"When PJ had a job, he was sexy. He was guardian of the bathroom key. A hot guy telling you when you can and can't pee? That's the dream."
— Robin Scherbatsky, How I Met Your Mother
Our bodily needs are one of the things we cannot control, so deciding when, and if, someone may use the bathroom is one of the most efficient techniques for psychological pressure.
It may be used either as a method of torture, a type of Cool and Unusual Punishment, or a particular kind of Power Dynamics Kink in a romantic relationship (the Japanese use the term "omorashi
" for it). The latter also has to do with the fact that the feeling of a full bladder intensifies sexual arousal in both sexes, sometimes resulting in what is referred to as "pee-gasms".
A Sadist Teacher is quite likely to take this move (sometimes, however, this person doesn't actually have to use the bathroom and is just using it as an excuse to sneak away for whatever reason). Abusive Parents, a Mean Boss, a straight-up Bad Boss, or just anyone who's throwing their weight around might do this as well. The Bully or a simple Jerkass may also prevent someone from entering the bathroom.
Compare Denied Food as Punishment and Lysistrata Gambit, for when food or sex are withheld for the same reasons; also compare Tickle Torture and Friendly Tickle Torture, for when tickling is used for similar purposes.
Might lead to a Potty Emergency in more extreme cases.
The person who is not allowed to use the bathroom will often not make it, and their superior might blame them for it.
Often Truth in Television for people in school.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- When L is interrogating Misa in Death Note, he refuses to let her have another bathroom break. Justified, as she just went 5 minutes ago.
- Naruto: In the OVA "Konoha Sports Festival", Naruto finds Shino in a stall in the men's room. He is about to go in after him, but Shino says there's no time because the sports festival's next event is about to begin, and drags him off.
- Pani Poni Dash!: In "Even a Thoroughbred Has Its Habits", the girls are about to defuse a bomb that Becky is holding onto, but then Becky shouts that she has to go. The others tell her to wait until they've deactivated it, but she insists she can't, so she pawns the bomb off to Mesousa before dashing into the girls' room.
Comic Books
- Squee: At the beginning of the second issue, Squee is in the car for a road trip with his parents, who apparently haven't let him use the bathroom in two days. His parents then pull over by a restaurant because they don't want him to use a bag of Fritos as an emergency urinal.
Comic Strips
- Over the Hedge: RJ, Verne, and Hammy think that a missile is going to blow up the forest, so they decide to spend their last half hour hugging each other. Hammy then kills the mood by announcing that he has to pee. The other two yell at him to hold it.
Fan Works
- A Load of Bulk: When Lana becomes very mean as a result of drinking a serum her Child Prodigy sister Lisa made, one thing she does is block the doorway to the bathroom, making her other sister, Lucy, wet her pants.
Films — Animation
- The Croods: Subverted. When the Croods and Guy are looking for a new place to live, Thunk shouts that he has to pee, but Grug tells him to wait. After a bit, though, he relents and tells him to do his business behind a rock.
Films — Live-Action
- Bedtime Stories: At the beginning, Skeeter's father asks the audience if they need to use the bathroom, then tells an imaginary man at the back of the crowd to hold it in.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: When Rodrick is mad at his little brother Greg for being in his room, he chases him into Greg's room. When Greg says, "Time out, Rodrick; I have to pee", Rodrick replies, "No timeouts — only death!". Eventually, however, Greg goes to use the bathroom anyway and is jumped at by Rodrick.
- The titular Major Payne does this to the ROTC boys when he has them lined up to assert dominance and berate them Gunnery Sergeant Hartman style. One boy, the six-year old "Tiger", asks to go to the bathroom and is denied... at least until he can't hold it any longer.
Major: You hold it, Turd!Tiger: I can't!Major: I said HOLD IT or I'll break that off and kick it around on the ground!Tiger: (Gasps)
- In Mean Girls, one of the oddities of the American high school system is that one can't use the restroom without the restroom pass, and when Cady asks for the pass, the teacher simply responds, "Nice try."
- Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life: Principal Dwight has made up some new rules after Rafe had secretly made the trophy display case into an aquarium. One of them is "No going to the bathrooms", the bathrooms in the school shall remain locked all day.
