Line #43 Main/TrustBuildingBlunder


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11	[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/AzumangaDaioh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trustbuildingblunder_5.png]]]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350: Well, she learned about trust, just not the lesson you wanted.]]
13
14	->'''Son:''' (about to jump off a ladder) I’m scared, Dad!\
15	'''Dad:''' (with arms outstretched, ready to catch him) Do you trust me, son?\
16	'''Son:''' Yes.\
17	'''Dad:''' C’mon, son!\
18	'''Son:''' (falls down, hitting the ground as his father walks away)\
19	'''Dad:''' Rule number one, never trust anybody.
20	-->-- '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb91_Wg9_kY This Vine]]'''
21
22	If you aren't familiar with Team Building Exercises, Trust Exercises, Capacitation Courses, and the dreaded Weekend Seminar, you will be before long. The most common example is an exercise in which participants are paired off and one person of each pair is instructed to fall over backwards, trusting that their partner will catch them.
23
24	Since we've already established you are reading this on Website/TVTropes, we can assume these activities can and have been extensively lampooned, mocked, and generally made fun of quite a lot by people.
25
26	'''Here are a few commonly parodied office exercises:'''
27	* Trust Building Exercises: The catcher will not catch the faller, either because they're distracted or just don't like the person. Alternatively, there's such a massive size difference that the (large) faller presents a ''danger'' to the (small) catcher. It can also result from the faller falling in the wrong direction, leaving the catcher unable to catch them in time.
28	* Wilderness retreats: HilarityEnsues when the PointyHairedBoss fails miserably at surviving, and everyone snarks between escaping bears and mountain lions. A popular excuse for a PaintballEpisode or MachoDisasterExpedition.
29	* A BlindfoldedTrip: the person leading the blindfolded walker will probably get distracted and walk the person into or off of something.
30
31	[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do]] with [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter building trust in a person who does not deserve it.]]
32
33	May overlap with TheComedyDrop.
34
35	----
36	!!Examples:
37
38	[[foldercontrol]]
39
40	[[folder:Advertising]]
41	* A Geico commercial has the CEO of Geico suggesting he do the "fall back and you catch me" exercise -- with the Gecko. [[OhCrap Naturally, the Gecko has deep misgivings]].
42	* A comical [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4ul6Nez0H8 online ad]] by Disney for a Samsung smartphone has film director Rich Moore blunder his way through his workplace, [[JerkassBall offending and endangering everyone in his path]]. In one scene Moore sets up the trust fall, only to be distracted by his phone before finishing the count to three.
43	* An insurance company had a radio commercial involving actors doing the falling trust exercise. Cue falling, thump, muffled cry of pain, and the catcher saying, "Wait... what's my motivation?" At which the slogan of the commercial came in, "Life's better with a partner you can trust".
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
47	* In one of ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'''s Sports Fest episodes, Tomo and Chiyo-chan are impressed with the boys' cooperative gymnastics, so they decide to try a supported handstand. Unfortunately, [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny Tomo]] is the supporter...
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
51	* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'':
52	** Dogbert was making [[http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/1996-09-10/ one of his periodic appearances as a consultant]], leading such an exercise. During the "fall backward and your colleague catches you" exercise, PHB fell forward instead. Dogbert's comment: "Okay, maybe trust isn't your biggest problem here."
53	** They probably did it more than once. There was one where they were on a wilderness retreat where they used the counselor as a bridge over muddy ground and, given the option to save a coworker from a bear or eat a pile of donuts, got as far as "forming a committee to explore the donut option" before the coworker was eaten.
54	** In another strip, Dogbert decides to teach everyone about trust by having them all make out blank checks to him.
55	--->'''Dilbert:''' What will this teach us about trust?\
56	'''Dogbert:''' It will teach you that trust is an excellent quality for others to have.
57	** In [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1993-11-11/ yet another]], they have a team-building exercise involving walking barefoot over hot coals, insisting that they would learn something from and about one another as they did so. Wally goes first.
