Washing out mouth with soap

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Washing out mouth with soap is a form of corporal punishment, usually given to children for cursing (using "dirty words") or lying. It is often done by placing a bar of soap in a person’s mouth and forcing him or her to hold it there until the behavior has been suitably reprimanded, or until the entire bar of soap dissolves and/or is swallowed. Alternatively, a person may be forced to drink liquid soap (this can be practical in places outside the home, where liquid soap tends to be more readily accessible). Many substances commonly referred to as "soap" are actually detergents, and occasionally, any one of numerous other substances may be substituted for soap to be used for this purpose. It was most commonly practiced by mothers^{[citation needed]} until the late 1950s^{[citation needed]}, but continues to be practiced by some today, including parents, teachers, babysitters, and others who care for children.

1 Depictions in popular culture
2 Controversy
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Depictions in popular culture

Washing out mouth with soap is occasionally depicted in movies and television.

It was depicted in the 1983 film A Christmas Story, where the character Ralphie’s mouth is washed out by his mother for using language that his father employs on a daily basis.
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the main protagonist washed out a toon weasel's (the leader) mouth for using bad language, causing him to hiccup soap bubbles.
In Georgia Rule, a strict grandmother played by Jane Fonda washed out granddaughter Lindsay Lohan's mouth with soap for speaking blasphemously.
In an Animaniacs episode called "Roll over Beethoven", when hearing that he's a pianist, the characters Yakko, Wakko, and Dot proceed to wash Beethoven's mouth out with soap, due to the way the word is pronounced.

[edit] Controversy

This punishment still has many advocates today, even though its use has diminished considerably in recent years in favor of discipline methods that are not considered violent or humiliating. Additionally, many soaps and detergents can have potentially harmful results, especially if swallowed.^{[citation needed]} A teacher in Rochester, New York was suspended in 2004 for washing out the mouth of a student for using vulgar language, but was reinstated after 41 parents and family members of her students signed a petition supporting her actions.^[1]