- Secretary revolves around a sub-dom relationship between a boss and his secretary. Once he tells her to sit in the chair until he returns, knowing full well she won't be able to use the toilet — and she eventually wets herself.
- The Shawshank Redemption: Invoked. After he's finally paroled from Shawshank and working at a grocery store, Red keeps asking the store manager to use the bathroom at the time he was allowed to go while on the job in prison. The manager gets frustrated and tells him, "You don't have to ask, just go."
- In the Japanese film Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom, a bunch of schoolgirls force their classmate to drink a lot of water and then prevent her from using the bathroom. As a result, she wets herself in the classroom.
Literature
- The works of Derek Robinson are largely about air combat and the experiences of (mainly) RAF pilots in wartime. Again and again it is emphasised that crew comfort is not usually built into British military aircraft and the pilot must either soil himself or wait till he lands. This was particularly troublesome in WW1 when the oil lubricant used on the air engine would blow back as fumes into an open cockpit - and it had a marked laxative effect. Even in the nuclear jet bombers of The '60s there were no onboard toilets. A crew of a Vulcan jet bomber is berated by the squadron commander for even thinking of pissing into bottles (to be discarded later) while on a ten-hour flight. They are ordered to hold it in until they land and can get out of an expensive aircraft.
- In Boy, an autobiography by Roald Dahl, Dahl mentions that when he went to a boarding school, a teacher harshly turned down a student's request to use the bathroom. He ended up not making it and was punished for it.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid:
- In the first book, this is played with. Rowley informs Greg that he needs to go while they're trick-or-treating, and Greg has him hold it for 45 minutes. By the time they reach Greg's grandmother's house, Rowley's quite desperate, so Greg lets him use the grandma's bathroom (though he threatens to steal some of his candy if he doesn't hurry up).
- In The Last Straw, Patty the Academic Alpha Bitch becomes the classroom monitor and is noted to take her job way too seriously. Greg asks if he can be excused to use the bathroom and she responds with a Blunt "No".
- His Only Wife: Protagonist Afi's uncle Tͻgã Pious is petty and a cheapskate. He often insists on Afi's wealthy in-laws' duty towards him as Afi's "father" (never mind that he never did much to help after Afi's father died). He has a flush toilet inside his home but does not allow anybody other than himself to use it. Then he changes his mind and allows the others in his family to use it... for a monthly fee.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four: One of the methods used by the Ministry of Love officers holding Winston Smith was to deny him the ability to go to the bathroom to further humiliate him.note
- Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption, and by extension The Shawshank Redemption have prisoners having to ask permission to use the restroom. This carries over to their civilian lives after they've been institutionalized, often to the annoyance of their work-release employers.
- Watership Down: General Woundwort runs the warren called Efrafa with an iron paw. He and his officers have the rabbits regimented, including dictating which rabbits can go above ground to feed, and when, and even where to excrete. Discontent is widespread, but none dare take action, as spies and snitches are everywhere, and punishments are swift and harsh.
Live-Action TV
- The Big Bang Theory: The "Roommate Agreement" Sheldon makes all of his roommates sign whenever they move in includes a mandate that they are only allowed use of the bathroom for a certain block of time in the morning and specifically excludes the time he has allotted for himself.
Sheldon: What time do you evacuate your bowels?
- Played for Laughs in the "Mosbius Designs" episode of How I Met Your Mother, in which Ted hires a new secretary for his home office. The secretary is given the key to the bathroom (basically, Robin's own) and prevents Robin from using it without his permission. Robin finds this sexy and the two begin sleeping with each other. When Ted fires his secretary and he loses control of the bathroom key, Robin loses interest.
- Worzel Gummidge: Subverted in "Worzel's Washing Day", where John Peters needs to pee while on the way to the farm. His father initially tells him to wait, but when John says, "I can't wait!", Mr. Peters lets him pee behind a hedge.
Theatre
- Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You: Four former elementary school students of the titular nun return as adults to criticize her poor teaching. One of them, Aloysius, remembers how she would never let him go to the bathroom, causing him bladder issues that persist to this day. At the end of the show, she shoots two people and holds Aloysius hostage specifically because he has to go to the bathroom.
