Diving Into Gay History: Cleaning Out, Then & Now

July 1, 2023
AJ SLOAN

We all douche out with regularity. Douching out one's butt has become common practice for sexually active gays as well as straight folks who are expanding the horizons of anal play. Men, women, and everyone in between have all taken part in flushing out the ol' backside. For some, the practice is an essential step in their morning routine, putting a fresh spin on seizing the day. But how did the process of gushing water up into your guts become a mainstream practice that continues to this day? Take a seat, babes. You're about to get a butt-load of intel in today's history lesson.

The practice of cleaning out with "clysters," or enemas, dates far back in human history. There is evidence of Babylonians back in 600 BCE douching out (no lie), and in the 10th century BCE North America, Olmec tribes "transcend consciousness" via an enema. The Mayan civilization was not left out of the hole cleansing in the 7th century CE, and with no surprise, the ancient Greeks and Ancient Egyptians were no strangers to this form of anal hygiene. The purpose of these procedures varied. The Olmec Tribe put a little something extra into their clysters to induce trances. The Babylonians thought that a clyster would drive out the demon of disease. Others, including the Greeks, thought it was a surefire way to rid oneself of constipation.

These folks of civilizations long gone got pretty inventive with the materials they used for their ass-blasters. Bamboo tubes, hollowed-out bones and horns, pig bladders, silk cloths, and an array of animal scrotums were all used to clean out. The liquid that was gushed up in their guts also varied. Of course, there was water, but there were also more repugnant-sounding mixtures, like pig bile and vinegar, cooked donkey’s milk, and cabbage juice (a bottom's nightmare).

Gay porn star AJ Sloan ass in a jockstrap.

Photo courtesy of AJ Sloan.

Fast forward to the decadent days of 16th century France, having a kissably clean colon was in en-vogue. And people of the time did not clean out all on their own. Oh no, that was beneath them. Luckily for their dirty little buttholes, there was no shortage of folks ready and willing to do the job for them, for a cost of course.

Let's set the stage for this age-old ass-cleaning. Today, people (gay men) douche out to take dick, toys, fists, produce, whatever they are so inclined to insert. But in 16th century France, cleaning out was to be done for hygiene. You see, at the time people equated sh*t with disease and infection, and they figured that they may as well get to the source of the problem... even before it left their bodies. In reality, it was one of the many methods to make the elite feel that much more elite. After all, only peasants go about their days with dirty booties.

Louis the XIV was rumored to have been so addicted to douching that he had them performed on him in front of his court. King Louis was a big fan of enemas and encouraged his court to clean out as well. It was common procedure for him to finish his dinner, retire to one of his rooms, and have one of his royal physicians to douche him out. Sometimes this was done with rose or angelic water, or maybe almond milk. Afterward, he'd return to the circuit party... I mean back to court, feeling that much lighter.

Photo courtesy of AJ Sloan.

The practice of anal douching evolved as people developed more techniques for self-administering them. By the 19th century, Western Europe was widely administering its own enemas. By the 20th century, the popularity of the enema had faded, aside from Harvey Kellog (brother of the breakfast cereal magnate William Kellog) who loved prescribing anal douches. Today, although douching out is still occasionally practiced in the medical field, it is now commonplace for anyone who enjoys putting dick and many other objects in their butts. We truly are a bunch of cock-hungry queens.