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Lunatics with Purpose!
The Farting Contest
“They sell assault rifles, but Farting is considered to be in poor taste.” Demetrius Toteras
In the spring of 1989, Demetrius Toteras, Uncle Tad Baker and several members of the Northern California Collective Consciousness conspired to form the experimental theater group, The Institute of Absurdity. The Institute became the practical 'performance arm' for Toteras' Theories of Absurdity, and the group's first act was their decision to host the most unusual contest in history: a Farting Contest.
Why Farting? Well, it's perhaps the last taboo known to Man, and therefore, the Institute, with its credo, 'Rude, Offensive and Vulgar', knew what it had to do: perform an elegant and tasteful open-to-the-public, nationally-advertised Farting Contest.
Many people have held informal and impromptu Farting Contests in the safety of their homes or private locations, but none had ever dared perform a Farting Contest which would be open to one and all and carry a Grand Prize of $500! National advertisements went out, Ft. Mason on the shores of San Francisco Bay was chosen for its breath-taking and historic location, and soon, all of America was asking, “Is this real, a Farting Contest?” Word spread like wildfire, the Institute was overwhelmed by interested, curious and disbelieving people, Howard Stern splashed the news and replayed Institute PSA's on his radio shows, and all the while, contestants were carefully screened and the stage was prepared.
Then, on April 21st, at 7:01 pm, an anxious crowd packed into Ft. Mason and a group of hungry, seasoned and capable farters, including 5-time Grand National Champion R. Roberti, the Farting Philosopher, Al Starr, and the voluptuous Joya McPhearson-Glenn, waited in the wings, until Uncle Tad Baker, as Dr. Robert Salubrius, proudly took the stage!
What happened next? Well for that, only the video should be consulted; indeed, seeing is believing!
We offer you here, for your casual perusal, a 2 minute promotional clip:
2 minute Farting Contest
promo
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1st annual San Francisco Farting Contest: Half-hour Movie
Set at Ft. Mason in San Francisco in April, 1989, witness the original event that put Farting on a national stage! This feature movie follows the action, as the Institute performs one of the most unusual events in San Francisco's history.
Uncle Tad Baker, as Dr. Roberts Salubrius, is the Master of Ceremonies for this contest between some of San Francisco's Greatest Anal Blasters! See the immortal and 5-time Grand National Champion, R. Roberti; the Farting Philosopher, Al Starr; the ass-blowing temptress, Joya McPhearson-Glenn, and a host of challengers and upstarts battle it out for the title and the $500 Grand Prize.
You've never seen anything like this, and yes, the 'results' will surprise even the most dedicated/hardened farter/fart enthusiast.
This is the contest which Howard Stern spoke about and which galvanized public attention, asking the question whether Farting could be made into art. You be the judge!
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1st Annual
San Francisco
Farting Contest
Half-hour movie
FARTING NEWS:
Friends, Uncle Tad has decided to release the original 3 minute phone message from 1989, which sent interest in our Farting Contest through the roof after Howard Stern played it on his radio show; take a listen:
Demetrius Toteras on the theories behind
the Farting Contest
This is a 28 minute sample of one of the most important archived recordings in the history of experimental theater, taken on three different Monday nights out of a series of 12 sessions from February to April, 1989, and leading to the 1st Annual San Francisco Farting Contest on April 21, 1989. In his study at his home along with his students, Uncle Tad Baker, Gordy Creech, Dan McCune and R. Roberti, along with Bron Godfrey from Nine Muses Press, Toteras evoked the creation of the 1st Annual San Francisco Farting Contest from a group of amateur experimental theater/general-mayhem-and-outlawry devotees and guerrilla dope growers. Toteras coaxed Baker and his group to produce their best creative efforts with the few resources - including intellectual - at their disposal. 28 minutes. Produced by Uncle Tad Baker. 2012.
The Institute of Absurdity Archive is a non-profit philosophical and historical project. All content is presented for the purpose of commentary, criticism, and education under the Fair Use principles of U.S. Code 17 § 107. We prioritize Free Uncensored Thought to ensure the creative life remains free to the public. © 2025 Uncle Tad Baker.