Fart: A Documentary Page #3

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He could become one.

Oh, really?

Well, they've been around,

I think,

professional farters, for a--

for a number of years.

( record player

needle scratches )

( man speaking French )

Jim Dawson:

Because, you know

in France for example,

in the late 19th century

one of the top, uh...

one of the top stars

in Paris

was a guy named

Le Ptomane whose act

at the Moulin Rouge

was farting.

Paul Oldfield:

Le Ptomane, um...

Well, Le Ptomane,

whose real name

was Joseph Pujol,

performed at the Pink Windmill

at the Moulin Rouge

in Paris.

And he was--

where the famous

can-can dancers perform,

and he was

the highest paid act.

He grossed more than

the pop stars of the day,

which were

the opera singers,

and he performed

a fart show.

Even back in the days,

you know, in Roman days,

there was Le Ptomane

character then.

Beyond that

it's very difficult

to get the actual facts.

And he could suck wind

into his anus

and then he could

expel it at will.

And he had such control

over his sphincter

that he could--

that he could imitate

musical instruments,

animals, birds,

and he would often add,

"My mother-in-law."

( laughs )

Oldfield:

See, you get this thing

you don't know

how much he's become...

Hollywood-ized,

if you like...

How much of it it's been

pumped up for the movie.

And--

it's-- it's--

I suppose it's difficult

to know how...

It's difficult to get

to the bottom of it, really.

I would say that's the--

that's the problem.

And for a couple of years,

they would

actually have

medical people

in attendance

because women,

especially with their corsets,

you know, with--

They would go into these

hysterics over this guy.

He was so funny

that they would--

they couldn't

catch their breath

and they would be

passing out and--

and-- and so these people

would rush up

and, I guess,

loosen their corsets.

But-- but he

was extremely funny

and-- and-- and,

you know, even today,

there are people who,

you know, are still

doing that like

Mr. Methane

over in England.

- ( farting )

- ( audience laughing )

Oldfield:

I know that I can do it.

So therefore, I know

that Le Ptomane existed,

and I don't think

the tale came out of--

- out of nowhere.

-( farts )

It, you know,

there was enough people

who actually, um,

recounted this tale

and it's become--

it has become folklore.

Maybe some of his

abilities were a bit,

if you like,

trumped up.

But still, I mean,

even though the French

would laugh

at farting,

you know,

it wasn't something

that was

socially acceptable.

In fact,

I was unable to find

any sort of culture

where it was truly accepted

as just, you know,

"Oh, yeah,

yeah, fart,"

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