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Fart lighting or fart-burning is the practice of setting fire to the gases produced by flatulence often producing a blue hue. Although earlier records do not document the activity, probably because of its vulgar and juvenile nature, the unique activity has increasingly found its way into popular culture with references in comic routines, books, videos and movies.
Background
Flatulence is a mixture of gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide with hydrogen sulfide being the most odorous. The gases are produced by bacteria which live in symbiosis within the large intestines of humans and other mammals . The gases are created as a by-product of the bacteria's digestion work to break down food into elementary substances.
Flammability
Because the methane and hydrogen present are flammable, lighting the resulting gas can result in burns or explosions as well as the desired flame. Clothing or hair may catch fire and sensitive tissues can be damaged. The flame is not always blue, but may be orange or yellow as well, depending on the composition of the gas and the microorganisms living in the colon.
Motivations
The Manly Art Of Fart-Burning. Compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust."
— Frank Zappa
Fart lighting has become a novelty practice primarily among young men or college students for decades, but is discouraged for its potential for causing injury. Such experiments typically occur on camping trips and single-sex group residences, such as tree-houses, dormitories, or fraternity houses. With the advent of video sharing features online hundreds of self-produced videos both documentary as well as spoof have been posted to sites such as YouTube and predominantly are from young males. In his book The Curse of the Self: Self-Awareness, Egotism, and the Quality of Human Life author Mark Richard Leary explains how a great deal of unhappiness is due to people's inability to exert control over their thoughts and behavior and that "stupid stunts" including lighting flatulence was a way to make an impression and be included in group bonding or hazing.
Radio personality Howard Stern, who is known for outlandish and often vulgar on-air stunts cites a fart-lighting scene for losing his popular radio show's first NBC affiliate when WGIT in Hartford canceled the show.
On 2 May 2000, a U.S. patent was issued for a "Toy gas fired missile and launcher assembly", a product that would allow one's "colonic gases" to be stored for later ignition to "fire the missile into space."
Serious injuries
The flammability of bodily gases has caused serious problems in the medical operating room and also in animal slaughterhouses. At least one patient is known to have suffered from the effects of an explosion while undergoing cauterization of a colon polyp. An electric spark ignited the patient's gases, resulting in a six-inch (15-cm) hole in the patient's large intestine. However, this was sewn up, and the patient recovered.
Comedy use
Many find a comedic value to the lighting of farts. The activity is often represented in pop culture and "for adults, the allure of the vulgar is regressionary and often secretly pleasurable."
See also
References
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A673508
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A673508
- Slaven, Neil (2003, ISBN 0711994366). "Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story of Frank Zappa". Omnibus Press. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Dawson, Jim (1999). "Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart". Ten Speed Press, ISBN 1580080111. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- U. of California Press Web site Retrieved October 6, 2007
- Barnes, Steve (2007). "On YouTube, you too can be a star". Santa Cruz Live. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- "Search Results for "fart lighting"". YouTube. 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- Leary, Mark Richard (2004). "The Curse of the Self: Self-Awareness, Egotism, and the Quality of Human Life". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- Stern, Howard (1993). "Private Parts". Simon & Schuster ISBN 0671880160. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- Zanakis, Michael F. "Toy Gas Fired Missile and Launcher Assembly". U.S. Patent Office, Patent number: 6055910; Filing date: Jun 1, 1998; International Classification - F42B 406. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
{{cite web}}: Text "date: 2 May, 2000" ignored (help) - The Straight Dope web site
- Twitchell., J. (1992; p.52). Carnival Culture – The Trashing of Taste in America. Columbia University Press, New York.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)