History Main / CentrifugalFarce

* The movie ''Film/RocketMan'' (about a manned mission to Mars) has one. When the IdiotHero is riding it, he is so unaffected by the forces that the supervisors keep raising the speed, causing the seat to detach itself and go plowing through several corridors.

* ''WesternAnimation/AGentlemansDuel''. The Englishman grabs the arm of his French opponent's SteamPunk mecha and starts swinging him around before tossing him into a BigFancyHouse, and we get a momentary shot of the pilot with obligatory FlappingCheeks.

* ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' were put into a one in the episode "Where No Mouse Has Gone Before".

* ''Film/{{Moonraker}}''. While on a tour of Drax' aerospace facility, Film/JamesBond is put in such a machine by Holly Goodhead and given a spin. While he is undergoing this, Holly is called away and Drax's henchman Chang takes over, turning the dial up and subjecting Bond to multiple gravities of force. Just before falling unconscious, Bond uses one of his gadgets to shoot the control panel and turn the machine off. When Goodhead shows up to get him out of the machine, the normally unflappable Bond is so rattled that ''he can't even come up with a witty quip.''

* Briefly shown in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheRockersOutOfThisWorld''. Barbie, whose MarySue-ness has been ramped UpToEleven (to the point where she is able to afford the bajillions needed to paint a space shuttle pink--Unlike ''[[WebAnimation/BarbieLifeInTheDreamhouse Life in the Dreamhouse]]'', this is ''not'' a parody), is shown having used one, but showing perfect composure and ''with her [[EightiesHair massive perm]] still intact''.

* ''Series/AllThat'': In the "Tilt a'Hurl" sketch, the roller coaster's operator always gets puked on as the passengers enter the loop-de-loop.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer & Barney each get put in one of these when they're being trained as astronauts. Homer in particular briefly turns into Popeye due to the G's.

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': Hampton's family go to Epcot and go on a centrifuge-like ride (this episode debuting years before Epcot even had such a ride); HilarityEnsues.
** Done much the same in the film ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventuresHowISpentMyVacation'': Hampton's family (and Plucky) go to [[ThemeParks Happy World Land]] and witness the "Happy-Go-Pukey" ride. When the spinning stops, the ride cars tip up on their ends and [[VomitIndiscretionShot out oozes a flood of vomit]].

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' illustrated story ''Discworld/TheLastHero'', Leonard straps Rincewind into a ClockPunk centrifuge machine (the diagram of which [[ArtImitatesArt looks a lot like the Vitruvian Man]]) before their dragon-powered spaceflight, on the basis that the only way to train for the unexpected is with unexpected training. Before his experience in the centrifuge, Rincewind protests that they're heading for certain death, which you don't need ''any'' training for; afterwards he says that if you ''did'', that would be it.

Subtrope of EverythingsBetterWithSpinning. See also WhenThingsSpinScienceHappens.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'', Arthur and Buster go on a roller coaster ride that's said to make you throw up.

* ''Film/{{Moonraker}}''. While on a tour of Drax' aerospace facility, Film/JamesBond is put in such a machine by Holly Goodhead and given a spin. While he is undergoing this, Holly is called away and Drax's henchman Chang takes over, turning the dial up and subjecting Bond to multiple gravities of force. Just before falling unconscious, Bond uses one of his gadgets to shoot the control panel and turn the machine off.

-->-- Dark Helmet, ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}''

In order for astronauts and fighter pilots to withstand the large amount of G-forces incurred upon takeoff, high-G training is a critical part of the preparation for any launch. This is to prevent g-induced loss of consciousness caused by the forced movement of blood from the brain to the lower extremities. Research done since the 1970s has shown that training to resist g-induced loss of consciousness significantly extends the pilot's resistance to blackouts and extends their g-tolerance in both magnitude and duration.

The method of training pilots to withstand these high g-loads is fairly simple: stick them in a really big centrifuge and spin them around really, ''really'' fast.

!!Examples

[[folder:Comics]]
* Happens in a ''Comicbook/BuckDanny'' comic where the main characters take part in the X-15 flying program. [[CasanovaWannabe Sonny]] rather insistently asks the pretty doctor assessing them for a date, prompting said doctor to ask the centrifuge operator to crank up the test Sonny is about to be subjected to. Sonny spends the test yelling and collapses upon exiting the centrifuge.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/{{Moonraker}}''. While on a tour of Drax' aerospace facility Film/JamesBond was put in such a machine by Holly Goodhead and given a spin. While he was undergoing this, Holly was called away and Drax's henchman Chang took over, turning the dial up and subjecting Bond to multiple gravities of force. Just before falling unconscious, Bond used one of his gadgets to shoot the control panel and turn the machine off.
* In a rare example of being used for its intended purpose, the centrifuge appears in ''Film/TheRightStuff'' as part of astronaut training.
* In the film ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'', Rizzo spins in the centrifuge in C.O.V.N.E.T. while enduring science experiments.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxHitTheRoad'', the Cone Of Tragedy at the Cushman Bros. Carnival spins around at insane speeds, as befitting its name. If you ride it, you will lose all your stuff and have to get it back from the Lost and Found... along with an item you need to progress in the game.

