It’s a long-established scientific fact that farts – along with Ziggy comics, wiener dogs and racist Albanian knock-knock jokes – are the funniest thing on the face of the Earth. The sound of two butt cheeks rumbling in gaseous glory transcends age, language and culture. It might just be the perfect representation of humanity itself.
Yet, beneath the laughter are also tears from the millions of people who have experienced “flatulism” – the narrow-minded persecution of our society’s countless gassy, bloated and farty masses. From the hideously obese to lovers of broccoli casserole, far too many have felt the bitter, eye-watering sting of flatulism.
Which is why in this week’s “Human/Nature” comic we wanted to try and raise global awareness about flatulism. And what better way to do that than with a cartoon skunk! Of course, in the pantheon of cartoon animals there are really only two skunks of note: Flower, from the Disney animated film/hunter death orgy Bambi, and beloved Looney Tunes character Pepé Le Pew (who taught us all that handsiness and sexual harassment is somehow both acceptable and hilarious if done in a fabulous French accent). Both have no doubt experienced their fair share of shameful, shameful flatulism.
Yet if Donnie, the skunk character from this week’s “Human/Nature” comic, teaches us anything, it’s that we should all be little more tolerant of those who might choose to express themselves gaseously. Forget global warming, disease and attempting to uncover the secret behind Cadbury’s Caramilk bars*, flatulism is an all-too real and serious problem that affects us all. Let’s not stay silent but deadly on this issue for much longer, and let one rip for a cause we can all get our behinds behind.
Thanks for reading!
-Pol & Adam
*Current Theory: It’s actually a nougat-like substance which grows deep in the furthest recesses of Wilfred Brimley’s jowls.
I think I sat next to that Raccoon in high school.