A Road To Pootopia

Posted 03.03.2005 by Mattnrva (10)

I have been reading PoopReport for several years now. I have always believed in the concept of Shameless Shitting, and the more I read the stories on PoopReport, the more I've come to believe in the power of Shameless Shitting. In fact, I believe that PoopReport and Shameless Shitting can help change the world.

Let me explain. A little earlier this very night, a Shameful friend and I spent hours talking about Shameless Shitting and some of the ideas presented here. And he agrees. He told me that sometimes in public bathrooms he was ashamed that if anyone came in the bathroom, he leaped up on top of the toilet so that no one would know he was in the stall.

Have you ever thought about the root causes of Shameful Shitting? What, exactly, makes people behave like this in the first place? Let me put forth my hypothesis.

From birth until they begin toilet training, children have no shame. No embarrassment about their bodies or their bodily functions. And then toilet training begins. Suddenly kids are being told that the bathroom is a "private" place and to close the door when they are in there. They are told to keep their clothes on because certain body parts are "private parts." Parents won't even use the proper names for those parts -- instead, kids hear stuff like "pee-pee place" and "wee-wee" and "bottom" and "rear end." Parents also use fantasy words for natural body functions: "#2," "doo-doo," "big job," "poo-poo," and any other number of euphemisms.

So when the child is told that the bathroom is a private room and he or she must close the door and lock it when they're in there, what do you think the child infers from that about his or her own body?

These kinds of things all implant themselves in the child's mind -- often permanently. The child goes through childhood and begins adolescence covering up, hiding, embarrassed about their bodies and their natural functions. Then puberty and adolescence hit. Their sexuality explodes, and they don't know how to express it healthfully and naturally and without shame. They become repressed, inhibited, and embarrassed all over again -- because the very same body parts that they were told to cover up and be embarrassed about are now the ones turning them on sexually and being used to express their own sexuality. I believe that Shameful Shitting creates Shameful Sexual Expression.

Now, a possible solution. We need people out there talking about Shameless Shitting. We need people teaching Shameless Shitting. And we need people out there demonstrating Shameless Shitting in action. "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

I propose a plan that starts in our own homes, with our families, roommates, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and friends.

STEP ONE. Get together and discuss Shameless Shitting with those in your home, and collectively determine to no longer be ashamed of your bodies or their functions. Sign a Shameless Pledge (like this) promising to be Shameless in thought, word and action.

STEP TWO. Immediately go Shameless in your bathroom conduct. No more closing the door or being ashamed to talk about it. If a person has problems at first being Shameless directly in front of others, it would be acceptable to start by leaving the bathroom door open at times when others won't be in there with them or looking at them. This way, the person can get used to making noises with other people around to hear them. Then the person can move on to shitting in front of others.

STEP THREE. Begin using public bathrooms with no shame. Don't be afraid to "walk in and out with your head held high" and to "not disguise the nature of the visit," as the Shameless Shitting Manifesto puts it very well. You should not be afraid to make noise and let loose with other people in the bathroom.

STEP FOUR. It is very critical that everyone in your group immediately implement Shameless Shitting in their lives by just doing it -- and not waste time thinking about doing it. They must "feel the fear and do it anyway."

The results of these steps:

Shameless Shitting becomes a household norm as people get used to it.

The group members lose their inhibitions in other areas of their lives. Being a Shameless Shitter opens the door (no pun intended) to people being real with each other in different ways: emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. They become more real in their interactions with others. They begin to undo Shameful behaviors learned during childhood. I totally agree with the comments The Big Wiper made in Open Door Policy about people seeing each other as real people, not fakes.

It is my opinion that Shameless Shitting could lead to Shameless Farting, Shameless Pissing, then Shameless Nudity, and then, finally, Shameless Sexuality. All kinds of personal inhibitions could be knocked out of people. Shameless Shitting could actually be the start of some kind of new youth movement, in which young people refuse to be ashamed of their bodies, their bodily functions, and their sexual expression. Prejudices could be torn down; if everything's out in the open, not hidden away and repressed, we actually see that we're all human, we are all One People, we all have pretty much the same body functions, and that we all do the same things.

All people in the world copy what they see each other doing. We're all just imitating each other, in everything. So if one person comes up with a new concept and floats that idea out there, demonstrating it in thought, word, and action, people will begin to notice. Soon some will start to imitate what they see. And the more who imitate, the more who imitate them. Then more. And still more. The idea spreads like wildfire out into the world, burning down the old idea and replacing them with the new.

