A Dutch oven refers to trapping your bed partner under the bed covers and farting. The term is considered vulgar slang and is an offensive prank done as a practical joke. Typically done by a male partner to a female partner, a Dutch oven involves a person farting under the sheets while their partner’s head is trapped underneath. The unlucky recipient is forced to inhale the intestinal gas. As you can imagine, this act does not amuse the partner who is “Dutch ovened.”
Doing a Dutch oven on someone is considered immature, rude, and crass. It can be hurtful and embarrassing to the recipient. While some view it simply as a juvenile prank, others see it as crossing the line and disrespectful. Consent and context matter when determining if doing a Dutch oven is simply playful or actually abusive. Health concerns also come into play when passing gas directly into your partner’s face.
What Exactly is a Dutch Oven?
The term “Dutch oven” has two main meanings:
1. A Dutch oven refers to a heavy, cast iron cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. This type of pot is excellent at braising meats and simmering stews and soups. The tight lid keeps moisture from escaping, ensuring delicious results. This is the more common and accepted meaning for the term.
2. A Dutch oven can also refer to the vulgar practical joke as described above. This meaning dates back to at least the 1990s and possibly earlier.
When someone talks about doing a “Dutch oven” to another person, they are referring to the offensive prank and not cooking. However, the origins of why this crude joke is called a “Dutch oven” remain unclear.
Theories on the Term’s Origins
There are several theories as to why trapping your partner under sheets and farting on them came to be known as a “Dutch oven.” Here are some of the possible explanations:
- The sheets create an “oven-like” environment that traps the gas and heat. This resembles how a cast iron Dutch oven uses a tight lid to contain moisture and heat.
- The first recorded use in the 1990s lines up with the popularity and prevalence of Dutch ovens for camping. The close quarters of a tent are similar to the intimacy under sheets.
- An alternate theory claims Dutch ovens were popular with Boy Scouts in America. Fart jokes and juvenile humor have long been a part of Boy Scout camping trips.
- The Netherlands has a reputation for tolerance and openness about sex and bodily functions. This may have contributed to linking crude fart jokes to Dutch culture.
- Dutch oven pots are associated with comfort food, hearty meals, and intestinal distress. Their cooking properties may be related to flatulence under sheets.
No one theory seems to fully explain why this act became known as a “Dutch oven.” However, the joking practice certainly preceded the popularity of the term and seemed to become more widespread and mainstream in the 1990s.
Performing the Prank
While clearly an immature and often offensive act, the mechanics of performing a Dutch oven are pretty straightforward. The basic instructions include:
- Get into bed with your partner with both of you laying on your sides.
- Wait until your partner falls asleep.
- Lift the bed sheets or quilt over both of your heads, trapping you together in an “oven-like” environment under the covers.
- Remain facing your partner’s backside area and fart directly into the sheet-created enclosure.
- Quickly trap your partner in the foul gas by holding the covers down tight.
- Laugh raucously and extract yourself from the noxious plume.
As you can see, the Dutch oven prank is most often done as a sneak attack on a sleeping, unaware victim. The gas quickly builds up in concentration under the enclosed sheets. The stunned recipient has no choice but to breathe in the putrid fumes.
Alternative Methods
While the sleeping ambush is the most common technique, variations on Dutch oven attacks do exist:
- Trapping your partner’s head under the covers while they are sitting up in bed reading.
- Holding bedding over their head like a tent while they sit nearby.
- Farting first then throwing the covers over them quickly afterward.
- Team efforts with multiple attackers coordinating to surround the victim in a Dutch oven.
The core concept remains the same – entrapping someone in a foul miasma of your gastrointestinal design. However, the specifics can be adapted to different situations and positions.
Why Do It?
Most sane people would ask why someone would even consider Dutch ovening their partner? What motivates someone to follow through with this distasteful and asinine act?
Immaturity
The most obvious explanation is simple immaturity. Just as teenagers and adolescent boys find all manner of fart, poop, and butt humor hilarious, some adults maintain this state of arrested development. They cling to juvenile jokes and gags as a way to laugh at bodily functions.
