Today I read this TV review for an episode of UK detective series that is showing in Australia; Dalziel and Pascoe.
It is rather typical of something that gets me frothing at the mouth from time to time. Let me quote part of the review:
“Richard E. Grant guest stars as Lee Knight, a creepy celebrity hypnotist who seems to have powers from another plane and becomes the main suspect. Even gruff, grumpy cynic detective superintendent Andy Dalziel (Warren Clarke) can’t escape the power of the hypnotist.”
Now, why oh why do hypnotists still get portrayed in this magical, mystical, mysterious way? Hmm?
Why do we not have — “Tonights episode features Dave the plumber, whose manner with a spanner enchants all who invite him to unblock their u-bend!” ?
These days us hypnotists are regular tradesmen, people offering a service to all — each town has loads of them. Check this out, how the review continues:
“Demons, spells, ritualistic sex, magic circles, symbols painted in blood, grimoires and corpses dissected with a chainsaw … British mystery crime series seldom get as dark — or as gruesome — as this. Definitely not for the squeamish.”
Hahaha… It is like hypnosis is part of the voodoo world… And I bet some Voodoo users are probably going to get on my case now for giving them a negative slant in the same way I have whinged about the slant hypnosis is given…
It is like, I still see it, headline after headline in crappy local newspapers all around the world with that clichéd headline “You are getting sleepy…”
No-one says that! Hypnotists do not say that. You do not get sleepy. Sleep is not hypnosis.
Maybe we need people to think of hypnosis as intriguing, maybe that is where the hypnosis begins… Paul McKenna used to call his stage show “The Mysterious Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna” and Derren Brown’s stage shows and TV series are shrouded in mystery, intrigue and an element of darkness.
So maybe I just talked myself out of it… Maybe we need to have a certain element of that, yet it remains a fallacy and a facade in my book…
Oh well, I am off to don my velvet cloak…
Adam, I completely agree with you! I actually saw this episode of Dalziel and Pascoe when it was aired in the UK last year because I wanted to see how hypnosis was being portrayed. Although the plot has a very good twist, it does paint hypnotherapy in a very strange light – one that is totally unrecognisable to me! This is a real shame because I think that the truth – the amazing power of our minds – is actually much more intriguing than any fiction.
Thanks Sophie – agreed!
I need to see this episode and am going to get hold of a copy… It is having an alluring hypnotic effect on me!
As you say, stage hypnotists encourage that aura of mystery and strange powers – the punters will be more susceptible if they believe that the hypnotist has the power to make them do things against their will.
I think ‘Little Britain’ pretty much nailed stage hypnotists…
I think many people that visit stage hypnosis shows simply have a certain level of expectation which is fulfilled by themselves mostly.
Now I have to say that I have worn weary of people saying “look into my eyes, not around the eyes…” to me in the Kenny Craig style…