354 Comments
User's avatar
Jochen's avatar

And a thank you for a reminder of the greatest caption ever published (in the German magazine Stern):

Princess Anne (left), and her horse.

Wis's avatar

Jochen: What’s kind of pathetic is it took me a couple seconds to get the joke - which is hilarious, mind you! - and I probably only got it because I knew it (probably) was posted because something was funny about it. Granted, I just woke up, but I wonder how many little real-life gems like this I miss because my brain just blithely reads past them.

Love it!

Jochen's avatar

Now, look up a picture of the King's sister.

Wis's avatar

She looks terminally British to me, if I googled the right thing!

Back stroking thru prune juice's avatar

Princess Anne (left), and her horse.

gene weingarten's avatar

I and my girlfriend once had simultaneous diarrhea in a hotel room in Mexico City. I had gotten mine from eating tripe tacos from a street cart outside a bull ring. She got hers from the water, having (for some reason) eschewed the tacos. But both of our diarrheas were raging at the EXACT same time, meaning while she -- being the lady -- got to excrete into the toilet, I did so over the edge of the bathtub. We got married not long afterward, somehow. I am giving you all this free of charge.

Dave Barry's avatar

Don't think we're not grateful.

FrankLJ's avatar

Just cause we’re not. No use assuming the worst.

On the other hand, that might have kept you from eating street food in Mexico.

George Gillson's avatar

We're getting into a weird area here....

Mark Alexander's avatar

That is perhaps the most romantic story I've ever read.

Birdman51's avatar

If you can get through that day, you are almost guaranteed to see your 50th anniversary.

JH's avatar

Perhaps not ! But, better than therapy for a marriage.

Mike Cutcliff's avatar

One for the ages! They came (I'd guess) and went together...not necessarily in that order.

Grandpagrumble's avatar

Don’t kid us, Gene. You HAD to get married after that. Mexican rules apply to that situation

Chris(tobol)'s avatar

To have and to hold, to give dibs on the toilet...

Lizbet's avatar

That is a legit test of worthiness. Ladies, never marry a man who DOESN'T give you dibs on the toilet.

Fran Tunno's avatar

I will never look at a bathtub the same again.

Roger Beal's avatar

At least not at a bathtub in a Mexican hotel.

That's no lady!'s avatar

The sheer romance of this post made me want to eat tripe chalupas with my husband and share the near-death experience of ED. That's Explosive Diarrhea, I mean.

Ron Brawer's avatar

I hope you over-tipped the maid.

(Gave her a huge tip, not tipped her over, to be clear.)

Dale of Green Gables's avatar

"I and my girlfriend once had simultaneous diarrhea in a hotel room in Mexico City." Certainly rivals "We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones" (Richard Dawkins, "Unweaving the Rainbow") as great non-fiction opening lines.

Bill Dunn's avatar

Thank you for sharing :(

Eddy's avatar

I would like to purchase the movie rights to this story, for either the Hallmark Channel, or Shudder.

Sandra Wright's avatar

After that episode, you would either never want to see each other again or have to be together because you had already seen each other at their worst!!

Bravo!

Gary Goldberg's avatar

I was with a girlfriend in Moscow and she got diarrhea from a salad in the cafeteria of the Russian State Library. Fortunately, I had some Imodium in my suitcase for such emergencies.

Carol Anne Fusco's avatar

You are a good boyfriend!

M. de Hendon (926577)'s avatar

Ah yes, you remember it well ...

FrankLJ's avatar

There is a Lifetime Channel special here (that is the All Men Are Jerks Channel).

You showed your consideration in a difficult situation, so perhaps the Channel will show you as an exception. On the other hand, it might just blame you for everything, as the channels target audience, which shall remain nameless, tends to do.

What I don’t get is eating Mexican street food. Doesn’t that void your travel insurance?

Patrick's avatar

So, just for future reference, can you give us the name of that Mexico City hotel, and also the exact room number. Asking for a friend.

Toddy McClain's avatar

That is the worst thing I ever read.

FrankLJ's avatar

Up there.

