History Main / BreadAndCircuses

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* By the conclusion of Act II of the ''[[FanFic/TheEquestriaChronicles Legends of Equestria]]'' continuity, this is the sort of state that Princess Celestia has set up, using the Pegasi's weather control to ensure an uninterrupted food supply, and using [[spoiler:her cutie mark spell]] to ensure everyone lives the life that will make them most happy. This allows her to get away with consolidating all authority to govern into her office, and setting up an extensive police and intelligence network.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'', following the implementation of Operation Jormungandr and draft, the Erebonian Empire begins hosting huge military parades to rouse fervor and offers conscripted soldiers free tickets to Mishelam Wonderland, a theme park, in order to give them a last day of fun to enjoy and something nice to think about before they head off to the frontlines.

* Tolbi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun2001''. Sure, Emperor Babi has kidnapped a holy child to force her hometown to build him a lighthouse, and wants to [[ImmortalityImmorality live forever]], but he also provides an Annual Gladiatorial festival, and the Tolbians are some of the richest people in the world, and support their Emperor to the fullest.

* The TropeNamer was AncientRome, where the poor would receive free wheat and have gladiatorial shows staged for them to keep them happy. Although it's often said that "the Emperor" handed out the bread (or wheat) to placate his subjects, the practice predates the foundation of the Empire by ''centuries'' and the food was rarely if ever actually handed out by the Emperor in person. (The emperor, however, ''did'' incur the cost of the entertainment, or at least his treasury did -- and since the state funds and the Emperor's personal expenses both came out of said treasury, the distinction is essentially academic.) Depicted in ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' (see above).

* In Telltale's Back to the Future adventure game series, Marty's grandfather said that's all Hill Valley's science expo he was in charge of was. This confused Trixie Trotter, who hadn't seen any clowns anywhere.

* Keeping your people both happy and well-fed is one of the core gameplay in ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}}''. Granted, that you're running a BananaRepublic, so you have to invoke this trope to [[CrapsaccharineWorld distract your people from your oppressive regime]] and prevents them from rebelling.

* The Earth Sphere, and, probably, Venus and Jupiter (of which we just know too little) are basically this in ''Manga/{{Gunnm}}''. Populations of the Orbital habitats, Moon cities, and probably even [[MarketBasedTitle Salem/Typhares]] are certainly well-off, functionally immortal and generally content, happily ignoring the fact that it comes from ruthless exploitation of downtrodden populations of Earth and Mars (and their own underclass, whose existence is generally hushed), involuntary MindControl and general fascistic attitude of LADDER council, as far as they are fed and still get the [[TournamentArc Z.O.T.T.]] [[BloodSport and motorball]] to watch. [[BigBad Aga]] [[EvilChancellor Mbadi]] certainly has no trobles into [[TheManBehindTheMan getting anyone he wishes]] elected as a [[UnwittingPawn Ladder Chairman]].

* Tolbi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheBrokenSeal''. Sure, Emperor Babi has kidnapped a holy child to force her hometown to build him a lighthouse, and wants to [[ImmortalityImmorality live forever]], but he also provides an Annual Gladiatorial festival, and the Tolbians are some of the richest people in the world, and support their Emperor to the fullest.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. The robot planet demonizes humans, produces anti-human movies, and go on (normally) fruitless human hunts to distract them from a lugnut shortage and incompetent Robot Elders leadership.

** In ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', some middle-class revolutionaries try to overthrow the Agathean Empire in the name of the workers. Rincewind asks them if they've checked what the workers would prefer to happen. (They haven't.)
** In ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'', an evil Duke is plotting to murder a royal family to become king. A quick glimpse into a possible future reveals that he actually would have ruled ''extremely'' well.

* Tolbi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun''. Sure, Emperor Babi has kidnapped a holy child to force her hometown to build him a lighthouse, and wants to [[ImmortalityImmorality live forever,]] but he also provides an Annual Gladiatorial festival, and the Tolbians are some of the richest people in the world, and support their Emperor to the fullest.

* Akin to the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' example above, in ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', Serpent is the head of the Slither Inc., which gives the city the power source and protection from outer harm (namely Mavericks), which gives him [[VillainWithGoodPublicity a good PR]]. Beneath all that, though, [[spoiler: he actually staged all those Maverick outbreaks by his minions, and he's also planning to dig up the ArtifactOfDoom Model W for his personal power.]]

->''"Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions -- everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopehttps://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-10-11/bandai-namco-makes-takeover-bid-for-gundam-sponsor-sotsu/.152154s for just two things: bread and circuses."''

