२५ ऑक्टोबर, २०२२

"Villagers said he had experienced 'emotional setbacks in his youth' that led him to refuse to wash.... Haji would eat roadkill, smoke a pipe filled with animal excrement, and believed that cleanliness would make him ill."

According to "'World’s dirtiest man' dies in Iran at 94 a few months after first wash 'Amou Haji,' who did not bathe for half a century, reportedly ate roadkill and smoked pipe filled with animal excrement" (Guardian).

I don't think it's right to look around for the new "dirtiest man," and it's not even right to consider the man who has gone longest without bathing to be the dirtiest man. Not bathing is only one factor. Surely there are other ways to maintain cleanliness — sweating, scraping. And staying out of filth ought to count as well. If we're counting. Again, I don't think we should.

But the article tells us about a man in India who hasn't washed in 30 years. This is someone who conceives of himself as keeping a vigil, because of "all the problems confronting the nation." And he is not conceding that he is dirty. He does something every day that he considers the equivalent of a bath: he "lights a bonfire, smokes marijuana and stands on a leg praying to Lord Shiva." He says: "It’s just like using water to take a bath. Fire bath helps kill all the germs and infections in the body."

So it's entirely disrespectful to speak of him as the "dirtiest man." Why is The Guardian so short on appreciation for cultural diversity? This article is inviting mockery and an attitude of superiority.

२६ टिप्पण्या:

madAsHell म्हणाले...

I'm sure he was in the frat house with me!

tim maguire म्हणाले...

Not bathing is only one factor. Surely there are other ways to maintain cleanliness

In The Naked Civil Servant, Quentin Crisp described never cleaning his apartment. After a while, it stops getting dirtier. I have no doubt it is the same with people. Going longest without taking a bath isn't going to make you dirtiest--after some period of time without bathing, you stop getting dirtier.

In fact, the person who, at this moment, is the dirtiest person in the world, probably bathes regularly. Most likely, they simply did something really gross just now and will only hold the title for a few minutes or hours until they get a chance to clean up. And then another dirtiest person will come along and take their place for an equally short period of time.

That's the real failure of The Gruniad--not a failure to appreciate cultural diversity, but a failure of imagination.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Dirt probably flakes off. Skin does and surely carries the dirt with it, if the dirt hasn't fallen off earlier.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

Haji literally translates as pilgrim, one who has made the Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and participation in the ceremonies conducted there. Trying to get into Mecca without bathing can get you more or less dead by beheading, stoning, hanging, shooting, and other methods. Therefore "the World's Dirtiest Man" must have been ritually clean at some point in his adult life, or the locals just assume someone his age deserves the title out of respect alone.

On the matter of the "World's Dirtiest" appellation, perhaps The Guardian is just reporting Great Uncle Pilgrim's claim. Perhaps he thought of his non-cleanliness as the major accomplishment of his life. To snatch away the truth of a PoC is white supremacy, or so I'm told every waking moment. And to point out the moral shortcomings of The Guardian is to assert one's moral superiority. How non-egalitarian can you get?

On the other hand, maybe Amou Haji stopped washing when the Jonny Quest residuals peter out.

FullMoon म्हणाले...

If the MSM reports the smoking animal excrement, guarantee some kids will try it. Maybe become tiktok challenge.

BUMBLE BEE म्हणाले...

Undercover CDC guy?

Mary Beth म्हणाले...

I was going to comment on his smoking animal excrement, then I thought about people drinking (and paying a lot for) kopi luwak coffee. Who's to say he wasn't onto something?

Tom T. म्हणाले...

The article did not mention anything about whether this man was survived by a wife or girlfriend. But I guess it really didn't have to.

Ignorance is Bliss म्हणाले...

And staying out of filth ought to count as well.

He's smoking animal excrement. He may be staying out of the filth, but the filth is not staying out of him.

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

But the article tells us about a man in India who hasn't washed in 30 years.

Finally, a role model and an achievable ambition.

But I wish I'd learned about him 30 years ago.

Marc in Eugene म्हणाले...

Am interested only if smoking dogshit (or whatever it was) was a last resort, after the marijuana ran out, or if it had some particular attraction.

I don't expect those people to be as sensitive to 'cultural appropriation' as they demand of everyone else; hypocrisy thy name is The Guardian, The Times, NYT, etc etc.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

World's Dirtiest Man...too many jokes...