- Urinetown has this on a global scale: a severe drought has led to private toilets being banned, and a monopolistic corporation controls every public toilet in town. Fee hikes have driven much of the world into poverty, and anyone caught urinating anywhere besides the public toilets will be sent to the titular penal colony, never to return. There is no Urinetown — they just throw you off a building to your death.
Video Games
- The object of the online game Hold it In is to hold in poop after the Player Character's father refuses to stop the car to find a bathroom.
Web Animation
- GoAnimate:
- In several videos, a troublemaker will ask if they can use the bathroom, but the teacher will turn down their request. The student solves the problem by crapping on the teacher instead.
- Sometimes when characters are sent to detention, the detention monitor will list the rules, one of them being no bathroom or water breaks.
- TheOdd1sOut: In "Peeing Yourself", James mentions his mean first-grade teacher denying him when he asked to go to the bathroom, resulting in him wetting himself.
- Strong Bad Email: Strong Bad mentions in "Privileges" that the last time The Cheat's privileges were upgraded was when the latter's bathroom privileges were reinstated, which he had previously abused.
Webcomics
- MoringMark - TOH Comics: In one comic, after Hunter becomes Drunk with Power upon being named "Knight of the Kitchen" by Camila and starts lording it over Amity, she gets even by having herself declared Knight of the Bathroom and holding Hunter up when he needs to use the toilet.
Web Videos
- Funny or Die: In the short video "Toys R Me", Lance Reddick portrays Monte, the manager of a toy store who takes his business and role as an authority figure so seriously that he even makes a point to mention to his new employees how bathroom use is tightly controlled.
Western Animation
- In The Amazing World of Gumball episode "The Lesson", Principal Brown lists off a number of things that Gumball and Darwin may not do during their stay in detention while walking them to the room. One of them is going to the bathroom.
- Angry Kid: Subverted in the short "Piss". AK has to go while he's in the car with his father. His dad is annoyed by this and initially refuses to pull over, but he hands him a bottle to use when AK insists that it's urgent.
- Animaniacs: In "Potty Emergency", a mean shopkeeper doesn't allow Wakko Warner to use his bathroom because Wakko has no money.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender:
- In "The Boy in the Iceberg", Sokka is teaching the rest of the village's kids to stay strong against members of the Fire Nation. One boy suddenly exclaims that he has to pee, and Sokka declares that there's no time for that. The boy insists that he has to go real bad, so Sokka sighs in annoyance and asks if anyone else needs to go. Everyone else raises their hands (much to his dismay).
- In "The Avatar Returns", Sokka is coaching several kids about battling. One boy does the Potty Dance and starts to say he has to go, but Sokka says he can't do that in a battle.
- In the Batman Beyond episode "The Last Resort", kids that are sent to Dr. Wheeler's ranch are forced to sit through hours and hours of his lectures and harangues, not even being allowed to go to the bathroom. Bruce calls this an example of classic brainwashing and states that it's been used in cults and on some prisoners of war.
- The Bobinogs: In "Wash, Soap, Rinse and Dry", the band makes plans to go on a hot air balloon for Nib's birthday. Nib says she needs to use the bathroom before they leave, but the other two are too excited to pay attention to her statement and tell her to go later.
- Captain Flamingo: In "Portrait of a Superhero", Milo tells a story about a boy named Litle Donny Strong who had to use the bathroom during a road trip. He asked his parents to pull over, but they ignored his pleas. Eventually, though, they pulled over so he could do his business outside (though he ended up exploding after he bumped into a cactus).
- Camp Lazlo: In the episode "Hold It Lazlo," Edward loses a lemonade drinking contest to Lazlo, and does everything in his power to prevent him from being able to use the restroom as revenge.
- Played with in The Casagrandes episode "Stress Test" in that Bobby doesn't need the bathroom but is concerned he might. When Carlos is helping his nephew, Bobby, study, one of the things he does is have Bobby sleep upside down. When Bobby says, "But what if I have to pee?", Carlos replies, "Hold it."
