‘Hypnotist’ Chevy Chase’s TikTok Just Gets Weirder and Cringier

Chevy Chase’s TikTok account is the gift that keeps giving, if by “giving” you mean “sharing skull-scratching videos that require a second and third viewing to figure out what the hell just happened.” One of his latest features National Lampoon’s Vacation co-stars Christie Brinkley and Beverly D’Angelo, but instead of heading to Wally World, the old friends travel to some far stranger places.

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The video opens with Chase and Christie Brinkley sharing a drink in a noisy airport terminal, making their dialogue virtually inaudible. “I’m in the mood for some fun,” coos Brinkley in a callback to her breakout role as The Girl In The Ferrari (her actual credit). Chase does his usual bumbling at the come-on, although the bit where his straw nearly goes up his nose seems unplanned.

CUT TO: Beverly D’Angelo reclining on a couch with Chase hovering over her. Whatever happened at the airport between Brinkley and Chase will be completely forgotten for the rest of this two-minute-plus video. Here, Chase presses down gently on D’Angelo’s lower abdomen (um, WTF?), muttering affirmations about remaining peaceful. Then with a * snap * of his fingers, D’Angelo is awake. 

“Oh Chevy!” she marvels. “That was fantastic! Oh my god, I feel like I just went swimming!”

“You know,” confides D’Angelo, sitting up to face the camera, “what a lot of people don’t know is that Chevy is a very accomplished hypnotist.” When Chase brushes off the compliment, she chides him. “Don’t be modest!”

“You’re too kind,” he says, blushing like a schoolboy.

When D’Angelo first met Chase, she says, she suffered from tremendous stage fright. With the help of Chase’s hypno-skillz, she gained confidence, the ability to memorize lines instantly, and the courage to do her own stunts. The guy’s a flat-out master hypnotist and “it’s time you share that with the world,” she tells him. 

So … is this a bit? The argument for the whole thing being a put-on: First, it’s a Chevy Chase TikTok. Second, when Chase consents to allow D’Angelo to share his hypno cred with the world, the woman holding the camera starts snickering. Third, the idea that Chase has an amazing ability to control the human mind and he was too modest to let anyone know? Er, that seems implausible.

The argument that D’Angelo is serious? Well, there’s no punchline or payoff. Just D’Angelo singing Chase’s praises and Chase bashfully claiming that he likes to stay private about these things. Apparently, Chase even has a hypnotism practice that’s “thriving.” Sure, Jan.

Can we talk about the body language here? Once Chase finishes his hypno-session, he sidles up to D’Angelo on the couch and, like a teenager on his first movie date, casually throws up an arm on the couch’s back. As she talks, he starts leaning in until finally he puts an arm on D’Angelo’s shoulder and pulls her in. Just as quickly, she moves forward on the couch and shakes off the move. Thwarted!

After Chase puts D’Angelo to sleep with a wave of his hand (OK, that part has to be a bit), we once again CUT TO: some FanCon on a depressing exhibition floor, with D’Angelo and Chase posing in front of Vacation movie props. Off-camera, whoever’s “directing” this opus counts off a 5-6-7-8, which is apparently Brinkley’s cue to join them for a final pose. Chase gives us a goofy grin as his beautiful co-stars, in matching winter sweaters, snuggle in. 

With this TikTok, Chevy indeed displays the power to cloud minds, those that once respected him as a comedic voice and now can't take their eyes off this utter mess.