Pub Toilets, 90s Lad Culture, and Why I Might Need Therapy

Pub Toilets, 90s Lad Culture, and Why I Might Need Therapy

From Carl Vs Reality by Carl Guyton

February 1, 2026 · 10 min · Season 1 · Episode 13

About this episode

Carl Guyton discusses his discomfort with 90s lad culture and personal experiences related to public toilets.

So, I’ve started doing these "Morning Pages." You know the ones—where you write three pages of absolute drivel first thing in the morning to see what’s lurking in your subconscious. Turns out, what’s lurking in mine is a deep-seated discomfort with "blokey blokes" and some fairly specific trauma involving public urinals. In this episode, I’m unpacking why the 90s "lad culture" was a bit of a disaster for people like me, and why I’ve ended up with a bladder that’s apparently too shy to function in a pub. We’re talking about the horror of the "power stance," the weird graffiti you find in cubicles, and—God help us—the time I saw a man taking a grunting dump with the door wide open. Honestly, I still see him around. We make eye contact. It’s a lot to process. It’s a bit of a messy one today. Literally. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by a contractor or wondered why some men refuse to wash their hands, this one's for you. Warning: Contains a lot of talk about... well, toilets. You've been told. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Carl Guyton

Topics covered

  • 90s lad culture
  • toilets
  • personal trauma
  • societal norms
  • male behavior

Keywords

  • Morning Pages
  • blokey blokes
  • public urinals
  • power stance
  • graffiti
  • contractor intimidation

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