History Main / MattressTagGag

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson's Guide to Life]]'' recommends the use of these tags as a last-minute Show And Tell.

* The ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' episode "Wanted: Wade" is very similar to the above Looney Tunes example, except that Wade [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/picture_9406_4407.png removes the tag from a sofa]], and that he sees a police car near Roy's coop, where there is a problem with the stereo.

* In the episode "Wanted: Wade" from the animated series ''ComicStrip/USAcres,'' Wade the Duck unwittingly removes the tag from a sofa cushion and spends the episode consumed with terror that he's about to be arrested, complete with a musical NightmareSequence in which he imagines being sentenced to 9999 years in prison, where he is shunned by hardened criminals due to the shocking nature of his crime.

The tags seen on mattresses and pillows are the subject of numerous gags. Most commonly, they involve a goody two-shoes character who accidentally or intentionally removes one, and then assumes they're in danger of going to jail. Note that in modern times, that part "except by the consumer" means that it doesn't even apply to those who are so worried about it. And even if it did apply, it wouldn't be nearly so much of a crime as people say it is. (The authorities have bigger things on their plate, like ArsonMurderAndJaywalking, to deal with. And besides, even if it was illegal to remove the tag, how would the cops even know you removed it?) However, in the past, this phrasing wasn't there, making the worries slightly more legitimate.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'', Snap pulls the tag off his mattress and gets sent to "label prison". He and the other inmates escape, and the guards end up in one of the cells... which has no bars and no door, but has a huge sign above the doorway that says "NO EXIT".

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* ComicBook/JudgeDredd used this in a non-humorous [[TheComicallySerious (well, kinda; no-one was joking but it was still funny)]] manner. After they realize their hunch was wrong and they have raided the wrong house, in order to avoid paying compensation, the Judges find an alternate charge and give the householder a caution for "removing the safety tags from his soft furnishings".

* In the ''ComicBook/Batman66'' story "The Night of the Harlequin", the Harlequin (the setting's version of Harley Quinn) is shown tearing tags from couch cushions as part of a montage depicting her one-woman crimewave.

* ComicBook/RichardDragon's response to Special Agent Ling saying Soldado is involved in more than just the international drug trade is a sarcastic; "He tore the tags off his mattress?"
* The 26th and final issue of the ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'' comic book by Star Comics[=/=]Creator/MarvelComics had a secondary story where Gonzo's stuffed chicken Camilla went job-hunting. At one point, she gets a job at a police station and interrogates a criminal suspected to have torn a tag from a mattress.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/{{Fletch}}'': When Fletch gets caught searching a bedroom, he tries a few bluffs, including, "I'm with the mattress police. There are no tags on these mattresses."

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson's Guide to Life]]'' recommends the use of these tags as a last-minute Show And Tell.
* The story "Above the Law, Below the Box Springs", in Creator/WoodyAllen's book ''Mere Anarchy''.
* ''The Warning Label Book'' by Joey Green, Tony Dierckins, and Tim Nyberg claims that the tags are there to cover up damage the retailer may have accidentally done to the mattress.
* L. Neil Smith's ''The Wardove'' includes the lyrics for a song, ''Do Not Remove This Tag'', sung professionally by one of the characters. The song's narrator removes the tag as a statement of her rights, but is then haunted by a feeling of having done wrong.

* An old episode of NBC's ''Bloopers and Practical Jokes'' set Doug Henning up with this very trope. Using his wife as a way-more-than-willing ally, they got Doug into a furniture store that was just an empty store NBC borrowed and filled up with furniture. Mrs. Henning went bouncing around like a four year old on a sugar rush looking at all the neat furniture AND tearing those tags off! The "manager" came up to Doug and explained that he was going to have to pay for each piece of furniture his wife tore the tag off of which amounted to several THOUSAND dollars in charges! They explained the joke before he used his uncanny magic to make anyone (like his wife) disappear.

* The ''Series/NightCourt'' episode "Russkie Business" has recurring character Yakov Kovlenko, desperate to return to the [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn Soviet Union]] to be with his sick mother, confessing to ripping the tags off all of his furniture thinking it would get him deported.
* An episode of ''Series/SanfordAndSon'' had Fred Sanford tearing a tag off a chair, reading out loud that it says "do not remove under penalty of law." He tears it up and quips "Well...power to the people!"
* In an episode of ''Series/FullHouse'', Becky takes the hospital tags off her newborn twins, Nicky and Alex. When one of the girls asks if she's allowed to do that, Becky responds "They're not mattress tags."
* The December 6, 1977 episode of ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' had a Showcase skit called "The Last Dial" where [[LovelyAssistant Barker's Beauties]] Janice Pennington and Holly Hallstrom are depicted as prisoners serving time for [[https://youtu.be/qv-nGtWUXsk removing a mattress tag]].
* ''Series/GhostsUS'': When Pete talks about how much of a bad boy he is, he says he once tore the tag off a mattress.

* A classic ''National Lampoon'' cover, "The Crime Issue," done in the style of an old crime-pulp magazine cover: A shadowy room; in the background is a woman pressing her back against the wall and cringing in fear; i n the foreground is a man's leather-gloved hands bending up the corner of a mattress and about to rip off the label: "This tag is not to be removed under penalty of LAW"!