- Courage the Cowardly Dog: In "Swindlin' Wind", Eustace tricks Muriel into overindulging herself on tea and then puts a toll booth ahead of their bathroom. He says he will not let her through until she gives her favorite rocking chair to him, and she reluctantly complies.
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends:
- At the start of "Busted", Bloo has to use the bathroom shortly after waking up, but Mr. Herriman won't let him until he makes his bed and brushes his teeth (he even gets on his case for forgetting to put the cap on the toothpaste container).
- In "Race for Your Life, Mac and Bloo", Bloo enters a store and demands to use the bathroom, but the employee says he can't unless he buys something. Bloo ends up having to buy a chain with a few coins for that.
- The Loud House: In "Intern for the Worse", Margo tells Lynn to hold her hot dog for her so that she can use the gas station's bathroom, but Lynn turns down this request because she thinks that using the bathroom before a major game is bad luck.
- My Gym Partner's a Monkey: In the short "Bathroom Break", Adam asks to use the bathroom while he's in class, but Mr. Hornbill tells him to wait until the bell rings. This proves to be difficult when things keep reminding Adam of his urge.
- The Oblongs: In "Misfit Love", Milo states to his teacher that he has to take a dump. She says he'll have to do that after class.
- Milo: You may control my mind, but you'll never control my ass!
- Rocko's Modern Life: In "Tickled Pinky", Rocko's sentient organs are shown attending a school. A living bladder says he has to use the bathroom, but Ms. Pancreas tells him to wait until she's done taking attendance.
- Rugrats (1991): In "The 'Lympics", the kids are competing against the McNulty brothers. Chuckie says he has to use the bathroom, but Angelica says he can't yet because it's almost his turn to run in the relay race. This motivates him to finish it as quickly as possible, and this causes Angelica's team to win.
- The Simpsons:
- Played for Black Comedy in "Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble'". Grandpa Simpson has to use the bathroom, but he can't because his son Homer won't stop the car. This makes his kidneys explode.
- In "22 Short Films About Springfield", Milhouse goes into Comic Book Guy's store to use his bathroom, but Comic Book Guy says it's for paying customers only. Milhouse buys a comic, but his father walks in and mistakenly thinks his son lied about needing to go so he could purchase something. Comic Book Guy refuses to say anything in his defense, and Milhouse is dragged out.
- There's an indirect example in "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" where the Hollywood Restraining Order Lisa has against Bart prevents him from being within 200 feet of her. This means Bart can't even live in the same house as her, and thus, he can't use the bathroom while she's there. Bart eventually settles for Nature Tinkling instead.
- South Park: In "Make Love, Not Warcraft", Cartman feels gastrointestinal distress when he and the guys are playing World of Warcraft. Stan says he can't leave to use the bathroom now since they're still in a battle, so Cartman has his mother bring in a bedpan and proceeds to use it copiously without leaving his chair — splattering both her and the floor.
- SpongeBob SquarePants:
- In "The Snowball Effect", Patrick asks Squidward if he can use his bathroom during a snowy day. Squidward repeatedly turns down his request, only to cave in and tell him to be fast about it. Patrick then relaxes and says he no longer has to go.
- In the end of "SpongeBob You're Fired", Mr. Krabs has installed a pay toilet which the customer has to pay a nickel to get in. An old man, who is about to use it, searches for a nickel in his wallet while crossing his legs.
- In "Tentacle-Vision", Patrick is tied to a camera to keep it steady. He says he has to use the bathroom, but Squidward tells him to wait until they're done filming. A few minutes later, Patrick says he doesn't need to go anymore.
- We Bare Bears: In the short "Potty Time", younger versions of the bear brothers enter a store, and Grizzly asks an employee if Panda can use their bathroom. The employee says it's for paying customers only and yells at them to leave when Grizzly asks if there's anything they can get for free.
- Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?: Subverted in "Family Vacation". Robot says he has to change his oil (which is treated like him having to pee), but his parents refuse to pull over at first. Socks says they should really find a rest stop, and Robot unleashes his oil offscreen.
- Played for Drama in What's with Andy? episode "Busting", in which Andy drinks gallons of grape juice — and then, when he finally finds the toilet, he gets thrown out of it by the school bullies Lik and Leech.
