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1%%Note: The below picture is not from "The Three Stooges", but from a Verizon SuperPages commercial with Moe Howard's grandson Jeffrey Scott (left) and Patrick Thomas (right).
2%%
3[[quoteright:288:[[Advertising/{{Verizon}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eye_poke.png]]]]
4[[caption-width-right:288:[[Film/TheThreeStooges Whop 'em low, whop 'em high. Stick your finger in his eye.]]]]
5
6You have just gotten into a fight with another character, resulting in punches, kicks, brawls, half-nelsons, and any other fighting move you can think of. Just when the enemy has you held up, what's the best way to counter back? Poke him in the eyes, and while he's holding his eyes in pain, you make your getaway.
7
8Essentially, this is a type of fighting style that can be used in about any form of media. The only defense to an Eye Poke is holding your hand vertically in front of your nose to block it (then again this could be countered by using the index fingers of both hands, as Curly of ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' was painfully aware).
9
10Compare EyeScream. Contrast EyePop. See also AHandfulForAnEye.
11
12----
13!!Examples:
14
15[[foldercontrol]]
16[[folder:Advertising]]
17* Cash Converter's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Typbe9_BmcA infamous "Thirteen" ad.]]
18[[/folder]]
19
20[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
21* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'': This is Nano’s preferred method for repelling harassment.
22* In ''Literature/BakaAndTestSummonTheBeasts'', local {{Yandere}}/ClingyJealousGirl Shouko does this to her [[SelfProclaimedLoveInterest crush/"boyfriend"]] Yuuji any time she doesn't want him looking at other girls, which is practically all the time. And that's just if she doesn't have her [[StaticStunGun stun gun]] handy.
23* ''Manga/BusoRenkin'': Tokiko has a noted preference for attacking peoples in the eyes when annoyed, such as during the epilogue when she catches Kazuki staring at her scar and performs an eye poke as punishment.
24--> '''Creator/NobuhiroWatsuki:''' Tokiko loves to go for the eyes. Kazuki loves to bleed.
25* The second episode of the subbed version of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' has Tuxedo Mask pull one off with his usual rose toss.
26* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
27** In the original manga and anime, "Jan Ken" is a fighting move — Rock is a punch, Paper is a chop, and Scissors is a Three-Stooges-style eye poke.
28** In addition, the World Martial Arts Tournament specifically forbids participants from poking their opponents in the eye.
29* Chapter 50 of ''Manga/WeNeverLearn'' is a PublicBathhouseScene in which the boys huddle around to take a peek through the blinds at the girls' side of the bathhouse. The steam on the other side lifts, only for the leader of the boys to see Kominami looking back. She proceeds to forcefully poke his eyes, which scares the boys enough to keep to themselves for the rest of the trip.
30* ''Manga/WhyTheHellAreYouHereTeacher'': Ichiro tries pulling this on Rin when they both see Kana in a swimsuit at the local pool, except Rin is wearing a pair of glasses. When they see Mayu wearing a swimsuit, it's Kana who does this to Ichiro.
31* Averted in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', Mirio Togata's Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush uses the threat of an eye poke as a feint, instead hitting the opponent in the gut as they cover their face to avoid it
32[[/folder]]
33
34[[folder:Comic Books]]
35* ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy'': What can Sam, a mere human being, do against Colossus, a man of living steel? Well, take advantage that his eyes are not made of steel, [[LogicalWeakness otherwise he shouldn't be able to see]].
36[[/folder]]
37
38[[folder:Comic Strips]]
39* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2001/09/02/ One strip features]] a televised face-slapping tournament that ended with one of these from one of the athletes.
40[[/folder]]
41
42[[folder:Fan Works]]
43* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', Satan Girl often tries to poke ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} in the eyes in order to disable her when they battle.
44-->She fought to keep Satan Girl's fingers from her eyes, her jaws from her carotid artery, her knees from her crotch.
45* ''WebAnimation/TheMandelaMagazine'': A person being stared at by N in the dark defends themself from the Alternate by poking him in the eyes, the only part of him that's discernable from the shadows. N asks why they did that before attacking them.
46* ''Fanfic/OniGaShikuSeries'': Izuku's [[LimitBreak Heat Move]] '''Essense of a Brutal Opening''' starts with jamming one's fingers into the opponent's eyes. As the name indicates, Izuku uses this right at the start of a fight to create an advantage.
