Sep 12 2020

SYSK Selects: How Porta-Potties Work

Selects 40 min 4 movies discussed
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Despite our lengthy history of evacuating our bowels and bladders, it wasn’t until the relatively recent 1940s that we began to construct portable, self-contained toilets to accept our waste. Dive into the world of porta-potties in this classic episode.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive deep into the surprisingly fascinating world of porta-potties, tracing their evolution from World War II-era latrines to modern luxury restroom trailers. They explore the wild origin stories, including bomber pilots dealing with the horrifying Elson toilet at altitude, and cover the innovations that made portable toilets practical and hygienic, from ventilation systems to blue dye and enzyme treatments. The guys also tackle the gritty reality of what it takes to service these things, including the truly nightmarish scenarios porta-potty workers encounter on the job.


Movies Discussed

Jackass
Jackass
2000
★ 6.6
"Didn't the guys from Jackass do one of these? Like put one of them in there and tip it over or something? — Josh questions whether the Jackass crew did a stunt involving tipping over a porta-potty, though they later realize he's thinking of Police Academy." — Josh
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
1970 1h 56m
★ 7.0
"It looks like what they used on mash. Yeah, like the latrine. — Chuck compares the appearance of early porta-potties to the latrines seen in the TV series M*A*S*H." — Chuck
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
★ 8.3
"Congratulations on an absolutely marvelous episode concerning Monty Python, guys. — Listener mail references a previous SYSK episode about Monty Python and corrects pronunciation of John Cleese's name."
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
1986 PG 1h 24m
★ 5.8
"There's actually a great scene from, I think the first police academy starring our friend and Twitter follower, Steve Gutenberg. — Chuck references a scene from Police Academy where a porta-potty is lifted by a crane while someone is using it, later clarified as being from Police Academy 3." — Chuck

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