58	--->'''Instructor:''' What we learn from Wally's example is "Don't wear alcohol-based aftershave".
59	** In ''still'' another one (which takes two days to finish), Dogbert challenges the workers to build a sundial using a donut and a pencil. Pointy-Haired Boss eats the donut, and when a janitor says they could have just put the pencil in the donut, they stab him... making him a sundial!
60	** In [[http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2013-04-21/ a new strip]], Wally instructs Asok to fall into his hands in order to learn about trust, then deliberately misses Asok, explaining, [[InsaneTrollLogic "It wouldn't be trust if it worked every time."]] The larger point Wally is making is that [[ComedicSociopathy messing with his co-workers]] like this makes them easier to tolerate.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Fan Works]]
64	* The blunder in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6717308/7/But_Who_IS_He But Who IS He?]]'' is that the workforce has to have training at all; once after Series/{{Sherlock}} informs a woman that her husband is dead (most likely in his [[BrutalHonesty usual subtle manner]]), the police department is almost sued and has to undergo two days of sensitivity training, something which Lestrade looks back on with dread. John then [[FridgeHorror realizes in horror]] that the only thing worse than going through a sensitivity workshop would be going through it ''with Sherlock''.
65	* ''WebVideo/FriendshipIsWitchcraft'': "Cherry Bomb".
66	-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' Ugh! You know how I get about abandonment! I'll have to do lots of trust exercises to get over this.\
67	''[Pinkie throws herself, backwards, off the moving wagon]''\
68	'''Pinkie Pie:''' Rarity catch me!!\
69	'''Rarity:''' What? Why me?\
70	''[Pinkie and Rarity both fall to the ground]''
71	* [[https://storygirl000.tumblr.com/post/651567334181502976/because-they-cant-trust-adrien-and-marinette This]] ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fan comic depicts a hypothetical scenario where Marinette and Adrien's class have to do trust falls after the two of them reveal their hero identities to each other. Chloé refuses to do them with Sabrina, Kim does his to Alix without warning and ends up on the floor as a result, resident couples Juleka and Rose and Alya and Nino do well, and Marinette and Adrien give everyone heart attacks with their idea of a trust fall (the latter jumping off a basketball hoop and the former catching him while blindfolded).
72	* In [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3615438/8/Euphemisms this]] ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic, Sai and Sakura are called upon to demonstrate a trust exercise to Academy students. Unfortunately, [[NoSocialSkills Sai]] has never done trust exercises before and thinks he's supposed to trust Sakura not to actually fall. [[HilarityEnsues Predictable results ensue]].
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
76	* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Multiple:
77	** Anna tries climbing a rock cliff all by herself with no gear, all the while bickering with Kristoff. After much effort, she asks "Please tell me I'm almost there!" and the camera cuts back to show that Anna has only managed to get five feet up. Thankfully, that's when Olaf returns telling them he's found a staircase to Elsa's ice castle.
78	--->'''Princess Anna:''' ''[laughs]'' Thank goodness! Catch! ''[She jumps and lands in Kristoff's arms]'' Thanks! That was like a crazy trust exercise.
79	** Played straight near the end. Kristoff is blindfolded and Anna's leading him by the hand. He's promptly led face-first into a pole.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
83	* In ''Film/BirthdayGirl'', the bank branch managers are doing the falling backwards exercise. The catchers fail at their role because they are stunned at the sight of their model employee [[spoiler:stuffing a couple of guitar cases full of money in the vault room]] across the hall.
84	* ''Film/{{Brightburn}}''. Caitlyn is reluctant to touch Brandon because she's freaked out by him [[StalkerWithACrush stalking her]]; this causes her to drop him during a school trust exercise. [[DisproportionateRetribution He retaliates by crushing her hand]] when the teacher orders Caitlyn to help Brandon up.
85	* In ''Film/ForceOfNatureTheDry2'', five women take part in a corporate hiking retreat and only four come out on the other side. The mystery of what happened to the fifth is what drives the film.
