A human blockhead is a carnival

Carnival

Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

 or sideshow

Sideshow

In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...

 performer who hammer

Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...

s a nail

Nail (engineering)

In woodworking and construction, a nail is a pin-shaped, sharp object of hard metal or alloy used as a fastener. Formerly wrought iron, today's nails are typically made of steel, often dipped or coated to prevent corrosion in harsh conditions or improve adhesion...

 or other implement (such as an awl

Bradawl

A bradawl is a tool with a blade similar to that of a straight screwdriver and a handle made from wood or plastic. A bradawl is used to make an indentation in wood or other materials in order to ease the insertion of a nail or screw...

 or screwdriver

Screwdriver

A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and often rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver...

) into his nasal cavity

Nasal cavity

The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.- Function :The nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract...

 via the nostril

Nostril

A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...

. The stunt is often shocking to audiences, who believe that the nail is being hammered into the skull

Human skull

The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...

 itself. In reality, the stunt plays on the anatomical misconception that the nasal cavity goes upward, rather than straight back. The performer merely learns the terrain of the nasal cavity and lessens his sensitivity (and urge to sneeze

Sneeze

A sneeze is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa...

) until the implement can be slid straight back through the nasal cavity until it hits the back of the throat

Throat

In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...

. The use of a hammer merely adds to the shock value by creating the illusion

Illusion

An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....

 that the nail is being pounded through bone

Bone

Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...

. Some performers have even gone so far as to use a power drill

Power tool

A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labour used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used...

.

This stunt

Stunt

A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...

 is said to have been developed by renowned magician and sideshow performer Melvin Burkhardt after his nose was broken in a boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 bout and he became fascinated by the way that the doctors inserted instruments into his nose. Since then, it has become one of the staple acts of traditional-style sideshows. Some sideshow performers have put their own twist on the blockhead act. Thomas Blacke, for example, does his version with a lollipop instead of a nail or tool.

Variants

The "Human Meathead" was created in the year 2000 based on the Human Blockhead stunt

Stunt

A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...

 and it is arguably claimed to have been invented by Ryan Stock

Ryan Stock

Ryan Stock is a Canadian based TV stunt man from Edmonton, Alberta who has a show on the Discovery Channel called "Guinea Pig". Stock and his fiancée Amber Lynn Walker travel around Canada and the United States and perform stunts which involve electrocution, automobile crashes, and intentional...

. The performer displays a large meat hook and then proceeds to force it into the nostril, through his nasal cavity

Nasal cavity

The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.- Function :The nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract...

 and out his mouth. When performing this stunt, Ryan Stock has said that he had suspended up to 70lbs from the end of the inserted hook.

Preacher Muad'dib, a world record holding sideshow specialist based in the UK, is famous for performing several advanced variations of the human Blockhead including a running power drill, fireworks, lit fire-eating rods, sharp knives, lit cigarettes and more.

Similar versions of this stunt often performed with condoms, noodles or balloons have been presented for many years under the name "mental Floss", however most sideshow performers regard mental floss (also known as "skull floss") as an entirely separate stunt.

External links

• Example of performer hammering standard 3 inch nails into his head - Video from Bragster
  Bragster
  Bragster was a global social networking and video sharing website on which users dare each other to perform stunts and tasks. The website name stems from the 'Bragging Rights' which are earned on the site. The company is based in London, England...