History Main / AlienCatnip

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* In ''{{Drowtales}}'' chocolate is an addictive narcotic to the drow, with effects not unlike cannabis.
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** In "A Constellation of Doubt", Rygel points out that most species consider refined sucrose to be an addictive poison. As Earth is not that health mad yet, it is available everywhere and Rygel is indulging himself.

* In ''{{Drowtales}}'' chocolate is an addictive narcotic to the drow, with effects not unlike cannabis.

** Sardines are either addictive to Decapodians like Zoidberg, or they just taste ridiculously delicious.

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With this in mind, it's no surprise that certain mundane-to-us substances might make them a bit...[[IntoxicationEnsues funny.]]

Of course, it can also be PlayedForLaughs, because it's funny to watch someone get trashed on Gummi Bears.

!!Examples:

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* In ''DeathNote'', apples[[hottip:* :(or any given Shinigami's TrademarkFavouriteFood)]] have the same effect on Shinigami as cigarettes or alcohol do on humans, and Ryuk actually goes through withdrawal symptoms if he can't have any.
-->"I do handstands and my body twists up like a pretzel! It's not a pretty sight!"
* Lum and Ten from ''UruseiYatsura'' would get drunk off of ''pickled plums''.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''{{District 9}}'', the alien Prawn have a voracious hankering for cat food. Black markets spring up for the stuff and all. We can speculate they get high on tyrosine or taurine in the fish protein -- other food would do it, but cat food is good -- and cheap. Or it is just using the RuleOfFunny.
* ''AlienNation'', has sour milk as akin to alcohol. Considering that milk contains lactose and ''does'' ferment if handled properly, this simply means that they really like kumiss or kefir.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

* ''{{Animorphs}}'':

--->'''Jake:''' "Battles involving oatmeal are just never going to end up being historic, you know?"

** The {{novelization}} of ''[[StarTrek Star Wars IV]]'' claims that sucrose (i.e., refined sugar) is an intoxicant for Vulcans; it uses this as a HandWave to justify some of Spock's more bizarre actions in the movie.
** Sulamids in the novel ''Spock's World'' are offhandedly said to have the same reaction - or ''some'' reaction, anyway; mention is made of untangling their tentacles after getting into the sugar bowl.

* In TheCompanyNovels, chocolate (referred to as [[ExpospeakGag Theobromos]]) is the only thing that can intoxicate the time-traveling operatives, and thus you get things like one character having a "dealer" in premium chocolate.

* In ''TheBelgariad'', candy has a much stronger effect on dryads than on humans. One of the prologues even has Belgarath having to be ''very'' careful to avoid getting Ce'Nedra's ultimate great-grandmother hopelessly addicted to it (he doesn't mind her being addicted to it, mind you - he just needs her able to function without it.).
* In the DoctorWho ExpandedUniverse, Time Lords [[NeverGetsDrunk are very hard to get drunk]]. Ginger pop, however, hits them hard. Shakespeare once spiked the Doctor's beer, and Hilarity Ensued.

* In a HenryKuttner, story, robots are able to get drunk from an electricity overdose.
* ''TheStainlessSteelRat'' series - Here too robots are able to get drunk on electricity.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* On an episode of ''SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', Sabrina becomes addicted to pancakes (part of an old Spellman family curse, of which there were many), and at one point gorges herself to the point of bloating. When she tries to go [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere cold turkey]], she experiences withdrawal symptoms, hallucinating that Salem is a pile of pancakes asking whether she is hungry, imagining that the school is putting on an elaborate musical number imploring her to eat pancakes, and dreaming that a giant syrup bottle tries to persuade her to come away to a haven for witches addicted to pancakes, where she can eat to her heart's content. It was a really weird episode.
* ''MorkAndMindy'':

** In "A Constellation Of Doubt", Rygel points out that most species consider refined sucrose to be an addictive poison. As Earth is not that health mad yet, it is available everywhere and Rygel is indulging himself.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* Hivers in ''SwordOfTheStars'' have taste and smell organs that are wired in a way that strongly fermented human foods, especially cheese, becomes like mild narcotics to them. It's mentioned in the supplementary novels that cheese is one of humanity's main exports to the hivers.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Futurama}}'':

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* I read at least two stories (one by HenryKuttner, the other from TheStainlessSteelRat series), where robots got drunk from an electricity overdose. Apparently used in Futurama, too; see below.

** Instant maple and ginger oatmeal is addictive to Yeerks, makes them lose control over their hosts, replaces part of their brain stem, and drives them crazy. Yes, the characters realize that it's absurd.
-->'''Jake:''' "Battles involving oatmeal are just never going to end up being historic, you know?"
::It veers into the horrific when you realize that the oatmeal also [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel removes the Yeerk's need to leave its host head occasionally]], ''and'' it makes the Yeerk immortal. The poor host is going to have an insane alien slug in his brain till he ''dies''.

