There is hardly a person who has not heard of the Moulin Rouge, which opened in 1889 and became one of the most famous clubs in the world. Today we mainly remember the can-can dancers and Toulouse-Lautrec, who is responsible for the club's wonderful posters. However, one man, whose performances filled the Moulin Rouge hall night after night and attracted the kings of Europe to the club, among others, has been forgotten from the collective memory. The man's name was Joseph Pujol but he was known as Le Pétomane (the jester).
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The beginning of Joseph Pozol's artistic career
Joseph was born in Marseille in 1857 and during his childhood had an experience that changed his whole life. One day, while swimming in the sea, he suddenly felt a cold current behind him and discovered that he could pump water using his rectal muscles. Pouzol soon discovered the entertainment potential of this ability and during his military service he became popular with his comrades for his ability to empty a pot full of water using his rectal muscles and spray it up to a distance of 5 meters.
After completing his military service, Joseph Boulangerie opened a bar in Marseille, where he entertained his customers by imitating musical instruments by sucking air into his back and releasing it in different rhythms. After his fan base grew, he decided to retrain and began performing on the Marseille stage. The show in Marseille was a success and in 1892, Pouzol moved to Paris, straight to the Moulin Rouge, where he took the stage name Le Pétomane, a combination of the words Péter (to fart) and maniac.
The star of Moulin Rouge
The Heptaman show was a huge success and he became one of the highest-paid entertainers at the Moulin Rouge. During the show, Pougeol imitated cannon fire and thunderstorms with his buttocks and even played the national anthem. The Marseillaise Using a kind of small flute that you insert into the anus.
The success of the show brought the fat and the skinny of Europe to the Moulin Rouge, and among its fans were Sigmund Freud, Edward VII of England, and Leopold II of Belgium, who almost fainted from laughter during the show (the king was lucky because during one of Pouzol's shows at the Moulin Rouge, a man died of a heart attack caused by laughter).
In 1894, the Moulin Rouge and Pougeol parted ways after the latter participated independently in a show to raise money for a friend in need, which greatly angered the club's directors. After setting out on his own, Pougeol created the Théâtre Pompadour and toured with it all over the world. France Until the outbreak of World War I.
The horrors of World War I deflated Pozol's balloon and he decided to return to Marseille and his baking career. He breathed his last in 1945 and after his death the Sorbonne University offered his family a huge sum of money to allow them to dissect his body and understand the secret of his musical ability. However, his family refused and the secret went down with him to the grave. But as you will see, the memory of Joseph Pozol did not really go with the wind. Here is an example of an excerpt from a musical inspired by his story:
And there's also a chanson that someone wrote (sorry for the video quality, I couldn't find anything better, but the sound quality is just fine)
And finally, a short anecdote: the character of the governor, the dress-chaser and a bit of a moron in Mel Brooks' immortal film "Hot Saddles" is called Petumen, after Joseph Pujol because, like our politicians, he is full of hot air...
Looking for Moulin Rouge tickets?
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Looking for more attractions in Paris?
- If you are looking for museums, a cruise on the Seine and other attractions in the City of Lights, you are welcome to come in. To the next article.
- If you really feel like getting out of Paris and spending some time in Versailles, Giverny or, mercifully, Euro Disney, you are welcome to come in. To this article.