What do you know? I just found out that Fox actually had a hypnosis-based reality television show in the lineup called Love Trance. Now, anyone who knows me knows I love hypnosis – in all it’s guises, therapy to entertainment to erotic to street to whatever – but even I think this may not be the best idea for a reality show:

In every man’s ideal world, three beautiful women would be begging for his affections. In the same ideal world, what if a woman could look beyond the superficial appearance of a man…would she fall in love with him? Welcome to LOVE TRANCE where this ideal world becomes reality, if only for a few hypnotizing hours. Hypnosis is often said to be fake, but this new format makes the unbelievable, believable.

Doesn’t really instil be greatest confidence, does it?

It gets better. How does it work?

One bachelor with a great personality, but not exactly the great looks to match, is introduced to three women who could have escaped from the pages of a fashion magazine. These women agree to be hypnotized to believe that the man they are about to meet will look like the man of their dreams.

Now hypnotized, each beauty spends a romantic, fun-filled day alone with the bachelor getting to know him – yet the clock is ticking. During his limited time with each woman, the bachelor will try to win her heart.

However, as fairy tales will tell you, a spell cannot last forever. The illusion must come to an end. The bachelor must choose which woman he wants to pursue a relationship with once the spell is broken. The women gather. The bachelor tells the first and the second woman he hasn’t chosen them. At first perhaps they are heartbroken, but once he breaks the spell, will they be relieved? What happens when the real moment of truth arrives? The bachelor chooses the woman he does want. He tells her and she comes out of her hypnotized state. How will she react when she really looks at him for the first time, all over again? Will she see beyond his looks to go beneath the surface? Or will she leave him stranded, once again?

Is love only skin deep? Find out on LOVE TRANCE.

Wait? The premise is that the hypnotist hypnotizes beautiful ladies into thinking an average-or-below-average-looking guy is incredibly handsome and then sends the folks on dates and then hilarity ensues as we’re watching her get all goo-goo-ga-ga-eyed over this bad-looker with a “great personality” as she thinks he’s a Tom-Cruise-Meets-Brad-Pitt type? This is our showcase of hypnosis?

Now, I don’t blame the hypnotist. Okay, maybe I blame him a little, alright more than a little. However, I am a hypnotist – and a damned good one at that – and I know for entertainment (remember, I’m a professionally trained actor-director type) – but even I might be tempted to participate in such trash if I were approached by a big-time-network with a wad of cash and the ol’ stardust magick wand thingee. Hint hint to big-time-network-execs in need of an hypnotic host.

I can think of a hundred better ideas for an entertaining hypnosis-based reality show . . . but this guy had his shot and he took it.

As to the premise . . . yes, folks, it can be done. It will depend a great deal on suggestibility and phrasing of suggestions. Since the girls know it is for a show, then they’ll be more willing to take the suggestion than someone who was approached in another context . . . the “hypnotic contract” for performances and entertainment is a bit different than for therapy or the like so a lot more is possible. Obviously, they would need to trance train the girls and eliminate the ones who are low suggestibles . . . unless, they decided to just hire actresses to pretend to be hypnotized . . . a possibility but one I would hope they didn’t resort to as any good hypnotist will not work with shills, even on a network show. It’s just so slimy.

One real problem with the premise of the show that somehow these girls would never give these guys the time of day if they knew they weren’t handsome . . . bullshit . . . obviously, it’s a guy who came up with the show (or, a woman who has less brains than a lima bean). Women – at least most women – don’t relate to men the way men relate to women. While the average guy of dating age might be obsessed with looks for his potential mate, gals can more often than not see beyond looks to personality. This is particularly true of folks who are of marriageable age. While most women don’t want a husband who looks like me, they won’t mind a certain degree of goofiness in their mate’s looks if he is bright, humorous, responsible, and the like. While it is unlikely that a woman as big as me will attract a hot hunk for a husband, plenty of guys as big or bigger than me have beautiful wives (and I do). The ladies on Love Trance may very well be willing to date these plain nice guys with great personalities without the hypnosis – assuming they have even half a brain. Now, if they really want to impress me . . . have some typical hunk eligible bachelors hypnotized to believe some plainjane gals are supermodels . . . can anyone say Shallow Hal? Now that would be much more entertaining.

BTW, yes, if you are an entertainment exec who is looking for some hypnotic programming or would like to do an educational, entertaining, or just plain sexploitational hypnosis show . . . drop me a line.