* Used in an issue of ''Magazine/{{Cracked}}'' for an article titled "You Might be Gullible If...". One entry was "...you believe those tags that say do not remove under penalty of law" and showed a SWAT team kicking down the door just as man ripped the tag off the mattress.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0227.html the strip "AR&R"]] from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Miko the LawfulStupid KnightTemplar threatens the staff of a hotel with holy vengeance for this offense.

* ''Webcomic/TheNonadventuresOfWonderella'' reveals that one of Wonderella's many deaths was a result of [[http://nonadventures.com/2015/05/09/i-know-what-you-katydid-last-summer/ breaking this law]].

* [[https://jeffinthebowtie.com/2021/05/24/columbo-reads-a-death-note/ Columbo Reads a Death Note]] uses this as a [[AllCrimesAreEqual crime warranting being murdered]] by the Death Note.

* On the Website/YouTube channel ''WebVideo/ComicTropes'', one segment began with host Chris taking the tag off a mattress, then saying a version of his typical catchphrase: "Oh, hi! You caught me committing a major crime! Speaking of crimes, let's talk about crime fiction, and the work of Creator/GregRucka!"

* In one ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short, Daffy Duck accidentally pulls the tag off of a junked mattress, and -- believing himself to be a criminal -- goes on the run. When he checks into a motel, he just happens to end up sharing a room with a wanted bank robber. HilarityEnsues when the police shows up...
* The ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' episode "Wanted: Wade" is very similar to the above Looney Tunes example, except that Wade [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/picture_9406_4407.png removes the tag from a sofa]], and that he sees a police car near Roy's coop, where there is a problem with the stereo.

* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'':
** In the episode "[[Recap/DarkwingDuckS1E50TimeAndPunishment Time and Punishment]]", which is set in a potential future where Darkwing has [[KnightTemplar gone mad and imprisoned anyone who committed even the most minor crimes]], while going on about the criminals that it's important that he watch out for, he ends with, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking "and people who tear the little tags off of pillows, they always did get me."]]
** In "Adopt-A-Con", Tuskernini mentions that he used to tear tags off mattresses while lying about being reformed.
* An episode of the original ''{{WesternAnimation/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' ends with the villain of the moment being thrown in jail for a variety of crimes, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking ending with mattress-tag ripping.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'': In "The Worm Guy Guy Syndrome", the Kalifadik are an alien race that's downright obsessive about law and order, complete with an ultra-brutal gulag for housing the many, many lawbreakers they round up. How strict are they? When they confront a suspect, he asks if it's because of a mattress tag he'd pulled off, to which the enforcer said "Confession acknowledged." and immediately teleported him into the gulag.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', episode "Born to Be Wild", [=SpongeBob=] questions Squidward on how often he's been known to overreact, and one of the three examples is him coming to Squidward after ripping off his mattress tag.
* In the episode "Wanted: Wade" from the animated series ''ComicStrip/USAcres,'' Wade the Duck unwittingly removes the tag from a sofa cushion and spends the episode consumed with terror that he's about to be arrested, complete with a musical NightmareSequence in which he imagines being sentenced to 9999 years in prison, where he is shunned by hardened criminals due to the shocking nature of his crime.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' features Johnny jokingly tearing off the mattress tag, only to have a helicopter arrive seconds later and pursue him. However, the helicopter pilot only did that to invite him to the Police Department bake sale.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'', Snap pulls the tag off his mattress and gets sent to "label prison". He and the other inmates escape, and the guards end up in one of the cells... which has no bars and no door, but has a huge sign above the doorway that says "NO EXIT".
* An episode of the ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'' cartoon did it dead straight, identifying a sofa as EEEEEVIL because someone had removed the sticker. (The sofa ''was'' evil, but not for that reason...)

* One of the [[WesternAnimation/VeggieTales LarryBoy]] chapter books had this listed as one of Awful Alvin's crimes.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "King Leer", Moe becomes a mattress salesman and gets involved in a war with his siblings and their competing mattress stores. One of the acts of sabotage he commits is removing all the tags off the competition's inventory. Unlike most of these examples, this is a non-trivial action because the mattresses cannot legally be sold without that tag.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/QuackPack'' episode "Ducky Dearest", Donald gets the wrong idea after noticing his nephews being sneaky, becoming paranoid that they're doing illegal things behind his back when they're really planning a surprise party for his birthday. He ends up paying for advice from a con man named Dr. Chuck Homer. At one point, Donald ends up imagining himself on trial for his nephews' alleged misdeeds, with Dr. Homer as the judge. Dr. Homer rapidly lists off the nephews' crimes, one of the misdeeds mentioned being removing the tags from mattresses.

* ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure'': When Pee-wee asks escaped convict Mickey what he did to land in prison, Mickey starts describing how he got really mad and grabbed a knife. But after seeing Pee-wee cringe in fear, Mickey changes his story to say that he used the knife to cut the tag off a mattress. A relieved Pee-wee commiserates with him on what a dumb law that is.

