“You know, toilet jokes are funny but you don't keep telling toilet jokes all the time. It's the easy way out.”
—Jim Henson^[1]

While the Muppets most commonly have an image of innocence, their material can sometimes dip into the area of potty humor. This list includes instances of flatulence and references to relieving oneself of other bodily functions for the purposes of comedy.

• Among the many other times that Big Bird has accidentally said Mr. Hooper's name wrong (to the latter's annoyance), he calls him "Mr. Pooper" in several episodes (the earliest known occurrence being Episode 0154).

• Kermit introduces Fozzie in The Muppet Show episode 106 as "the man who thinks that Elton John is a singing bathroom."

• In episode 109, after Scooter informs Kermit the Frog that he won't be managing Gonzo's act because Gonzo ate the contract, Kermit replies, "Well, let's hope the contract's not binding."

• Dogs Rowlf and Muppy tell Harvey Korman their worries about ecology in episode 110. Harvey couldn't care less, but Rowlf warns, "that's easy for you, but if all those trees go, we're in big trouble."

• In episode 310, a wig trainer tells Louis Kazagger that he doesn't use "sham"-poo for his wigs, only real poo.

• The Muppet Meeting Film "Let's Have the Dam Break" has Grump needing to relieve himself while Leo delivers his accounting report, which is riddled with phrases that remind Grump how much he needs to go.

• Statler and Waldorf share the following exchange after the guest star's first number in The Muppet Show episode 504:

Waldorf: "Fire Down Below", great number.

Statler: Thanks.

Waldorf: Thanks? You didn't write "Fire Down Below".

Statler: No, but the guy who did had just had a bowl of my chili.

• In The Great Muppet Caper, Gonzo, Kermit, and Fozzie use Pops's only bathroom as a darkroom to develop photos of the jewel thief. Pops yells at them to hurry up; "There are people dancin' up and down on one leg out here!". Unfortunately for them, several desperate people break the door down, and the bright light ruins their photos.

• Doctor Bob tells Nurse Janice that he wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid in the August 5, 1982 Muppets comic strip, but they wouldn't let him near the fire hydrants.

• When the Muppets pitch Manhattan Melodies to Martin Price in The Muppets Take Manhattan, Price slowly becomes attracted to the idea. "I smell something," he says. The Muppets sniff the air and instantly look to Rowlf, who responds, "Why does everyone always blame dogs?"

• When David, Luis, and Maria lay out a Snuffleupagus-sized piece of paper in the yard in Episode 1805 of Sesame Street, they make sure to warn Barkley not to use the paper for his business, commenting, "Not this paper!"

• In Episode 2190 of Sesame Street, Oscar asks Susan if she could bring out some diapers for Irvine for their car trip. Oscar wonders if she'd need to be changed, prompting Irvine to laugh deviously.

• When Sarah first meets Hoggle in Labyrinth, he is seen urinating into a pool.

• The Bog of Eternal Stench in Labyrinth makes fart noises and emits a repulsive odor. The bog appears again in the Muppet Babies episode "Nice to Have Gnome You" when Baby Piggy, Baby Gonzo and Baby Animal attempt to cross it.

• In the Muppet Meeting Film "Break'n the Rules", Leo's break announcement includes the possible need of a powder room after heavy liquid consumption.

• While watching home videos in A Muppet Family Christmas, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew spots Baby Rowlf and says, "Oh, look! There's Rowlf when he was a wee puppy!" Rowlf the Dog responds, "Not so wee -- I was paper-trained!"

• In Dog City, after Ace's car is nearly driven into a river, Colleen Barker remarks that they "almost got wet". Ace responds, "What do you mean, almost?". Additionally, in Bugsy Them's office, a figurine of a dog relieving himself on a fire hydrant is seen on a desk.

• Similarly, in the same special, after a fire is ignited, Colleen asks where the nearest hydrant is. Ace misunderstands this and tells her there's no time for that (assuming it was for bathroom purposes).

• Episode 2847 of Sesame Street has Maria keeping a twitchy Elmo from urgently running away; Elmo explains he's in a rush to get to the bathroom.

• In A New Baby in My House, Princess Azalea wets herself while in Prince Firstly's arms, prompting laughter from her parents (and the Snuffleupagus family reading their story).

