Humor & Satire

December 18, 2024

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Imagine as you swiftly enter the bathroom, taking care to use your time wisely, and you look up to see a portrait of a water buffalo on the wall beside you. I don't believe it would phase me, and here’s why. According to smarthistory.org, we as human beings have written and scribbled our findings and sights we see for nearly 46,000 years. What once was the Sulawesi Warty Pig is now a ballad of a broken-hearted bowel movement. The need for gossip is a part of our culture, and all forms of communication are valid, but is your bathroom tile medium really that productive? 

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The grand amount of ever changing bathroom graffiti honestly impacts my day a bit. It’s a gamble as to whether I’ll choose a stall with beef from six months ago, a tragedy on tampax (the stage production), or a genuinely thoughtful and positive interaction or statement. The bathroom fortune cookie determines the general vibe for the day. No matter the stall I choose though, I always think to myself: “This is really unfair to the custodians.”

 

When it comes to graffiti most people assume the worst, but some would say it’s how they express themselves. The stalls in the girls bathrooms are full of it; whether it’s drama, art, or even some encouragement, it does show a separation between certain students. Some would rather bring others down, and the other half wants to uplift their classmates. We understand that it may not be appropriate or needed, but it's going to continue to happen, so why not make it more positive to lift up our school community?

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One of our school custodians, Ms. Daye, says she mostly sees cuss words and sexual pictures/words, and often students don't see the problem. She can erase them, and they’ll return the next day, which, understandably, makes her feel unappreciated.”Girls are a lot worse than boys as far as what they write,” we all agreed when she explained.  “Boys keep it simple with their names or maybe gang signs colored in and made pretty. Girls hate you, then they love you, then it's eff you B.”

 

When Mrs. Bruner was asked if she ever had any personal experiences with bathroom graffiti, she recalled a story from high school in which  her friend would go to the girls bathroom every day to erase negative rumors and remarks written on the stalls about her. She recounted being confused at first, and didn't find out who it was, but had an idea. ”Just remember that it really is about the other person, and not about you… it says more about them than you. I think a lot of times people will project their insecurities or something they're not comfortable with onto other people.” Mrs. Bruner ended up having little to no social ties with the girl she suspected of writing mean remarks about her. Since she knew that it was most likely the case that this girl was writing about her from misplaced insecurity, she was able to take the negativity in stride, with help from her individual self-confidence and caring support system. 

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At the end of the day, people will talk and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. If you absolutely feel the need to say something negative in general or about someone else, understand that we are too old and technologically advanced to be communicating like cavemen. There are other ways to get your word out and to spread positivity. Be there for someone in need without expecting anything, tell someone that their perfume smells nice. Being altruistic can have benefits for yourself and all those around you, and a compliment can take seconds to change someone's day.

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Since the invention of indoor plumbing, the bathroom has been a safe space for men and women alike. If you need a way to effectively get a message out to your peers, social media is the most accessible way. All you need is instagram, time, and something worthwhile to say.