Gallon smashing is the act of spilling a

gallon The gallon is a unit of volume in imperial units and United States customary units. Three different versions are in current use: *the imperial gallon (imp gal), defined as , which is or was used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Aus ...

of liquid, approximately 3.78 liters in the United States, usually by breaking its

container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...

(hence 'smashing'), in a manner that appears to be accidental. The act often involves throwing a gallon of milk onto a grocery store aisle, then falling, getting members of the public to help the 'smasher' get up, and sometimes having difficulty returning to a standing position. The act is generally done as a "

prank A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...

" meant to share on the internet, and so typically recorded on camera.

History

Gallon smashing gained popularity in 2013 after three teenagers from

Vienna, Virginia Vienna () is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Vienna has a population of 16,473. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses (22180, 22181, and 22182), bordered appr ...

posted videos of the act on their

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

channel. The videos received more than three million views before being taken down. Teenagers around the world mimicked the act, posting dozens of filmed incidents online. In March 2013, the Fairfax County Police Department charged the teens with seven counts of

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain ar ...

and destruction of property. That same month, a teenager from

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton. ...

was arrested and charged with criminal

mischief Mischief or malicious mischief is the name for a criminal offenses that is defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a legal differenti ...

and disorderly conduct after a video of him gallon-smashing was posted on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...

. Citations for misdemeanor criminal mischief and theft were also issued in

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to th ...

in March 2013. Following the arrest in New Jersey, a spokesperson for

Wakefern Food Corporation Wakefern Food Corporation is an American company that was founded in 1946 and is based in Keasbey, New Jersey. It is the largest retailers' cooperative group of supermarkets and the fourth-largest cooperative of any kind in the United State ...

claimed that the company was taking steps to combat the trend. Gallon smashing has led to several cases of actual injuries, usually as a result of the participant or unwitting members of the public slipping and falling after the liquid is spilt, while the act of throwing heavy gallon bottles during challenge attempts has also resulted in participants damaging shelving and refrigerator units in supermarkets. In the United Kingdom, one attempt resulted in the vandal receiving a

broken jaw Mandibular fracture, also known as fracture of the jaw, is a break through the mandibular bone. In about 60% of cases the break occurs in two places. It may result in a decreased ability to fully open the mouth. Often the teeth will not feel ...

. The viral nature of gallon-smashing has been compared to the Harlem Shake,

planking Planking may refer to: * Planking (fad), an activity consisting of lying face down—sometimes in an unusual or incongruous location * Plank (exercise), an isometric core strength exercise * Planking, a form of indirect grilling * Shad Planking, ...

(people lying face-down in public settings), and Tebowing.

References

{{Challenges 2010s fads and trends 2013 YouTube videos Challenges Internet memes introduced in 2013 Viral videos Vandalism

History

See also

References