Bottle-Cap Challenge reaches Israel

Will anyone manage to knock the cap off a bottle of kiddush wine?

JULY 10, 2019 20:23

Donald Trump holds a bottle of the vodka named after him (photo credit: Courtesy) — Donald Trump holds a bottle of the vodka named after him

(photo credit: Courtesy)

The bottle-cap challenge – the latest viral craze in which people kick the cap off a bottle and, naturally, post videos of the feat to social media – has reached the Holy Land. And naturally, during this season of do-over election fever, it has turned political.

Former prime minister Ehud Barak, who recently announced he would challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the September 17 elections, posted a video Wednesday of himself taking the challenge. Barak seems to have missed the point: The challenge is to knock the cap off with your foot, but he tapped a bottle of water with his hand in slow motion, then picked up the bottle, saying, “Bibi, drink something. Relax. We’ve just gotten started.”

The video has received more than 4,500 likes and thousands of comments. Journalist Ben Caspit commented: “It’s impossible not to retweet this. If Bibi is big, he’ll upload a video with a bottle of champagne.”

ביבי, מאתגר אותך.#bottlecapchallenge #רק_התחלנו pic.twitter.com/4ayXAj9lKu
— אהוד ברק (@barak_ehud) July 10, 2019

KAN’s Channel 1 reported on the phenomenon on Monday, showing video of international stars such as Mariah Carey taking the challenge and then noting, “And yes, it’s also come to us,” showing footage of soldiers in uniform and other Israelis kicking the cap.

“If it seems to you that other people only succeed at this, know that there are also failures,” said the reporter over footage of a man in a keffiyeh with a bottle on his head and a woman in black hijab trying to kick off the cap, but instead hitting the man on the side of his head.

Carey’s version is the most popular – although not necessarily the most truthful – as she sings the cap off by hitting a high note, then laughs. This video has millions of views. Other celebrities planting their kicks include action star Jason Statham, singers John Mayer and Justin Bieber and model, Kendall Jenner (in a bikini on a jet ski). Among the athletes nailing it have been Conor McGregor and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Mixed martial artist Max Holloway is credited with being one of the earliest to popularize the trend, saying he wanted to show people that Martial Arts truly require artistry as well as strength.

One thing that seems like a sure bet this summer: More people will take the challenge and film themselves. But will anyone manage to knock the cap off a bottle of kiddush wine? That would definitely be kosher – as long as they didn’t take the challenge on Shabbat.