We have to get it out there. Start thinking about Shameless Shitting every day. Talk about it with your family, your husband or wife, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your friends, even your co-workers. And be Shameless yourself -- and demonstrate it.

It takes courage to step up to the plate and do this stuff. In fact, fear will stop some people before they even start. But still others will feel the fear and do it anyway. You can't care what other people think and say about you. Just do it. Make it your personal mission.

I've been listening to the '80s channel on XM Radio, and the Pet Shop Boys song Domino Dancing just came on. "All day, all day / Watch them all fall down / All day, all day / Domino Dancing." Shameful Shitting ends when one person decides to become the first domino. This person decides to reverse the Shameful cycle, to lose their shame in their body and its functions, and to pass that knowledge on to others.

The friend with whom I spoke tonight: I talked to him about Shameless Shitting. I told him to talk to his friends and his brothers about it, to start doing it himself, to get the message out there, and to get people he knows imitating his new Shamelessness.

When you start demonstrating Shameless Shitting, not only do you become the first domino -- you become the force that tips the first domino over. And yes, you will watch them all fall down.

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Pill Pooper (451) -- 03.03.2005

Wow, that's a pretty interesting concept. Uniting the world in poop. I, as a shameless shitter, have to say that it's not as easy as just leaving the door open or sitting in a public bathroom and crapping while other occupy the same area. For me, it has to do more with morals and values. I think it's rude to enter a common place, such as a public bathroom, take a monster shit and stink the place out. That's rude and disgusting. I understand shitting and pissing is natural and I have no problem with all that. What I do have problem with is the people who make it their business to share their fecal fortitude with the rest of the populice. Relieving yourself is a PRIVATE thing, it always has been. Even in ancient times, people would shit BEHIND a bush, not in front of it. I sit alone on my commode... and that's the way I prefer it to stay.

Marcos (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

Now I blame all parents for all the problems and evil in our society.

Thanks alot.

;)

BTK Serial (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

i like to be alone in the bathroom

PooperTrooper (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

I was with you until the Pet Shop Boys reference. Pet Shop Boys? Huh? Were they THE gayest group of the 80's, or did Simply Red take that crown?

Shameless shitting is good, but a closed door is simply a courtesy to keep the smell in until you can light a match or candle. Shameless means being able to walk straight in (whether in the house or public restroom), close the door, do the poo, wipe-up without any stealth tactics, flush, and march right out with your head held high (and your gut lighter).

Logjam (2452) -- 03.03.2005

Thought provoking, Mattnrva, thanks. I found particularly interesting your suggestion that sexual inhibition stems from the potting-training ritual that leads first to shameful shitting. I know little about what really happens at nudists camps and those new ones that encourage partner exchange. I�m not sure, but would your argument lead you to believe that shameful shitting would be absent in those places? I'll bet they're not. I also agree with those like PooperTrooper who suggest that wanting to be alone in the restroom is not necessarily tied to shamefulness. I don�t want to be disturbed while reading, either, and not only when I�m reading a trashy novel. So, �throw the door open� probably shouldn�t be the rallying cry of the revolution. If not, then what should it be?

The Shit Volcano (3740) -- 03.03.2005

I see your point. A lot of things are affected by what we say to our little kids. How we eat, play, go to the bathroom. Even fuck. Stop teaching your kids that shitting is shameful and they won't act like it is.

As far as the crapping with the door open thing, I disagree. No one should have to endure the odor of shit while they are eating or something.

Kung Poo (91) -- 03.03.2005

I appreciate your remarks, Mattnrva, but animals, too, express the desire for some privacy when dropping anchor, so I don't feel awkward or shameful aboiut wanting the door closed when I'm making a boom-boom. Have you ever watched a cat while it was making Almond Roca? They don't like it. They try to pretend you're not there. They stare straight ahead, and when they're done they are pissed at you for humiliating them. Privacy is important to mental health and, therefore, survival.

The Shit Volcano (3740) -- 03.03.2005

I always enjoy announcing when my cats are taking a shit. They hate it!

Kung Poo (91) -- 03.03.2005

They totally hate it!

Tronald Dump (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

Building on the excellent points already made: Dogs also have an immidiately recognizable expression of shame when shitting. Urban dogs especially have no option for privacy, and it doesn't take Dr. Doolittle to see that they don't enjoy it.

I have no shame in shitting, but I would have shame in being the source of shitsmell wafting over your dinner plate becausse I left the door open. THat's rude. Air freshener, lit match, closed door = courtesy.

Also I think you're revealing quite a bit about yourself by equating sexuality with toilet behavior so emphatically. (what, exactly? I don't know, but quite a bit of it!)I've known some partners who were completely free sexually, who never crapped in front of me (thank goodness).

