Plumbing the Depths of China’s Toilet History
Stuart Wiggin is talking about toilets in one of his latest videos, but his career is by no means going down the drain. Yes, the burgeoning Beijing-based, Britain-hailing vlogger makes the seemingly off-putting subject matter of the history of Chinese toilets entertaining and informative in his latest popular clip. The aptly titled “Toilet Revolution: A History of the Chinese Toilet,” went up earlier this week on his China Youtube channel, and in it he not only details how 85 percent of toilets in rural China are slated to become clean and safe (as part of a government driven quality of life initiative); aside from that he also details what toilets were like in various bygone dynasties, and how Chinese squatters would stick jujubes up their noses to ward off foul odors, along with other well researched, equally silly tidbits.
Wiggin, who works as a presenter at China Radio International (CRI) by day, founded the STUpid In China vlog series this past November. Its mission, according to the “about” section of its Youtube channel: “Documenting everything funny about China whilst trying to avoid looking stupid.” And while STUpid In China is new, Wiggin has been making goofy viral clips for years. Many of his followers first got a taste of his offbeat humor in 2014, when Wiggin and his CRI cohorts shot a parody of A Bite of China called A Taste of Britain. His jokes about being able to cook small potatoes quicker than large ones, among other things, helped propel that vid to 800,000 views in only a few days on Chinese streaming platforms, and it didn’t take long for the BBC to cover it in a profile. He’s also shot viral videos about professional wrestling, and a myriad of other topics.
Despite his success with those earlier clips, the current STUpid In China project has just as much potential in Wiggin’s eyes, especially when it can cover offbeat hot topics and current events. “When the Toilet Revolution ‘buzzword’ emerged, me and my producer just thought it was a perfect opportunity to do some really interesting things involving toilet humor and hopefully attract eyeballs,” he says of working on the recent “Toilet Revolution,” clip, adding that such goofy subject matter is by no means beneath him, which may come as a surprise considering Wiggin earned his undergraduate degree at Oxford University. He explains: “I read history at University, so anything involving historical research gets me excited.”
And while the video may be fun to watch, Wiggin says making the “Toilet Revolution” clip wasn’t only just sh*ts and giggles. “To be honest, filming a video like this is pretty mundane and just hard work. Working out the timing on a green screen, and acting opposite myself, and doing multiple takes of urinating into an invisible hat isn't as fun as you'd imagine,” he says.
However, it wasn’t all arduous work, especially early on. Wiggin says: “The fun part is the planning and writing stage, where me and my producer sit down and try to come up with ideas, and then the editing stage. I loved editing the splashback part.”
Up next: a video about the most asked questions on the Chinese web, then another about the most asked questions about China on Google. To keep up with Wiggin’s clips, search “STUpid In China” on Youtube or check it out on these other platforms:
Bilibili: bilibili.com/video/av17464157/
Miaopai: miaopai.com/show/wak8vZlUSvxD5f0PCvMv1WE7dPJ0OrUSE6O9NA__.htm
Weibo: weibo.com/6407408077/FADEYqQv1?filter=hot&root_comment_id=0&type=comment
Tencent: v.qq.com/x/page/s0522o3clhy.html
Photos: Courtesy of Stuart Wiggin
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