->''"Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions -- everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses."''

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Patrician runs Ankh-Morpork well, so most of his people don't question all the shady activities involved in the running. [[spoiler:Except the mimes.]] [[VetinariJobSecurity So far he's been reinstated after every deposition.]] Although he has been described as Machiavellian, unlike the page quote, he does not fortify himself through being loved (in fact, most either dislike or are indifferent to him), but by being ''necessary'', and better than any alternative.

* [[Literature/{{Discworld}} The Patrician]] runs Ankh-Morpork well, so most of his people don't question all the shady activities involved in the running. [[spoiler:Except the mimes.]] [[VetinariJobSecurity So far he's been reinstated after every deposition.]] Although he has been described as Machiavellian, unlike the page quote, he does not fortify himself through being loved (in fact, most either dislike or are indifferent to him), but by being ''necessary'', and better than any alternative.

** Interestingly it's mentioned in the novels that Forgeworlds got sparetime locations for the menials and despite being the lowest level in the working force they are considered free men (whatever that means in the Imperium...), the same with your average imperial world, you will find pubs, casinos, TV channels with not too dogmatic series, and food cheap enough to allow the most modest person to survive the day.
** And don't even start talking of the Ultramarines domains, it seems they are so happy their positive emotions can be seen as a bright constellation in the warp.
** There are as many ways to rule worlds in the Imperium as there are worlds themselves, so some are well-governed almost-utopia's while others are the GrimDark that we've come to associate with ''40K''.
*** The Grimdark-ness of the Imperium is largely on a galactic scale. It's outright stated that many planets are not too dissimilar to our own. Only Hive Worlds and Forge Worlds really feel the oppression, and feral worlds (due to their feudal system) However while individual worlds might experience times of prosperity and happiness, the Imperium as a whole is very pragmatic. However all it takes is one heresy to ruin all that...

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[[folder: Web Animation]]
* In ''WebAnimation/LuckyDayForever'', there's a Great Lottery in place. The Proles worked for the Whites to get money for said Lottery. If they win, they get to become a White.

* At the beginning of the second act of ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', the population of Oz is in terror of attacks from Elphaba, whom they know as the Wicked Witch. So, what else to do... but have a party to celebrate the engagement of Glinda and Fiyero. "Fellow Ozians, as terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day, and celebrate!" In addition to this, the folks of the Emerald City are regularly distracted by productions such as ''Wizomania'' and various other things to hide the trickery of the Wizard and his corrupt government. He himself says that he's ruling because the people of Oz need someone to believe him and that he is wonderful because they call him wonderful.

* In ''Videogame/{{Destiny}}'', this is the default state of [[SpaceRomans the Cabal Empire]]. [GodEmperor Emperor Calus]] rose to power by overthrowing a brutal totalitarian military regimes, and embraced the philosophy of ForHappiness, giving his entire population food and entertainment and decadent lives of joy and pleasure. Calus went so far as to destroy entire star systems to fuel his empire's bread and circuses. When he was overthrown by Dominus Ghaul, however, this culture of excessive happiness and merriment was so deeply ingrained into the Empire that he was forced to keep it up lest he be overthrown himself.

[[folder: Web Animation]]
* In ''WebAnimation/LuckyDayForever'', there's a Great Lottery in place. The Proles worked for the Whites to get money for said Lottery. If they win, they get to become a White.
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* ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'': In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Annual #6, the Kane family has served as the executioners of Gotham since the ''Plight of Gotham'' crashlanded on their planet 500 years earlier. Assuming the identity of Batman or Batwoman depending on their gender, the Kanes' duty is to [[PublicExecution execute murderers in full view of the Gotham populace]]. While investigating the suicide of her father Robert, the new Batwoman Kathy Kane discovers that Commissioner Mondial and his men murder innocent people on a monthly basis and [[FrameUp frame others for doing so]]. Further investigation leads her to Gotham's historical records which contain a written account of one of Mondial's ancestors, one of 50 survivors of the crashlanding. Inspired by the stories of Batman and Commissioner Gordon in Old Gotham, he believed that the best way to create a stable, ordered society was to use the threat of execution to keep the people in line and the spectacle of public executions to keep them entertained, even if that meant executing innocent people. His descendants continued this practice for 500 years until Kathy exposed the truth and brought it to an end.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits'' had an episode called "Fun and Games", in which an alien society that had overcome all war, poverty, and other social ailments found it necessary to pit "lesser" life forms against each other in deadly combat to stop society from stagnating. Those lesser life forms include us, by the way.