86	* ''Film/MadLove1995'': While Matt drives along a windy mountain road, Casey covers his eyes and gives him directions on how to drive. With her help, he successfully passes a truck (causing the driver to do a DoubleTake), but a minute later the two of them almost get into an accident with another truck, causing them to swerve off-road and crash and rendering the car useless.
87	* ''Film/MeanGirls'' had a high-school version of the falling-backwards exercise: Everyone was supposed to admit a flaw, then fall backwards. One of the members of the AlphaBitch GirlPosse apologized for [[BackhandedApology being so beautiful it made everyone jealous]]. After she turns around, everyone except for one girl (another member of the GirlPosse) walks away in disgust. You can probably guess the outcome. Played with when another girl falls and everyone catches her -- and her [[AmusingInjuries very heavy electric wheelchair]].
88	* In ''Film/OldSchool'', the frat pledges have cinderblocks tied to their penises with long lengths of rope, under the trust that the rope will be long enough not to castrate them when thrown from a high ledge. The ropes are indeed long enough, but unfortunately one pledge happens to toss his into a manhole and is dragged along with the block.
89	* The protagonists of the slasher movie ''Film/Severance2006'' are a sales team out on a team building weekend in the Hungarian wilderness.
90	* In ''Film/{{Trust}}'', one character jumps off a building so that another will catch her. Her love interest doesn't want to do the same since he is much larger than her.
91	* In ''Film/WelcomeToTheJungle'', what was supposed to be a weekend retreat to a jungle island goes FromBadToWorse and eventually becomes a WholePlotReference to ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'' of all things.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Literature]]
95	* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'', Crowley and Aziraphale end up in the middle of a corporate team-building paintball exercise. For fun, Crowley decides to use his powers to turn all the paintball guns into AK-47s. [[strike:Death]] HilarityEnsues. (Don't worry, they all have miraculous escapes.) Even before he made the switch, though, the narration mentions that most of the participants are trying to find a way to permanently injure and disable the other players (who are all naturally rivals for better jobs), such as trying to shoot their ears. He gave them all what they really, ''really'' wanted. All of them were wishing they had real guns. BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor.
96	* In Creator/SusanCooper's ''Literature/KingOfShadows'', a JerkAss drops the hero in the falling-backward exercise... and is promptly bawled out by the director and kicked out of the group on the spot.
97	* One sci-fi story ("The Minimum Man" by Creator/RobertSheckley) features a clumsy, accident-prone protagonist who miraculously gets accepted into the space exploration corps and shipped off to explore a new world. He eventually ends up learning that they pick the people most prone to accidents that can lead to these kind of things after his 'helper' robot causes a disastrous trust-building blunder with a new sentient race he discovers because the robot was programmed to intentionally cause such things to happen if he starts getting too competent.
98	* In ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld II'', Archchancellor Ridcully, who's been getting some odd ideas from management books he's acquired through L-Space, takes the wizards on a team-building retreat. Wizards do not do team-building.
99	-->'''Dean''': I'm on ''your'' side, you damn fool!\
100	'''Chair of Indefinite Studies''': You can't be! You made such a good target!
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
104	* One episode of ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'' features a guy who was put in charge of his department's trust building exercises, and it goes as expected since the guy was only hired because he's related to an executive. A consultant who was interviewed for the bit says that these exercises are meant to build up camaraderie, and when done well, employees can actually benefit by applying the general lessons they were taught at a seminar. The consultant also mentions that when done badly by applying whatever cliché technique seen on [=TV=] or in a book, as done by the guy in the story proper, employees will not learn anything, and will only make existing office tensions even worse.
105	* In ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'', the aliens teach a youth group a lesson on trust through one of these exercises, by not catching the faller, and delivering the {{Aesop}} "Don't trust anyone!", and then divide the group into two teams identified by different coloured bandanas, in a very [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Gangland fashion]].
106	* Played with in ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Angel Investigations are working on their WeHelpTheHelpless advertising. "We'll catch you when you fall!" In the background, FaintingSeer Cordelia promptly keels over without them noticing.
