Night life in college can add up quickly. There’s frats and house parties you can attend free of charge, but bars are where most students of age flock to after a long week of classes and studying. Bars are perfect for dancing with your friends, sipping on fun drinks, and most importantly, meeting new people. Finding strangers to buy you drinks at the bar is nothing new to night life culture, but now there might be a way to stay within your budget and have fun while doing it.
What is the TikTok trend of committing to the bit?
Talking to strangers can be an anxiety-inducing experience, even with a little bit of liquid courage. It’s especially hard to talk your way into free things. That’s why this new TikTok trend, committing to the bit, was created. Lying isn’t the best way to build strong relationships, but if you’re looking to meet people you’ll never see again, committing to the bit is definitely the trend for you.
“The bit” is where you create a fake backstory or identity for yourself when meeting strangers at the bar in an effort to amp up the fun of interacting with new people. You and your friends might plan out your stories at the pre-game, giving each other a new alias and origin. You would take on the role of whoever you created, practice your acting skills, and perform for the newcomers of the night. The best part? If you play your cards right–you can get free drinks or food out of this.
TikToker @foohethejewy uploaded a video explaining her experience with “the bit.” She was able to talk her way into getting a free green tea shot just by telling someone she was an ex-mormon and trying alcohol for the first time. She wraps the video by saying “I didn’t need him to buy me a shot, it was just fun.”
What do people who have tried “the bit” think?
We asked college students who are 21+ about their experiences committing to the bit. Each of them told us about widely different experiences. The one thing they all had in common? Their white lies led others at the bar to give them free things.
One student told us her fake name for the night was Carly and that she made up this entire story about living in a remote part of Michigan where her family fished for a living. “My friends and I met this group of guys who thought it was cool that I knew how to fish,” she said. “They were so intrigued that they bought me two beers to keep me sharing stories.” She felt a little bad that it was all fake, but everyone got a kick out of it, so what’s the harm?
Some take it a step further, telling lies so outrageous, most people would have no choice but to believe them. Another college student/bit-committer shared to all the new faces that she was auditioning for America’s Got Talent. Which kind of bar was she in? A karaoke bar, of course. “I was so scared to perform, not just because I was feeling the drinks I had that night, but because I definitely do not have the voice of an angel,” she said. “I dragged my best friend on the stage with me and we sang Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie.’ Everyone clapped as we finished, and my friends bought me a celebratory seltzer.”
Another student told the new people she met at the bar that she was an Olympic bronze medalist, because gold medalist would’ve been a little too obvious. Her sport? Horseback riding. She ended up meeting a girl whose dream was to own a horse. She told us that she and the girl “chatted for a while and she bought me my drink of choice, a tequila soda, because she said we were “horse girls for life.” Cheers to horseback riding and free drinks!
These next trend-triers took their bits to the next level by dressing up as their new personas. One student revealed she wore a fedora and moonwalked all over the bar. She told everyone who asked that she was a dancer practicing for her upcoming performance in a jazz routine about Michael Jackson. I can only imagine how lively the dance floor was. She then said the DJ even played Michael Jackson hits. She didn’t get any free drinks, but somebody in the crowd gave her sunglasses to complete her look. A win is a win.
Another told us how she and her friends went out and bought wigs. “We wore pink and blue bobs,” she said. ”We definitely looked like a gender reveal. We came up with this elaborate story that we had to dye our hair because we were doing a photoshoot for Vogue magazine. I told this one guy that our photoshoot went so long I had missed lunch and he politely offered to get me some french fries. Thank you random man who believed me.” Free French fries and a freshly cut bob? This bit was definitely a successful one.
Drinking can be fun, but be responsible. Spoon does not promote binge or underage drinking. Stay safe!