• During The Tale of the Story Beyond the Tale, Gonzo asks Rizzo if he reads the credits in movies. Rizzo replies, "I don't go to the movies to read. I go to the bathroom for that," referencing the practice of reading in the bathroom to pass the time while one waits to make a bowel movement.

• A title card for "Beaker's Brain" in The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside references Muppet Labs' edible paper clips from The Muppet Show episode 305 claiming that the invention "will provide you with your daily requirement of iron, and they won't bind you up."

• Leslie Nielsen farts (simulated through a "handi-gas" device, a favorite joke of Nielsen's) in the "She Drives Me Crazy" music video.

• On Dinosaurs, Baby Sinclair often made mention of having poopy diapers with comical reactions from his father. Some prominent examples include the lyrics "I take every chance to make a poop in my pants" in "I'm the Baby (Gotta Love Me)", while the plot of "Nature Calls" deals with Earl's failed attempts to potty train him.

• Also in the Dinosaurs episode "Nature Calls", while Earl is trying to change Baby's diaper, he is sprayed in the face, making it look like Baby urinated on him. It is then revealed a few moments later that Baby was just spraying him with a water pistol.

• In the Dinosaurs episode "How to Pick Up Girls," Spike gets Robbie to drink eight glasses of water so that he can "mark his territory" on his crush's lawn. Just as he starts to hose down a bush, the police arrive to take them away.

• In the Dinosaurs episode "The Son Also Rises", Fran tells Robbie he needs to fix their clogged toilet. He simply tells her that toilets are everywhere, citing bushes and trees as examples.

• As the Count tells a "bat-time story" to his bats in Sesame Street Episode 3262, he mentions Br'er Igor begging not to be tossed into a "guano-filled bat cave."

• In the Dinosaurs episode "Terrible Twos", Baby is seen bouncing off the walls (literally). Charlene quips that if he loses his diaper, it'll cause quite a mess. Later, the Babysitter notes that he can smell brimstone. Fran admits Baby hasn't been changed since this all began.

• In the Sesame Street Live show 1-2-3 Imagine!, as the cast imagine themselves in the woods, Big Bird states that he stepped in something to which Baby Bear comments, "Bears in the woods, it happens!"

• While trapped inside a computer, Fozzie Bear has to go to the bathroom in The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside. Kermit warns him not to short out any of the exposed circuits just as Fozzie shrieks from an electrical charge.

• After François Fromage and his Dancing Cheeses start their act in Muppets Tonight episode 101, Clifford says, "This cheese ain't cuttin' it, Rizzo".

• In the Seinfeld Babies sketch on Muppets Tonight episode 107, Baby Jerry says that whoever goes the longest without soiling their diaper, wins the contest. Baby Kramer proceeds to do his business and declares, "I'm out."

• During The Real World: Muppets sketch in Muppets Tonight episode 208, Rizzo tells his housemates that they've been living together long enough that they can stop marking their territory. Bobo says, "It won't happen again... starting now."

• Gary Cahuenga is released from his trunk in Muppets Tonight episode 210 and realizes he hasn't gone to the bathroom in over 40 years. Later in the episode, Johnny Fiama says he's laughing so hard, he's going to wet his pants.

• In the opening scene of Sesame Street Episode 3750, Wynton Marsalis helps a Honker honk an A note, though its first attempts are off-key. Elmo and Telly react by commenting "Ewww!" and Telly waves his hand in front of his face.

• During the opening number to the Sesame Street Live show Elmo's Coloring Book, Bert warns to avoid getting too close to pigeons on statues because "they may just aim right at you," followed by a cartoon "plop" sound effect.

• On Farscape, Rygel frequently farts helium when he's nervous, causing him, and those around him, to speak in a high-pitched voice.

• Pepe the King Prawn farts in an outtake from the scene in Muppets from Space when they talk to Gonzo in his sleep. He similarly farts at the camera in an outtake from the airport scene in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.

• When Piggy gets home in Muppets from Space, she shares some good news with her housemates, then runs upstairs excitedly shouting, "I gotta pee!"

• Fozzie's jokebook in Muppets from Space is titled "Do Bears Joke in the Woods??" (a variation on the phrase, "does a bear shit in the woods?")

