Fart lighting

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An attempted fart lighting

Fart lighting, also known as pyroflatulence or flatus ignition, is the practice of igniting the gases
produced by humanflatulence, often producing a flame of a blue hue, hence the act being known colloquially
as a "blue angel", "blue dart", or inAustralia, a "blue flame". The fact that flatus is flammable, and the
actual combustion of it through this practice, gives rise to much humorous derivation. Other colors of flame
such as orange and yellow are possible with the color dependent on the mixture of gases formed in the
colon.
In 1999 author Jim Dawson argued that fart lighting has been a novelty practice primarily among young men
or college students for decades, but is discouraged for its potential for causing injury.[1] Such experiments
typically occur on camping trips and in single-sex group residences, such as tree-houses, dormitories,
or fraternity houses.[2] With the advent of video sharing features online, hundreds of self-produced videos,
both documentary as well as spoof, have been posted to sites such as YouTube. The people appearing in
the videos are predominantly young males.[3][4] In his book The Curse of the Self: Self-Awareness, Egotism,
and the Quality of Human Life author Mark Richard Leary explains how a great deal of unhappiness is due
to people's inability to exert control over their thoughts and behavior and that "stupid stunts", including
lighting flatulence, were a way to make an impression and be included in group bonding or hazing.[5]
Although there is little scientific discourse on the combustive properties of flatus, there are many anecdotal
accounts of flatus ignition and the activity has increasingly found its way into popular culture with references
in comic routines, movies, and television; including cartoons. In Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story of
Frank Zappa author Neil Slaven quotes Frank Zappa, "The manly art of fartburning. compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust."[6][7]