History Main / PerpSweating

* An early episode of ''DominionTankPolice'' has the force doing it as a ''game show'', with the perp strapped to a spinning knife-throwing target, with a hand grenade stuck in his mouth. Oh, and Leona emceeing in a PlayboyBunny outfit.

** In a similar instance, Peter's mother comes into his room and asks him to "guess what he 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]].

* Happens to a female IMF agent in an episode of ''MissionImpossible'', where the team are trying to stop the BananaRepublic of Terra Nueva invading democratic San Cristobal. The fact that she's wearing a towel also clearly implies she's been strip-searched. They find the information they are supposed to find [[spoiler: microdots in her contact lenses]].

* On ''{{Jimmy Two-Shoes}}'', Jimmy attempts to do this to Beezy. Being [[ThePollyanna Jimmy]], he doesn't do it very well. Being [[TheDitz Beezy]], it's effective anyway.
* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' of all series, where Pinkie Pie uses this to "interrogate" Spike in "Party Of One".

[[folder:Videogames]]

!!General Examples:

* ''LAConfidential'' had such a successful Perp Sweating that the men being held were not only in tears, but actually [[BringMyBrownPants crapping themselves]].
* Dustin Hoffman's character Mumbles is subjected to a deliberately over-the-top example of this in the 1990 film ''Film/DickTracy''.

* Subverted/Inverted/Monkeywrenched in ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', when they had the killer, but they need to find his latest kidnap victim before she runs out of air. He's GenreSavvy, 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. Awesome ensues. Because apparently ''Law and Order'' takes place in a bizarre parallel universe where TortureAlwaysWorks. And apparently is legal.
* In ''LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'', Goren is very good at this.
* '{{NCIS}}'':

* Subverted in an episode of ''{{Seinfeld}}'' where Newman interrogates Jerry, but sits himself under the hot lamp instead of Jerry. Newman gushes sweat while Jerry sits comfortably and sips a refreshing soda.
* In ''VeronicaMars'', Keith Mars seems to enjoy doing this.

* Humorously inverted in ''{{Firefly}}''. in one scene Jayne makes the interrogator start to loose his cool by staring at him from a slouching posture with a slight smirk and completely ignoring any questions. This is made even more hilarious by the scene interspersed with shots of the Alliance search party finding Jayne's impressive (one might even say ludicrous) arsenal.

* ''CriminalMinds'' used a lot of interrogation in its early seasons, as, oftentimes, the team would have a completed profile of the [=UnSub=] but little in the way of actual physical evidence- thus requiring a confession.
* PlayedForLaughs in one episode of ''BlackBooks'', when Bernard, Manny and Fran are getting ready to go on holiday. Bernard and Manny tie Fran to a chair with a [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl glass of wine]] just out of reach, turn a lamp so that the light shines right in her face... and confront her with the fact that she has packed her suitcase full of [[AllWomenLoveShoes shoes]] and nothing else.

ion. Not that that justified their actions. Or, for that matter, makes them unjustified.

** Though it should be noted that convicting him didn't seem to be their primary goal; they cared more about finding the woman before her oxygen ran out than securing a conviction. Not that that justified their actions. Or, for that matter, makes them unjustified.

* In ''{{NCIS}}'' Leroy Jethro Gibbs is famous for his skill at this. (So, of course, is Tony.) And when Gibbs can't crack them, sometimes he lets Ziva have a turn. Failing all else... off to see the CreepyMortician.

* So can Garak in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. He once describes how he interrogated a guy by staring at him... ''for three hours''.
** In the same episode, Garak presents a more straightforward example: using a device that prevents Odo from reverting to his liquid form as his biology requires; making him progressively more uncomfortable the longer he holds back the information Garak wants. It eventually crosses the line into outright torture.

* Humorously inverted in ''{{Firefly}}''. in one scene Jayne makes the interrogator start to loose his cool by staring at him from a slouching posture with a slight smirk and completely ignoring any questions.
** Made even more hilarious by the scene interspersed with shots of the Alliance search party finding Jayne's impressive (one might even say ludicrous) arsenal.

** VandalismBackfire

* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' of all series, where Pinkie Pie uses this to interrogate Spike in "Party Of One".

See also ''Franchise/PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]] - depictions in media often skip the suspects MirandaRights (though this can be excused if the setting is in jurisdictions that lack these rights).

See also ''Franchise/PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]].

* In GhostTrick, the backstory of the primary antagonist results from one of these going very badly wrong. An innocent man at the time, he'd been brought in as the main suspect for a crime, and the rookie detective went too far in implying what would happen to him if he didn't co-operate. Scared out of his mind and beyond rational thought, he took the detective's gun and fled the police station, forcing the cops to pursue him to a certain park...

** In a similar instance, Peter's mother comes into his room and asks him to "guess what he found under his mattress." He flips out and quickly insists that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial 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]].

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'' does this a lot:

* Also used in a couple of story arcs in FoxTrot. After punching another kid in the face at school ([[BerserkButton he was making fun of Peter's girlfriend]]), Peter comes home expecting his parents to have been contacted and to be chewed out for it. When his mother mentions that the school called her, he bursts into an annoyed monologue about how he screwed up and he knows it, thank you very much... only to have her reveal that they simply called to say someone found his wallet and immediately jump on him for whatever the "fight" was that he mentioned. In a similar instance, Peter's mother comes into his room and asks him to "guess what he found under his mattress." He flips out and quickly insists that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial he only reads those magazines for the articles]]. Cue her explaining that she found his baseball mitt and demanding to know what magazines while Peter [[PerpSweat begins sweating profusely]].

See also ''Series/PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]].

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and people with 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. A person with Aspergers will be seven or eight steps behind, 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.

* in ''Series/StargateSG1'', Teal'c can make anyone talk by just staring at them.

See also ''PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]].

* Subverted/Inverted/Monkeywrenched in ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', when they had the killer, but they need to find his latest kidnap victim before she runs out of air. He's GenreSavvy, 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 a)he's a disappointment to her, and b)he's afraid of the dark. There happens to be a closet down the hall. Awesome ensues. Because apparently ''Law and Order'' takes place in a bizarre parallel universe where TortureAlwaysWorks. And apparently is legal.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique