I Replaced the Dinner Bell with a Notification Sound. Chaos Ensued - It was Rob Petrie Idea
Hey neighbors! 👋
Since we’re all here on Similar Worlds, the last great place for actual reading on the internet, I wanted to try something different. No videos, no dancing trends. Just pure text comedy about a show some of us actually remember: The Dick Van Dyke Show.
You know the episode: "My Husband Is Not a Drunk." Rob gets hypnotized to act drunk every time a bell rings. Ding! He’s stumbling. Ding! He’s sober.
I thought, “We need a modern version for this crowd.” Because let’s be honest, we don’t need a hypnotist anymore. We have Email Notifications.
Imagine this at your next dinner party: You’re sitting there, having a lovely conversation about grandkids or gardening. Suddenly - Ding! 📧 Everyone at the table instantly freezes. Their eyes glaze over. They start muttering, “Check spam folder… check spam folder…” Then, three seconds later - screen times out - and they snap back: “Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, the hydrangeas.”
We are all walking around with post-hypnotic suggestions!
Trigger: The “New Message” sound.
Suggestion: Forget your surroundings. Panic about whether it’s spam or a bill.
Wake Up: When you realize it’s just another newsletter you didn’t sign up for.
I tried to test this theory here on SimilarWorlds. I told my group, “Okay, when I type the word ‘BELL’, you have to act like you’re trying to log into a website you haven’t visited since 2005.”
BELL.
Suddenly, everyone started squinting at their screens, muttering “What was my password?” and “Did I use my dog’s name or my maiden name?” It was terrifyingly accurate. 😂
👇 The Question for YOU (The SimilarWorlds Crew): Would you want this hypnosis act at your next real-life party? Or is your party already perfect just the way it is (probably involving coffee and showing people photos on your phone)?
Drop a comment below: 🔔 = “Yes, bring the chaos! Let’s confuse the neighbors!” ☕ = “No thanks, I’d rather just sit and chat like civilized humans.”
Let me know what you think! 👇 Human Earth
Since we’re all here on Similar Worlds, the last great place for actual reading on the internet, I wanted to try something different. No videos, no dancing trends. Just pure text comedy about a show some of us actually remember: The Dick Van Dyke Show.
You know the episode: "My Husband Is Not a Drunk." Rob gets hypnotized to act drunk every time a bell rings. Ding! He’s stumbling. Ding! He’s sober.
I thought, “We need a modern version for this crowd.” Because let’s be honest, we don’t need a hypnotist anymore. We have Email Notifications.
Imagine this at your next dinner party: You’re sitting there, having a lovely conversation about grandkids or gardening. Suddenly - Ding! 📧 Everyone at the table instantly freezes. Their eyes glaze over. They start muttering, “Check spam folder… check spam folder…” Then, three seconds later - screen times out - and they snap back: “Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, the hydrangeas.”
We are all walking around with post-hypnotic suggestions!
Trigger: The “New Message” sound.
Suggestion: Forget your surroundings. Panic about whether it’s spam or a bill.
Wake Up: When you realize it’s just another newsletter you didn’t sign up for.
I tried to test this theory here on SimilarWorlds. I told my group, “Okay, when I type the word ‘BELL’, you have to act like you’re trying to log into a website you haven’t visited since 2005.”
BELL.
Suddenly, everyone started squinting at their screens, muttering “What was my password?” and “Did I use my dog’s name or my maiden name?” It was terrifyingly accurate. 😂
👇 The Question for YOU (The SimilarWorlds Crew): Would you want this hypnosis act at your next real-life party? Or is your party already perfect just the way it is (probably involving coffee and showing people photos on your phone)?
Drop a comment below: 🔔 = “Yes, bring the chaos! Let’s confuse the neighbors!” ☕ = “No thanks, I’d rather just sit and chat like civilized humans.”
Let me know what you think! 👇 Human Earth
