Why didn't bidets catch on in the United States?

Why not a…

Note: the one you posted is great btw. The mental image of a super soaker was just something random i had to post :stuck_out_tongue:

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The bidet function as standard on toilets is one of my favorite parts of visiting Japan that I would never tell other people in public.

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Despite my apartment having a toilet that goes to great length to make the water hook-up near impossible to access I was able to install the type that is a spray gun on a length of hose. Works great.

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I’ve happily discovered that some Japanese restaurants in America have them as well. It’s one of my favorite parts of visiting Ninja New York (besides the ninjas, of course).

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I thought that was only on The Venture Brothers!

As someone who lives in the NYC Metro Area and works in Manhattan, I am disappointed in myself that I didn’t know about the place.
https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/03/07/ninja-new-york-makes-a-stunt-filled-cameo-on-the-venture-bros/

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I had no idea that place appeared in Venture Bros!! That’s actually a very accurate depiction of the restaurant, costumes, menus, and ridiculous ninja action (complete with flaming food, explosions, and rubber ninja stars).

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Every time I read some more of the Bidet evangelism on BoingBoing I think “I should install one of those.” But we only have the 1 toilet for the 4 of us. 1 of us is a 6 year old. Unfortunately, the 6 year old is of the male variety. So, I fear how this could impact my life.

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i have the standard cold (room-temp) water version too, and i love it. instead of using toilet paper, though, i bought a bunch of tiny (6" square?) washcloths for wiping baby butts and i keep a stack by the toilet. i dry off and toss them in the laundry. because of the water washing, they typically never show any sign of (ahem) stains or anything, they just get a bit damp.

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Not catching on? Elizabeth Warren only recently caught up to him in the polls. In fact, I’m surprised he’s doing so well, because he has no original ideas of his own and just blows hot water up everybody’s ass.

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“I just don’t understand why the focus group responded so negatively to the ANUS RINSER 3000. Maybe we should go with the second name choice: ASS BLASTER.”

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Previously on boingboing:

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Ass Blasters would sell like pancakes in the US!

I can see the commercials now. ASS BLASTERS! WASH YOUR ASS.

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From the amazon questions section from the link:

Question:

Does this shoot ice cold toilet water right up your butthole

Answer:

Yes
By Jeff on February 1, 2017

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In France, bidets are used for washing your naughty bits before engaging in the French national pastime of getting it on in a latin- or numerical- sounding manner. They didn’t catch on in the USA because the Jesus-approved missionary position with lights out and sheets over doesn’t really require such cleanliness.

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I like the handheld better than the add-under-seat version (not as convenient, but more utilitarian*). Some (all?) of the add-under-seat versions can eventually cause your toilet seat to break (and the seat mounting screws constantly loosen) b/c they elevate the rear seat bumpers so they no longer contact the rim they would normally sit on, leaving only the front bumpers to support your weight.

*it’s easier to clean both the handheld and the toilet, compared to the add-under-the-seat version.

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FTFY

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In the US, we have the 45. I’m a little foggy on the details, but it ends with peeing on the bed.

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“save water”

Regular bidets save water (b/c soap, water, towel), but add-on ones do not, b/c after using paper to remove the majority of stuff (skip this step and regret it), you still need paper to dry off after spraying. Regular toilets just do not have the “working room” that regular bidets do, making it too inconvenient to actually do the full-on soap/water/towel routine of a regular bidet.

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I have this argument with my husband constantly (even now as we finish up our honeymoon in Europe).

Is it really “cleaning” if you’re just spritzing water on your bum? Or are you just making the microbial particles more mobile by adding water, thus spreading fecal liquid over a larger surface area than just wiping it away at the source?

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That video was pretty vague on why they didn’t catch on in America. Some hand waving about GIs thinking they’re only for whores and some weaksauce space issues. It doesn’t feel like we’ve dug down to the root cause here.

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