Human Blockheads Nail World Record

(Nov. 10) -- What do nails, screwdrivers, ice picks, spoons and combs have in common? They're all things that can be playfully pounded into the center of your head, of course.

It's a sideshow stunt called "the Human Blockhead," in which a performer takes one of the items mentioned above and taps it directly into the head through the nostril of choice.

Some entertainers even use power drills.
This past weekend, at the ninth annual Sideshow Gathering in Wilkes Barre, Penn., a new world record was set in the field of Human Blockheadism: 36 people on one stage simultaneously shoved pointy objects into their noses (breaking last year's record of 20).

Two of those people did it for the first time: yours truly and Buck Wolf, AOL's senior correspondent and Weird News editor.

It's a stunt I've seen performed by many over the years, yet never had a desire to do myself.

But when Harley Newman, "the Professional Lunatic," decided he was going to teach me the secret -- and assured me there would be no trips to the hospital -- I decided to give it a shot. Newman, 59, has been a mentor to numerous members of the sideshow industry.

Just 20 minutes before showtime, he found me, pulled out a plastic cocktail sword, offered his guidance and simply said, "Do it now."

And I did. Left nostril.

My eye teared a bit as an involuntary reaction, but no harm was done. I was ready to join in the record attempt.

Wolf had an equally quick lesson and seemed even more comfortable with the process than I did.

"It's not that hard. It feels very natural," he said. "I actually didn't want to take the object out of my nose. I'm thinking of something else to put in there."

Newman offered a few additional tips for proper blockhead safety and showmanship:

"You should always use an object with a handle, otherwise it can slip in, and you'll have to go in with tweezers to get it out. That's not fun. I think (though not everybody agrees) that if the handle of the object is the only thing people see, it provides additional verification that there is no trick," he said. "Using an object that everybody understands to be real, like a plastic cocktail sword, increases the reality of the stunt. This is why I tend to use the drill, after establishing the fact of the stunt. Many folks assume that the drill is gimmicked."

James Taylor, publisher of the sideshow journal Shocked and Amazed, used the handle of a comb for his role in the record. "I've only been doing the blockhead act since last year's Sideshow Gathering, when I realized how aptly named the act is," he said. "My hope is that now the record's been blown away, that one day we can put a blockhead on the moon."

The Human Blockhead stunt was popularized more than 70 years ago by the late Melvin Burkhart, whom I had the privilege of watching in action when he was 94 years old. Many of today's sideshow performers still use his routine. "All you gotta do is get a good start and then you pound like the devil," he'd say with the spike sticking halfway into his head. After a few more hits: "Ooh, hit a bone. But what do you expect out of a bonehead?"

When asked how he did it, Burkhart often told people he used a false nose. "I've had more fun out of watching their expression and reaction, 'How the hell did he use a false nose?' " he told me.

In setting the world record, there wasn't a false nose among the 36 of us.

"I am always amazed when there is a new record set at the gathering," said Kim Kossa, co-promoter of the event. "It started at the first gathering with the mass sword swallow record [50 swords swallowed simultaneously on stage]. It's very rewarding and more appreciated than I can express having the acts and supporters come up with events to add to our show."

She hasn't attempted the blockhead stunt herself, but suggested she might next year. With the plastic sword firmly planted in my nose, I smell a new world record coming.