The Shock Effect.

Do you know how much fun the Shock Effect can be? You would assuming you know what such a thing is. I think I've just accidentally coined the phrase, but basically, the Shock Effect is where you say or do something that makes ripples. It makes everybody around go, "Whoa!"

Here's an example:

A conversation between a teacher and his AP European History class. The teacher calls all his guitars woman, and the class asks why.

Teacher: "All my guitars are women because I touch them and play them on a regular basis. I don't want to be intimate with a man!"

This in itself is the shock effect. You know what they say, ripples just keep going.

The entire class giggles meschieviously. A girl in the front row, who looks a bit like a punk and has her feet propped up on the desk says this:

"So, does that mean that my guitar has to be male, because I like to touch men?"

Because most AP students are so inexpicably modest (AKA, huge keeners/never had any fun), the entire class gasps and turns to look at her, shocked and more than likely appalled.

Pow. You get a shock. It's actually very amusing to put this little bit of psychology into work. Try it for yourself, especially if people know you to normally be very quiet and modest, and see what happens. When the time is right, just burst out and say something outrageous and completely innappropriate for the situation. Obviously be careful, because you don't want to barge in on a serious conversation and shout "PENIS!!" at the top of your lungs. People will be pissed with you.

But in a lighthearted atmosphere, it's the Shock Effect that makes people pop from the crowd.