Wheelbase Homeskillet John Kreutter graces the front page of SKATEorPOOP.com
The bell curve of toilet humor’s hilarity, for most of us anyway, seemed to peak at a time in which our older sibling’s 11pm curfew was to-die-for. Does that mean crude humor can’t be brought back to life in forms other than doodlings of genitalia on the back of your friend’s homework? Sure. And also maybe. Exhibit A: When skateboarders (or any other type of performance artists, for that matter) put a large amount of concentration and power into a particular move, the resulting faces are quite humorous, to say the least. The somewhat recently blossomed website SKATEorPOOP.com (SFW, no actual poo is pictured) has taken a particular liking to the skate face and offers visitors the ability to vote on the levels of… Um… Poopitude (?) of riders in various action shots. With choices ranging from “Not pooping at all” to “Diahhrea explosion!!!“, visitors cast their votes as they giggle over the compromising positions fellow riders encounter as they maneuver their rollyboards.
There aren’t any actual doody pics, aside from the MSPaint sketch at the top of the site, so you could even just translate the site into a language you don’t fully comprehend and pretend it’s simply a collection of unfortunately timed photos. Aside from the obvious toilet humor in the arena, one could say (and I’ll be that one) that there’s something deeper going on here. “Deeper than doo-doo?” Yes, my child. Deeper than doo-doo.
Self-deprecating humor, as if you’re not already aware, is an oft-used tactic to provide a humorous spin on things that may otherwise be objectively (or maybe subjectively) unfortunate or embarrassing. Think of Louis CK on the topic of being middle-aged, single, balding & moderately over-weight. Or, for you whippersnappers out there, think of Daniel Tosh on the topic of homosexuality & being a string bean sissy-boy. In the skateboarding world, though, pretty much everything we do is bad ass*, so we have to pick something to joke about, right? It appears we’ve selected the skate face in this instance, and drawing reference to the act of “going Number 2” seems to be the best way to give ourselves crap (YES! An overly convenient poo pun!) without “seriously” offending visitors. In our humble opinion, pointing out some of the funnier flaws in your own person is ultimately a positive experience. Making fun of yourself is a privilege denied to many, so be sure to exercise your freedom(s) accordingly!
All-in-all the creators of the site seem to have grasped the ability to put a positive spin on things in conjunction with the self-deprecation angle, and we just hope they can continue to bring a bit of humor to the table. To help shed light on their angle, the mission statement will come in handy:
…It is our mission to create a unique place in which everyone’s voice can be heard, and where skating and pooping can be celebrated in their rightful manner. It’s all about spreading the stoke!
Right on, girls and guys! Just be sure to let us know when you encounter photos of our likeness so we can get some laughter out of it, too. And to the rest of you: Keep on keepin’ skateboarding fun!
*What’s the opposite of self-deprecation? (Comic-exaggeration with a hint of arrogance?) Well, this is an example of that.
2 Responses to Skate Faces & Defecation: On the Topic of Self-Deprecation