1857.

We see an ad by Thomas Crapper & Co. That Thomas was not an inventor nor a manufacturer, but a good marketing man.

You know this is some sort of British presentation when the urinal is spoken with a long "i".

They completely missed Vietnam where if you went to a good size base the privy contained half a steel drum filled with diesel fuel.

There are composting toilets in Bangladesh but not mentioned for RV's and tiny homes. I was surprised by the ones in Bangladesh and it is worth the film.

Excellent summation at the end of the presentation.

This documentary does not address pre-toilet and recreational applications.

In Qui Nhon, Vietnam, 1968 people used the beach at low tide.

Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America (2007). How the Vikings do it.