# Spy accidentally hypnotizing themself **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies\ **Created:** [February 3, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056 "2024-02-03T02:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/1 "2024-02-03T02:30:48Z")
I remember seeing a comedy where a spy or somebody is trying to hypnotize his nemesis, but accidentally hypnotizes himself, leading to silly hijinks. Does anybody remember this trope? I’m thinking Get Smart, Naked Gun, or Mr. Bean. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/2 "2024-02-03T03:06:08Z")
My guesses would have been Get Smart, The Pink Panther, or Austin Powers. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/3 "2024-02-03T07:17:13Z")
Defiantly seen it, but don’t recall the exact situation. I think its pretty well used. Accidental Hypnosis, gotta be up there with Evil Twins, Temporary Amnesia and such. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/4 "2024-02-03T19:13:07Z")
TV Tropes has categories for [Hypnotism Reversal](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HypnotismReversal) and [Bungled Hypnosis](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BungledHypnotism). ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/5 "2024-02-03T22:44:41Z")
Thanks for that link. It pointed me to Dracula seducing a damsel via hypnosis, but I still can’t find the Abbott and Costello meet the Invisible Man one. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/6 "2024-02-04T00:21:24Z")
It’s not the one you are thinking of, most likely, but it’s close enough to catch my attention. The character Eric Von Zipper, leader of the biker gang the Rats and Mice in the Frankie and Annette Beach Party teen movies . . . can temporarily freeze himself by touching himself on the temples. His gang then has to carry his stiff body out. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/7 "2024-02-04T00:38:32Z")
I wonder if you’re thinking of “The Greatest American Hero” - in which the spy character Bill Maxwell accidentally gets hypnotized (while insisting that he is naturally resistant) so that he falls asleep whenever he hears the word “scenario” - a word he uses all the time ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/8 "2024-02-04T03:31:54Z")
The Road To Rio? See 1:32:40 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2GWbIaDtomQ/hqdefault.jpg "Road to Rio, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, 1947 Full Movie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GWbIaDtomQ) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/9 "2024-02-04T03:36:28Z")
Or [Scooby-Doo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWZTE0tu6Pc)? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/10 "2024-02-04T18:33:45Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The Road To Rio Lots of hypnotizing going on in that movie, but the trope I’m looking for is where the hypnotist uses a pendulum and somehow stares at it themselves and inadvertently hypnotizes themselves. Thanks for the reference, and it is indeed an inadvertent hypnosis. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/11 "2024-02-04T18:35:02Z")
Yeah, that’s the idea, but the scene I’m imagining is live action. Good call though. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spy-accidentally-hypnotizing-themself/997056/12 "2024-02-04T21:15:37Z")
I’d bet good money it happened to Wile Coyote, too. If it didn’t, it should have.