Beau Ryan Poop Culture Interview

It's Official! Aussies Talk A Lot Of S#%!

New research shows toilet talk has pushed through its historic taboo with a staggering 84% of Australians admitting they are happy to talk about poo with lovers, friends, family and work colleagues.

The Australia wide 2018 Poop Culture Report conducted by leading fibre supplement Metamucil, uncovered how attitudes towards the formerly taboo topic have changed over the last 30 years, with four in five Aussies saying it is more socially acceptable to talk about -poo' and bathroom habits now than ever before.

Eight out of 10 Baby Boomers today say they are comfortable talking about their bathroom habits, however the same number admit they would not have been comfortable at all talking about the sensitive subject when they were in their twenties. Millennials today are very relaxed about the topic, with 85% saying they are comfortable talking poo – millennials were also the most likely (58%) to shoot the poop with their lover or spouse.

Australians cite access to content on the internet (37%) as one of the main reasons why attitudes have changed, as well as younger generations having less social taboos'' generally (35%). Swiftly proving this point, one in four millennials said the change in attitude was because -poo is funny'. Despite our appreciation of toilet humour, only a third of Aussies are open to discussing how regularly they go to the toilet.

Andrew Crowe, Brand Manager, P&G Healthcare, ANZ, said: "The results from Metamucil's Poop Culture Report suggest we are clearly a nation that is open about our toilet habits. Whilst it can definitely provide some laughs, there is a serious side to talking s**t. Gut health is hugely important for our overall health and wellbeing and good gut health starts with regularity. Yet only a third of us discuss the more serious side of our bowel movements such as how often we go to the toilet and the overall experience itself."

"We want to harness the nation's love of toilet talk to educate people on the importance of staying regular and its impact on gut health, so they add this to their next poo chat."

Fibre is one of the key dietary requirements to support regularity and a healthy gut however, 6 out of 10 Australians do not get enough fibre in their daily diet. As Australia's number one fibre supplement, Metamucil is an easy way to increase your fibre intake and helps to keep you regular.

Metamucil's 2018 Poop Culture Report also found:

• Australians are most comfortable talking about the whiffy subject to their significant other (56%), their family (49%) and their friends (37%)
• One in 10 let loose on the matter with work colleagues
• Amazingly, half a million Aussies say they would talk shit on a first date
• Eight out of 10 Aussies are also happy to drop some details about their bowel movements. The topics most people discussed were being constipated or having diarrhea (52%), discussing concerns about their toilet trips (48%) and letting people know they need a poo (43%)
• 35% discussed the finer points of toilet paper etiquette and whether they are a scruncher or folder of toilet paper and 30% were happy to share their feelings of relief after having done a poo
• Men (45%) are more likely than women (35%) to say they are very comfortable talking about their bathroom habits/poo

Metamucil is well known for using humour to put the topic of regularity and gut health in the spotlight, with its hugely successful Poo Romance video series following the love life of Nugget and Miss Metamucil. The second instoolment went viral last month and has so far been viewed more than 5 million times and received 40,000 clicks, comments and shares across social channels, including by celebs Michael Clarke, Beau Ryan, Tiffany Scanlon, Danny Green and Paul Gallen.

Watch the video, on YouTube.

Interview with Beau Ryan

Question: What made you want to get involved with the Metamucil 'Poop' Culture Report?

Beau Ryan: Well I'm passionate about health and I want to create a healthy lifestyle for both myself and my family, so the message behind the report really hit a chord there. But as anyone I'm close with will know I'm also a bit of an over-sharer, so it fit perfectly to get involved. It's great that 84% of Australians are happy to talk about poo, but only a third are talking about regularity, so we need to work on that, because staying regular is important for gut health. I like to have a bit of fun with it too – a few weeks ago I dressed up as Nugget, the infamous character from Metamucil's poo romance video series – my daughter loved it.


Question: How often do you overshare about your bathroom habits?

Beau Ryan: Well I've got no filter so I am quite a 'regular' over-sharer. I'll talk to my friends and family about pooing daily, and even if I don't know someone I'll just give them a couple of days to get to know me and then before either of us know it I'll be telling them where I'm pooping and how long I'm pooping for. I find it's better to be open about these things, and it shows that I'm very comfortable with the person and our relationship too.


Question: Who do you usually share your bathroom habits, with?

Beau Ryan: I'm very open with my family and friends, but I'll also talk with my colleagues about it too. I drink a lot of water and eat well so I'm in the toilet probably every half hour, so I have a bit of a joke running with my colleague on breakfast radio that I've been to the toilet more times than he's smiled – of course it helps that he's a bit of a stiff! We also only get three minute breaks for the weather cross and seven minutes during the news break, so there's not time for being awkward about where I might be rushing off to!


Question: Where and with whom do you draw the line when talking about your bathroom habits?

Beau Ryan: I probably don't share as much with people over my age. Younger people are very open about talking about it and have always been because they've grown up in a different generation - I think is a great direction for Australia to go in.

Question: Why has poop, a previously taboo topic, recently become something you're more open to talk about?

Beau Ryan: Well I think Australian society is changing, and our culture is changing too with the current young generation. They seem to be far more open with each other about these kinds of topics, and social media and the internet have really helped that too, because people can speak with each other, share images and tell you where they are and what they're doing at every second of the day – including when they're on the toilet! So I think as the younger generation continues to embrace and push for a more open and accepting culture, and social media becomes even more present in our lives these kinds of -taboo' topics will become far more mainstream. We may even end up getting to the stage where we do these interviews from the toilet!


Question: What advice do you have for women who are still scared to poop at their partner's home?

Beau Ryan: Let it go, both literally and figuratively! You may feel insecure or worried about what he may think, but you'll grow in your relationship if you start sharing a bit more – and he's probably grosser than you could ever imagine yourself to be anyway. Besides, when you have kids all bets are off. Before you know it there's poo on your fingers, poo in your hair, poo on your face, on your walls, and all of those worries just go out the window. When you're in a relationship and have a baby you'll also find that you're not really worried anymore about what you're doing or what your partner thinks of it, because you're always worried about when your baby is pooing, where they're pooing, and sometimes you may even question what they're pooing!


Question: How have you recently increased the fibre, in your diet?

Beau Ryan: I have always maintained a pretty good diet, but when I was playing footy I would eat a lot more carbs and protein, and I was far more active so I would burn it off and obviously that meant pooing a lot more. Once I retired from the game though I started looking at other ways to maintain gut health and regularity I had when I was maintaining that intense routine during my playing days, and that's when I started using Metamucil. It's something some people won't talk about, but getting enough fibre and staying regular is really important for your overall health. It keeps me feeling light and healthy, so I can get out there and just do my thing without worrying about feeling low or blocked up, whether it's on the field, on the street, in the studio or on air.


Interview by Brooke Hunter