Shit happens
Shit happens is a slang sentence that is used as a simple existential observation that life is full of unfortunate unpredictable events, similar to "c'est la vie". The sentence is an acknowledgment that bad things happen to people seemingly for no particular reason.[3][4]
It can also be said less vulgarly, including phrases such as "it happens" or "stuff happens".[5]
History
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The fact that people have been remarking that "shit happens" has been attested from 1964, when Carl Werthman quoted an example in his UC Berkeley masters thesis; the relevant excerpt was published in The American City (edited by Anselm L. Strauss) in 1968.[6]
Examples of usage
[edit source]In 2011, Australian politician Tony Abbott, who was at the time Opposition Leader and leader of the Liberal Party (later becoming Prime Minister), used the sentence in an interview.[7][8]
Popular Culture
[edit source]The 1994 film Forrest Gump, makes a famous reference to "shit happens" in a scene where Forrest is running across the United States and in response to being told "...you just ran through a big pile of dog shit." he replies "It happens.", with the following scene showing a pick-up truck driving away with the bumper sticker "shit happens" on it and the pick-up then immediately becomes involved in a collision with a second car.[1][9][10][2] The film is making reference to bumper stickers that can be seen in everyday life that include the phrase "shit happens", especially in the United States.[11][12][13]
"Shit happens." is also a recurring phrase in 1990 film [[Predator 2]], first said by Jamaican gangster Gold Tooth as he dismisses his own organization's Voodoo beliefs by saying "I tell you what I believe — shit happens." When he and his men are ambushed by the titular antagonist of the film, also known as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Predator_(franchise)_characters#The_%22City_Hunter%22_Predator, he once again says "Shit happens." as he's the last man standing and about to be killed. Later on in the film, when the City Hunter is battling the protagonist, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Predator_(franchise)_characters#Mike_Harrigan, and has been unmasked, one of his demonstrations of his ability to mimic human speech is shown by him saying "Shit happens." as he tries to engage his self-destruct device. Lastly, at the climax of their battle, Harrigan triumphantly says "That's right, asshole — shit happens!" as he kills The City Hunter with one of his own weapons.
See also
[edit source]- Murphy's law – Adage that anything that can go wrong will go wrong
- Butterfly effect – Idea that small causes can have large effects
References
[edit source]- 1 2 "Zemeckis' "Here" offers snapshots of history, but can it escape the "Forrest Gump" shadow?". Salon. Salon. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Forrest Gump 1994: Shit happens". The most iconic scenes in movies. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Shit happens". Psychology Today. New York. May 1995. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
- ↑ "Vic & Sade (pg 02) 1940–1941". Sound Recording. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ↑ "Jeb Bush Says 'Stuff Happens' In Response to Gun Violence". United States: ABC News. 2 October 2015.
- ↑ The datum: "That shit happens all the time." In "The Police as Perceived by Negro Boys", ed. Carl Werthman; in The American City: A Source Book of Urban Imagery, edited by Anselm L. Strauss (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 285. Here in Google Books. A footnote says that Werthman's short contribution to the book is "Excerpted from 'Gang members and the police', unpublished M.A. thesis, University of California, Berkeley, 1964."
- ↑ "'Shit happens': Abbott grilled over digger remark". Australia: ABC News. 8 February 2011.
- ↑ "Seven slammed over Abbott 'shit happens' broadcast".
- ↑ "The Making of 'Forrest Gump'". bookandfilmglobe.com. Book and Film Globe. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Tom Hanks Paid for Some of 'Forrest Gump' Out of Pocket and it Paid Off". nofilmschool.com. No Film School. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Florida Man Arrested After Refusing to Remove Obscene Sticker From Chevrolet Pickup Truck". The Drive. The Drive. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Young and forever sick: 'They didn't see me as a person who had dreams'". The Guardian. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Bruce Springsteen's Stark and Ageless 'Nebraska': A Song-by-Song Look Back". Something else reviews. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
External links
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