HALP!

[grammargirl]

So, my ancient toilet appears to be fuxx0red. The last couple times I've tried to flush it, the water level in the bowl has risen near to overflowing, then slowly drained back down to a normal level, but nothing's been flushed away. Now I've got a toilet full of brownish water and toilet paper and I'm not sure how to proceed. My knowledge of toilet mechanics is minimal at best--is this something that I need to call my landlord about, or is it simple enough to fix myself, and if so, how? (Keep in mind that I am hopeless when it comes to these things--if there's an obvious solution to this that anyone with the slightest shred of intelligence would know, please assume I haven't already thought of it.)

Please and thanks!