Revenge
In some cases, a Dutch oven is delivered as retribution or revenge. After being farted on repeatedly, some fed-up partners decide to return fire with a Dutch oven counterattack. Fighting gas with more gas is seen as a way to teach their flatulent mate a lesson.
Dominance
Rarely, a controlling or abusive spouse may use Dutch ovens as a way to humiliate and dominate their partner. In these instances, it becomes a means to degrade and express power over the victimized mate. It moves beyond just a foolish prank.
Sexual Fetish
For some, Dutch ovens and farting in general represent a sexual kink or fetish. They experience arousal and satisfaction from being farted on or trapping their partner in gas. Consent and mutual enjoyment are critical for exploring this as a healthy fetish between partners.
So while immaturity remains the main motive, retribution, control, and fetishes can also motivate one to Dutch oven their bedmate. However, these reasons do not excuse the act or make it any more respectful.
Why NOT Do It?
More important than questionable motivations are all the valid reasons to NOT Dutch oven your partner.
It’s Rude
Doing a Dutch oven is quite simply rude and disrespectful behavior. In a healthy relationship based on mutual care and affection, there is no room for deliberately vile pranks. Regardless of your sense of humor, you should always consider your partner’s comfort and boundaries. Springing a Dutch oven on the unwilling is a clear violation of basic decency and kindness.
It’s Unhealthy
Passing intestinal gas directly into your partner’s face is unsanitary at best. At worst, it could facilitate the spread of bacteria, viruses, and illnesses. Why would you knowingly expose your loved one to your flatulent fumes and microbes? Keep in mind that farts contain hydrogen sulfide, methane, nitrogen, and other irritating particulates that can inflame lungs and airways.
It Damages Trust
Relationships are built on a foundation of trust between partners. Non-consensual Dutch ovens undermine that trust in several ways. First, you are literally breaking the trust of your sleeping partner by assaulting them while unaware. Additionally, you betray their trust in you as someone who values their health and wellbeing. Damaged trust can be incredibly hard to repair.
It Can Cross Into Abuse
While often framed as just a puerile joke, Dutch ovens sometimes cross the line into emotional, verbal, or physical abuse. Repeatedly Dutch ovening your spouse against their will absolutely qualifies as abusive behavior. Similarly, forcibly restraining your partner in order to Dutch oven them can be considered physical abuse. At minimum, Dutch ovens constitute a form of sexual harassment, especially in dating scenarios.
In summary, a Dutch oven’s rudeness, unhealthiness, betrayal of trust, and potential for abuse make it an unacceptable practice in loving relationships. Partners deserve mutual care, respect, and consideration – none of which are possible with deliberate Dutch ovens.
Is It Ever Okay?
Given all the negatives, are there any instances when giving your partner a Dutch oven is acceptable behavior?
The only potential scenario is between consenting partners who mutually enjoy it as part of a sexual kink or fetish roleplay. With prior discussion and approval, some couples incorporate farting and Dutch ovens into their sex lives. As long as both parties express enthusiasm and willing participation, this type of sexual exploration can be healthy.
However, such situations represent a slim minority. The vast majority of Dutch oven occurrences involve a non-consenting recipient and an immature or even abusive perpetrator. All couples engaging in this practice should closely examine motivations and power dynamics at play. Healthy fetishes require mutual care and respect above all else.
Conclusion
Doing a Dutch oven means trapping your bed partner under sheets or covers and farting on them. While some attempt to pass it off as just harmless fun, Dutch ovens in reality demonstrate immense immaturity, disrespect, and violation of trust. The noxious and dangerous practice has no place in loving, considerate relationships.
The only rare exception involves consenting couples who engage in fart-play as an agreed-upon and considerate kink or fetish. However, one should heavily scrutinize the motivations and repercussions before proceeding. With open communication and enthusiastic consent, some may safely incorporate gas attacks like Dutch ovens into their sex lives.
All others should unequivocally avoid Dutch ovens. The childish desire for a laugh at your partner’s expense does not remotely outweigh the rudeness, unhealthiness, distrust, and potential for abuse. Respect your partner’s bodies and boundaries. There are countless better ways to share laughter and intimacy together.