* In ''{{District 9}}'', the alien 'prawns' have a voracious hankering for cat food. Black markets spring up for the stuff and all.
** Of course, "cat food" is no more a particular sort of food substance than "human food" is; presumably, one or more of the chemicals common to cat food ingredients is the thing the prawns like. Perhaps [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrosine tyrosine]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine taurine]]?
* ''District 9'''s spiritual predecessor, ''AlienNation'', has sour milk as akin to alcohol. Considering that milk contains lactose and ''does'' ferment if handled properly, this simply means that they really like kumiss or kefir.

* In Frank and Brian Herbert's non-{{Dune}} novel ''Man of Two Worlds'', ordinary basil acts as a powerful psychoactive for the Dreens, SufficientlyAdvancedAliens who created most of the universe with their thoughts. They call it Bazeel.

--->'''Jake:''' "Battles involving oatmeal are just never going to end up being historic, you know?"
::: It veers into the horrific when you realize that the oatmeal also [[NightmareFuel removes the Yeerk's need to leave its host head occasionally]], ''and'' it makes the Yeerk immortal. The poor host is going to have an insane alien slug in his brain till he ''dies''.

* The {{novelization}} of ''StarTrek IV'' claims that sucrose (i.e., refined sugar) is an intoxicant for Vulcans; it uses this as a HandWave to justify some of Spock's more bizarre actions in the movie.

** Star Wars, again, proves itself to have [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness science so soft it squishes]]. A species that can become addicted to salt can get smashed on ''seawater''.

* There is a story by IsaacAsimov about a man who tries to get a sentient insect (from Earth) drunk. Alcohol doesn't work, but the insect informs him that catnip and honey would have.

* In the short-lived sci-fi series ''SomethingIsOutThere'', the female alien protagonist Ta'ra gets inebriated on caffeine.

* In the ''{{Farscape}}'' episode "Kansas," Rygel starts stealing candy from trick-or-treating children. High on the candy, he asks John, "how illegal is this dren? You've gotta get me more! I don't care what it costs!"
** Somewhat understandable here; In "A Constellation Of Doubt", he points out that most species consider refined sucrose to be an addictive poison. As Earth isn't that [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad politically correct]] ''[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1290118/Hospitals-ban-sugar-tea-machines-poses-health-risk.html quite]]'' '''[[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485504,00.html yet]]''', it's available everywhere and Rygel is indulging himself.

* I read at least two stories (one by HenryKuttner, the other from the StainlessSteelRat series), where robots got drunk from an electricity overdose. Apparently used in Futurama, too; see below.

With this in mind, it's no surprise that certain mundane-to-us substances might make them a bit...[[LemonWackyHello funny.]]

** Inverted in a much later episode, "Mork and the Family Reunion", when Mindy accidentally eats [[AlienLunch an Orkan delicacy called flek]], and [[LemonWackyHello begins performing spontaneous gymnastics and acting, well, Mork-like]]. Later, Mindy's uncle eats some and HilarityEnsues [[CrowningMomentOfFunny big time]].

* Hivers in ''SwordOfTheStars'' have taste and smell organs that are wired in a way that fermented human foods, especially cheese, becomes like mild narcotics to them. It's mentioned in the supplementary novels that it's one of humanity's main exports to them.

Ordinary substances being intoxicants for aliens (or similarly otherworldly beings) is very likely to feature in some kind of story featuring aliens. It can be serious; for example, exploring the ramifications of [[{{Worldwar}} ginger addiction]]. Of course, it can also be PlayedForLaughs, because it's funny to watch an alien getting trashed on Gummi Bears.

The name probably comes from the fact that catnip is often treated as marijuana in furry comics.

* In JohnRingo's ''Troy Rising'' series, maple syrup is, to many of the aliens with which humanity interacts, an addictive beverage with effects similar to that of alcohol on humans.

** Somewhat understandable here; In "Terra Firma", he points out that most species consider refined sucrose to be an addictive poison. As Earth isn't that [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad politically correct]] ''[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1290118/Hospitals-ban-sugar-tea-machines-poses-health-risk.html quite]]'' '''[[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485504,00.html yet]]''', it's available everywhere and Rygel is indulging himself.

* HarryTurtledove's ''{{Worldwar}} / Colonization'' series has ordinary ginger acting close to cocaine for males of the reptilian Race, but it's the way it puts females into completely unscheduled heat that creates some interesting complications.

** Somewhat understandable here; In later episode he points out that most species he's aware of consider refined sucrose to be an addictive poison. As Earth isn't that [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad politically correct]] ''[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1290118/Hospitals-ban-sugar-tea-machines-poses-health-risk.html quite]]'' '''[[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485504,00.html yet]]''', it's available everywhere and Rygel is indulging himself.

* In ''AhMyGoddess'', it turns out that plain old cola has the same effect on Belldandy that alcohol should ("should" being the operative word). Fortunately, she's just as nice drunk as she is when sober, if not more so, which actually causes problems of a different sort.