Obi-Dung Kenobi (112) -- 03.03.2005

"It is my opinion that Shameless Shitting could lead to Shameless Farting, Shameless Pissing, then Shameless Nudity, and then, finally, Shameless Sexuality. All kinds of personal inhibitions could be knocked out of people."

And this would be different than today's hypersexualized society how?

I think this was well-written and interesting to boot, but it seems like you were in too much of a hurry to conclude that Shameful Shitting is a) a product of childhood privacy and courtesy potty training, and b) directly correlated to repressed sexuality. I heartily agree with what Tronald Dump said about courtesy vs. shamefulness in the post above me. I don't mind dropping buttloaves in public bathrooms (actually, I get quite a kick out of it now), but there are other situations where I prefer the door closed (e.g., dinner guests eating 10 feet from the bathroom).

I must admit I also failed to understand the connection you were making between sex and poop. My girlfriend is an absolute wildcat in the bedroom, but it doesn't mean either she or I wants me in the bathroom when she's composing a symphony with her sphincter. I know this isn't SexReport, but I don't think complete freedom of sexual expression should be equated to a vision of the human race farting, pissing, fucking and shitting at our every whim--all while walking around naked in public, which seems to be the general direction you're advocating for humanity.

While I'm on this tangent, you might be surprised to hear that I don't believe a "sexual revolution" ever took place. Although times have certainly changed, I think there has always been the same ratio of sexually healthy and wise (and discreet) individuals vs. absolute sluts. The only difference today is that obscene promiscuity can easily take shelter under such protective labels as "independence," "freedom," and "liberty," and hence is much more widely accepted. Hmm, come to think of it, you hear those terms crop up in Bush's Iraq rhetoric quite often... but that's another story altogether.

Let's not forget, lest the surface of our planet be reduced to billions of naked bodies writhing together in a fecal-coital slime, that shame, while not a "pretty" feeling, serves a purpose for civilization. Granted, it should not be applied for doing EVERYTHING that comes naturally for our bodies, but it does create boundaries, and helps to protect us from the physical, psychological and spiritual harm we'd cause ourselves otherwise.

shitass (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

I just think that people should have the right to "call in" provided there's something really impressive, or interesting to see. This should not include liquid shit under any circumstances.
that's my piece.
(i just made myself dry heave again)

Hugh G. Rexion (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

Sorry, but I don't agree. You basically say throw decency out the window.

You don't have to be a nudist to be able to take a crap.

FartKnot (not verified) -- 03.03.2005

If a shameless shitter interferred with my happy solitude of pooping, I would have to smack the shit out of them, which would mean they would have no shit to be shameless about and the whole thing becomes a paradox, sorta like time travel.

Trust me. I know these things.

Poopaholic Anonymous (not verified) -- 03.04.2005

Closing the door isn't an act of Shamefulness, it is an act of respect. People outside of the bathroom don't want to see, hear, and above all smell what you're doing. But if people are already in the bathroom, then that's their choice, and they are therefore subject to the worst you can "Conjure" up.

The Big Wiper (2245) -- 03.04.2005

Since my name has been invoked in this, I'd like to make a couple of points regarding this thought-provoking essay.

The first is that in my debut article on open stalls I described a school situation (from 4th through 12th grades) that allowed no choice in the matter. It was never a question of closing doors. All the stalls were open.

The question then became how the guys handled this situation when they had to go. A pretty decent percentage of us 'got over' the lack of privacy and developed a sense of Shamelessness that had the practical side effect of bonding us.
Same at the summer camp I attended as a sub-teen.
We discovered that we were all alike in this respect, in many cases made light of it and never made a big deal of it. We joked and kidded around and got the job done.

I'm sure there was another percentage of guys that never used the facilities when they had to go and perhaps 'kept it in' all day until they could get home. To them, the privacy aspects of pooping were more important than the comfort of getting rid of their loads. I even heard one classmate tell me once that he would never use the toilets like that. I didn't fault him, nor did I try to convince him that it wasn't the end of the world if he did try.

I can't fault people for wanting to poop in private. But there are some situations in which that is not possible. I do believe that it is an advantage to be able to do your business whether the stalls are open or closed, whether the toilet is a public one or in the home. It can also cause physiological and psychological problems to be unable to use public facilities of any sort. Could we all agree that Shamefulness taken to the point of phobic discomfort and Shamelessness taken to the point of reckless disregard for others are both undesirable?

