Best Of The Web – Bathroom Graffiti

“When in doubt, take a bath.” -Mae West

Everyone fancies himself a bathroom philosopher. Whether it’s formulating bathroom etiquette (e.g. “If it’s brown flush it down; if it’s yellow let it mellow”) or concocting a novel while sitting on the toilet, most people stick to the notion that their best thinking gets done in the most private of rooms. Sir Winston Churchill (savior of the British Isles during WWII) dictated many of his speeches while lying back in his tub; an inspiring thought for us bath lovers, though it was probably less wonderful for his typist.

Our best window into bathroom philosophy is the anonymous world of bathroom graffiti which, because it is so easily photographed with a Smartphone or whatever miniature camera you happen to carry around, has become a popular topic on Internet message boards over the past few years. Bathroom graffiti has sprouted such sites as thewritingsonthestall.com and graffitiproject.com. Although photographs and records of this phenomenon are abundant, they are often disorganized, which makes it somewhat tedious to sift through them. Drawing on my travels in cyberspace, I have put together a best-of-the-web list of bathroom graffiti.

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

George Bush’s election and subsequent failures may have been the best thing to happen to bathroom graffiti since the Sharpie. In this piece, our artist channels Abbie Hoffman.

From: http://www.buzzfeed.com/toilettalk/the-eleven-best-hipster-bathroom-graffiti-moments-ghj

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

Obama inspired?

From: http://blog.designpublic.com/2007/03/22/bathroom-graffiti-meets-modern-technology/

Nerdy

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

If this is the case, do hobbits have special toilets?

From: http://graffitiproject.blogspot.com/2007/07/frodo-lives.htm

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

I’m shocked I have never seen an MIT student wearing this on a t-shirt in Boston.

From: http://www.graffitiproject.com/photo/loading-1?context=latest

Poetic

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

I wonder if anyone was at the next urinal while this guy was counting the syllables of his haiku on his fingers?

From: http://www.graffitiproject.com

Drugs

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

A rather straightforward message.

From: http://www.graffitiproject.com/photo/enjoy-cocaine?context=latest

Literary

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

From the hand of Beckett.

From: http://katra.vox.com/library/photo/6a00c2251ded1f8e1d00c2251d039b8fdb.html

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

A play on a classic. Turns out this is the number to a bookstore in Wellesley MA.

From:www.publishersweekly.com

Oedipal

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

From Freud’s archives.

From: http://www.bestviral.com/image/1g/go_home_mom_youre_drunk

Religious

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

True! He fixed my Corolla yesterday.

From: http://www.graffitiproject.com/photo/i-heart-ny/next?context=latest

Bathrooms

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

This is something I have always wondered myself when in a public bathroom.

Pop Culture

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

Spotted in NYC a reference to maybe the best youtube video of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM.

From: http://blog.rifftrax.com/2008/11/17/nyc-bathroom-graffiti/

Sexual Fantasy:

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

“I want to make out with Willy Wonka”

The only question is: Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder?

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickygirl/31802840/

Music

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

This one really excited me. You have to love the reference to the Boyz.

Rebellion

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

This guy is a real rabble- rouser.

From://verdinobytes.com/i-just-wrote-on-the-wall

And of course the infamous bacon dispenser category……….

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

From: http://redhanded.hobix.com/cult/foxBaconInGlasgow.html

Best Of The Web - Bathroom Graffiti

From: http://www.core77.com/blog/archive/200811.asp

Add your favorite graffiti in the comments section and let us know what category you would put it in.

Gabriel Wilson is a graduate of Tufts University.  He works in the film business in New York City.  He was the recipient of the Tufts University Creative Writing Award for poetry, and his film ”John S ...read more

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