ZuLoo Poodcast

Turning Poop Culture Into Pop Culture: Filmmaker Lily Zepeda on Storytelling, Sanitation, and Mr. Toilet (#105)

ZuLoo Media LLC Episode 105

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0:00 | 53:02

How do you make the global sanitation crisis impossible to ignore? You tell a story people can feel. In this episode of the ZuLoo Poodcast, we sit down with award-winning filmmaker Lily Zepeda, director of Mr. Toilet: The World’s Number Two Man. Lily shares how she followed curiosity all the way from a radio announcement to a five-year documentary journey alongside Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization.

This conversation explores why humor breaks taboos, how storytelling drives social change, and why sanitation is about far more than toilets. It’s about dignity, education, health, and human connection.


What You Will Learn

✅ How storytelling makes complex global issues relatable
✅ Why humor and playfulness cut through sanitation taboos
✅ How
Mr. Toilet came to life over five years of filming
✅ Why sanitation access directly impacts education and gender equity
✅ How creativity fuels long-term social impact

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Timestamps

00:00  Turning Poop Culture Into Pop Culture: Filmmaker Lily Zepeda on Storytelling, Sanitation, and Mr. Toilet
01:18  Why toilets still shock people in wealthy countries
11:06 Poo News: toilets on ships and why it’s called “the head”
16:40  Introducing filmmaker Lily Zepeda
19:52  How
Mr. Toilet began and meeting Jack Sim
26:08  Sanitation, girls’ education, and human dignity
33:01  Playfulness, creativity, and social change storytelling
36:45  Why humor drives global impact



Key Takeaways

🔹 Storytelling transforms sanitation from statistics into human experience
🔹 Humor opens doors where fear and shame shut them
🔹 Sanitation access shapes education, health, and opportunity
🔹 Playfulness is a serious tool for global change



Guest Bio

Lily Zepeda is an award-winning filmmaker, storyteller, and retreat facilitator. She directed Mr. Toilet: The World’s Number Two Man, following sanitation advocate Jack Sim over five years as he worked to bring global attention to the sanitation crisis. Lily’s work blends curiosity, humor, and humanity to spotlight stories that challenge norms and inspire action.

Poo-News and Show Notes:

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