I know, it's ridiculous. But it's also very human. Here, for example, is an excerpt from episode 23 in the Winnebago Trickster cycle as collected by Paul Radin:
As he went wandering around aimlessly he suddenly heard someone speaking. He listened very carefully and it seemed to say, 'He who chews me will defecate; he will defecate!' That was what it was saying. 'Well, why is this person talking in this manner?' said Trickster. So he walked in the direction from which he had heard the speaking and again he heard, quite near him, someone saying: 'He who chews me, he will defecate; he will defecate!' This is what was said. 'Well, why does this person talk in such fashion ?' said Trickster. Then he walked to the other side. So he continued walking along. Then right at his very side, a voice seemed to say, 'He who chews me, he will defecate; he will defecate!' 'Well, I wonder who it is who is speaking. I know very well that if I chew it, I will not defecate.' But he kept looking around for the speaker and finally discovered, much to his astonishment, that it was a bulb on a bush. The bulb it was that was speaking. So he seized it, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and then swallowed it. He did just this and then went on.
'Well, where is the bulb gone that talked so much? Why, indeed, should I defecate? When I feel like defecating, then I shall defecate, no sooner. How could such an object make me defecate!' Thus spoke Trickster. Even as he spoke, however, he began to break wind. 'Well this, I suppose, is what it meant. Yet the bulb said I would defecate, and I am merely expelling gas. In any case I am a great man even if I do expel a little gas!' Thus he spoke. As he was talking he again broke wind. This time it was really quite strong. 'Well, what a foolish one I am. This is why I am called Foolish One, Trickster.' Now he began to break wind again and again. 'So this is why the bulb spoke as it did, I suppose.' Once more he broke wind. This time it was very loud and his rectum began to smart. 'Well, it surely is a great thing!' Then he broke wind again, this time with so much force, that he was propelled forward. 'Well, well, it may even make me give another push, but it won't make me defecate,' so he exclaimed defiantly. The next time he broke wind, the hind part of his body was raised up by the force of the explosion and he landed on his knees and hands. 'Well, go ahead and do it again ! Go ahead and do it again!' Then, again, he broke wind. This time the force of the expulsion sent him far up in the air and he landed on the ground, on his stomach. The next time he broke wind, he had to hang on to a log, so high was he thrown. . However, he raised himself up and, after a while, landed on the ground, the log on top of him. He was almost killed by the fall. The next time he broke wind, he had to hold on to a tree that stood near by.
And so it goes.
Fart jokes and fart sounds are a staple of comedy of all sorts. And, I suppose, is what this educational video is. It is comedy in the form of a deadpan tutorial on how to synthesize a fart sound with Ableton Live, a standard audio workstation for Macintosh and Windows computers. I laughed out loud a half-dozen or more times while listening to this. On the one hand we have the evolving fart sound, getting ever more convincing, in contrast to the high-tech means of creating it.
Enjoy.
From the YouTube page:
49 views Mar 19, 2023 #fartsounds #ableton #sounddesign
I couldn't find an Ableton-based tutorial on this very important topic, so I decided to make my own.0:00 Intro
0:38 Basic Oscillator
1:55 VCA Envelope and Filter
3:17 What's causing the sound?
4:35 Filter and Wavetable Envelopes
7:25 HPF and Effects
10:16 Modwheel Mapping
11:02 Final Sound
This is from the good folks at OpenAI:
Tell a fart joke.
Sure, here's a classic one:
Why did the bicycle fall over?
Because it was two-tired! (toot-toot)
See, even ChatGPT is allowed to tell a fart joke. I wonder if they're a cultural universal?
Are fart jokes found in all cultures?
Flatulence is a universal bodily function, and humor is a universal aspect of human culture. Therefore, it's not surprising that references to flatulence and jokes about it are found in many different cultures around the world.
Fart jokes and references to flatulence have been documented in ancient Greek and Roman literature, as well as in the literature of medieval Europe, including works like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In Japanese culture, there is a tradition of "he-gassen," or "fart battles," where artists would depict humorous scenes of people farting on each other. In many African cultures, flatulence is considered a sign of good health and is often celebrated with laughter.
That being said, the prevalence of fart jokes and references to flatulence in a particular culture can vary. Some cultures may find such humor to be more acceptable or even encouraged, while others may consider it taboo or inappropriate. Ultimately, the presence and acceptance of fart jokes in a culture is influenced by many factors, including social norms, values, and beliefs.
I rest my case.
* * * * *
META: I didn't plan this post. I just happaned. First I saw the video show up at YouTube. Why not? I thought, it could be interesting. And it was, and funny. I kept laughing. Should I make a post of it? I thought. But I can't just post it, straight out. So I started to write a little commentary, something about farts and humor. Then I thought about the Winnebago Trickster cycle, which I've written about in one of my cultural evolution papers. Then I wondered whether or not OpenAI allowed ChatGPT to tell a fart joke. I had to find out. Penultimately, I asked it whether or not fart jokes were found in all cultures.
Finally, this little pendant.