47[[/folder]]
48
49[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
50* Susan does this to Gallaxhar in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens''. He attempts to block, but that is complicated by the fact that he has four eyes.
51* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'', Donald pokes Pete in the eyes. This scene is often censored from Toon Disney airings.
52* Happens to Scroop thanks to Morph during the fight with him on the RLS Legacy in WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet
53[[/folder]]
54
55[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
56* In ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'', J. Russell Finch (Milton Berle) does this to Col. Algernon Hawthorne (Terry-Thomas) during a dispute.
57* In ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' films, this is Moe's signature move. At the end of the 2000 TV biopic, Moe Howard shows a friend that the move is done by poking the ''eyebrow'' of the target, it looks real enough for the camera (especially when done quickly), and doesn't risk injuring the other actor.
58* Used against Dick Steele in ''Film/SpyHard''. He blocks them successfully but he's punched out immediately after anyway.
59* Used in the climax of ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt'' by Creator/MelBrooks against the title vampire (who had just [[TemptingFate tempted fate]]). Funnily enough, Dick Steele and Dracula are both played by Creator/LeslieNielsen.
60* ''Film/TheWaterboy'', because "Captain Insano shows no mercy."
61* Ash, in ''Film/ArmyOfDarkness'', gets a number of these in the cemetery scene, where Ash is constantly attacked by skeletons.
62* Taken to the max in ''Film/KillBill''. Beatrix Kiddo snatches out Elle Driver's eye, to win their fight. Since Elle Driver only had one eye, and she had it done to her before by [[spoiler:Pai Mei]], this is very effective. We don't actually see Elle Driver being killed, but she is left thrashing around in a trailer containing a black mamba. The conclusion is obvious. [[spoiler:[[SequelHook Or is it?]]]]
63* ''Film/TheMask''. Stanley Ipkiss does this to Dorian Tyrell during their fight.
64* During the bus chase scene from ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', Rick mamage to break free from the grasp of a mummy choking him by poking his right hand (in a V-pose) into the mummy's eyes. Somehow ''it works'', despite the mummy having no visible eyeballs.
65* ''Film/TheMusicBox'': After bearing the brunt of plenty of mayhem moving a piano, Ollie angrily swats at Stanley - Stan, in an unusual bit of retaliation, peevishly pokes Ollie in the eye.
66* In ''Film/DeepBlueSea'', this is how [[spoiler:Preacher]] survives being grabbed by one of the sharks. The behemoth is dragging him through the water in her huge jaws, and in desperation he grabs [[spoiler:his cross necklace]] and starts to stab her with it. She lets him go when he damages her eye.
67* ''Film/{{Misery}}'' has Paul pressing his fingers against Annie's eyes.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
71* Brennan does this to a suspect in ''{{Series/Bones}}''. She finds that people are less scary after being poked in the eye.
72* ''Series/{{Bottom}}'': Done several times, notably Richie to Eddie when he's heartbroken that [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Tony Blair is a man]].
73* ''Series/FawltyTowers'': Basil does this to Manuel in "The Kipper and the Corpse". In the director's commentary, Bob Spiers says that they should have added a squelching sound.
74* ''Series/FreddysNightmares'': In the episode "Photo Finish", [[spoiler:Stoney gets one...[[EyeScream From Freddy.]]]]
75* ''Series/TheGoodies'': In "Kung Fu Kapers", Tim is learning kung fu from a book and is instructed on how to perform this attack in a TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat moment.
76* ''Series/MyWorldAndWelcomeToIt'': The last of the three fights between John's grandfather and a bully of similar age who is trying to force him to pay an illegal bridge toll is especially cartoonish, heavily reminiscent of The ThreeStooges. Here, John's grandfather bests his tormentor with a series of [[ThreeStoogesShoutOut pokes to the eye interspersed with punches and nose tweaks before pushing him into the river]]. Occurs in "The Mating Dance."
77[[/folder]]
78
79[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
80* On commentary, Wrestling/JesseVentura was always a big advocate of going for the eyes, as it will hurt no matter how big you are.
81* One of Wrestling/RicFlair's signature moves.
82* As well as Rowdy Wrestling/RoddyPiper's.
83[[/folder]]
84
85[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Poor Magnus the Red, already being one-eyed, suffers this at least twice -- first from Russ himself during their fight at Prospero, then from Ragnar Blackmane while trying to manifest in material world as a Daemon. He gets better, though.
