History Main / ButtDialingMordor

* In ''I Can't Believe It's Not The ComicBook/JusticeLeague'', ComicBook/BoosterGold inadvertently sends the Superbuddies to Hell while fooling around with a mystical artifact.

** In [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E8IRobotYouJane "I Robot, You Jane"]], Willow accidentally releases the demon Moloch when she scans [[SealedEvilInACan the book he is trapped in]] into a computer.

* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': Given how the Fallen/Phenomenal World works, this shouldn't be possible by mortals. But the game explores that what mages thinks ''shouldn't'' happen, will. One good example of this is the Hildebrandt Recording. A mortal parapsychologist shouldn't have been able to contact [[EldritchAbomination an Abyssal Entity]] during a seance. The recording equipment he used during the seance shouldn't have caught their exchange on tape. That recording shouldn't have become a grimoire that can be used to cast Abyssal magic. And yet.

* In ''Manga/SpyXFamily'' "Mission-1" agent Twilight sabotages a {{Blackmail}} attempt by a gangster named Edgar, who wanted to use unflattering pictures of a politician. After accomplishing that mission, he's assigned to Operation Strix, where he is to pose as family man Loid Forger, and he adopts Anya. When he steps out for an intelligence briefing, he locks Anya in their apartment, where she gets into Twilight's spy gear, after messing around with a communications device, she unknowingly sends a taunting message to Edgar and she's kidnapped by his goons, and Twilight has to go rescue her.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal'' introduces the [[EntropyAndChaosMagic Wild Mage]] class, whose spells had a small chance to have their effects randomized via wild surge. One possible effect is to accidentally summon a demon, which could be bad news for anyone nearby who isn't under the effects of Protection from Evil.

See SchmuckBait, NiceJobBreakingItHero and MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds. TemptingFate often preceeds this, while OhCrap is a common reaction. Depending on who ultimately benefits from the communication, it can also result in AccidentalHero through SpannerInTheWorks.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Some people have expressed concerns about the radio transmissions our civilization has been sending out into space over the past century or so, saying they could inadvertently attract the attention of powerful and hostile/indifferent aliens. Deliberate transmissions (such as the Arecibo Message) and physical artifacts (such as the pulsar maps on the Voyager spacecraft) have also caused worry. This often ignores the fact that it's going to be tens of thousands of years before any physical craft in existence passes near anything of note and radio signals will attenuate to virtual nothingness after only a few dozen lightyears. Moreover, over the last several decades, the signal strength of our regular transmissions has ''decreased'', as we have moved away from a few powerful transmitters to many less powerful ones. Still, the possibility still exists that in the future, a sufficiently advanced civilisation in our 'cosmic backyard' (i.e., within the range where any signals might still be recognisable as being from Earth) might catch wind of us broadcasting our existence into space and come pay us a visit. This is one possible answer to the Fermi paradox - if aliens ''do'' exist, they may choose not to prove their existence for fear of sparking conflicts or invasions from other alien races that could potentially eradicate them.
* On an intersection between "Real Life" and "Religion and Mythology" lie people who actually do believe that, [[NotHyperbole yes]], doing something that's not Christian enough for them is literally this trope for real. What counts as "not Christian enough" could be [[https://i.redd.it/cumur3vg4or71.jpg yoga, rock music, fantasy fiction, tabletop RPGs, Eastern martial arts, vegetarianism...]] Yep, whenever you hear about MoralGuardians railing about these sorts of stuff, chances are at least some of them are motivated by a literal belief in this trope in action.
* The legend behind the "NORAD Tracks Santa" program is that for Christmas 1955, a Sears store in Colorado Springs printed an ad that said children could call a special number to have Santa Claus' progress around the world relayed to them. But due to a misprint, the children ended up accidentally calling the Continental Air Defense Command instead. Supposedly the senior watch officer decided to [[SureLetsGoWithThat just roll with it]] and now it's an annual tradition.
[[/folder]]

See SchmuckBait, NiceJobBreakingItHero and MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds. TemptingFate often preceeds this, while OhCrap is a common reaction. Depending on who ultimately benefits from the communication, it can also result in AccidentalHero through SpannerInTheWorks. If speaking an evil entity's name specifically summons them, see SpeakOfTheDevil.

