A new video from Water.org has actor Matt Damon claiming that he will not be making any trips to the men’s room for the foreseeable future. That’s right, Damon is on toilet strike. No number one (and definitely no number two) until, says Damon, “everybody has access to clean water and sanitation.” Damon made the announcement at a taped (fake) press conference for the charity—an organization that he co-founded in 2009. Water.org, with help from Damon and YouTube, created the humorous video in an effort to raise awareness around the issue of access to clean water and sanitation in the developing world.
In the clip, Damon addresses a room full of reporters, asking them what they did to celebrate World Toilet Day (November 19, FYI). He then informs his baffled audience that there are more people in the world who have cell phones than toilets (true fact!). So, deadpans Damon, “in protest of this global tragedy, until this issue is resolved, until everybody has access to clean water and sanitation, I will not go to the bathroom.”
“Both ca-ca and pee-pee?” inquires one reporter, trying to get a clear picture of the actor’s intentions. “Do you mean literally, like you won’t go to the bathroom but you’ll go somewhere else, like maybe a swimming pool?” asks another incredulous member of the press. “You’re the reporter, you do the math,” says Damon. As the press corp becomes increasingly antagonistic, Damon maintains his cool—until the very end.
As far as sanitation-related videos go, this one is the funniest I’ve seen. Okay, sure—I guess sanitation-related PSAs aren’t all that common—yet. But charities and other organizations are beginning to use humour in their efforts to raise awareness about their various causes more frequently these days (see: Australian company Metro Trains Melbourne’s Dumb Ways to Die PSA).
“The concept of experimenting with comedy to generate new levels of awareness and participation in the cause is something we’ve been toying with for a couple of years,” said Damon, speaking with the LA Times. “If Sarah Silverman and I can generate millions of views on YouTube for something ridiculous, then we should be able to do better for one of the most important and solvable issues of our time,” he added—possibly with his legs tightly crossed.
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