History Main / CanCrushingCranium

* ''WesternAnimation/PartyCentral'': Percy Boleslaw crushes a can with his skull, and then eats the can.

* One of Miller Lite's "Man Law" commercials had the Men of the Square Table [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNZ3vd00yA&feature=related debating whether crushing cans on your forehead was macho or just moronic.]] They decided on moronic.
-->'''Eddie Griffin:''' Cans ain't as thick as they once were. I mean, back in the day, you crushed a can against your forehead, you were saying something. But now...
-->'''Burt Reynolds:''' Lame.
** Head crushing was the subject of a Miller Lite commercial back in the late '80s. Former Bears safety Gary Fencik did the crushing while making comments about being known for "using your head" (Fencik graduated from Yale). Another patron tries to imitate him, and knocks himself cold.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* Fish Out of Water does this in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'', Justified since he's always wearing a diving suit helmet.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]

[[folder:Recorded and Stand Up Comedy]]
* A prop comedian once demonstrated the ultimate way to one-up tough guys who crush beer cans on their foreheads: He showed a beer can, crushed it against his forehead, and subsequently un-crushed it by inflating it back to its original shape.
[[/folder]]

* Variant in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''[='=]s ''Mists of Pandaria'' expansion. In the Pandaren starting zone, you encounter a Pandaren named [[MeaningfulName Ironbrow]] who proceeds to break bamboo, wood, and ''stone'' with his forehead. [[spoiler:Eventually, you bring him a jade pillar to test his mighty brow against...and he ends up getting a concussion, while the pillar remains intact. Next time you meet him, he's wielding the jade pillar as a weapon.]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

-->'''Robbie''': *staring at Skull who's given himself a concussion* Uh, Skull, the can has to be empty.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'': Linkara attempted this in his Adamantium Rage review, but the can remained intact.
-->"Ow!"

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan video ''[[WebAnimation/EpicPonyTime Epic Wub Time]]'', Vinyl Scratch [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Sob1t-iUCmE#t=1m12s does this]] with a ''wooden beerstein''. And it doesn't even splinter like wood, it just crumples.

-->'''Nick''': Ow! I used to be really good at this...
-->'''Johnny''': Shouldn't that be an aluminum can?
-->'''Nick''': Oh yeah...
* Mentioned in ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''.
-->'''Jane:''' I bet that any minute now, [[JerkJock Kevin]] will astound and amaze his friends by crushing that can with his skull...

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', when PJ has a crush on a girl who doesn't know he exists, Pete tells PJ that this is a great way to impress women - especially if you belch loudly afterwards. PJ tries it and it doesn't work at all.

* Lola in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''
-->''"There's no one more stable than me..."''

[[folder:TableTopGames]]

Often starts by a drunken man wanting to show how tough he is, and hey, he just HAPPENS to have an empty beer-can in his hand...

* Brain of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' is both startled and horrified by a kitschy can crusher in the shape of Music/{{Cher}}'s head which does this. Put an empty can in her fake hand, press the button, and it smashes the can flat while playing a tinny recording of her voice. The joke is that Cher is well known for being StraightEdge and glamorous, so a licensed gimmick item which encourages that sort of hedonistic lowbrow behavior is completely against her image.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'': Soda Popinski does this with a plastic vod--er, ''[[FrothyMugsOfWater soda]]'' bottle.

* Fish does this in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'', Justified since he's always wearing a diving suit helmet.

[[folder:Film]]

* One ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' during Michael's college years had Michael deciding to "never take advice from a guy who crushes beer cans with his forehead" after his roomate Weed does so.

* Bluto in ''Film/AnimalHouse'' crushes a can to try and cheer up Flounder. When that fails, he goes whole hog and cheerfully smashes a beer ''bottle'' on his head instead.

* [[TheDitz Buddy Lembeck]] from ''Series/CharlesInCharge'' bragged about crushing a number of cans in a row, and could have done more if they were empty.
* One episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' had Mankind teaching Topanga how to do this.
** Also, Cory tried to do it to impress the wrestlers in season 2.

* An episode of ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' had Earl attempt this... with what appeared to be a full can.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'': Soda Popinski does this with a plastic vod--er, ''[[FrothyMugsOfWater soda]]'' bottle.
* In ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'', the [[UseYourHead headbanger]] legions do this with beer bottles repeatedly without detriment, thanks to their extremely [[HardHead Hard Heads]]. Understandably, the keeper of Beerhenge does this more then ''anybody ever.''
* In ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat'''s Spunky Cola trailer, the rough-and-tumble Tank does this with a can of, well, Spunky Cola. The wimpy Sniper actually knocks himself out trying to do the same.

* One of [[StoutStrength Roadhog's]] emotes in ''Videogame/{{Overwatch}}'' is to crush the canisters of FantasticDrug that he uses to heal himself against his head.