* Webcomic/{{xkcd}} argues whether or not this should be called [[http://xkcd.com/123/ "centripetal farce"]].

[[folder:Web Video]]
* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', Goku grabs Freeza by the tail and spins him around repeatedly, causing Freeza to vomit. [[VomitDiscretionShot We never actually see the sick,]] but there is a [[ShadowOfImpendingDoom conspicuous shot of a growing shadow]] over [[ButtMonkey Krillin's]] face...
-->'''Krillin:''' [[ScreamingAtSquick Waaaaaaaagh!]]
--->''Krillin Owned Counter: 27''
[[/folder]]

* The over-the-top amusement park rides in the opening scene of ''Film/SpyKids 2'' are mainly of this type.

Note that this applies to [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible more than just training centrifuges]]. For example, carnival rides provide another common source of hilarity. Normally harmless amusement rides become whirling machines of doom and vomit (whether [[VomitDiscretionShot hinted at]] or [[VomitIndiscretionShot shown explicitly]]) in the hands of overzealous writers. After being subjected to the insanity, characters will often stumble off in a daze, followed up by a NonSequiturThud. Or someone could forcefully spin one or more enemies to [[NonLethalKO incapacitate]] them with dizziness symptoms.

* In the ''Literature/HankTheCowdog'' book ''The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook'', Hank has swallowed a fishhook that was baited with liver. Slim tries to get him to throw it up by {{force feeding}} him a ton of liquid soap and then spinning him in circles. Ironically, it doesn't work for Hank, but Slim has to duck out for a moment to vomit.

[/folder]]

Note that this applies to [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible more than just training centrifuges]]. For example, carnival rides provide another common source of hilarity. Normally harmless amusement rides become whirling machines of doom and vomit in the hands of overzealous writers. After being subjected to the insanity, characters will often stumble off in a daze, followed up by a NonSequiturThud.

* The infamous "Tequila" scene from ''Film/TheSandlot'' involves a bunch of kids trying chewing tobacco to emulate their baseball idols, and then getting onto a fast spinning carnival ride. [[VomitChainReaction Vomit ensues.]]

* T-Bone and Razor are seen training in a dual centrifuge in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'', justified because they're vigilantes that fly an insanely fast CoolPlane and would need to train for the high gs the Turbo Kat would put them through. Their reactions while in the centrifuge are downplayed with Razor showing the most facial effects and passing out while T-Bone powers on through, something that Razor feels ashamed of. [[spoiler: Towards the end of the episode he actually stays conscious when T-Bone is forced to put the Turbo Kat through even higher speed... only to find out that ''T-Bone'', the ''pilot'' of their jet passed out instead!]]

* T-Bone and Razor are seen training in a dual centrifuge in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'', justified because they're vigilantes that fly an insanely fast CoolPlane and would need to train for the high gs the Turbo Kat would put them through. Their reactions while in the centrifuge are downplayed with Razor showing the most facial effects and passing out while T-Bone powers on through, something that Razor feels ashamed of. [[spoiler: Towards the end of the episode he actually stays conscious when T-Bone is forced to put the Turbo Kay through even higher speed... only to find out that ''T-Bone'', the ''pilot'' of their jet passed out instead!]]

-->-- Dark Helmet, ''{{Spaceballs}}''

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In the episode ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy Wonderbolts Academy]]'', the Dizzytron is an obvious parody of this trope. It's also an unusual usage, as it's designed to launch pegasi into the air after it's done spinning--the pegasi are then timed on how quickly they can recover and land safely. Presumably anyone who ''doesn't'' land safely washes out.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In the episode ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy Wonderbolts Academy]]'', the Dizzytron is an obvious parody of this trope. It's also an unusual usage, as it's designed to launch pegasi into the air after it's done spinning--the pegasi are then timed on how quickly they can recover and land safely. Presumably anyone who ''doesn't'' land safely washes out, or dies.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In the episode ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy Wonderbolts Academy]]'', the Dizzytron is an obvious parody of this trope. It's also an unusual usage, as it's designed to launch pegasi into the air after it's done spinning--the pegasi are then timed on how quickly they can recover and land safely.