Is there no limit as to what a generous supply of alcohol can accomplish? One notable side effect is the creation of selective visual aids known as beer goggles. Beer goggles, also known as Stellavision or the Cider Visor, are fictitious eyeglasses which purportedly cause an inebriated wearer to see members of the opposite sex as more romantically attainable or physically attractive than they actually are. As a result, both the hunter and the hunted may find themselves in a difficult or embarrassing situation the following morning.
It is no secret that bars informally known as "meat markets" are popular destinations for those seeking short-term liaisons with a willing member of the opposite sex. The difficulty lies in losing enough of one's inhibitions in order to approach a potential partner. This is where beer and other potent potables usually enters the pictures. As a bar patron consumes more alcohol, he or she often becomes more sociable and less inhibited by fears of rejection.
As the evening progresses, however, the herd may begin to thin appreciably and the beer goggles come out. Suddenly a room previously filled with 4s and 5s is now saturated with 8s and 9s on an attractiveness scale. Nothing has actually changed in the real world, but for those wearing beer goggles, their chances of success have shot up dramatically. A man or a woman previously dismissed as unattractive or unattainable may now become the newest target on the goggle wearer's social radar.
There have been a number of popular songs written about the unfortunate phenomenon of beer goggles. In general, an anxious but socially inept bar patron becomes extremely intoxicated and suddenly sees the world through rose-colored beer glasses. What he or she believes to be an extremely attractive partner when viewed through beer goggles often turns out to be quite the opposite upon sober reflection the following morning. Results vary from a shotgun wedding to an object lesson on the perils of cross-dressing.