See SchmuckBait, NiceJobBreakingItHero and MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds. TemptingFate often preceeds this, while OhCrap is a common reaction. Depending on who ultimately benefits from the communication, it can also result in AccidentalHero through SpannerInTheWorks.

* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'', a mathematics professor gets frustrated with some cutting-edge equation and declares that he'd sell his soul for the answer in "I of Newton". A demon appears and is prepared to deliver, service (actually negotiable) for goods (locked-in) and the rest is about the professor trying to talk his way out.[[note]]According to the demon, he was actually summoned because the formulae the professor was muttering while writing on the whiteboard matched the exact resonance and cadence of an ancient summoning ritual. The whole 'sell my soul' comment was just a happy coincidence.[[/folder]]

* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'', a mathematics professor gets frustrated with some cutting-edge equation and declares that he'd sell his soul for the answer in "I of Newton". A demon appears and is prepared to deliver, service (actually negotiable) for goods (locked-in) and the rest is about the professor trying to talk his way out.

* In the ARG backstory for ''Film/TronLegacy'', Flynn's analog-world supporters band together to send out a communication pulse through the world's computer networks to try and find him. As The Grid is a mostly (but not entirely) isolated system, this pulse give Clu the means to send out a message to Alan's pager, intending to set a trap. In the film itself, Sam Flynn demonstrates he inherited his old man's foresight by looking at the commands for the laser situated ''right behind him'' and deciding to press "Yes" when asked if he wants to run the last command entered.
* The ''Franchise/EvilDead'' kicks off when a punch of students play a recording of an archaeologist reading from a TomeOfEldritchLore and accidentally summon a zombie-raising demon.
* In ''Film/ErnestScaredStupid'', Ernest comes back from a righteous tongue-lashing at the hands of [[Creator/EarthaKitt Old Lady Hackmore]] over his decision to build a tree fort in the exact tree under which [[SealedEvilInACan Trantor the Troll]] is buried. He proceeds to tell the kids exactly what she told him, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero up to and including the incantation to release Trantor from his prison]] ("'Yea, I call thee forth, Trantor...' *knocks three times* [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder ...but what are the chances of that happening?]]"), which predictably sets Trantor loose upon the world once again.

** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', Harry starts getting unintentional visions of Voldemort's doings through their PsychicLink, which he uses to save Mr Weasley at one point. Dumbledore has Harry train in [[PsychicBlockDefense Occlumency]] to stop this happening, but Harry thinks the visions are useful, so doesn't put much effort into the lessons, resulting in [[spoiler:Voldemort being able to use the link to set a trap for Harry.]]

* In ''VideoGame/MarioParty3'', you can buy a Bowser Phone from Koopa Kid's item shops that instantly calls him to [[PoisonMushroom deliver misery]]. When you dial him, he asks who is calling. You can lie and say whoever you want. [[PressXToDie You can also be honest.]] The final option is [[TemptingFate "Who do you think?"]], which yields a random result. Woe unto you if you choose the last option and Bowser guesses correctly. Unless [[OutsideTheBoxTactic you have zero coins, in which case Bowser will give you money instead.]] It would still be a better move to just specify yourself in that case though.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': One episode involves [[TooDumbToLive Billy]] ''somehow'' getting [[Literature/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] via a prank call. Cthulhu immediately hires Billy and Irwin to start calling everyone in Endsville, mutating the citizens into StarfishAliens. Like everything else on this show, the horror is very much played for laughs.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In "Telephonies", the Gangreen Gang trick the mayor into leaving his office and subsequently abuse the hotline phone, siccing the girls on Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins, and (most lethally) [[{{Satan}} Him]] for shits and giggles, despite none of them [[NotMeThisTime doing anything evil that particular day]]. Once the three villains figure out who's really to blame, [[DoNotTauntCthulhu the results are predictable]]. A rare case where the butt-dialer intended to make the call ''and'' knew the entity on the other end was dangerous and supernatural, but simply ''[[TooDumbToLive didn't consider the consequences]]''.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'', magic goes a little bonkers in the Abyss. Mages attempting any kind of divination spell open themselves up to instant magical counterattack from demons; casting ESP results in a full-blown MindRape as "reading the mind of a fiend [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead is a sure way to madness.]]" [[SummonMagic Conjuration and summoning spells]] are only slightly less dangerous, as there's a chance a demon will answer instead of whatever you're trying to bring up.

