What's more expensive than a tank of petrol? A jar containing an influencer's fart

If you thought the price of petrol was crazy, you might want to sit down for this. 

American influencer Kaitlyn Siragusa is selling her bottled farts for $999 (about R15 000) a jar, as well as jars of her bathwater for $99 (R1 500) each.

Kaitlyn (28), who goes by the online alias Amouranth, announced her new business venture Cutie Pa-TOO-ies on her Twitter page, writing, “Have you ever wanted to smell your favourite streamer or own their hot tub water (in physical form, not an NFT)? Say less.”

“We at Cutie Pa-TOOT-ies believe that the best farts are those that are naturally occurring. Thus, the team works tirelessly to bottle and collect the clouds whenever the right moment strikes.”

Because Amouranth’s health is her top priority during the production of the bottled flatulence, she says, “Our team’s only intervention is when it's time to capture a cloud.”

The influencer is best known for her ASMR streams on Twitch and for being one of the first streamers to film in a hot tub. She also posts content on other platforms, including OnlyFans and YouTube, and has said that she earns about $1,4 million (R21m) a month. 

If it all sounds too ludicrous to be true, it may be – but it's not unprecedented either. Influencer Stephanie Matto made headlines when she started cashing in on her bottled farts in November last year. 

Stephanie raked in an impressive $200 000 (nearly R3m) until her side hustle came to an abrupt end when she was hospitalised for severe pain, after overexerting herself to keep up with demand for her bottled flatulence.

While many people have posted receipts for jars of bathwater and farts from Amouranth’s site, they've also told Insider.com those receipts were fakes, created for online LOLs. Some said they though the streamer's business concept was "weird", while others said they respected her efforts "to expand her brand, but I still wouldn't be interested in buying someone's bathwater no matter how much of a fan I am of theirs". 

Meanwhile, Insider.com speculates that Amouranth herself might be in on the joke – if it is a joke – as the language on her website sounds satirical, including boasts that her farts and bathwater are "ethically sourced" and "made in the USA". It also refers to her as being "able to live free-range and in the highest quality conditions".

Some YouTubers who claimed to have bought the bottled farts posted videos showing that they contained a single strand of hair, and, if you were lucky enough, a potent odour. Others reported that the jar just smelled "like an empty jar". 

Based on Stephanie’s experience, Amouranth might be onto something with the limited-edition offer for her fans, but only time will tell how successful the business will be.  

Sources: Business Insider, LADbible, The Sun