Shocking gum is a

practical joke device A practical joke device is a toy intended to confuse, frighten, or amuse individuals as a prank. Often, these toys are harmless facsimiles of otherwise potentially disgusting or terrifying objects, such as vomit or spilled nail polish. In other ...

that delivers a mild

electric shock An electrical injury (electric injury) or electrical shock (electric shock) is damage sustained to the skin or internal organs on direct contact with an electric current. The injury depends on the Current density, density of the current, tissu ...

. The victim is offered what appears to be the last stick of

chewing gum Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. Its tex ...

from a package; touching or pulling the stick of gum triggers the shock. A few novelty companies have produced "shocking gum" packages since the 1950s, depicting fictitious brands such as ''Fruit Juicy'' and ''JB''. In 2005, the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

reported that insurgents in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

were using shock chewing gum as a form of torture, forcing prisoners to bite down on the sticks. Another closely related prank device is the

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

, in which a fake plastic bug attached to a metal spring instead "snaps" the hand of the person who attempts to take the piece of gum.

References

Practical joke devices {{humor-stub

See also

References