Silent but Deadly

Silent but Deadly

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Squatting versus sitting: cultural differences in toilet postures
An anthropological analysis of why European-derived cultures embraced sitting to defecate.
 • 
Kirsten Bell
On coffee, civets and faeces
An anthropological look at civet poo coffee and our secret fascination with faeces and other reviled bodily emissions.
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Kirsten Bell
Bathing, dirt and cleanliness
An anthropological of examination of showers, baths and bubble baths and the fact that our daily ablutions are more about purity than hygiene.
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Kirsten Bell
4
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Cultural differences in complaining: 'moaning' vs 'whingeing'
 • Kirsten Bell
6
Obituary: Suzanne Helen Bell (1950-2024)
 • Kirsten Bell
8
Urinals, the Shewee and peeing standing up
 • Kirsten Bell
3
Til death do us fart: Farting and social relationships
 • Kirsten Bell
1
Farts, burps and queefs: A semiotic analysis
 • Kirsten Bell
Bathing, dirt and cleanliness
 • Kirsten Bell
4
She-bagging, beach cabanas and the unwritten rules around 'bagsing' public space
More reflections on the etiquette of seating in public space, especially when it comes to claiming additional seats on transit, at airports and on…
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Kirsten Bell
Merry Christmas
from Silent But Deadly
 • 
Kirsten Bell
Mirror images
A discussion of mirrors and humans' distinctive relationship with them.
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Kirsten Bell
Parentese and speaking in the third person
This piece reflects on illeism (speaking about oneself in the third person) and why on earth it's so common amongst parents.
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Kirsten Bell
3
The social etiquette of offering seats on public transit
An anthropological analysis of the complicated dynamics of requesting and offering seats on public transit.
 • 
Kirsten Bell
4
Sex, excretions and animals: universal categories of insults
This post explores why certain categories of insult are universal, focusing primarily on the frequency of sex, excretions and animals in insults hurled…
 • 
Kirsten Bell
'Assholes', 'wankers' and the cultural specificity of insults
Anthropological reflections on insults, especially the terms 'asshole' and 'wanker', which are not the straight synonyms they appear.
 • 
Kirsten Bell
7
Silent but Deadly
Silent but Deadly
An entertaining anthropological tour through the big answers to life's little questions

Silent but Deadly

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