107	* In the ''Series/{{Bones}}'' episode "The Patriot In Purgatory", Brennan (inspired by watching a basketball game with Booth) gets several of the Squinterns together to identify various lost remains in a "team-building" exercise. Played for drama(and sudden MoodWhiplash) when Vasiri identifies the body of a homeless vet who was present at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks. Emotions ran high throughout the investigation, and by the end even Brennan was in tears, reflecting on her stint identifying remains at the WTC wreckage, and realizing that Booth might have easily been at Ground Zero, meaning he could have died before they met.
108	* An episode of UK newsroom comedy ''Series/DropTheDeadDonkey'' had the characters attend a weekend paintballing seminar. Naturally, given that they are all a bundle of collective neurosis and almost universally hate each other, it didn't turn out well.
109	* Both work- and family-related example; at one point in ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', after a week sharing a practice has completely frazzled their nerves to breaking point, Frasier and Niles are dragged into the office of a fellow psychiatrist for some impromptu couples counselling. He tries the standard 'fall into your partner's arms' exercise, but they're equally paranoid of each other and refuse to participate. Exasperated, the psychiatrist gets up on the box himself to show him how easy it is... but Niles and Frasier are too busy glowering at each other suspiciously to notice, and he falls flat on his ass.
110	* In an episode of ''Series/HannahMontana'', Oliver is stressing during his and Miley's rehearsal of the school play. Miley assures Oliver that she won't let him fall on his face and suggests they do trust exercise again. However, she gets distracted by a sudden doorbell ringing and rushes to answer it making Oliver fall down.
111	-->'''Miley:''' [[ExactWords Technically, that wasn't your face.]]
112	* The second episode of ''{{Hippies}}'' has Simon Pegg's character do this with the lead of a musical he's directing. The lead falls just as Pegg is turning to the others to explain the exercise.
113	* In an episode of ''Series/LostGirl'', Bo and Kenzi go undercover at a juvenile detention camp; Bo as a counselor, Kenzi as an inmate. Bo organizes a trust-falling exercise, choosing Kenzi as her partner. Kenzi deliberately lets Bo fall, figuring it will help her gain the trust of the other inmates. And also because it's funny.
114	* In the ''Series/MadeInCanada'' episode "Corporate Retreat", the staff at Pyramid Productions spend the day at Y.E.S., Canada's most irritating and least effective corporate teambuilding programme. Stuck for the day with a supremely annoying programme director, the staff are forced to take part in dressed-up versions of school sports day events like egg-and-spoon races, and over the course of the day, production adviser Veronica gets covered in insect bites, film production head Victor gets severe burns on his forearms after dozing off by a campfire and falling into it, and CEO Alan gets so sick of the Y.E.S. director that he knocks him to the ground with one punch - and watches in disbelief as he springs back to his feet, none the worse for wear. Inevitably, the characters participate in the "fall backwards and your partner will catch you", and television production head Richard surprises Victor by actually catching him - only to immediately drop him after chiding him for his lack of trust.
115	* ''Series/TheMentalist'': Agent Michelle Vega asks Kimball Cho to do a trust fall to rebuild his trust in her in the seventh-season episode "Black Market". Cho tells her if she tries it, she'll end up on the floor. But, though they don't do the trust fall, Cho does ask her to go with him to the gun range at the end of the episode.
116	* DCI Tom Barnaby's (predictable) contempt towards team building exercises is on display in the ''Series/MidsomerMurders'' episode "[[Recap/MidsomerMurdersS11E6 Days of Misrule]]" when he is forced to go on one by the new chief superintendent. HilarityEnsues.
117	* In the ''Series/MurphyBrown'' episode "Retreat", the crew go to a camp to compete against a group of bankers in a series of teamwork exercises and fail miserably. For instance, in a simulated river crossing, all the bankers make it across but only one reporter does by actively sacrificing the others.
118	* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' pre-movie sketch for ''Film/{{Gamera}}'', Tom Servo and Crow try the trust-building exercise and Crow lets poor Servo fall.