There's another element of Mattnrva's essay that I would like to focus in on. He mentions that during potty training a sense of Shamefulness may first begin because of 'private' phraseology. It is my sense, from my own potty training way back when, that actually potty training is a very liberating period for toddlers.

They are usually praised for their activity, even applauded. I actually believe that a good start towards a Shameless, healthy attitude towards bodily functions is made during this period. The sense is that they are nothing to be ashamed of and a fact of life.

But that attitude is generally not maintained. As soon as we learn to perform adequately, the seal of approval is sometimes withdrawn, and we may hear instead that we are not to dwell on bodily functions or talk about them to others once we have learned how to deposit them.

I think Mattnrva's essay makes some excellent and valid points for discussion, and I don't think it was his intention to make a percentage of posters feel defensive about their desire for privacy. Instead, I took the essay to be a call for healthier, less troubled attitudes towards bodily functions. Some people are indeed not threatened nor offended by the sounds and smells of others, preferring to brush them off as a fact of life.

P.S. Kung Poo--hilarious image of the city going Almond Roca!

browner (not verified) -- 03.04.2005

Shitass are you there pal?

The Big Wiper (2245) -- 03.04.2005

Uh, I meant the 'kitty' going Almond Roca! My typing bad!

shitass (not verified) -- 03.04.2005

browner:
Are you "calling me in"?
Actually, keeping the door closed can really jack up the element of surprise if you're "calling in" someone. You can create an innocent ruse, such as, "have you seen the problem in the toilet?", and since the door has been closed, and you'e done your courtesy match or air freshener they'll never see it coming.
This is a form of forced shamelessness.

Matt (75) -- 03.04.2005

TBW- You've got it right, mainly I'm just trying to advocate people having a different attitude towards their bodies and body functions, and stop being so private about everything! I think it would be a logical first step for people to stop hiding their bodies in the bathroom. I really believe that they'd develop a healthier attitude towards their bodies as a whole. I see your point about kids being taught during toilet training to be proud of themselves, but I think that message gets muddled along the way by the kids seeing other people act ashamed about their bathroom habits.

Everybody, the shit smell thing, obviously, that is a valid point, but all it would take is a little air freshener to fix that.

Actually, I have seen this theory put to the test, and work. I'm not BS'ing you guys In '96 I was living with my best friend and 2 other people, and we had a Shameless household. No one ever closed the bathroom door, ever, and people walked around nude (to and from the shower, etc., but not constant nudity), and some people did have sex with their door open. All of us had better relationships with each other, because if everybody's seen everyone else in all their supposedly "embarrassing" moments, what's really holding them back from being more real with each other in their personal relationships? If no one is hiding their physical side, there's really no need to be hiding their emotional side either!

This isn't really forced Shamelessness, because everyone in the household would agree as a group to practice shamelessness, and the group could also choose how far they want to go with it.

PooperTrooper- The Pet Shop Boys song came on the '80 channel on XM radio while I was writing this, and the "Domino" reference in the song just connected in my thoughts in the essay about collective consciousness.

Hugh- What exactly is your definition of decency? In India, for example, it's normal for people to shit in front of others, but in the Western world it's "indecent". People's definition of morality and decency change from time to time and place to place. In parts of Nevada, prostitution's "OK", but a few miles down the road, it becomes "not OK", just by geography.

Obi-Dung Kenobi- I think that people can be fully expressive and also shameless sexually without being shameless shitting-wise, but I think that being shameless about our bodies in ALL ways can enhance self-esteem and self-image, which play a role in sexuality, too.

But tell me, what do guys think about talking about Shamelessness with people you know? Are you embarrassed to talk about it, or will you bring it up with people and promote it?

Obi-Dung Kenobi (112) -- 03.04.2005

"...the shit smell thing, obviously, that is a valid point, but all it would take is a little air freshener to fix that."

A *little* air freshener?

Methinks you dangerously underestimate the Thunder of the Apocalypse I unleash every time I plunk my gunk.

Obi-Dung Kenobi (112) -- 03.04.2005

On the whole door open/closed thing: keep it CLOSED, for fuck's sake! If you can install one with an airtight seal, so much the better.

Matt, I agree with you that being shameless (though perhaps "unashamed" would be a better word) of our bodies is an important step to self-esteem and image. Indeed, the sexuality of those who are ashamed about what they truly cannot help about themselves will be hindered. However, our own Shamelessness doesn't have to be wielded in such a way to offend the decency of others. We might be able to help stepping on others sensitivities from time to time, but leaving the door open for others' olfactory experience is tantamount to euthanization in my house. And I wouldn't really mind walking around naked, especially in the summer, but for the decency standards of others in the broader community.