• Upon Elmo's approach to Huxley's Castle in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, he's stopped by the Humongous Chicken who warns him to stop moving around while he's trying to eat him because he's making him gassy. As Elmo continues to evade his advances, the chicken burps and farts at the same time, "See what I mean? Now, stand still like a piece of corn."

• In "The Muppets on Muppets", the Muppets speak about preparing a pu-pu platter for parties with heavy subtext on meanings of the phrase other than hors d'oeuvres.

• When speaking of The Muppet Show and working with Jim Henson in "The Muppets on Muppets", Gonzo says it's like a passing ethos. Rizzo quips, "Are you passing ethos again?"

• In an outtake from Kermit's Swamp Years, Croaker accidentally farts and says, "Excuse me. Sorry about that."

• In Sesame Street Episode 4040, Baby Bear's imaginary tea party ends with Telly rushing to the bathroom after drinking five cups of tea. Later, Baby Bear, Telly and Zoe begin playing with trucks as if they're babies, Baby Bear then reacts to his truck needing an oil change.

• In a Disney Xtreme Digital video, Statler and Waldorf are having trouble getting online:

Statler: Why are we having such trouble getting online?

Waldorf: Well, it says here we might be having a problem with our download.

Statler: Hmm. A man can only eat so much fiber.

• Miss Piggy is asked to identify a quote during a May 2003 appearance on Hollywood Squares: "Fart for freedom, fart for liberty, and fart proudly." Piggy jokingly responds, "I think it was whoever had this square last week!" Her real guess is Howard Stern, but the quote is actually attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

• Appearing on Hollywood Squares in April 2004, Elmo is asked, "After the fun is over, 64% of Americans say they eat them. 22% say they throw them away. And 2% just let them rot. What are they?" Elmo immediately answers, "Boogers!"

• In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Johnny Fiama crosses The Wicked Witch of the West's lair whilst stepping in Foo-Foo's mess, "Stupid dog."

• Later in the movie, The Wizard fills The Scarecrow's head with bran cereal (known to assist the digestive system with making bowel movements). Scarecrow immediately needs to rush off to the bathroom to make such a movement, as Bunsen and Beaker giggle.

• A blooper shown on the Muppets' Wizard of Oz DVD features Dorothy's house crushing The Wicked Witch of the East and producing a guff of smoke. Piggy (playing the witch) says it looks like she farted.

• While most of Elmo's Potty Time is educational, there are a few comedic moments, such as Elmo saying, "Sesame Street was brought to you today by the letter P and by the number 2".

• In Sesamstrasse Folge 2333, Lena breaks wind just as Moni is about to take a photo, causing everyone to laugh and hold their noses.

• Appearing on Rove Live in 2008, Rove McManus tells Elmo that when he climbs the Sydney Harbour Bridge, there's nowhere to go to the bathroom. Elmo says it won't be a problem since he wears no clothes, so he can just go. He follows up with an academic question, "You know what color yellow and red makes? Orange! (That's terrible)."

• In a 2008 video promoting Sesamestreet.org, Grover tries to show a cat on the toilet, but Makeda informs him that they don't have cat toilet-training on their website. The cat doesn't mind being deleted, though, because he likes his privacy.

• In the Sesamstraat song Stoepkrijt, a dog defecates on some chalk drawings, making a brown cloud that (specifically in the animated version) joins in on the song. A chalk drawing lady holds her nose in disgust.

• A pigeon poops on Bert's head in Sesamstrasse Folge 2480.

• In a segment about trees with Professor Grover and Cameron Diaz, a dog shows up and asks them and the viewer for some privacy.

• After having waited patiently through a speech made by the Federal Communications Commission chairman at a 2010 event, Elmo prematurely reveals himself to the audience because he "has to pee." He promises that he can hold it, but after a few moments, says that he couldn't hold it after all.

• In Conversations with Bert, Andy Samberg talks about his childhood pet turtle, Squirt, his name's origin coming from when he relieved himself on Andy. Taken aback, Bert is quick to change the subject.

• Fozzie Bear invents "fart shoes" in The Muppets.

