History Main / PerpSweating

* In ''Dot in Space'' (the last sequel to ''WesternAnimation/DotAndTheKangaroo''), Dot is captured by bubble-shaped aliens and subjected to this.

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and [[UsefulNotes/Autism autistic people]]: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. An autistic person will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, or even off to the side, depending on how they function), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way, you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and [[UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome autistic people]]: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. An autistic person will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, or even off to the side, depending on how they function), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way, you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.

One major problem with Perp Sweating is that it is often done in an effort to elicit a confession in the absence of evidence actually proving the person's guilt. In other words, the interrogator is assuming the questioned individual's guilt even without a concrete reason. At best, this can be called poor investigative technique and at worst, it can be called a violation of the principle that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

* ''Film/TheMatrix'' has Agent Smith as a [[SmugSnake Smug Snake]] with a high stack of annotated papers and manila folders, the props used in the old "We Know Everything" bit, implying that the authorities have his permanent record, and that it really does contain everything you've ever done wrong. It was less than effective than they were used to when they applied it to Neo, however.

* Subverted/Inverted/Monkeywrenched in ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', when they had the killer, but they need to find his latest kidnap victim before she runs out of air. He doesn't drink anything (can't get DNA), doesn't need to poop (can't "trade" him a bathroom break for info), doesn't give them any information, can't be intimidated by even Elliot's best efforts, and they can only hold him for so long. He's a copycat killer, so when TheProfiler Dr. Huang looks at his crimes, he realized that the victims--who, like the original killer, were all mothers--were never raped. They bring in his mother, who reveals that he's a disappointment to her, and he's afraid of the dark. There happens to be a closet down the hall. This is arguably torture from a legal perspective, but they care more about saving the victim than getting a conviction by that point.
** Subverted in another episode where the suspect is a U.S. Marine. Olivia wants to put him in the interrogation room and sweat him but Finn rejects that plan as marines are explicitly trained to resist interrogation and from people with far less restraint than the NYPD. Later when Olivia does try PerpSweating, all of her tactics fail to crack the suspect. Olivia even calls him a textbook sociopath when pictures of the victim's body fail to faze him. Finn has to point out that four combat tours in Iraq would leave anyone jaded.

** In a similar instance, Peter's mother comes into his room and asks him to "guess what she found under his mattress." He flips out and quickly insists that [[IReadItForTheArticles he only reads those magazines for the articles]]. Cue her explaining that she found his baseball mitt (he put it under his mattress to break it in) and demanding to know what magazines while Peter [[PerpSweat begins sweating profusely]].

In the Fifties, a desk lamp in an interrogation room would be turned so that a perp would have the light in his eyes and stern questions would come out of the dark as sweat poured down his face. Sometimes, there might be a nice, cool glass of water just out of the perp's reach to "aid" his concentration. This was Perp Sweating.

There has been some escalation since the Fifties. Now the perp has to withstand any number of mind games from GoodCopBadCop to FalseRoulette.

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and [[UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome autistic people]]: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. An autistic person will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, or even off to the side, depending on how they function), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' short "Jack-Jack Attack" starts with a black screen with Kari's voice complaining that it's too dark. Suddenly a light gets shone in her eyes by [[TheMenInBlack Rick Dicker]]. "Wow, and now it's too bright!"
** ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' also starts with this, with Rick interrogating Tony Rydinger [[spoiler: after he saw Violet in her superhero costume.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"I want you to ''confess''!"]]

* In the 1990 film ''Film/DickTracy'', Dustin Hoffman's character Mumbles is subjected to a deliberately over-the-top example of this.
* ''Film/CastADeadlySpell''. When Lovecraft refuses to cooperate with the police, his friend Lieutenant Bradbury turns a bright light in his face and starts questioning him.

* British spy Literature/{{Quiller}} is on the receiving end in ''The Mandarin Cypher'' and is not impressed. After being shouted at for two hours by a Chinese interrogator, he notes that his interrogator is sweating from the glare as much as Quiller is, "but I suppose [[YouWatchTooMuchX he thought he should do this thing like they did on the flicks.]]"

* Sid plays at this with Woody in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' before launching into WeHaveWaysOfMakingYouTalk.

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and people with UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. An autistic person will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, depending on how they function), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.