I don't really think you're a Nazi about this, but you do seem to have a sort of tunnel vision going on with the "domino effect" thing, i.e., desiring to conform those extremely diverse ideas of decency throughout the world to your point of view. Not that I think it's in any danger of happening. You can't topple dominoes that have already fallen--especially when they've fallen in the opposite direction.

Crappen Geocacher (not verified) -- 03.05.2005

Very interesting subject.

At work nobody knows how each other sounds in the bathroom, also the major problem are not the sounds but the stink I would not want to be labeled as the Bathroom stinkerupper.

I can picture in this situation a house with a bunch of people, and the house having no walls, and the toilet having a vacuum device built-in, to suck up all the bad smells. This house would be a one room house with beds, toilet, and dinner table all in the open, but the TV in a small room. Also in this house, nobody would wear clothes, until they get to the changing room to put on their clothes, and outdoors they go to wherever. If the world got to this point or beyond where everybody did it, the world may get hit by an angry GOD upstairs.

Maybe I should just get outdoors and find some Geocaches with my GPS.

ME (not verified) -- 04.03.2005

This isn't for making a positive change in society. This is about throwing away morals and decency.

"It is my opinion that Shameless Shitting could lead to Shameless Farting, Shameless Pissing, then Shameless Nudity, and then, finally, Shameless Sexuality"

I don't want to see this. YOU don't want to see this. And if someone does, there's something very wrong with the person...they should probably go live with monkeys or some other animal population that already does all that.

L Wrong Hubbard (216) -- 10.13.2005

I think you could team up with Norman Vincent Peale here...

Happy trails,
L. Wrong
http://ppkindustries.blogspot.com

Brown Trout (not verified) -- 10.19.2005

Apparently some of you forewent a decent education in history, and the sum total of your knowledge about animals is what you've anthropomorphized onto your domestic dogs and cats.

Okay, shitstains, listen up. Many cultures had public toilets and bathhouses, where people congregated and amused themselves socially. Take, for example, the toilets in ancient Roman cities that seated up to 1000, where people sat mere inches from one another on marble slabs with holes over water running through an aquaduct.

Animal crapping behavior is shaped by a variety of factors, depending on the animal. Yes, Virginia, there is a vast array of animals out there, spanning a rather long food chain. Look it up, say, in a high school biology book. Generally speaking, shame, which I am attempting to employ here, is a behavioral motivator unique to the human animal. Other animals' scat behavior is motivated by territorial marking, social rank, predator evasion, etc. Even your pwecious widdle doggies and kitties are bound by their evolutionary legacy. Doggy looks around nervously in a crowd of people because instinct dictates that his scat behavior depend on his social rank. Doggy generally responds to master as the alpha dog, and cues off past experience with said alpha dog.

For more on these and other interesting facts, check into getting a library card, or, visit some websites other than poopreport.com for about 5 minutes a week.

That is all.

Latus Rectum (42) -- 05.29.2006

"I think it's rude to enter a common place, such as a public bathroom, take a monster shit and stink the place out. That's rude and disgusting." - Pill Pooper

I'm going to have to disagree with you Pill Pooper. I agree that it's common courtesy to close the door (or stall door) when you're taking a dump. But when you enter a public bathroom, you are implicitly agreeing to accept that it will be used for shitting and pissing, and whatever odors those functions may produce. And unfortunately it just ain't possible to know in advance what your shit is going to smell like. If public bathrooms weren't meant to shit in, then why do they have toilets? And if they weren't intended to have multiple people shitting in them at the same time, then why do they have more than one stall? Personally what I think is rude and inconsiderate is to call it morally wrong to use a bathroom for it's intended purpose!

I'm sorry to come on so strong, but I think it's precisely attitudes like yours that cause people to develop certain voiding dysfunctions. There's a difference between being courteous and polite versus being a pushover and letting people walk all over you. Anyone who would call shitting in a public stall rude and disgusting is not shameless in my book. This belief/attitude is NOT harmless, or else I wouldn't bother trying to argue against it. If you want to only crap alone at home, that's your personal choice, but don't condemn as immoral those who do otherwise!

healthy 1 (1427) -- 11.21.2006

I agree with you Mattnrva. But some people just will not become shameless.

I have just recently become a shameless myself. It is quite a barrer to overcome.

As a youngster, it was drilled into my head that a bathroom is a private place, but why?

Granted, I wouldn't want to take a huge shit in front of a crowd of 100, but if my family sees me, I don't mind anymore.
_______
A man who farts in church, sits in his own pew.