19. Cheesy Beer Gags
class: tweeners | impressiveness: 1/5 – 4/5 | factors: each gag needs to wait for right moment | requires: bottle of beer | watch full episode
If you’ve ever watched Scam School, you know we pride ourselves on giving you only the very best bar scams… but in this chapter, we break our streak and instead present you with four stupid beer gags.
Yes, they’re stupid, but they’re also awesome.
The Eye of Hercules: This one actually fools people, but it’s so simple that most people write it off. To make it look like you’re opening a beer with your eye, remove the bottle cap and set it gently on top of the beer. Wait until your mark is watching, then place the bottle in your eye socket and turn the beer as you mime opening the bottle with your eye. Here’s the kicker though: as you do this, make a hissing “Ssssss” sound with your mouth. If you get the sound and acting right, they’ll be convinced you just opened the twist-off bottle with your eye.
And shut up: it does so fool people… I mean look at this:
Watch Demonstration (External link)
The Overflow: This is a gag everyone falls for, exactly once. If you’re the first one to perform it on someone, you can be the jerk he’ll remember forever. With two just-opened beer bottles, move to toast your friend, but instead tap your full beer firmly on the mouth of his bottle. Give it a good rap but don’t break anything. For a few seconds, nothing will happen… and then his beer will overflow with foam.
Watch Demonstration (External link)
The Levitation: This gag seems to impress the performer more than the audience. I’m not even sure why it fools anyone, but it does look cool and it’s fun to do.
Wipe down to dry an empty beer or wine bottle and set it upside down on the bar. If you set your index finger on top of the bottle while your thumb pinches in from the side, you can create the loose illusion of the bottle having become stuck to your middle finger.
I honestly don’t know if this is any kind of “fooler” effect, but I find myself doing it every time I’m at the bar.
Watch Demonstration (External link)
Stealing the Dollar: Again, this one’s an entry-level gag, but one that everyone loves to play. Set a dollar bill underneath an inverted beer bottle, and announce that anyone can keep the dollar if he can get it out from underneath the bottle without letting the bottle tip over. The rules are: No touching the bottle, and no use of any other objects.
Once they give up, show that by carefully rolling the bill, the bill itself can push the bottle off the edge, and get you the bill scott free.
Watch Demonstration (External link)