But you had better avoid Lord Dunsany’s story “Two Bottles Of Relish”.

wiredog's avatar

How can you write about explosive diarrhea without linking to your justly internationally famous column that, IIRC, contains the phrase “full firehose mode”?

https://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928847.html

I’m *really good* at sleeping. When I was in the Army I once got a great nights sleep on a bed of ammo cans in the back of a track in Korea. Of course that was 40 years ago and a bed like that might be bit stiff for me today. But I have no problem sleeping almost anywhere given the opportunity. This sometimes makes other drivers on the road a bit nervous,

Lizbet's avatar

When I was a kid, the house across the street from ours burned down. My sister said there were 3 fire trucks with sirens blaring. I slept through the whole thing.

Steve Pietrowicz's avatar

One of the reasons the news media keeps spelling out “explosive diarrhea” is they can’t use the initials “E.D.” because of all the “E.D.” commercials we’ve been bombarded with over the years.

I have noticed if you read a news story and substitute “E.D.” for every occurrence of “explosive diarrhea “, the articles are a lot different.

John E Simpson's avatar

Ha! I think you're onto something here, Steve!

Patrick Houston's avatar

I agree. Besides, unleashing a firehose of ED into a Mexican hotel tub is an oxymoron and conjures a completely different image. In that case, would it still lead to marriage?

Haliday's avatar

It’s 4:24 and I’m awake because I had an attack of stable diarrhea. Unless you have another term for the opposite of explosive. Because implosive diarrhea is not a thing. And if it ever is, you definitely should not write a column about it.

The Bootleg Manager's avatar

The mental gymnastics I just experienced over the term “implosive diarrhea.”

Chris(tobol)'s avatar

It is funny that people are having to clarify "regular ol' diahhrea" these days.

John E Simpson's avatar

Actually, I've wondered about that. Sorta. Like, what's the line that separates "explosive" from "exuberant," or "exuberant" from "mildly enthusiastic"?

Susie's avatar

“I’m so sorry, boss, but my colon was mildly enthusiastic.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Chris(tobol)'s avatar

Mildly enthusiastic buys you what, 15 minutes?

And at what level do you get sent home? Sorry boss, spraying like a hippo without warning here, but I'm ready for the big sales pitch.

Susie's avatar

Ahahahahahahaha!!!! 🤣🤣🤣

Deb Romano's avatar

When you need to call 911, that’s when the line has been drawn. Trust me!

John E Simpson's avatar

I'm sure the EMTs consider it a bright red line. 😉

Deb Romano's avatar

They drove that ambulance v-e-r-y carefully!

John E Simpson's avatar

(laughing) "Hey, Joe, let's stop for coffee and donuts on our way, okay?"

Patrick's avatar

When I think of explosive, I usually think it means it could detonate at any moment, without any warning. So, even enthusiastic means you can at least try to curb your enthusiasm long enough to reach the bathtub. (apologies to Larry David)

Bill Dunn's avatar

Thank you for sharing. :(

Lizbet's avatar

So that's where the "stable" in "stable genius" 4am tweets comes from. Next question: where does the "genius" come from?

Rich Feldman's avatar

RFK Jr. on explosive diarrhea: “Sounds good to me.”

PD Mullarkey's avatar

A fear of mine is that RFK Jr. will find out about Jimothy and, as he did to a dead raccoon alongside the road, cut off his ...

John E Simpson's avatar

OMG. How has Jimothy escaped my notice until now? (Clearly, I'm not spending enough time online! 🤣)

Helena Handbasket's avatar

Obviously you haven't gone to the Google home page lately -- when you do, Jimothy leaps/lopes (or whatever) across the screen.

John E Simpson's avatar

Haha — yes, I naturally leapt/loped over to Google as soon as I saw the name and noticed exactly that! (And of course naturally — immediately — I fell into an hour-long Internet rabbit raccoon hole.)

Natasha's avatar

Might actually be Kimothy IYKWIM

Steve Pietrowicz's avatar

I saw this pillow phenomenon happen when my wife was pregnant. Those pillows multiplied over time in order to make her more comfortable.

When I find out a couple is having a kid, I always ask “how many pillows are you up to?” The men are always surprised I knew they were in the middle of that battle.

Jackson74's avatar

Thank you — wish there were more comments on the main topic about sleep, the number two topic seems to get all the attention.

Terry's avatar

I see what you did there.

Jeannie wisto's avatar

If its "explosive" does it still qualify as #2? Seems like it should be escalated.

