History Main / ExiledToTheCouch

* ''ComicBook/Empowered'': In the first volume, Empowered finds out that her newest boyfriend Thugboy had ''slept'' with her then-antagonizing teammate Sistah Spooky. Angry at him, even though it was a one-night-stand for him, and overwhelmed by her low self-esteem issues Emp then asks him "Was she better in bed than me too?" Realizing it's a trap, Thugboy gives her a "Oh no, you're way better than her" answer... only for her to translate his answer into an insult. Thugboy spends the rest of the volume exiled to the sofa. When Thugboy has lunch with a former fellow thug, he tells his friend "At least ''you'' tried to kill me. This is worse."

* The doghouse variant is spoofed in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twivg7GkYts two JC]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6D6eP6EMj4 Penney ads]], where the Doghouse is actually a cell where men are sent to fold sheets(?) while lines like "Express your feelings" and "Stop checking out other women in restaurants" are played over a loudspeaker. The usual offense is giving the SO a thoughtless gift, and your main shot at getting out, according to the commercials, is buying them jewelry.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9750991/1/Angry-Harry-and-the-Seven Angry Harry and the Seven]],'' a letter mentions Harry's father having signed a betrothal contract with Daphne's father while both of them were somewhat intoxicated. The signature indicates quite clearly what ''Lily'' Potter thought of this.

* In the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fanfiction ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457248/chapters/35881359 Black Mask]]'', the second part of ''Fanfic/TheBlackSheepDogSeries'', Walburga tells Orion he should sleep in his dressing room when he finally gets home that night because she's angry with her husband for not standing up to his father for her.

* In [[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.arts.books.tolkien/kLEBGFt21AE/NvOT80xRkq0J The Similarrion]], a "Definitive E-text" of ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', "Ollie" [Aule] is exiled to the couch for not taking the Ents seriously.

* On ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7946332/1/Theoretical-Relatives Theoretical Relatives]]'', after Robin shares his secret ([[spoiler:that he's Jinx's cousin]]) with [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans the team]], Starfire is offended that he didn't do it earlier (and didn't even tell it to her). So, she goes to his room, comes back with his bedding, and states that the bed has been inexplicably destroyed. Of course, until the investigation into the causes is complete, it cannot be replaced - so, he'll be sleeping on the couch for now.

* PlayedForDrama on ''Series/DowntonAbbey''; Cora exiles Robert from their bed after she blames him for [[spoiler: Sybil's death]].

* [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-02-05 This]] ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan''. He's still there [[http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-03-10 a few days later]].
** And [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2007-08-15 this one]].
* In ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'', Ki's mother does this to her husband, mentioned [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20041015 here, in response to comment in previous strip]], [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20041016 here]], and [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20041105 here]] for a rather ill-advised comment on his part (during a fight between Dad and Ki over her relationship with Nick).

* Liberty does this to Uncle Sam ocassionally in ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}''. Uncle Sam has a bad habit of being [[ItsAllAboutMe very self-centered]] and Liberty sees how he [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-08-23 loses the perspectives]] sometimes or [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-02 has very bad suggestions]].

-->-- '''Homer''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

* In ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows2019'', Nadja at one point makes her husband Laszlo sleep in the "spare coffin in the basement" (since they're both vampires) after she finds out he slept with Nandor, their vampire roommate. She's also angry with him that he cannot tell the difference between her and a witch who is disguised as her.

* In ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'2019', Nadja at one point makes her husband Laszlo sleep in the "spare coffin in the basement" (since they're both vampires) after she finds out he slept with Nandor, their vampire roommate. She's also angry with him that he cannot tell the difference between her and a witch who is disguised as her.

* In ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'', Nadja at one point makes her husband Laszlo sleep in the "spare coffin in the basement" (since they're both vampires) after she finds out he slept with Nandor, their vampire roommate. She's also angry with him that he cannot tell the difference between her and a witch who is disguised as her.

* In ''Film/BadBoys'' Marcus is exiled to the couch after his wife doesn't believe his (true) reasons for not having his wedding ring on (he was going undercover as his partner, Mike, to help a scared witness to a murder). He chews out Mike for him being unavailable at the time, complaining that he had one of his kids' toys in a [[AssShove very uncomfortable place]].

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': In “The Movie in the Making”, Booth says he and Brennan have “healthy debates” and sometimes they’re so healthy he has to sleep on the couch.

* Tony gets this treatment in one strip of ''WebVideo/TonyComics'' after he slaps Candy awake while trying to kill a mosquito.

* In [[http://discount-supervillain.tumblr.com/post/136671569222 this]] ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' fancomic, Sapphire makes Ruby sleep on the couch after the latter makes an IncrediblyLamePun regarding their swapped colors (don't ask). In spite of that, the grin on Ruby's face just ''screams'' "WorthIt".

