farting appropriateness depends on culture and intimacy levels

I am white, with a very earthy, peasant background on both sides of my family. Both my grandfathers were famous for cracking jokes when they farted in front of their families.

My fiance is Chinese and according to him, farting around your family is no big deal (this is a culture that encourages belching at the end of a meal to indicate that one liked the host's meal).

At first, we didn't fart around each other (and I, being female held out longest), but after a while, once we both realized our mutually lax attitude toward flatulence, we let it rip. My boyfriend's sense of humor is pretty scatological anyway. Whenever I fart, he ALWAYS says "You tooted" and then cracks himself up.

I always think people who get offended by it come from families descended from Puritans or from cultures that don't accept it. I don't think I could ever be with a man who was so prissy he never farted in front of me.

I will say, though, that farting in the cab of a pickup truck should be avoided. Man, that's some stink!

It's just a freakin' fart, people! I do it, my fiance does it, my dog does it and YOU do it too! Everyone does it! Get over it.

Find something else in your marriage to fight over!