History Main / ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere

* Basically the whole point of ''[[Film/FortyDaysAndFortyNights 40 Days and 40 Nights]]'' Matt Sullivan gives up sex for Lent in an effort to move past a pattern of self-destructive relationships. Of course, every person with two X chromosomes sees this as incredibly sexy, others feel it may hamper the power of [[LysistrataGambit their favorite man-control means]], and others just want him to lose. This leads to girls flooding him with offers he can barely refuse, until [[spoiler:one of the girls out-and-out forces herself on him. See DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale]]. Expect this result only if you are JoshHartnett.

* In ''MyHero'', George attempts to go "cold porky" from pork scratchings (Which gives his [[BizarreAlienBiology alien brain]] super-intelligence, but turns him into a jerk).

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' Squigley had combined [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2255 porn/pot/alcohol]] withdrawal. Going outside [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2257 doesn't help]]. [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2258 Though one might have a few doubt when he starts to say there's no escape.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2469 Satan tries surrounding Seymour with apple products to tempt him.]]

-->'''Kent Brockman:''' Tonight, "Eye On Springfield" takes a look at the secret affairs of [[JohnFKennedy Kennedy]], [[UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower Eisenhower]], [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush Bush]], and [[BillClinton Clinton]]. Did fooling around on their wives make them great? We'll find out next, when we play "Hail to the Cheat."

* Happened twice in ''Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume''. First in season 1, when Sanae tries to quit her [[PerverseSexualLust obsession]] with Ika -- quickly descending into full-on [[MeatOVision Squid-O-Vision]] as everything suddenly looks like Ika... including a scene straight out of ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' as tiny Chibi-Ikas dance around her at night. Later in season 2, Ika tries to get over her obsession with [[SignatureFavoriteFood shrimps]], and ends up with a classic case of this -- including a whole heap of "today only" offers at the supermarket. Then, somewhat atypically, when she GIVES UP, she gets an INVERSE case -- now, suddenly, it's impossible to find shrimps ANYWHERE...

-->--'''{{Cracked}}''', "[[http://www.cracked.com/article_19104_why-humanity-cant-get-past-7-deadly-sins_p2.html Why Humanity Can't Get Past The 7 Deadly Sins]]"

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

If he sticks to his guns but later gives in, the opportunity is gone for good and he's made a laughing stock. If he ''pretends'' to abstain, he will get busted, big time, by everybody. If he's particularly strong willed and goes through the whole episode without giving in, he might even get a particularly awesome reward for his good behavior, which can be something obvious (a promised reward like concert tickets) or something he'll never even notice he got. Like, say, the chocolate he refused to eat was laced with [[CyanidePill cyanide]] (or [[LaxativePrank laxatives]]), or the girl he didn't take home [[GenderReveal isn't actually a girl.]] If it's a SadistShow, expect this abstinent behavior to leave him [[KafkaKomedy worse off than before.]] Only rarely will the abstinence be its own reward.

-->'''Kent Brockman:''' Tonight, "Eye On Springfield" takes a look at the secret affairs of [[JohnFKennedy Kennedy]], [[DwightEisenhower Eisehower]], [[GeorgeHWBush Bush]], and [[BillClinton Clinton]]. Did fooling around on their wives make them great? We'll find out next, when we play "Hail to the Cheat."

* Seen more than once on ''SpongeBobSquarePants''.

* In the ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic! Overload'' manga, Sousuke is prohibited by Kaname to bring guns to school for one day. He actually starts getting ''withdrawal symptoms'' from not firing a gun. Everything starts looking like moving targets, he hears gunfire, and everyone starts looking like thug-ish terrorists. He eventually breaks, and starts attacking Kaname's classmates, thinking they're trying to kill her. In the end, Kaname takes him outside and lets him have target practice with an empty can. It ends with [[SpoofAesop her seeing the importance of allowing him to shoot guns (lest he start going crazy)]].

* In the first ''VicarOfDibley'' Easter Special, the Vicar reluctantly agrees to give up chocolate for Lent. She is then secretly appointed the new Dibley Easter Bunny, with the result that the Vicarage is filled with chocolate eggs.

* The old kids' comic ''L'il Jinx'' had Jinx, after listening to her ShoulderAngels, decide to ''not'' filch cookies from the cookie jar. Cue being offered cookies, being tempted by things that just ''look'' like cookies.... The inevitable punchline comes when she tells her mother how good she was and her mom notes the jar was empty anyway (she was just baking a fresh batch to fill it). Jinx proceeds to stuff the morality imps in the jar and enjoy some (with permission) cookies.

* One episode of ''DennisTheMenaceUK'' featured an EccentricMillionaire who challenged Dennis' town not to watch the telly for a whole month and promised to give the town one million if they win. At the last day, Dennis and his friends convinced him to watch TV (which he claimed he never did before during his whole life). The millionaire decided to give the money anyway.

* Happened twice in ''ShinryakuIkaMusume''. First in season 1, when Sanae tries to quit her [[PerverseSexualLust obsession]] with Ika - quickly descending into full-on [[MeatOVision Squid-O-Vision]] as everything suddenly looks like Ika... including a scene straight out of {{Akira}} as tiny Chibi-Ikas dance around her at night. Later in season 2, Ika tries to get over her obsession with [[SignatureFavoriteFood shrimps]], and ends up with a classic case of this - including a whole heap of 'today only' offers at the supermarket. Then, somewhat atypically, when she GIVES UP, she gets an INVERSE case - now, suddenly, it's impossible to find shrimps ANYWHERE...

* Happens to J.D. in ''{{Scrubs}}'' after a break up - he even points it out himself as he sits in a bar where a girl first offers to buy him a drink and then strikes a rather flexible pose to further entice him. To no avail though.
* Nice sendup in ''DreamOn''. Martin has to give up coffee. Suddenly ''every one'' of the little film clips in his head is about....

* In an episode of ''FamilyGuy'', Peter's bowel is acting up during a long road trip. Every billboard and sign remind him of it (examples include "Furniture Store; all stools must go!"; "I Love My Shi-Tzu"; "Bob's House of Feces, Next Exit" [to which Peter responds "Oh come on, that's not even real!"]).

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* A [[TearJerker rather depressing variant]] from ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'': while Hobbes tries to relax with a radio [[TheTonsillitisEpisode as Calvin gets a tonsillectomy]], the [[RuleOfThree three]] songs he hears are ''[[WesternAnimation/GarfieldSpecials So Long Old Friend]]'', ''[[Music/TheBeatles Yesterday]]'', and ''Missin' You''.
** Also inverted - when they reunite, the radio plays ''[[JanetJackson Together Again]]''.
[[/folder]]