Bathroom Readers Institute - Uncle Johns Fully Loaded 25th Anniversary Bathroom Reader

More UNCLE JOHN than you can shake a stick at!

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F ELLOW BATHROOM READERS:

The fight for good bathroom reading should never be taken looselywe must do our duty and sit firmly for what we believe in, even while the rest of the world is taking potshots at us.

Well be brief. Now that weve proven were not simply a flush-in-the-pan, we invite you to take the plunge: Sit Down and Be Counted! Log on to www.bathroomreader.com and earn a permanent spot on the BRI honor roll!

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Go with the Flow

Well, were out of space, and when youve gotta go, youve gotta go. Tanks for all your support. Hope to hear from you soon. Meanwhile, remember

Keep on flushin!

Its always interesting to see where the architects of pop culture get their ideas. Some of these may surprise you.

E DWARD SCISSORHANDS. Screenwriter Caroline Thompson based the characters mannerisms on her dog: She was the most soulful, yearning creature I ever met. She didnt need languageshe communicated with her eyes.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI. The Coen brothers cult classic was an update of Raymond Chandlers 1939 noir novel The Big Sleep. They used the L.A. setting and many of the characters, but changed Philip Marlowe, P.I., to Jeffrey The Dude Lebowski.

THE HUNGER GAMES. Suzanne Collinss inspiration for her 2008 novel about teenagers forced to fight each other in a dystopian future came to her while she was watching TV. She was flipping back and forth between Survivor and coverage of the Iraq war when the two began to blur in this very unsettling way.

PHILIP J. FRY. The lead character on the cartoon Futurama wears the same clothesblue jeans, red jacket, and white T-shirtand has the same blond hair as Jim Stark. Whos that? James Deans character in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause.

THE BIG BANG THEORY. Show creator Chuck Lorre named the two leadsSheldon and Leonardafter legendary producer Sheldon Leonard (The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show).

CALIFORNIA GURLS. Katy Perrys 2010 hit single was going to be called California Girls until Perrys manager asked her to change the spelling to honor Alex Chilton, lead singer of the band Big Star, whod recently died. The title is a nod to the bands 1974 song September Gurls.

SEVERUS SNAPE. J. K. Rowling based the character on her short-tempered high school chemistry teacher, John Nettleship, who had long dark hair and a malodorous laboratory. Said Nettleship, I knew I was strict but I didnt think I was that bad.

Count em: On average, an adult human has about five million body hairs.

To mark our 25th anniversary, heres the very first article from the very first Bathroom Reader: the story of a classic song, a classic controversyand Uncle Johns favorite room.

S OUL MEN

In the 1960s, Memphiss Stax Records had the most talented lineup of studio musicians and singers in the South: There was Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Booker T. and the M.G.s, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and Sam and Dave.

Sam Moore and Dave Prater joined the Stax family in 1965. They were assigned to the writing/production team of Dave Porter and Isaac Hayes, and the partnership clicked big, producing a string of Soul masterpieces, including You Dont Know Like I Know and Soul Man. In between was a song that almost made the top 20a record that would have been a much bigger hit if it hadnt been for radio censorship.

White Top 40 stations were just getting used to playing black soul records in 1966 when Hold On, Im Comin was released. Because of the suggestive title, many radio stations refused to air it at all. And those that did often made the situation worse as DJs drooled over the sexual implications of the song. In reality, the lyrics were simply about one lover giving the other support when times are bad. Coming just meant coming to the rescue. Sam and Daves macho, boastful delivery and sly laughs throughout the song didnt help their case, although it did help to make it a great record. Stax changed the title to Hold On, Im A-Comin to placate the FCC, but the damage was already done.

WHEN YOU GOTTA GO

If only the radio jocks had known the true story of the songs conception: Hayes and Porter were in the studio, writing some songs. Porter left for a minute, and when he didnt come back, an impatient Hayes went looking for him. His room-to-room search finally ended atyou guessed itthe bathroom door. Porter was taking his time in there, and Hayes yelled at him to hurry. Porters irritated reply: Hey man, hold on. Im comin! And a song was born.

The New Jersey coast was once part of Africa.

Youve come a long way, baby.

F irst print ad in the United States: Tobacco company Lorillard placed one in the New York Weekly Journal in 1789. It showed the companys logo: a Native American standing over a barrel and smoking a large pipe.

First spam message: As early as 1864, telegraph offices and private citizens who owned a telegraph were receiving letters offering dubious investments and other scams. The first spam was sent in May 1864 by a London dentist named Gabriel, announcing that his office would be open shorter summer hours.

First Im not a doctor, but I play one on TV ad: The line was first used in a 1984 Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup commercial. Its notable in the advertising world for blurring the line between celebrity endorsement and professional opinionbut clearing the advertiser of any legal claims. First actor to say the line: Chris Robinson, who played Dr. Rick Webber on TVs General Hospital.

First movie product placement: In the 1927 silent movie Wings, which won the first Academy Award for Best Picture, the characters eat a Hersheys chocolate bar and mention it by name.

First product placement in a video game: In the 1982 car-racing game Pole Position, the driver speeds past billboards that advertise other games made by Pole Positions maker, Atari. In 1983 Pole Position IIs billboards were for Tang, 7-Eleven, and Dentyne.

First movie inspired by a TV commercial:Space Jam (1996), in which Michael Jordan plays basketball against Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other cartoon characters. The idea came from a 1993 Nike ad in which Jordan plays one-on-one against himself.