119	* Happens in ''Series/NewGirl'' twice.
120	** In 'Table 34', Jess and the gang go to a dating convention for East Indians. Each are inducted into the event and have to take part in activities. After kissing Nick the night before, Jess is still uncertain about her feelings for him. Her boyfriend Sam arrives and they take part in a team activity where a hula-hoop must travel from one end of a circle to the other. Each member holds hands and the couples deemed compatible have less trouble moving the hoop from one to the other. Jess struggles to move the hoop to Sam, which Nick views as a sign of their incompatibility. In a later exercise, Jess and Nick have to make a table out of newspapers. Those with tables that can hold a phone book have better success as a couple. Of course, the two construct a sound table that is strong enough for Nick to stand on.
121	** In 'Teachers', Jess attends a workshop for teachers in the area. She is paired up with her co-worker Ryan, who she is pining for but hasn't asked out because he is her inferior. Despite her professionalism, the two work perfectly together in the team-building exercises. In one scene, Ryan must navigate her through an obstacle course while she is blindfolded. They make record time. As Jess reaches the end, she trips, but Ryan catches her in his arms.
122	* ''Series/TheOfficeUS'':
123	** Ryan invites all the managers of the different Dunder Mifflin branches on a camping retreat type thing....except Michael. HilarityEnsues when Michael decides to go off into the forest by himself, Bear Grylls style.
124	** Also the blind egg race from the ''Series/{{Survivor}}'' style beach games Michael uses to pick his replacement. Dwight screams at Kelly so much she drops the egg out of frustration, Jim misleads Karen into the water as a prank and Stanley drops it right at the start so he can be disqualified and return to his crosswords.
125	* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Shawn has to get Gus out of a weekend trust-building retreat to work a case.
126	* ''[[Series/{{Tosh0}} Tosh.0]]'':
127	** Daniel Tosh did "surprise trust falls" for a few episodes. Over numerous clips, only ''one'' person ever caught him...and it happened [[spoiler:in the shower of a gym with a primarily gay clientele (the guy who caught him was indeed gay)]].
128	** One episode has a web video that of a group of people trying to catch a guy who is demonstrating a trust fall, and they end up dropping him.
129	* The ''Series/WimziesHouse'' episode "Who Do You Trust?" features exactly this.
130	* In the ''{{Series/Wings}}'' episode "One Flew Over the Cooper's Nest", psychotic Sandy ambushes Joe in his psychiatrist's office for some emergency couples therapy. (She's under the impression she and Joe are married.) Sandy decides to do the trust game with Joe, but since she's completely delusional and Joe is sick of dealing with her, he simply lets her fall.
131	* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Detour" has the protagonists en-route to a "teamwork conference." Of course, they run into some trouble on the way and end up having their own wilderness retreat from hell.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
135	* An amusing inversion during some recent WWE sketches. Wrestling/DanielBryan and Wrestling/{{Kane}} have to attend anger management, during which time they're directed to catch another participant in a trust fall exercise. Neither of them does so, leading to them understanding each other a little better.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Radio]]
139	* ''Radio/CabinPressure'' has the blindfolded trip version in "Ipswich", when the entirety of MJN Air are made to do a safety drill recovering a dummy from a burning fuselage. The instructor puts [[TheDitz Arthur]] in the lead, knowing full well by that point Arthur is a complete moron. The drill fails not because of a lack of trust, but because Arthur is so colossally stupid he manages to get everyone lost.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Video Games]]
143	* ''Videogame/CrashTwinsanity'': "Oh, how I [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xYHOPDtxqE hate bandicoots."]]
144	* Subverted in one of ''VideoGame/Portal2's'' trailers, specifically [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZMSAzZ76EU "Bot Trust"]]. The exhaustive regimen of trust-building exercises gets the robots to co-operate [[spoiler: for six whole seconds longer than people did]].
