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 episode.
AI Summary
Chuck and Josh dive deep into the surprisingly complex world of portable toilets, exploring everything from their military origins in World War II bomber planes to the modern chemistry that keeps today's porta-potties functional. The hosts trace the evolution from crude wartime contraptions like the dreaded "Elsan toilet" to today's polyethylene marvels, while also covering the less glamorous side of how these essential facilities are serviced and maintained. It's a fascinating look at an invention most people prefer not to think about, complete with trade magazine insights and some truly unforgettable wartime quotes about bathroom emergencies at 30,000 feet.
"stars of the cult classic show, Hey Dude — Referenced in a promotional segment for another podcast about 90s nostalgia."
"Didn't the guys from Jackass do one of these? Put one of them in there and tip it over or something? — Josh recalls a possible stunt from the Jackass TV show involving tipping over a porta-potty."
— Josh
"It looks like what they used on mash — Josh compares the appearance of early 1940s porta-potties to the latrine structures seen in M*A*S*H."
— Josh
Phantasm
1979
1h 29m
★ 6.5
"They end up in that other dimension from phantasm — Josh makes a joke about people who disappear in porta-potties ending up in another dimension like in the horror movie Phantasm."
— Josh
Police Academy
1984
1h 37m
★ 6.7
"there's actually a great scene from I think the first police academy starring our friend and Twitter follower, Steve Gutenberg — Josh describes a scene where characters use a crane to lift a porta-potty while someone is inside using it."
— Josh
Poltergeist
1982
1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL instant messenger and the dial-up sound like poltergeist? — Referenced in a promotional segment comparing dial-up internet sounds to the movie Poltergeist."
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