Ronald Dowding's avatar

Dave, Any thoughts about “explosive diarrhea”?

Dave Barry's avatar

It's a topic I hope to explore some day.

Chris Hanson's avatar

Today’s Topic made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Michael Bowe's avatar

I think "Arts" is missing the "s" and "h" in front of it.

Grandpagrumble's avatar

You misspelled it, Dave. You meant to say explode some day.

Ina H.'s avatar

Great question, Ronald. I'm a woman, and somehow, I can't explain why, the topic seems far less a silly guy thing than fart humor. Maybe it's- I'm just spit balling here - because we've all been exposed to the new ED one time or another. So any coverage by Dave would be most welcome.

Michael Bowe's avatar

Russian explosive diarrhea. Is that Molotov's revenge? Or a case of the Trotskys?

Fran Tunno's avatar

Dave, Dave, Dave! You knew the term for that karate chop look people give their pillows because they saw someone do it on HGTV! That is impressive progress for Michelle because it shows that, in spite of the fact that you hate all those pillows, you actually used the words, plumped up and dimpled! As a woman, I am very impressed by Michelle's decorating influence on you. Next you'll be using charger plates. I am still never sure how to spell diarrhea, so I'm glad you used it at least 13 times in your brilliant piece, you cultural representative you.

Bill Dunn's avatar

Really? "Explosive Diarrhea" was not one of the band name choices? I would definitely attend one of their concerts ... decked out in a hazmat suit.

Paul Konigstein's avatar

And “Decorative Bed Pillows “ was not one of the band names either???

Chris(tobol)'s avatar

Weaponized Chimichamga also wbagnfrb.

John E Simpson's avatar

Crowdsurfing discouraged.

Chicagoland Dave's avatar

After many many many hotel nights I offer you my semi-genius solution for all those ridiculous extra pillows: pile them on the side of the bed closest to the damn AC unit that blows directly on the bed and can't be directed anywhere else. The desk chair might also help in the construction of your "Arctic deflection device". Note: housekeeping is expert at disassembling said deflection devices - but in fairness they can't help themselves - they are all women.

Mark Alexander's avatar

When I was in Russia on a group tour in 1971 (yes, I'm old), I had the opposite problem: constipation. The water was so bad (e.g., it reeked of sulfur in Leningrad) that we drank only beer and other alcoholic beverages. This was exciting for us, since we we were all teenagers who wouldn't have been able to live this way in the USA. But the resulting intestinal problem was Not Fun.

On the matter of decorative pillows: I've noticed lately that even motels have succumbed to this insanity. Fortunately, I'm single and don't have to share the gigantic bed they give you in a motel, so I pile the 17 extraneous pillows on the side of the bed I'm not sleeping on, making a tower that reaches nearly to the ceiling.

gayle carper's avatar

Nah, not old. Just experienced.

Beth Mowry's avatar

Usually only 1 or 2 fit in the closet and you don't want to put them on the floor. Sometimes we manage to give them back to a maid.

M. de Hendon (926577)'s avatar

Have you noticed how people are walking a little taller now that they know how to spell "diarrhea"?

Helena Handbasket's avatar

They're also walking a little faster . . .

M. de Hendon (926577)'s avatar

As a somewhat precocious child who had heard but never seen the word, I thought it was "dire rear," which I still think is apposite.

Randall Robinson's avatar

The French word for "behind" is derriere :-)

M. de Hendon (926577)'s avatar

Oui, m'sieur, c'est ca! Ooh, la, la.

Randall Robinson's avatar

Merci :-) (mais je suis madame)

Rich Feldman's avatar

Ya know, when humor surrounding explosive diarrhea is as welcome as it is, even overtaking the almighty fart, you can't help but stop and wonder the level of stress we're living in nowadays. What's next? Radioactive navel lint?

Sherry Simonic's avatar

I’m from Cleveland and I’m offended!

Lynn Cansler's avatar

Great comment! With all the pillow talk and diarrhea jokes,I’d forgotten about the ridiculous map with only Cleveland noted! Big laugh!

Mike Cutcliff's avatar

A pile of mine announces his bathroom trips by saying "I'm taking the Browns to the Super Bowl!"

Well, that's one way to get there... hang in there, Cleveland!

Mike Cutcliff's avatar

Not a pile, a PAL. But it fit the topic better...