The Woman Who Photocopied Her Bottom

Jan 1980: The management of John Deere & Company fired 21-year-old Jodi Stutz when they learned that she had used her office's new Xerox machine to photocopy her bottom. Her firing transformed her prank into national news. As later reported by the Chicago Tribune (June 24, 1987): Johnny Carson mentioned Jodi in his monologue for three nights in a row. NBC flew Jodi to California to appear on the Real People TV show, and she happened to see Carson in a hallway. Someone told him who she was, and he came over to introduce himself to her. She was invited to be the grand marshal of a parade in Canada. Her picture appeared in national magazines. Surprisingly, I haven't been able to find a reproduction of her photocopy anywhere. News of what she had done is credited with popularizing bottom-photocopying in offices throughout the world, and the Getty Museum even gives her prank a prominent place in the history of photocopy art. Given this historical significance, I assumed that someone, somewhere would have shared her photocopy with the wider public. But apparently not. Stutz went on to write a book, "It Was Only A Paper Moon," about her experience. Maybe she would have included an image of the photocopy in this book, but it was never published. Then, in 1987, she was struck and killed by a stray bullet from a neighbor's dispute. Her papers (including her unpublished book) are held in the Special Collections of CalPoly Humboldt Library. If a copy of her history-making photocopy exists anywhere, it would be there. Jodi Stutz Salem Capital Journal - Feb 26, 1980 Below: an account of what happened in Stutz's own words. Moline Dispatch - Feb 6, 1980

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Oct 2, 2025 - 12:00

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Jan 1980: The management of John Deere & Company fired 21-year-old Jodi Stutz when they learned that she had used her office's new Xerox machine to photocopy her bottom. Her firing transformed her prank into national news. As later reported by the Chicago Tribune (June 24, 1987):

Johnny Carson mentioned Jodi in his monologue for three nights in a row. NBC flew Jodi to California to appear on the Real People TV show, and she happened to see Carson in a hallway. Someone told him who she was, and he came over to introduce himself to her. She was invited to be the grand marshal of a parade in Canada. Her picture appeared in national magazines.

Surprisingly, I haven't been able to find a reproduction of her photocopy anywhere. News of what she had done is credited with popularizing bottom-photocopying in offices throughout the world, and the Getty Museum even gives her prank a prominent place in the history of photocopy art. Given this historical significance, I assumed that someone, somewhere would have shared her photocopy with the wider public. But apparently not.

Stutz went on to write a book, "It Was Only A Paper Moon," about her experience. Maybe she would have included an image of the photocopy in this book, but it was never published.

Then, in 1987, she was struck and killed by a stray bullet from a neighbor's dispute.

Her papers (including her unpublished book) are held in the Special Collections of CalPoly Humboldt Library. If a copy of her history-making photocopy exists anywhere, it would be there.

Jodi Stutz