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Web Animation]]
148	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBVyaOHZBHU DOOM INCORPORATED]]'' depicts [[VideoGame/Doom2016 the Doom Slayer]] working in an office building. When the employees do the trust fall exercise, Doom Slayer crushes his partner, since he's still wearing his armor.
149	* In the ''WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsDigitalSeries'' webisode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsAFineLine A Fine Line]]", after boasting that "Time flies when you're with your best friends!", Sandalwood attempts a "trust fall" out of the blue. Except he obviously takes Microchips by surprise with this stunt and falls flat on his back offscreen.
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Webcomics]]
153	* Alluded to in ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' when Florence gathers a few trusted robots to share what she's learned about [[spoiler:Gardener in the Dark, a BrownNote for Jean's robot population]]. Because there's the possibility that humans might be harmed no matter what she does (and thus the robots' human-protection safeguards may threaten to kick in if she gives them the whole story), she asks permission to disable their motor controls before explaining things. Sawtooth Rivergrinder (a terraforming robot the size of a dump truck) remarks thusly:
154	-->'''Sawtooth:''' I would have liked to build trust on a simpler level first, but I suppose I can't exactly fall over backwards and ask you to catch me.
155	* ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'' had a [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20000403 rather disastrous company hike]] early in its run. You would think Dwayne would realize making a bunch of geeks go out into the woods just isn't going to work out...
156	* ''Webcomic/{{PVP}}'' has had two so far, paintball and a LARP.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Web Original]]
160	* The ''Cooking Comically'' blog features [[http://www.cookingcomically.com/?page_id=479 this recipe for "Trust-Fall Chicken"]]:
161	-->"It's time for some team building. See, this recipe is like a trust-fall. But instead of falling, you'll be cooking. And instead of trusting me to catch you, you'll have to trust me to rock your face with slow-cooked chickeny deliciousness."
162	* One ''Fail Army'' video has a trust fall with two young girls. The girl who falls does so... ''forwards'' and lands on her face, while the other watches in bewilderment.
163	* ''WebVideo/JakeAndAmir'''s "Trust Fall" and "Trust Fall 2" (five years apart) both open with Amir asking Jake if he can trust him and then falling backward without warning. In the second, [[TheBully Murph]] punishes Jake for "letting" Amir fall by forcing him to imitate the fall. [[spoiler:And then stuns Jake by actually catching him.]]
164	* In a crossover between LetsPlay/{{NerdCubed}} and WebVideo/EmmaBlackery in which they answer fan questions, Dan demonstrates his distrust of Emma by referencing these exercises and falling backwards, without her catching him. To be fair, he gave her no warning -- but to be equally fair, she wasn't all that concerned even after he fell.
165	* [[https://youtu.be/m5t3MHnkzBc This]] [=OfflineTV=] video sees the group go through various egg-themed exercises to rebuild their trust in each other. This being [=OTV=], they snark at the premise repeatedly, several of them fail at the main exercise (carrying an egg representing another member over "the stones of truth" without breaking it -- Lily gets special mention for attempting [=CPR=] on her egg after dropping it, which goes about as well as you'd expect), and declare at the end that they haven't learned anything outside of a couple {{Spoof Aesop}}s.
166	[[/folder]]
167
168	[[folder:Western Animation]]
169	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'''s episode where [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Haley ]]trains alongside [[AlwaysSecondBest Jake]] to be a dragon protector. While her [[CoolTeacher Teacher]] performs with her the basic Trust exercise by the book, Jake's [[TricksterMentor Grandfather]] lets him fall into a cauldron of disgusting potion, telling him the lesson was to "Trust no one but yourself".
170	* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead''. The episode [[Recap/BeavisAndButtheadS6E18Substitute Substitute]] features a substitute teacher who makes an effort to connect with the class. He assumes the titular duo are misguided youths who have never been given any encouragement. He tries to show that he trusts them by standing on his desk and falling backwards, but unfortunately, Beavis and Butt-head realize when it's already too late what they're supposed to do, and he ends up needing a substitute himself.
