The other day, I saw a post on X that made me snort-laugh. Someone was talking about their main character — a werewolf — and how, during the transformation, there’s this little… release of gas as their organs shift around. No link, sorry, but the image stuck with me.
And then my brain went straight to: what if a cop shows up right after a grisly murder, catches a whiff of something suspicious, and cracks a joke about it to a detective who knows about lycanthropy? Suddenly, they’ve got a lead. All from a fart.
That’s when I started thinking about how bodily functions — the ones polite society pretends don’t exist — can actually work in a story.
Let’s be honest: everybody poops. Everybody farts. And whether you’re in Tokyo or Timbuktu, the sound of a well-timed toot is funny — as long as it’s not coming from you. That’s the magic of potty humor: it’s universal.
Honestly, I put it in the same category as dogs. If someone claims they don’t like either one, I’m suspicious.
Sometimes, a story needs a pressure valve. You’ve got a tense scene, everyone’s on edge… and then pfft. Instant mood shift. The reader laughs, the characters relax (or don’t), and the moment feels more human.
A fart can tell you a lot about a person. Do they laugh it off? Turn beet red? Pretend it didn’t happen? The way a character reacts — or how they handle someone else’s mishap — can reveal more than a page of inner monologue.
Potty humor isn’t just cheap laughs. It can poke at the weirdness of our social rules — how we all do these things but act like they’re shameful or taboo. Sometimes, leaning into that absurdity makes a story feel more honest.
One of the best things about potty humor is the ambush factor. You’re reading a high-stakes scene, heart pounding… and then a perfectly timed bathroom joke blindsides you. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest moments, life still finds ways to be ridiculous.
There’s this myth that potty humor is a “guy thing” or something you grow out of. Nope. Women have been writing and performing brilliant, crass humor forever. And kids? They’re naturals. Anyone who’s been around a toddler knows they’ll lock eyes with you while filling their diaper, grin like they’ve just pulled off a heist, and then waddle away. That’s the moment the potty-humor brain switches on — and honestly, mine never switched off.
Some Great Examples
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams mixes absurdity and crassness like a pro. (And yes, Vogon poetry is just as bad in real life.)
- Bridget Jones’s Diary – Bridget’s “fart in the lift” moment is peak relatable awkwardness.
- The Martian – Andy Weir makes even waste management in space funny.
Potty humor can make us laugh, break tension, deepen characters, and even say something about society. Life is messy, unpredictable, and sometimes hilarious — so why not let that into our stories?
A well-placed fart joke isn’t just a cheap gag. Done right, it’s a craft choice. And in a world that takes itself way too seriously, a little bathroom humor can go a long way.