* Inverted in ''Series/{{Hardware}}'' when Anne finds out that Mike blabbed to his friends about her bondage fetish. She angrily declares that she's going to sleep on the sofa, but unfortunately, she's still mostly tied to the bed at this point.

* Played with in ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'' episode "Give Me Your Walls". Rob and Laura are annoyed by a painter who has been working on their living room for a long time. Rob swears that he will tell him to get out of their house soon, and if he doesn't, he himself vows to sleep on the couch. Laura walks right up to him and says that he had better get out. (Oddly, Rob and Laura are always seen in separate beds.)

** Later on though he calls her on it, telling her she hasn't exactly been a wonderful support during what was, for him, a very difficult time.

* In the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fanfiction ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457248/chapters/35881359 Black Mask]]'', the second part of ''Fanfic/TheBlackSheepDogSeries'', Walburga tells Orion he should sleep in his dressing room when he finally gets home that night because she's angry with her husband for not standing up to his father for her.

So engrained is this trope in popular culture that even couples occupying houses or apartments [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief clearly large enough to have space for a guest bedroom]] find themselves enduring an uncomfortable night crammed on the sofa in the living room.

A common scenario amongst married and other live-in couples. Husband and wife are in an argument. Argument escalates. Husband/wife makes a stupid comment that really angers husband/wife. Cue the other shouting
"That's it! You're sleeping on the couch tonight!"

So engrained is this trope in popular culture that even husbands or wives occupying houses or apartments [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief clearly large enough to have space for a guest bedroom]] find themselves enduring an uncomfortable night crammed on the sofa in the living room.

[[DoubleStandard For some strange reason]], it's usually [[AllWomenArePrudes the wife who's the exiler]], [[TheUnfairSex and the husband the exilee]]. But in some cases, it can be the other way around.

For withholding sex, a punishment similar in spirit, see LysistrataGambit (for which this trope is often the PG equivalent). Not to be confused with {{Sexiled}}, where your roommate's sexual escapades leave you temporarily homeless.

Compare to ThereIsOnlyOneBed, where two characters who aren't in a relationship have to share a room but aren't comfortable to sleep together in one bed.

** PlayedForDrama in the reboot, in which Mulder is exhibiting shades of WentCrazyWhenTheyLeft. He's still living the house he shared with Scully in ''I Want to Believe,'' while she is living elsewhere. That film had a prominent scene of them sleeping the same bed, but the reboot shows Mulder has rearranged the house so that everything he needs is in their living room. This includes his office desk, the walls covered in StringTheory, and a couch with a well-worn throw pillow and a blanket thrown over the back. He's turned the stairs into a shelf for books and files, and is only ever shown in the living room or the kitchen.

** PlayedForDrama in the reboot, in which Mulder is exhibiting shades of WentCrazyWhenTheyLeft. He's still living the house he shared with Scully in ''I Want to Believe,'' while she is living elsewhere. That film had a prominent scene of them sleeping the same bed, but the reboot shows Mulder has rearranged the house so that everything he needs is in their living room. This includes his office desk, more than one WallOfCrazy, and a couch with a well-worn throw pillow and blanket thrown over the back. He's turned the stairs into a shelf for books and files, and is only ever shown in the living room or the kitchen.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9750991/1/Angry-Harry-and-the-Seven Angry Harry and the Seven]],'' a letter mentions Harry's father having signed a betrothal contract with Daphne Greengrass's father while both of them were somewhat intoxicated. The signature indicates quite clearly what ''Lily'' Potter thought of this.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7077261/9/Summer-changes Summer Changes]]'' Harry spends a week on the couch after buying his and Hermione's one-year-old son a broom.

* In ''[[http://jeconais.fanficauthors.net/This_Means_War/index/ This Means War]]'', after Harry and Ginny start dating, all the Weasley brothers object. Once their measures become a bit too much for the couple, the latter recruit their girlfriends to their side and there are enough complaints about this trope to reduce the Weasley determination.

* [[https://youtu.be/OHq3NhHItD8 "On the Couch"]] is a song from ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' about three men whose girlfriends make them sleep on the couch. This becomes exaggerated once they force the men to crash on the couch for everything they do, even for saying hello. At the end of the song, it's revealed that the women have legitimate reasons for doing so—the first man has been cheating, the second man has committed credit card fraud in his girlfriend's name, and the third man and his girlfriend broke up five years ago.

** Played straight in another episode where Marge attempts to name everything women have invented, only for Homer to point out that men have invented more things, and more important things. This leads to the page quote. Taken a step further later in the episode, where Homer is sent to the couch again, and tries to take solace in the fact that at least he'll always outrank the dog. SmashCut to Homer, now in the doghouse (literally), and [[LampshadeHanging wondering how he ended up there]].