* ''Webcomic/{{Krakow}}'', when Kia the [[HornyDevils Succubus]] tried to demonstrate that she could be "one of the guys" too, but the can is full.
* In ''Webcomic/BiggerThanCheeses'', Thanatos and Violent Bob engage in a bout of this, escalating as they crush larger (and filled) containers of beer with their heads until Thanatos does a running headbutt into a beer truck, with explosive results.
* In one strip of ''Webcomic/AirForceBlues'', Barbie manages to tick off Lt. Col. Rowland during an euphoric high from getting to pilot the F-22 for the first time. After he comes back to relative sanity two strips later, Rowland crushes a Diet Coke can on Barbie's forehead to express his displeasure.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Bender once did this [[ExaggeratedTrope with a whole keg]].
* Captain Hero is shown doing this in the series premiere opener of ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'', also with a keg.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' has the Three Pigs try this. The third one only succeeds in putting a can-shaped indentation in his forehead.

* ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' had Nick Diamond attempt this in the TestosteronePoisoning episode "Sex, Lugs And Rock N' Roll", which he learned during his college days. Problem is, he used a ''glass bottle'' and almost gave himself a skull fracture.
-->'''Nick''': Ow! I used to be really good at this...
-->'''Johnny''': Shouldnt that be an aluminum can?
-->'''Nick''': Oh yeah...
* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' do this a few times, mostly Stitch. In fact, he even did this once all the way back in [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch the first film]].
* Lola in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''
-->''"There's no one more stable than me..."''
* Done by [[CloudCuckooLander Sheen]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' to practice for Jimmy's "college party".

* On ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' Roger tries to do this in the episode "My Affair Lady" and fails, leaving a ring-shaped imprint in his forehead.

In RealLife this could result in a concussion if you slam the thing against your head (as opposed to placing it there and applying steady pressure). Using a full can is especially not recommended. It should also be noted that the ability to smash a can against one's forehead is not as impressive of a feat as it used to be, because modern beverage cans are made of thinner aluminum than vintage beverage cans.

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' do this a few times, mostly Stitch. In fact, he even did this once all the way back in [[Disney/LiloAndStitch the first film]].

* Invoked by Mr. Tulip, in ''Discworld/TheTruth'', who smashes a bottle of alcohol against his forehead. The narrative notes that he is not doing this to be perceived as tough by the drinkers at Beirs, but simply because he had a bottle that he no longer needed and putting it down on a table required more concentration then he deemed necessary. This is implied to be what causes the other customers in Biers to later lock the door in case Mr. Tulip and his partner come back. For those less familiar with Literature/{{Discworld}}, Biers is Ankh-Morpork's resident bar for the ''undead''.

In RealLife this could result in a concussion if you slam the thing against your head (as opposed to placing it there and applying steady pressure). Using a full can is especially not recommended. It should also be noted that the ability to smash a can against one's forehead is not as impressive of a feat as it used to be due to the fact that modern beverage cans are made of thinner aluminum than vintage beverage cans.

-->'''Eddie Griffin:''' Cans ain't as thick as they once were. I mean, back in the day, you crushed a can against your forehead, you were saying something. But now ...

** Head crushing was the subject of a Miller Lite commercial back in the late 80s. Former Bears safety Gary Fencik did the crushing while making comments about being known for "using your head" (Fencik graduated from Yale). Another patron tries to imitate him, and knocks himself cold.

* A 2002 ''ComicStrip/OverTheHedge'' strip showed RJ, Verne, and Sammy drinking cola, burping, then smashing the cans against their foreheads. [[spoiler: Verne wound up with [[AmusingInjuries his can stuck directly through his head]], with RJ remarking "That's gonna leave a mark."]]

** A brief reference to BadGuyBar toughs who "open beer bottles with their teeth, or -if the evening has been going ''really'' well- other people's teeth" in an earlier work is similar in spirit.
* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in one humorous college survival guide, which shows a step-by-step guide to doing this, the last step being that you will not make a good impression on your girlfriend's parents, with the boy meeting the parents with the marks from crushing the can still on his head.

--> '''Robbie''': *staring at Skull who's given himself a concussion* Uh, Skull, the can has to be empty.

--> "Ow!"

--> '''Nick''': Ow! I used to be really good at this...
--> '''Johnny''': Shouldnt that be an aluminum can?
--> '''Nick''': Oh yeah...

* The trick to this move is to crumple the sides of the can close to the end you're holding in your hand with your fingers as you do it - this compromises the structural integrity of the can, allowing it to collapse more easily.

* ''Webcomic/PvP'' has the can full.

* ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' had Nick Diamond attempt this with a beer ''bottle'' once to impress a guest host. It didn't work.

* One of Miller Lite's "Man Law" commercials had the Men of the Square Table [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNZ3vd00yA&feature=related debating whether crushing cans on your forehead was macho or just moronic]]. They decided on moronic.

* On ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' Roger tries to do this and fails, leaving a ring-shaped imprint in his forehead.

''(Wilson takes off his hat and crushes a beer can against his forehead)''\\

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan video ''[[WebAnimation/EpicPonyTime Epic Wub Time]]'', Vinyl Scratch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Sob1t-iUCmE#t=1m12s does this]] with a ''wooden beerstein''.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan video ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Sob1t-iUCmE#t=1m12s Epic Wub Time]]'', Vinyl Scratch does this with a ''wooden beerstein''.

[[folder:Advetising]]

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