• Embarrassed at the thought of sitting on a toilet where others can see her, Mary opts to stand when Gonzo offers her a seat at his plumbing warehouse in The Muppets. A blooper from this scene involves Amy Adams flubbing the line as "I think I'll sit" instead of "I think I'll stand", causing additional on-set embarrassment for the actress.

• In outtakes from The Muppets, Amy Adams jokes with Jason Segel about poo getting stuck in a bear's fur.

• At The Secret Policeman's Ball in 2012, Statler and Waldorf wondered why everyone was playing with their cell phones, to which John Oliver answered "They're tweeting!" Waldorf replied, "Yeah, eating those sidewalk hot dogs will do that to you."

• In the 2012 audio commentary for The Muppet Christmas Carol on Blu-ray, Rizzo makes a comment about having to sit behind a live horse in the scene where he and Gonzo (Dickens) pull up to Scrooge's house in a buggy.

• In Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet: When Pigs Fly, Kermit lies that an explosion in the Muppet Theater was caused by a gas leak. Rowlf then says, "Hey, don't look at me. Why does everyone always blame the dog when someone mentions a gas leak?"

• The "Muppisode" "Food Fight" begins with the Muppets standing in a line for what they think is the bathroom (but is actually for a food truck). At the end of the episode, and following a lengthy contest, Floyd says they should have found the bathroom. Animal apologizes, implying he had an "accident" of some sort in the van.

• In the video Can You Tell-y Me How to Get to a Billion?, one of the videos that Telly finds is called Kitties on the Potty, and as the title states, has a cat on the toilet in the thumbnail reading Potty Time!.

• Promoting Muppets Most Wanted, the official Muppets account on Instagram posted a photo of Beaker being surprised by Animal in the bathroom.

• Kermit tells Fozzie in Muppets Most Wanted that they have a solid week booked in Poopenburgen.

• The extended cut of Muppets Most Wanted includes a scene between Dominic Badguy and Constantine referring to each other by their code names, Number One and Number Two. Scooter overhears the conversation from behind a door making the conversation sound like they're trying to help each other relieve themselves in the bathroom.

• A blooper in Muppets Most Wanted features Waldorf laughing in a way that sounds like a fart, prompting Statler to look at his butt.

• When interviewed in 2014 by NPR, Raya told the joke, "Why did the superhero go to the toilet? Because it was her duty [doody]!"^[2]

• In Episode 4514 of Sesame Street, during the "What's the Word on the Street?" segment on the word "awful", Murray asks what kinds of things smell awful, a girl suggests poop to which Murray laughs and agrees.

• A brand of toilet paper sold in Hooper's Store as seen in Sesame Street Episode 4519 is called HineePoo.

• Carl asks Becky in The Muppets episode "Pig Girls Don't Cry" if she and Fozzie Bear had children, "Where would they go to the bathroom, the woods?". Fozzie snaps back at the offensive stereotype, referencing the sarcastic idiom, "Do bears shit in the woods?"^[3]

• Jay Leno invites Fozzie Bear to try out his Japanese toilet in The Muppets episode "Hostile Makeover." Fozzie assures him that he'll drink plenty of water at the party.

• In The Muppets episode "Pig's in a Blackout", Sweetums walks by Kermit with a newspaper and informs him that the toilet's clogged.

• In a Guardian Culture video, Mona Chalabi asks Count von Count, "How many times per day does the average, healthy person fart?" The Count takes a second trying to guess the answer.

• In a 2019 web video celebrating "Talk Like a Pirate Day," Pepe tells Kermit that someone forgot to swab the poop decks and starts fanning his face with a pirate flag.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Animal and the Little Accident", Baby Animal has to use the bathroom and jumps around, which Baby Gonzo mistakes for a dance move. He then starts to mimic Animal's "dance".

• In the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock episode "The Giggle Gaggle Games," The World's Oldest Fraggle announces to the other members of the Wise Council "Attention, everyone! Bathroom break number 32!"

• In Track 5 of The Muppets Mayhem, when Janice finds a shovel on their campsite, Moog clarifies that it's a shovel used for what Lips describes as "poopadumbums."

• In a TikTok video, Elijah mentions one of the questions his son, Wes, has asked him is "what's a fart?" (TikTok)

See also[]

• Whoopee cushions
• Potty Training
• Günni, a Muppet toilet

Sources[]