Firstly, let me apologise for trivialising such a serious subject as the horrors of the Third Reich.
But here goes:
In a traditional German toilet, the hole into which sh.. disappears after we flush is right at the front, so that s... is first laid out for us to sniff and inspect for traces of illness in a somewhat anal retentive way.
In the typical French toilet, au contraire, the hole is at the back, i.e. le shi... is supposed to disappear as quickly as possible.
Finally, the American (Anglo-Saxon) toilet presents a synthesis, yes, a happy medium, a mediation between these opposites: the toilet basin is full of water, so that the s... floats in it, visible, but not to be inspected.
from this one might argue....
Attitudes to excremental excess and existential attitudes:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_oqzswNq6ao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>France = a wish to get rid of it as fast as possible; (zut alors) = revolutionary hastiness and a soupcon of elitism
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bW1XV-2OPkI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>England = a pragmatic decision to treat it as ordinary and dispose of it in an appropriate way
(and always remember to wash your hands, darling) = cultural pretension and utilitarian pragmatism.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zfzZdSxkzMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Germany = an ambiguous contemplative fascination (was is das?) = excessive German seriousness
and reflective thoroughness.
Looky here, it is easy for them academics at a round table to claim that we live in a post-ideological universe, but the moment he visits the lavatory after some heated academic discussion, he is once again exposing his arse to ideology. Ideology is talking through his arse, one might say.
No wonder that in the famous discussion of European toilets at the beginning of her half-forgotten Fear of Flying, Erica Jong mockingly claims that ‘German toilets are really the key to the horrors of the Third Reich. People who can build toilets like this are capable of anything.’
But here goes:
In a traditional German toilet, the hole into which sh.. disappears after we flush is right at the front, so that s... is first laid out for us to sniff and inspect for traces of illness in a somewhat anal retentive way.
In the typical French toilet, au contraire, the hole is at the back, i.e. le shi... is supposed to disappear as quickly as possible.
Finally, the American (Anglo-Saxon) toilet presents a synthesis, yes, a happy medium, a mediation between these opposites: the toilet basin is full of water, so that the s... floats in it, visible, but not to be inspected.
from this one might argue....
Attitudes to excremental excess and existential attitudes:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_oqzswNq6ao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>France = a wish to get rid of it as fast as possible; (zut alors) = revolutionary hastiness and a soupcon of elitism
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bW1XV-2OPkI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>England = a pragmatic decision to treat it as ordinary and dispose of it in an appropriate way
(and always remember to wash your hands, darling) = cultural pretension and utilitarian pragmatism.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zfzZdSxkzMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Germany = an ambiguous contemplative fascination (was is das?) = excessive German seriousness
and reflective thoroughness.
Looky here, it is easy for them academics at a round table to claim that we live in a post-ideological universe, but the moment he visits the lavatory after some heated academic discussion, he is once again exposing his arse to ideology. Ideology is talking through his arse, one might say.
No wonder that in the famous discussion of European toilets at the beginning of her half-forgotten Fear of Flying, Erica Jong mockingly claims that ‘German toilets are really the key to the horrors of the Third Reich. People who can build toilets like this are capable of anything.’
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