Word Spy - poop fiction

n. A literary genre that uses potty humor and off-color jokes to appeal to young children.

Example Citations:

In children's publishing, the smell of success has a rather offensive odour these days.

From the Captain Underpants series to Walter The Farting Dog, tales of breaking wind are turning slews of children onto what is being described as "poop fiction." Walter's latest adventure, Trouble At The Yard Sale, co-written by Canadian Glenn Murray, was Number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list last week. There's even a scratch-and-whiff book planned.
—"Chatter," The Toronto Star, May 2, 2004

[Glenn] Murray, an educator-turned-children's author from Canada, is still getting used to the ruckus over two books he co-wrote. They feature "Walter the Farting Dog," a flatulent pooch whose little problem saves the day time and time again.

The content might seem quirky and even off-color to some. But these days, potty humor is big in the world of popular children's literature - from the "Captain Underpants" series to such best-selling titles as "Zombie Butts from Uranus!"

Parents jokingly call the genre the kid's version of pulp fiction — or "poop fiction."
—Martha Irvine, "Farts, underpants and 'Zombie Butts' — authors using irreverent humor to get kids reading," The Associated Press, April 29, 2004

Earliest Citation:

The introduction of what could simply be described as poop fiction is capturing the attention of a generation of reluctant readers. It is a genre of texts where stories can include words such as fart, bum and the gamut of bodily functions, as well as plots based on naughty antics that poke fun at adults.
—Kim Cotton, "Poop Fiction," Illawarra Mercury (Australia), August 31, 2002

Notes:

This sense of poop fiction dates only to 2002 (see the earliest citation, below). However, writers have used poop fiction as a potty-inspired play on pulp fiction (1955) for a few years now. The earliest use I found was from the May 7, 1995 edition of the Washington Post Style Invitational — titled Poop Fiction — which asked readers to "come up with the opening lines of a book so bad it will compel you to stop reading immediately."

Category:

Books and Magazines

Posted on May 7, 2004