Can also cause [[LostInTranslation bafflement]] to people from nations where such tags aren't put on mattresses. Can overlap with PokeThePoodle, FelonyMisdemeanor, SeriousBusiness, and JaywalkingWillRuinYourLife. Usually only worried about by a character who is LawfulStupid.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson's Guide to Life]]'' recommends the use of these tags as a last-minute ShowAndTell.

* In the ''ComicBook/Batman66'' "The Night of the Harlequin", the Harlequin (the setting's version of Harley Quinn) is shown tearing tags from couch cushions as part of a montage depicting her one-woman crimewave.

* In ''ComicBook/Batman66'' #25, the Harlequin (the setting's version of Harley Quinn) is shown doing this as part of a montage depicting her one-woman crimewave.

The reason there is such a warning tag is that the tag lists such information as the materials used in making the mattress and the country of origin. Especially that "new material only" was used to create the mattress, because of historical problems of furniture being stuffed with old disease-ridden rags. Nowadays, it's a question of whether or not the mattress contains anything that a potential buyer might be allergic to. Thus, it's only illegal for the entity that is ''selling'' the mattress to remove the tag, in order to protect the consumer. The words "except by the consumer" have been on mattress tags for a good while, making this both a DiscreditedTrope and a DeadHorseTrope.

These tags seen on mattresses and pillows are the subject of numerous gags. Most commonly they involve a goody two-shoes character who accidentally or intentionally removes one, and then assumes they're in danger of going to jail and ends up on the run. Note that in modern times, that part "except by the consumer" means that it doesn't even apply to those who are so worried about it. Even if it did, it wouldn't be nearly so much of a crime as people say it is. (Even if the authorities didn't have bigger things on their plate, like ArsonMurderAndJaywalking, how would they know?) However, in the past, this phrasing wasn't there, making the worries slightly more legitimate.

The reason there is such a warning tag is that the tag lists such information as the materials used in making the mattress and the country of origin. Especially, that they are "new material only" -- because of historical problems of furniture being stuffed with disease-ridden rags. Nowadays, it's a question of whether or not the mattress contains any allergens. Thus, it is illegal for the ''seller'' of the mattress to remove the tag, in order to protect the consumer. The words ''"...except by the consumer"'' have been there for a good while, making this a [[DiscreditedTrope Discredited]], DeadHorseTrope.
Can also cause [[LostInTranslation bafflement]] to people from nations where such tags aren't put on mattresses.

Can overlap with PokeThePoodle, FelonyMisdemeanor, SeriousBusiness, and JaywalkingWillRuinYourLife.

There is, however, one actual downside to tearing off the mattress tag: doing so voids the warranty.

The reason there is such a warning tag is that the tag lists such information as the materials used in making the mattress and the country of origin. Especially, that they are "new material only" -- because of historical problems of furniture being stuffed with disease-ridden rags. Nowadays, it's a question of whether or not the mattress contains any allergens. Thus, it is illegal for the ''seller'' of the mattress to remove the tag, in order to protect the consumer. The words ''"...except by the consumer"'' have been there since at least the 60s, making this a [[DiscreditedTrope Discredited]], DeadHorseTrope.

* In one ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' comic, the Amoeba Boys find an overturned truck of mattresses and attempt this crime--even though there's another overturned truck full of money right next to it. The truck driver doesn't even mind because he's hauling the mattresses to the dump anyway.

* The December 6, 1977 episode of ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' had a Showcase byskit called "The Last Dial" where [[LovelyAssistant Barker's Beauties]] Janice Pennington and Holly Hallstrom are depicted as prisoners serving time for [[https://youtu.be/qv-nGtWUXsk removing a mattress tag]].

* The December 6, 1977 episode of ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' had a Showcase Showdown skit called "The Last Dial" where [[LovelyAssistant Barker's Beauties]] Janice Pennington and Holly Hallstrom are depicted as prisoners serving time for [[https://youtu.be/qv-nGtWUXsk removing a mattress tag]].

* A classic ''National Lampoon'' cover, "The Crime Issue," done in the style of an old crime-pulp magazine cover: A shadowy room; in the background is a woman pressing her back against the wall and cringing in fear; in the foreground is a man's leather-gloved hands bending up the corner of a mattress and about to rip off the label: "This tag is not to be removed under penalty of LAW"!

* Series/GhostsUS: When Pete talks about how much of a bad boy he is, he says he once tore the tag off a mattress.

* Clothing often has tags you're ''supposed'' to remove before wearing. As Lemmy of the webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}'' learned, you neglect this [[http://fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=266 at your peril]].

* One of the lemmings from ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' pulls off a mattress tag just before jumping to his death, simply because he could.

* In ''WebAnimation/LlamasWithHats'', "Caaaarl" claims to have [[spoiler: caused a nuclear explosion by ripping off the tag of a mattress]]

** Referenced in a comic strip which has the engineers giving technical advice to marketing about the accuracy of an advert, then seguing into criticising its humour and suggesting very old jokes in its place, including "something about the warning tags on mattresses".

There is, however, one actual downside to tearing off the mattress tag: doing so voids the warranty. Then again, have you ''ever'' had an instance where you returned ''a mattress'' for warranty service?