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Glamour: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
Traditionally, [[The Fair Folk]] are reputed to have a powerful and subtle magic that disguises their true (and less than fair) form into one that is beautiful, beguiling and beatific. This was called a Glamour. It not only cast an [[Master of Illusion|illusion of physical perfection]], but made any hapless viewer think of the fae as graceful, wise, a lifelong friend, and made them easily suggestible if not utterly enthralling them in [[More Than Mind Control]].
Now imagine a character who has this power, and ''can use it on crowds''. We'll wait for you to stop shivering.
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But as soon as he or she leaves the room (or a certain ammount of time passes) the former awestruck followers will get the psychic equivalent of a hangover and wonder what the heck happened. If the character has an especially powerful Glamour the effects may be permanent, require either special shielding to cut off, or the equivalent of [[Mind Control]] [[Deprogram|deprogramming]] to return victims to normal. If a character has [[God Mode Sue]] class Glamour, nothing less than [[No Ontological Inertia|killing him or her will end the spell.]]
This is usually a borderline case of [[Bad Powers, Bad People]]. An ethical character that doesn't abuse those affected might actually accrue ''less'' [[Mind Over Manners]] related [[Squick]] than using straight [[Mind Control]]. As a power, it does have a certain degree of [[Blessed with Suck]]. If the glamour [[Power Incontinence|can't be turned off]] the character may very quickly despair at having no intelligent conversation since everyone agrees with them, no ''real'' love since anyone they meet will instantly love them, and otherwise having all the conflict leached out of their life.
Since this is basically a character trait of [[Mary Sue Classic]] turned into a power, it is often explicitly wielded by [[Parody Sue|Parody Sues]] in fanfiction. When this power [[No Sell|fails]] or comes into conflict with an equal and or greater Glamour, sparks fly.
Often the [[A Wizard Did It|explanation]] behind a [[Weirdness Censor]] or [[Invisible to Normals]].
The term, incidentally, derives from "grammar". Like what you learn in school. But since "grammar" was the first of the liberal arts, it came to mean "book learning", and [[Rule of Cool]] demanded that it be used for the coolest form of book learning: magic.
Compare [[Artifact of Attraction]] and [[Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul]]. If dispelled, causes a [[Glamour Failure]].
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** In addition to [[The Fair Folk]], there are the [[Our Vampires Are Different|vampires of the White Court]]. Lara Raith has such a powerful glamour that when she turns it up, just being anywhere nearby could be mind-breaking.
* All paranormals in [[Paranormalcy]] have some sort of glamour to hide their true features: [[Our Vampires Are Different|vampire]] glamours look normal to hide their shrivelled corpses; [[Our Werewolves Are Different|werewolves]] use them to hide their [[Eyes of Gold]] and wolf form on the full moon; and [[The Fair Folk|faeries]] use them to tone down their [[The Beautiful Elite|unbelievable good looks]].
* ''[[The Laundry Series]]'' has a glamour as a spell any mildly-skilled sorcerer can cast. They're ranked on a scale of one to five, with one being "cover up minor imperfections," three being "make a humanoid entity look perfectly human," and five being "instill outright worship." At one point, Bob buys an iPhone and silently curses to himself that someone at Apple must be casting class five glamours over them.
* In Tom Holt's J.W. Wells books, there is an entire department in J.W. Wells and Co. devoted to glamour. It is run by the [[The Fair Folk|The Fey]] and their biggest, highest-paying clients are celebrities and politicians who are looking for more publicity. The Fey and their part-human descendants are particularly good at "effective magic" which affects the viewer's mind and perceptions, while other types of magical beings prefer "practical magic", which changes the physical structure of things.
* Sheri Tepper's True Game series has certain characters who possess the talent of Beguilement, which makes the wielder seem more attractive and charismatic when it is used. Powerful Beguilers can make themselves seem irresistibly attractive even if their true bodies are deformed or disfigured.
* In Camille [[De Angelis]]'s Petty Magic, [[Witch Species|beldames]] can cast a variety of glamour spells that let them disguise their true age, take on someone else's face, etc. The older, more experienced ones have learned that while it can sometimes be fun to look younger and more attractive, the most useful glamours achieve the reverse effect-making one seem bland, boring to look at, and completely [[The Nondescript|inconspicuous]], which is particularly useful for anyone doing government work or espionage.
