I've never been a huge fan of oranges. It's probably my least favorite fruit. It gets too messy, and your hands get all sticky and gross. But when I heard that there's an Internet trend of people eating oranges in the shower and sharing photos on social media, it was so strange yet so intriguing that I just had to try it myself.
But let's back up for a quick second...
How did this even become a thing??
Thanks to a year-old thread on Reddit, someone started the conversation by asking, "What's something unconventional everyone should try out?" And naturally, a user by the name of PHOTON_BANDIT (a now-deleted account) responded with a story about how a camp counselor told them that eating an orange in the shower is "the most carnal, ferocious, liberating thing a man can do."
Okay, weird. But it gained enough online attention, and now the ShowerOrange movement is a real thing. The subreddit has almost 9,000 readers and a set of rules for participators.
The first rule is "No nudity please." While faces, feet, arms, and bellies are allowed, the thread is dedicated to "the consumption of oranges," so it should remain SFW. Also take note, there's a strict second rule about which fruits are suitable. Oranges, clementines, tangerines and blood oranges are all acceptable, but sadly, grapefruits are not.
Unfortunately, it looks like folks in California may have to sit this one out, since it's illegal to eat oranges in the bathtub there. But luckily since I live in Florida, where there's plenty of citrus and no weird laws about eating in bathtubs, I hopped on this trend. Here's my two cents about the experience.
Stage One: "I feel like a complete weirdo."
Here I am, standing in the shower, trying to get good photographic evidence before I go all in. Did I lose my mind? Maybe. It felt awkward, but hey #doitforSpoon, am I right?
Stage Two: "This is actually sort of satisfying in a strange way."
Once I started peeling the orange skin, an aromatic citrus scent filled the steamy air. Now, I'm starting to see why this is a thing.
But then, I started pulling apart orange slices and eating them. At that moment, I gotta admit that it was fulfilling when the juice splattered everywhere as usual, but only this time the water just washed it all away. No more stickiness. Just me actually enjoying an orange.
Stage Three: "Liberating, yes—but not life-changing."
Reality hit once I finished eating the orange and shampooing my hair. I still needed to pick up the peels and throw them away. Also, if you're not careful, you can easily slip on them, and I'm pretty sure no one would want to tell an ER doctor what caused such an injury (it'd make for a good story, though).
Overall, I would say it was certainly a liberating experience, as strange as it was. However, I won't be eating oranges during showers on the reg.