If you’ve ever been to Asia, there’s a good chance you’ll have acquainted yourself with the bidet. The bum gun. The super soaker for your sphincter.
For the unacquainted, the humble bidet is defined by Wikipedia as “a plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the genitalia… inner buttocks, and anus of the human body.” And while the sensation of water jets shooting up your derriere is undoubtedly a strange and confronting experience, it doesn’t take long before one learns to stop worrying and love the bidet.
That’s why this is great news: that controversial social entrepreneur Miki Agrawal is taking it upon herself to bring bidets to the bathrooms of the West.
Agrawal – who has been described as a “tech bro,” but a woman – made a somewhat controversial name for herself in 2011 as the founder of THINX: a company peddling blood-absorbent women’s underwear that was intended to be worn during menstruation. Subverting taboos around the human body is her bread and butter, and for the past few years she’s made it her project to shine light on the bodacious benefits of the bidet.
The Tushy loudly markets itself as being designed “For People Who Poop”; an “instant life upgrade that installs in just minutes with no extra electricity or plumbing.” It is, essentially, a bidet that you attach yourself, sitting just under the toilet seat and connecting to the toilet’s own water supply.
Scrolling through the product’s website, one is bombarded with ever more inspiring claims. It will “Change your world in 10 minutes”; “Mother Nature won’t have to take your crap anymore”; and “A clean butt is a healthy butt; a healthy butt is a happy butt; a happy butt is a happy you.”
Eager beavers will be able to nab themselves a standard issue Tushy for approximately 85 AUD, while the so-called ‘Tushy Spa’ – which comes with a delightful warm water option – will set you back around 105 AUD.
There is no good reason why bidets have not yet completely taken over the Western world. Miki Agrawal is taking very important steps to change all of that.
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Source: The New Yorker
Feature image: Groupon
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