Doug म्हणाले...

I think the guy is crazy. Out of his mind delusional.

Which means that liberals will soon be demanding that we allow, nay invite filthy people into our society. To celebrate them and encourage our children not to bathe, because theirs is a valid lifestyle choice. Daily ablutions, clean clothes and clean habits will be demeaned as 'white supremacy' and cultural elitism.

Mark my words.

tommyesq म्हणाले...

Larry Flint is rolling in his grave.

walter म्हणाले...

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.
What about dirtiest woman?
(Stay out of Whoopi's vagina!)

LuAnn Zieman म्हणाले...

There was a Norwegian bachelor named Torbien who squatted on my great aunt's and uncle's farm in northern Minnesota. They allowed it, and occasionally invited him to gatherings, and we children often crept off to listen to his stories--about bodies drifting down the river that he was living on and other breathtaking events. His sister Thora was a college graduate--and my high school senior English teacher. She taught us Greek and Shakespearean plays and everyone loved her. Meanwhile Torbien lived with his goats and remained bathless. One day he was found lying in the doorway, having had a stroke. He was taken to the local hospital. Upon admittance, he was told by the nurses that he must bathe. He said no--that it would kill him. They wouldn't relent; he was bathed; and he died.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

On the other hand, would you like to be seated next to him on an 18-hour bus ride?

Iman म्हणाले...

The man put da funk in funky.

Q: What did the world’s dirtiest man’s friend tell him before he passed?

A: Ayatollya the filth would kill you.

Iman म्हणाले...

Smokin’ the good shit!

DINKY DAU 45 म्हणाले...

Many people say Sloppy Steve in the running but they'll cleam him up good in Gen Pop.

Smilin' Jack म्हणाले...

“So it's entirely disrespectful to speak of him as the "dirtiest man."

It’s entirely disrespectful to say that it's entirely disrespectful to speak of him as the "dirtiest man." It implies that there’s something wrong with being dirty. Shame on you for dirt-shaming! Dirt acceptance is the new frontier of inclusion and diversity. Embrace dirt positivity!

William म्हणाले...

Lots of skels on the old Bowery were competitive in this contest. They didn't eat roadkill or smoke dog shit, but in the key category of personal hygiene and body odor, they were superlative. Fusion. That's what put them over the top. Body odor fused with caked shit and stale piss. Really knocks you out. Anyone can have lice, but some of these guys had maggots inhabiting their dead flesh. It's really remarkable how far human beings can fall and keep on falling even when they've hit the gutter.

Monk म्हणाले...

Reminds me of an old Army story when my buddies and I crushed up dried moose nuggets, placed them in a plastic sandwich bag and offered them to another member of our team as Yukon Gold, a really excellent weed. He eagerly filled and lit his pipe and started toking away, remarking with a grin, “this is some powerful shit”. Laughter ensued.

FleetUSA म्हणाले...

Remember it rains often and heavily in India.

Tina Trent म्हणाले...

Just another day in Seattle.

New York City.

Los Angeles.

Phaedrus म्हणाले...

* SDaly said...
Although I still "wash", it is only with water and very short. I stopped using shampoo and soap several months ago. My wife was very surprised that I don't smell bad at all.*

Yup, I quit using soap and shampoo years ago, I’d say about 10 year maybe. The initial driving force was the very limited options for soap without “anti-bacterial” chemical agents. No shaving cream when shaving either but unlike you, I’ve never told my wife and she has never noticed. I have male pattern baldness starting to creep in and my hair has actually started to grow back a little. Or at least the increase in the spread has slowed.

I rarely develop any BO although I carry deodorant with me just in case. After a lot of yard work or activity outside when it’s hot I might get a little funky but it dissipates as soon as I cool down. I shower about once a week but rinse my hair in the sink with just warm water.

My skin is really soft, I never get any blemishes any more, what’s left of my hair is very full, soft and has no oil or greasiness to it and I rarely get sick anymore. Other than allergies, I haven’t had a common code, flu or any type of viral infection, including Covid, in at least 5 years. And I’m in outside sales so in contact with people daily.

So I guess “dirtiness” is relative. My hats off to the guy and God rest his soul. I will however draw the line on puffing poop. I don’t puff anything but that’s something I don’t think I’d be interested in. I didn’t see any mention about the possibility of any fungus growing on the poop, tho. That would change things a bit…