Wow! I just listened to a TED Talk on the Strange politics of disgust
The speaker has done the research and in essence he is saying that if you expose people to disgusting images, their moral compass shifts towards the "Conservative" (big & small "c").
Given the recent voting patterns around the world, it explains how the internet and social media have been used to further these ends. We hear it said, it chimes with our intuition, but here is a person who has found the mechanisms. Is there the opposite effect? I doubt its efficacy!
OK it doesn't affect you or me (you sure?) but on a populace?
You can laugh at images of excreta, but it is affecting you in ways you don't know or understand.
George Orwell predicted, but like all predictions - the reality is subtly different so it doesn't count OK? - yea sure.

I don't know about you - but I suspect it is the case - I bristle at being manipulated; ads, and Farcebook, bad news stories etc.

This is a rant!