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(What Do You Call a Dinosaur Fart?) A Blast From the Past

A Good Fart Joke Lasts Forever.

By Imaan WPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Photo by Engage Stock via Shutter Stock.

Some people may say fart jokes are immature but, I often find, there is a methane to the madness. In today’s news cycle, we are constantly reminded of the great many things that divide one human being from the next. Beliefs, skin colour, language, culture, location, income, the list goes on. Less often spoken of are the threads which undeniably tie our lives together. We are each born, we will each die, and along the in-between we will all pass gas at an embarrassing, inopportune moment and live to laugh about it.

Laughter, after all, is cheap medicine. As such, humans often use it for healing (and for coping with embarrassing situations). It was Mark Twain who said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Although, perhaps if someone had farted by him at that exact moment, Mark Twain might have choked on his words. Laugh and the world laughs with you. Fart, and the world stops laughing (heck, the world stops breathing). Still, regardless of its potency and one’s age, a fart will never not be funny.

In fact, did you know the oldest joke in recorded history is a fart joke?

In 2008, following a hilarious stand-up comedy routine for Live at the Apollo (a British comedy program), a team of researchers began hunting for the world’s oldest evidence of recorded humour. In The Dave Historical Humour Study, a “joke” was defined as having a distinct set-up followed by a punch line. Based on this structure, the earliest documentation identified was an ancient Sumerian proverb. Inscribed on tablets dating back to the Old Babylonian period (potentially as old as 2300 BC) were the words: “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”

Overall, the study demonstrated that, though jokes have varied in format throughout time, they all share the ability and desire to highlight commonalities most people resonate with. The universal experiences that define our humanity. Fart jokes, in particular, tease about something people all do – but try to hide.

Most people pass gas around 14-22 times every day. The act of breaking wind is a normal byproduct of the healthy digestive process of the human body. Certain foods are more prone to cause flatulence and will knock the wind out of you worse than others. Whilst holding in farts isn’t physically harmful, eventually your body must get the air out. It’s just science! Unfortunately, it tends to want to happen at the least opportune moment. We’ve all been there. Your stomach rumbles with bubbles heading down and you suddenly search for an exit amidst accelerating panic - butt cheeks clenched. There are many scenarios in which I would highly not recommend “floating an air biscuit”, allowing a “bottom burp”, letting a “one-cheek squeak” slip, etc. Whatever you call it, a fart, by any other name, will still smell as stinky. There really is no good public place to pass gas, even a bathroom can be touch-and-go. But, of all places, farting on an elevator is probably the worst thing you can do. Why? Well, it’s just wrong on so many levels.

Now you may turn your nose up at the idea that fart based comedy has entertained humanity for centuries. However, you might be surprised at how such jokes relate to many aspects of our lives. Take, for example, love. Why is love like a fart? Because, if you have to force it… it’s probably crap. See, fart-based humour, whilst at times cringeworthy, is an endless source of comic relief. Over the years, though entertainment forums and methods of delivery may have changed, the same old subjects remain - including fart jokes. This ancient comedic tradition has made light of many a stinky situation and will likely continue to do so for many generations to come.

Fart jokes are timeless. They transcend age, gender, and race, with their ability to put a smile on any face. Despite our olfactory protests, a fart – in all its acrid, odorous glory – has the ability to unify people across borders and boundaries. All farts are laughing gas, and everyone “cuts the cheese” from time to time. From the first recorded instance of humour to the invention of the whoopee cushion (historically, an inflated animal bladder), humanity has bonded over this mortifyingly funny body function. Though we’d rather not face it, a fart is a shared experience. A human experience that has been widely relatable and tragically hilarious throughout the ages.

Now, this fragrant, little factoid about the history of comedy is perhaps not the first, one should let rip at the upcoming office party. Many would agree such sensitive history should only be spoken of in select company. Perhaps, with an inner circle of non-judgemental, anosmic (lacking in sense of smell) friends or as a secret shared with easily entertained young nieces and nephews. Ultimately, when is a fart joke most acceptable to share? Obviously, when it does not stink.

REFERENCES

ttps://www.wlv.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/2008/august-2008/the-worlds-ten-oldest-jokes-revealed.php

https://www.scarymommy.com/best-fart-jokes/

https://www.fatherly.com/play/21-best-funniest-fart-jokes-kids/

https://www.seventeen.com/health/a38746/fart-facts/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/621949/fart-slang-words

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-124-4-199602150-00006?articleid=709469&https://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com /quotes-about-laughter/

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About the Creator

Imaan W

🌪🐎🍁🩺🔮⛷🌲🐺

1/3 sun : 2/3 snow

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