171	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', a scene has Daria and Jane in the hated hell of gym class. Daria is meant to be "spotting" for a classmate on the trampoline -- effectively trusted to advise her that she's getting too near the edge. Instead she is more focused on a difference of opinion with Jane. The inevitable happens, and the classmate who is trusting Daria to watch out for her ends up taking that jump too far, right off the edge. There is a shriek and a crunch...
172	* ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'': "In Dragons We Trust" opens with Hiccup trying to coax the other riders into a trust-building exercise with their dragons: deliberately fall off their back in mid-flight and let them catch up. Snotlout is the only one who leaps at the chance. Unfortunately, Hookfang doesn't even ''realize'' his rider just jumped off...
173	* In a ''WesternAnimation/DrKatzProfessionalTherapist'' episode with Creator/WinonaRyder, Dr. Katz refers to this.
174	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "[[Recap/FuturamaS7E24MurderOnThePlanetExpress Murder on the Planet Express]]", the Professor notices his employees are having trouble trusting one another and hires a guy to run the crew through a trust-building exercise. On their way out, he picks up a random hitchhiker to be his assistant, and as he's demonstrating the falling exercise, the hitchhiker turns out to be a shapeshifting alien monster and eats him. The crew run into the ship's panic room in alarm, but some issues come up and the pairs who have the worst trust issues (Fry and Bender, Leela and Amy, Hermes and Zoidberg) are sent out to resolve them. They manage to succeed, but then the monster gets into the panic room and starts assuming people's forms and eating others. The crew scrambles around in panic [[spoiler:and all are eaten until only Bender and Fry are left, and they put one another through a series of tests to confirm one another's identities and resolve not to trust anyone but the two of them. And then the organizer shows up and tells them that his partner only pretended to eat their friends and that the two of them had won. They shoot him until he's dust [[NoKillLikeOverkill and shoot some more]], then the rest of the crew shows up.]]
175	* ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'': Phil Ken Sebben, Harvey's boss, tries to get him to participate in a trust fall. A RunningGag for the series is Phil's inability to place objects properly in space, due to his eyepatch; so, he tells Harvey to stand a few feet to his side, in front of an open window. Harvey refuses, despite Phil's increasing insistence ('''"FALL, YOU BASTARD!"''')
176	* In the ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' episode "Scrambled Eggs", most of the characters in the hotel take part in some trust building exercises as part of the hotel's agenda to reform sinners, starting with a Trust Fall from a bit of height with the addition that they have to tell something about themselves first. The main catch here is that Niffty says something so disturbing nobody wants to catch her, so she just falls and hurts herself. Which, being a masochist, she likes, and she goes back to jump down to the floor again and again. After that, Angel Dust suggests they could build trust with some BDSM since that requires trust, and finally Vaggie takes them into some random combat somewhere to learn to trust each other, which actually kind of works, although it seems to be as much about respect and shared experience as trust specifically.
177	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': The story "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E17And18SecretSociety Secret Society]]" has the ''villains'' doing this to build trust before taking on the League. Grodd, the leader, also ramps it up, as the ones falling do so off a cliff about 30 feet up, and the "catcher" uses their powers to bring them down; for example, Sinestro using his ring to let his partner fall slowly. Giganta, paired with Killer Frost, warns her that she's heavier than she looks. After the camera cuts away, we hear a loud thud, followed by Frost saying a deadpan "Ow". It's done mostly to avert the inevitable betrayal that ends most {{Villain Team Up}}s. Grodd is being savvy and because he does this, his villain team is one of the more successful, going so far as to cause a temporary disbanding of the Justice League.
178	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E8Frenemies Frenemies]]", Tirek and Chrysalis are made to do trust-building exercises by Cozy Glow to get them to, well, trust one another. Tirek is assigned to catch Chrysalis after a fall and Chrysalis is made to guide a blindfolded Tirek down a flight of stairs. It goes about as well as you'd expect, with Tirek stepping out of the way just before Chrysalis lands and Chrysalis returning the favor by pushing him down the stairs the first chance she gets.