* Used the traditional way in [[Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell]]: As soon as [[The Fair Folk|the gentleman with the thistle-down hair]], who used to look like a beautiful human male, is in death's clutches, he starts losing his Glamour and reverting back to his weird, ugly, animal-like true form.
* [[The Shapeshifter]] series has illusions, persuasions and invisibility as types of glamour. A character not being vulnerable to two of these is a major plot point.
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== Live Action TV ==
* In ''[[The 4400]]'', Graham Holt took the [[Applied Phlebotinum|Promicin shot]] and gained the ability to make anyone who walked within a certain distance of him to worship him and do anything he told them to. Eventually he had most of the city brainwashed, along with members of the Army and the police force. He could make them do anything, including violate the law. Also, his control didn't go away when the affected person left his vicinity. He was only stopped because {{spoiler|Jordan Collier}} took away his ability. (Why he didn't fall under Graham's power himself was never explained.)
* Jasmine on ''[[Angel]]'' used a high intensity permanent Glamour that was visually transmitted to try and [[Take Over the World]].
* Simon the Likable from the ''[[Get Smart]]'' episode "And Baby Makes Four". A vicious agent, when you look at him, you can't help liking him. This like is so powerful that no one can arrest, or even stop, him.
* On ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'', a man called Lucius Lavin is able to take over Atlantis through the use of a Glamour potion. Unfortunately for Lucius, the potion doesn't work on people who can't breathe through their noses, so Colonel Sheppard and his head cold end up saving the city. Then, McKay gets hold of the potion [[Ho Yay|just in time for Sheppard (the only person not given the potion antidote) to get over his cold]].
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* ''[[Exalted]]'', oh Christ, ''[[Exalted]]''. Let's just start with the fact that [[The Fair Folk|the Raksha]] outright ''call'' the abilities they use to appear as beautiful ravishers and demon-whores "Glamours." Then there are the various social powers of the Exalted, which range from "everyone in this social group finds ''this'' suddenly taboo" to "everyone who watches me dance falls utterly in love with me, regardless of sexual orientation" to "you find my words stir up shame and loathing within yourself." ... With special mention to [[Complete Monster/Table Top Games|"you rationalize my every action as being virtuous"]].
* Much like ''Scion'' which followed it, Novas in ''[[Trinity Universe (game)|Aberrant]]'' with Mega-Charisma, Mega-Appearance (beauty), and/or Mega-Manipulation can provoke love at first sight or have a hypnotic voice, in addition to the bonuses they get on ordinary social tasks that anyone can attempt.
* In ''[[Seventh Sea|7th Sea]]'', the sorcery associated with Avalon IS called Glamour, with a few of its knacks able to make the sorcerer more beautiful for bonuses to social skill checks. Likewise, Scryers of Sophia's Daughters get for free the Above Average Appearance advantage (or reduce the cost for Stunning or Blessed Appearance advantages) as part of their sorcerous package. Also, the advantage "Dangerous Beauty" is specifically used for seduction attempts.
== Video Games ==
* Naminé in ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'' can rewrite people's memories so that they think she's their childhood friend and they're in love with her and so on, if that counts. It's not a sudden "as soon as she walks into a room everyone there is in love with her" kind of thing, but it does make her function in the story much the way a Mary Sue would in a fic, except that you're ''supposed'' to be thinking "wait who is this chick and why does Sora care so much about her all of a sudden". Part of the reason that she is ''not'' a [[Mary Sue]] is that her power has a very narrow range of people that can be affected by it: she can only use it on Sora or those who are close to his heart.
* Male [[Ravens and Crows|Morrigi]] from ''[[Sword of the Stars]]'' have a sort of psychic glamour, allowing them to project an impossibly beautiful image of whatever species they're currently engaged with. Those images all possess wings, so a human might see a beautiful angel, for example.
** As [[All There in the Manual]] reveals, Female Morrigi have an opposite functioning Glamour that makes them look more fearsome and dangerous than they really are.
* Arguably the [[Knights of the Old Republic|Jedi Exile]] has this ability, pulling people in and getting them to do what they otherwise would not. It's ''much'' more pronounced if you use this power for evil, as your party members snap out of it after killing whoever you've set them against and react with horror.
* Presumably this is how the move Attract works in ''[[Pokémon]]''. If it hits an opponent of the opposite gender, they end up infatuated and may not be able to make a move. The effect wears off after the battle ends or the affected Pokémon is switched out.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Mind Manipulation]]▼
[[Category:Glamour]]
▲[[Category:Mind Manipulation Tropes]]
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