Back in the 1700s, before the flush toilet was widely popular (that didn't happen until the 1860s), people used to poop in "close-stools" -- essentially seats and cabinets for chamber pots. You opened the lid, did your business, closed the lid, and removed the chamber pot via the front panel for emptying. Close stools were fairly common; many segments of society used them.

But rich people then were just like rich people now: they didn't want to have anything in common with the masses. So they commissioned ornate, decorative close-stools made out of the finest materials, built by the finest craftsmen. Because if they had to associate themselves with something the rabble used, they wanted to make sure that their version was a whole hell of a lot more expensive.

History repeates itsef. I give you the Kohler Purist Hatbox [1]: for rich people who, if they have to poop like the rest of us, at least they can comfort themselves knowing they're pooping on something most of us can't afford.

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