Eel Slap!

What it is

Eel Slap is one man, one eel and your cursor. The page shows a face in close-up. Move sideways across the screen and the eel swings in and slaps him, frame by frame, in whichever direction and at whatever speed you move. That is the entire website. It has been online since 2012, has not needed a single feature since, and still loads faster than most pages with a purpose.

How to play

Load the page and move your mouse from one side of the picture to the other. Slow gives you a leisurely, thoughtful slap. Fast gives you the full wet thwack. Move back and the slap reverses. On a phone, drag a finger across the screen. There is no button, no score and no end, only the small link at the bottom that credits the maker.

What makes it different

Under the hood this is not a video. It is a long strip of photographs, roughly a hundred frames, and your pointer position picks which frame you see. That is why the slap feels like it is under your control rather than something you are watching. It is a two-second joke that people keep open for ten minutes, which is the highest compliment a useless website can get.

Why it is on Bored

There is a hall of fame for useless websites, and this is in it. One idea, executed completely, with nothing added. We link it because on a bad afternoon it is the fastest route we know to a laugh.

Tips

• Vary the speed, the slow slap and the fast slap are different jokes
• Move back and forth in short strokes for the rapid-fire version
• On a phone, drag a finger instead of the mouse
• Send the link without explanation, it works better that way

FAQ