87[[/folder]]
88
89[[folder:Video Games]]
90* The "Disco Eye-Poke" is one of the first moves you can learn as a Disco Bandit in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing''; it lowers the opponent's attack and defense power by a small amount. It's later surpassed by the more effective "Disco Face Stab".
91* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', repeated eye-poking is the method needed to defeat a giant hermit crab in Treasure Trove Cove.
92* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' has Ocelot trying to pull this on Naked Snake in a fight towards the end of the game. This doesn't work though, considering he tries poking Snake in [[EyepatchOfPower the eye that he doesn't have]].
93[[/folder]]
94
95[[folder:Web Animation]]
96* In ''WebAnimation/TheMandelaMagazine'': A person being stared at by N in the dark defends themself from the Alternate by poking him in the eyes, the only part of him that's discernable from the shadows. N asks why they did that before attacking them.
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Web Comics]]
100* A variation in ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'': Prestige Perkins tries this on the Illithid door-keeper Handsome D'an, who has enough good sense to step back. Too bad she still use the extended fingers to cast "Melf's Acid Arrow" right in his face.
101* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Sette confirms her theory that Matty is blind by poking him in the eye slow enough he had plenty of time to stop her if he'd seen what she was doing. She could have asked, but that would require more trust than she has handy.
102* In ''Webcomic/WeakHero'', Doyun is cornered by Jimmy and manages to come back by gouging him in the eye, giving Doyun the opportunity to finish Jimmy off with a final punch and emerge victorious.
103[[/folder]]
104
105[[folder:Web Original]]
106* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', during the first fight against the Cloaks, Brad pokes a Cloak in the eyes and runs away.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Western Animation]]
110* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'', a magic disembodied hand is sent to attack Al. Inevitably, it pulls this move on him, but Aladdin uses the hand block on it.
111* WesternAnimation/BugsBunny:
112** In ''WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare'', Bugs Bunny calls a square dance, getting his two hillbilly antagonists to follow his orders, including "Whomp him low and whomp him high -- Stick your finger in his eye!"
113** In ''WesternAnimation/TheWindblownHare'', Bugs pokes the Wolf in the eyes while pretending to be Little Red Riding Hood, right after asking him "What big eyes you've got!" He goes on to do the same with the nose and ears, then the Wolf returns the favor.
114* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', where Odd tries to poke a [=XANAfied=] Jérémie in the eyes. He follows his fail by saying:
115-->'''Odd:''' [[CasualDangerDialogue Never trust a guy with glasses...]]
116* In a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' spoof of ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'', Spock tries to knock out Scotty with a Vulcan nerve pinch. When that doesn't work, he goes for the eye poke.
117* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In one ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' episode where Homer becomes [[TheGrimReaper Death]], one of his favorite methods of killing people is poking them in the eye. One man blocks it with his hand ([[TouchOfDeath without dying]]), prompting Homer to wave his hand up and down to confuse him before succeeding.
118* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
119** The Toxic Rats encounter a tentacle tree in the forest in "[[Recap/TotalDramaFindersCreepers Finders Creepers]]". It grabs Lightning, slaps him a few times and then pokes him in the left eye before throwing him down to the ground. Angry, Lightning gets back up and punches the mutant in its one eye in retaliation.
120** When Jo switches teams with Scott and joins the Toxic Rats in "[[Recap/TotalDramaRunawayModel Runaway Model]]", Lightning, who's bad at reading gender, expresses happiness that the team remains all guy. Unamused, Jo pokes him in the eyes and advises that he gets them checked.
121[[/folder]]
122
123[[folder:Real Life]]
124* This is actually a recommended method for surviving a shark attack. Seen in ''Film/DeepBlueSea'', and that was with a giant, mutated shark.
125* You learn how to do it when practicing [[CombatPragmatist Krav Maga]], and there are several techniques for doing so, one of the most vicious being grabbing someone by both sides of their head and digging your thumbs in.
126* Eye pokes are, on another hand, a no-no in [[UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts MMA]], although enforcement seems to be inconsistent. Typically, such actions would lead to warnings and a five-minute stoppage so the eye-gouged fighter could rest while officials check; if the fighter could not go on anymore, the match would be stopped as a no-contest.
127[[/folder]]

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