Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Art Museum Toilet Museum of Art





(Above: A great work of art. Take my word for it.)

Today's post is in honor of a little something we all take for granted, but none of us could live without. (Well, we could but . . . ewww.) Toilets.

Not many people can truly appreciate these humble thrones, but now there's a place for the lucky few who see the beauty in a urinal and the artistry in a toilet seat. The Art Museum Toilet Museum of Art. (Try saying that a few times.)

There, you can check out glorious examples of porcelain art from around the world--from the squat toilets of the Tokyo Museum of Photography to the lovely urinals of New York's New Museum. (Warning! Not all of the bathrooms are clean!) You can even donate your own photos to the collection (if you're the sort of person who collects that sort of thing).

Click here to enter!

Not ready to get out of the bathroom? Check out the Homestar Spa, which turns your bathroom into a planetarium.

I was going to write a little something about outhouses, too, but I've decided they deserve their own post. Question #1: How many of you have actually seen or visited an outhouse? Question #2: Anyone seen Slumdog Millionaire?


PS: Who knew pink was so controversial?

32 comments:

Traveling Gnome said...

1: When I went backpacking a few summers ago, we had to use an outhouse for three days since we were in the back country. I'd rather do my business in a bush!

2: I haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, but it's supposed to be REALLY good, so I want to...

Orchid said...

There are museum's for some of the weirdest things.
1. No, I have never seen or been in an outhouse.
2. I have not seen Slumdog Millionaire. What is it about?

Anonymous said...

That Homestar spa is really cool
1. no
2. no... what's it about?

Hazel said...

1: Yes, like at sports games. Yes, they're gross, but they're way more bearable than you'd think.
2: No, is it good?

Anonymous said...

1. I have used an outhouse but the place I was at we still had to pee in the bushes. Why build the stupid smelly thing if you can't use it for all toilet needs?
2. I have never heard of Slumdog Millionaire, but I am going to look it up on imdb right now.

Irregular Kiki said...

Pink is/was interesting for most of us.

Anonymous said...

1. Yes, on camping trips and historical recreation days.
2. No.

eternal espionage said...

oh lord! I had to share a MAKESHIFT outhouse once with 7 other girls during a girl scout trip. Just imagine a hole in the ground, some sawdust, and two planks of plywood for privacy... yeah.

Kitty said...

1. Yes
2. No

That museum sounds cool!~ ^^

Anonymous said...

1: I have had to use outhouses on numerous occasions. It degrades civilization. Seiriously.
2: Never heard of it.
I have actually devoted an hour to Google-searching toilets. I think those modern, sleek toilets are beautiful! They're like architecture. Oh and also to Eternal Espionage: I have had worse. Much worse. My class visited a farm for a week and all we had was a little rickety shelter that had big holes cut in the sides. We had to bury our buisiness in dirt to help it compost, because the farm used human #2 as fertilizer! Ewww!!!

Anonymous said...

This is the same Anonymous who said she had it worse than you: OK, I didn't, sorry, I didn't read your entire post. But I think that using human feces as fertilizer ranks pretty high on the Gross Scale.

Anonymous said...

When will Kiki Strike 3 come out?

Nellie said...

1. No, not an honest-to-goodness one, but I've used Porta Potties.
2. No.

Anonymous said...

I would, but being only an innocent (? muahaha) child. Such things r much 2 much 2 hope for. ( It's R) Everybody loves that movie!

International Mastermind said...

UGH they had outhouses at a camp I went to.....and when you REALLY need to go, and there are no other places and it happens to be the hottest day of the year and you have super-smell powers and......EWWWWWWWW. ;)

Nellie said...

It's the urinal from Kiki #2!

Kirsten Miller said...

Nellie: You are a genius. I was wondering if anyone would get it! BTW, I liked what you said about your mom kicking butt. I think the whole point of "feminism" is giving girls/women choices! And if your mom has 7 kids, I bet she's one tough lady. (In the best way, of course.)

Anonymous said...

So, seriously. What is Slumdog Millionaire about?

Kirsten Miller said...

Everyone: Slumdog Millionaire is a kind of modern day fairy tale about a boy from the slums of Mumbai who wins a fortune on a game show. You can see a clip here:

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/415379/Slumdog-Millionaire/overview

A lot of people think it could win a Best Picture Oscar. I thought it was pretty darn entertaining. And it has the nastiest outhouse scene I've ever come across.

Kirsten Miller said...

Uh oh. Just noticed that the movie is rated R. But I can't for the life of me remember why. Violence, maybe?

Anonymous said...

1~me
2~my parents

Hidden said...

1. Who hasnt? ok, maybe quite a few people :P BUt I agree with traveling gnome... Id rather use a bush!

2. Nope. Whats it about?

I dont think Id like to visit tha museum :D

Undiscovered Universe said...

1) Noooo! You reminded me! I used to live in a rural place, and my friend acually had an outhouse instead of a regular toilette! GROSS! So yeah, I have used an outhouse a LOT (To my horror)

Outhouses are worse than porta potties, and that is saying something!

2)Nope.

Irregular Kiki said...

In Japan airport, I was busting and there were two whole rows of toilets. I went into one and it was a...ground toilet (egh) but I was dying to go. And when I came out, I looked across at the other row of toilets, and, boy, was I upset, there was a whole row of normal toilets there! How could I be so blind!

Irregular Kiki said...

I've never been in an outhouse.

Hidden said...

Irregular Kiki: Ha! that happened to me once, at an airport too. I just couldnt hold it long enought o look any further XD

she who must not be named said...

1. yes, unfortunately
2. no, but I've heard it's really good

I saw that urinal last year at the Tate Modern in London. The exhibit was about Dada-ism (love that name)

Anonymous said...

after my recent trip to china, where flushable holes are more common... i have a healthy respect for the american style toilet :)

jenna said...

That's funny.
1.Nope, I haven't been in or seen an outhouse.

2.I haven't, but I want to. My parent's aren't going to let me, though, because It's rated R. (Although, why should that stop me? ;] )

liltomboyblue said...

1) yes...

2) No, but my math teacher loved it!

liltomboyblue said...

One of the fanciest bathroom I have ever been in was in NYC aroung christmas, my parents and I couldn't find a decent public restroom so we ended up in Saks 5th Avenue and they had the most amaaaazing bathrooms, it was huge complete with couches, huge mirrors with make-up lights, minature soap dishes, multiple lotions, HUGE stalls, and the toilets had the sanitary wrap on it that automatically moved when you got up!!! I was about 10 at the time and I thought it was one of the most amazing things ever!!!

Nico said...

A museum of toilets?! weird but coolish