179	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' flashback episode "Them's the Breaks, Kid", Eda has to participate in a trust fall with a student made of slime. She messes with everyone by casting an illusion that makes it seem as if she fell right through him and the flesh dissolved from her bones instantly.
180	-->'''Slime Student:''' [[OhNoNotAgain Not again!]]
181	* One episode of the ''WesternAnimation/TheRippingFriends'' has Rip and Slab doing an extreme version of the "fall and I'll catch you" routine that has Rip standing above a kiddie pool full of piranhas. Of course, Slab fails to catch Rip and the piranhas tear him to shreds.
182	* In a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' skit, Dr. Phil does the "fall and I'll catch you" with a criminal. He catches him, says, "[[ExactWords I won't hurt you]], ({{beat}}) but they will," before throwing to a bunch of cops who proceed to beat the guy down.
183	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
184	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E20TheWarOfTheSimpsons The War of the Simpsons]]", the trust-fall exercise is part of a marriage retreat run by Rev. Lovejoy, but Homer is out fishing instead. Lovejoy tells Marge, "Even if he were here, I wouldn't recommend it."
185	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E2YouOnlyMoveTwice You Only Move Twice]]", where Homer works for a [[AffablyEvil goofy, friendly Bond villain]], Hank Scorpio, he is subject to the trust-fall exercise:
186	--->'''Scorpio:''' The key to motivation is trust. Let me show you what I mean. I want you to close your eyes and fall backwards, and I'll catch you. That's gonna show you what trust is all about. Ready?\
187	'''Homer:''' Right.\
188	'''Scorpio:''' Three... Two... ''[phone rings]'' One second...\
189	''[Scorpio turns to answer the phone and Homer falls]''\
190	'''Scorpio:''' Oh, my God, the guy's on the floor. ''[goes to help Homer]'' Uh, that was a phone call; don't chalk that up to mistrust, now.
191	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E12MountainOfMadness Mountain of Madness]]" has Mr. Burns organizing a country in the mountains, where people work in pairs racing towards a cabin. Mr. Burns, ditching Smithers for "being a pill", randomly pairs himself with Homer and of course cheats by using a snowmobile. Later, when the cabin has been buried by an avalanche and nobody can find the actual finish point:
192	--->'''Carl:''' Maybe the "Cabin" is a place inside each of us created by our good will and teamwork?\
193	'''Lenny:''' Oooh! ... naw, they said there'd be sandwiches...
194	** In the ''[[Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow Tracey Ullman Show]]'' short "Bart Jumps," Homer urges Bart to jump off a table to get over his fear of falling, only to repeatedly get distracted and fail to catch him.
195	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' episode, "[[Recap/SonicBoomS1E52ItTakesaVillagetoDefeataHedgehog It Takes a Village to Defeat a Hedgehog]]", Dr. Eggman gathers all the villains in Bygone Island to execute a plan to destroy Sonic. Eggman has all the villains engage in team-building exercises, including the classic trust-fall. Shadow makes absolutely no attempt to catch Eggman, who tumbles onto the floor.
196	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "New Leaf," Plankton, after apparently undergoing a HeelFaceTurn, spends the day with Mr. Krabs at a carnival, where Mr. Krabs performs the typical backwards fall while blindfolded to cement their new friendship. The only problem is that Plankton is, well...a plankton. He just barely manages to complete the task successfully, [[spoiler: and winning Mr. Krabs's trust is essential to convincing him to hand over the Krabby Patty formula. Too bad Mr. Krabs gives him a fake recipe.]]
197	* ''WesternAnimation/ElTigre'''s Maria holds therapy sessions for his RoguesGallery. One of the sessions is the fall-catch trust-builder, but it fails when the faller, El Oso, is MUCH bigger than the catcher, El Cucharone, and squashes him flat. ("Hey, I trusted you, man!")
198	* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Wishfart}}'', Dez tries the fall-catch trust-builder with Akiko. However, because Akiko is a ghost, Dez ends up falling straight through her.
199	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TrustBuildingBlunder