* In ''TabletopGame/Planescape'', mages attempting any kind of divination spell open themselves up to instant magical counterattack from demons; casting ESP results in a full-blown MindRape as "reading the mind of a fiend [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead is a sure way to madness.]]" [[SummonMagic Conjuration and summoning spells]] are only slightly less dangerous, as there's a chance a demon will answer instead of whatever you're trying to bring up.

* In the various ''Warhammer'' properties (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', et al), this is a constant danger for any wizard or psyker -- All magic is drawn from a hellish immaterial realm ruled by {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, and any careless power use can draw the attention of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent daemons]] and other nasty creatures out to kill, possess or make costly bargains with the hapless caster.

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]], where illiterate villain Amory Lorch tries to send a letter containing the Lannisters' plans for moving forward to his ally, Lord Damon Marbrand, accidentally sends the letter to one of the Starks' vassals, Lord Marlin Dormund.

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': Drax gets [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy roaringly drunk]] and ''drunk dials'' [[BigBad Ronan the Accuser]], daring him to come over and fight. Ronan takes Drax up on the offer.
* In the 2020 horror short film ''{{Host}}'', one of the participants in an online seance over Zoom says she's been contacted by the spirit of a boy she once knew who committed suicide, only to later admit she made that up because she was bored. The woman leading the seance warns them this may have summoned a demon, which we later learn it did.

** In the backstory of ''Videogame/StarcraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'', then-[[TheDragon First Ascendant]] Nuroka got high on so much [[FantasticDrug Terrazine]] that his mind reached the Void and was briefly linked with [[GreaterScopeVillain Amon]]'s, allowing him to learn that Amon was planning to pull a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on the Tal'darim as a whole once his plans were complete, with [[EvilOverlord Ma'lash, the current Tal'darim Highlord]], both aware and okay with this. Nuroka enlisted Alarak, the then-Fourth Ascendant, in order to challenge Ma'lash for the Highlord title and ensure the Tal'darim's survival. Unfortunately, Nuroka's plans were foiled by Alarak, who very much preferred to [[ICanRuleAlone become Highlord himself]] rather than help Nuroka claim the title, since with Nuroka's death (as well as the deaths of the Second and Third Ascendants) Alarak became the new First Ascendant and thus able to challenge Ma'lash in the future.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
%%* The frequency of this is lampshaded in [[http://www.bugmartini.com/comic/knockin-on-heavens-portal/ one]] ''Webcomic/BugMartini'' strip.

* Some people have expressed concerns about the radio transmissions our civilization has been sending out into space over the past century or so, saying they could inadvertently attract the attention of powerful and hostile/indifferent aliens. Deliberate transmissions (such as the Arecibo Message) and physical artifacts (such as the pulsar maps on the Voyager spacecraft) have also caused worry. This often ignores the fact that it's going to be tens of thousands of years before any physical craft in existence passes near anything of note and radio signals will attenuate to virtual nothingness after only a few dozen lightyears. Moreover, over the last several decades, the signal strength of our regular transmissions has ''decreased'', as we have moved away from a few powerful transmitters to many less powerful ones.

** In the backstory of ''Videogame/StarcraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'', then-First Ascendant Nuroka got high on so much [[FantasticDrug Terrazine]] that his mind reached the Void and was briefly linked with [[BigBad Amon]]'s, allowing him to learn that Amon was planning to pull a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on the Tal'darim as a whole once his plans were complete, with Ma'lash, the current Tal'darim Highlord, both aware and okay with this. Nuroka enlisted Alark, then the Fourth Ascendant, in order to challenge Ma'lash for the Highlord title and ensure the Tal'darim's survival. Unfortunately, Nuroka's plans were foiled by Alarak, who very much preferred [[ICanRuleAlone become Highlord himself]] rather than help Nuroka claim the title, since with Nuroka's death (as well as the deaths of the Second and Third Ascendants) Alarak became the new First Ascendant and thus able to challenge Ma'lash in the future.

* ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'': When Zeratul kills a Cerebrate for good (normally impossible, but the Dark Templar's blades are able to prevent the Cerebrate from being reformed in the Overmind), his mind is briefly linked with the Overmind, allowing it to learn Aiur's location and launch an invasion that is only repelled several years (and expansions) later.