History Main / LoonyLaws

* One case from the sitcom ''Series/NightCourt'' involves a Yugoslavian husband and wife facing trial for [[CluckingFunny unlawful detonation of poultry]].

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E18HomerVsTheEighteenthAmendment Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]", the punishment for disobeying Springfield's prohibition law is to be launched out of the city by catapult.

** Storyteller Andy Offutt Irwin has a routine in which he describes the time his (fictional) Uncle Charles spent as a state legislator in Georgia. Near the end of one session, Charles stood up and proposed (with a totally straight face) a law making it illegal for a man to marry the sister of his own widow.

** One of the bigger and obvious examples visible to outsiders is the outlawing of guns, meaning Bretonnians only have peasant longbows and trebuchets as ranged weapons. This is actually due to the cult of the Lady forbidding such unchivalrous weapons on Bretonnian soil ([[spoiler:and because the Wood Elves behind the cult of the Lady are trying to keep the Bretonnians as backwards as possible to avoid their forests being (further) devastated]]). Bretonnian ships are among the most heavily armed in the world due to cramming as many guns as they can on their ships, which by definition aren't on Bretonnian soil.

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May involve a lot of FelonyMisdemeanor or DisproportionateRetribution. If the law permits deeds that aren’t just wacky but downright wrong, that’s LegalizedEvil.

* [[Literature/{{Discworld}} The Discworld]], perhaps predictably, has examples.
** Ankh-Morpork has a law against ''metaphors'', once memorably phrased as "if you say someone has a face that can launch a thousand ships, you had better have the passenger manifests." Lord Vetinari is even said to ''enforce'' this law from time to time, most noticeably by requiring the creation of the Pork Futures Warehouse, a place to store pork that doesn't exist yet. (Vetinari is entirely sane, but likes to keep oter people off balance.)
** In ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'', much of Nugganite religion is the very substantive list of Abominations, which now includes babies ("I take it people still make them here?" "Yes, but they feel very guilty about it."), garlic, blue ("The ''sky'' is blue!" "Devout Nugganites try not to look at it these days."), rocks, ears, and accordion players, although Vimes for one agrees with him on that last one. [[spoiler:Nuggan has actually died because of this. People stopped believing in him as a god, only believing in his Abominations (when people actually wanted something, they pray to the Duchess, who is now a DeityOfHumanOrigin because of it). Since the Disc runs on ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve, Nuggan withered away until now he's no longer a sapient being; all he can do is Abominate random things, which is the reason most recent Abominations are so ridiculous.]]

* ''Literature/{{Gormenghast}}'' by Mervyn Peake: Gormenghast has so many strange laws and rituals that by the time someone has become its Earl they are probably quite insane themselves. So the laws and rituals become more insane. Gormenghast is the CrapsackWorld logical extreme of this trope.

* ''The Goblins of Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' establishes that, presumably at some point before its takeover by Creator/DavidBowie in tight pants, the goblin legislature within the Labyrinth underwent what is known as the "Great Collapse of Good Governance", a period of escalating political inanity that culminated in the appointment of a Prime Minister whose chief qualification for the job is that he is inhabited by the World's Largest Flea (its name is Betsy). The Great Collapse of Good Governance saw the passing of such enlightened legislation as The Law Against Holding Up Any Kind of Lunch Box, the Prevention of Benevolence Act (1451), the Anti-Smirking Laws, the Prevention of Thoughtful Pauses Act, and the Abolition of Death (1896) Act. Reproduction was also outlawed during this period, to no effect.

* One case from the sitcom ''Series/NightCourt'' involves a Yugoslavian husband and wife facing trial for [[CluckingFunny unlawful detonation of poultry]].
* In ''Series/ElChapulinColorado'', a retelling of ''Literature/TheBraveLittleTailor'' portrays the King in said story as always making a bunch of ridiculous royal decrees, such as "Rain on Saturdays is forbidden" so he can go hiking.

-->'''Candidate''': We're for the compulsory serving of asparagus at breakfast, free corsets for the under-fives, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and the abolition of slavery]].\\
'''Journalist''': I'm sure many moderate people would respect your stand on asparagus, but [[BaitAndSwitch what about all this extremist nonsense about abolishing slavery?]]\\
'''Candidate''': Oh, that! [[DeliberateValuesDissonance We just put that in for a joke]]!
* ''Series/HorribleHistories'' has a sketch about loony "sumptuary laws," which were common in England and Europe historically and dictated clothing you could or couldn't wear based on your station. In this sketch, a man has come to petition Queen Elizabeth I, and keeps receiving lectures that his clothing is illegal before he can actually get his business before the Queen. He has to take his cape off (because [[ProperlyParanoid it could conceal a sword]]), remove his shirt (because it's of the wrong material), and put a woolen hat ''on'' (to boost the business of the wool merchants.) In the end, Elizabeth asks if there's a law about having "a naked man in my throne room"; apparently, there isn't.[[note]]Sumptuary laws also existed in Tsarist Russia: the height of your fur cap was dictated by your status as a noble, as were things like the number of buttons you could wear. Tsar Peter the Great took this seriuously and would exile minor nobles to Siberia for getting it wrong.[[/note]]

-->Tom Waits: But I travel with an attorney, so...

[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* Creator/PattonOswalt's routine "You Are Only Allowed Twenty Birthdays" proposes -- among other things -- that anyone who lives to the age of 120 be automatically made President of the United States. He gives examples of the sort of laws such a person, presumably senile, would pass ("Starting today, everybody has to put four cans of ravioli in their pants! Starting today, everybody has to marry a pelican!"), but ultimately argues that [[TakeThat this would still be preferable]] to things under then-president George W. Bush.
-->You heard the president, son. At least you're not [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror in the desert, dying on a fuckin' lie]]. God bless our president. Give your new mom a fish, and let's go to the White House and give thanks.
[[/folder]]

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In the adventure X3 ''Curse of Xanathon'', the title curse causes the Duke of Rhoona to proclaim several odd laws, such as "All taxes must be paid in beer", "All riders must sit backwards on their horses" and "Horses can only be fed meat".
* ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'': In Mechanus, the natives are so obsessed with laws that you can be arrested for things like singing in a place where it isn't allowed -- at a specific time of day. Regulus, the home of the Modrons, is the worst. An introductory adventure involves the PlayerCharacters being arrested for ''wearing the wrong color'' and sentenced to a community service task that will clearly take ten years to do. (If they successfully help the supervisor fight off some invading chaos imps, they can get the sentence reduced to time served.)

** One of the bigger and obvious examples visible to outsiders is the outlawing of guns, meaning Bretonnians only have peasant longbows and trebuchets as ranged weapons. This is actually due to the cult of the Lady forbidding such unchivalrous weapons on Bretonnian soil ([[spoiler:and because the Wood Elves behind the cult of the Lady are trying to keep the Bretonnians as backwards as possible to avoid their forests being (further) devastated]]). Bretonnian ships are among the most heavily-armed in the world due to cramming as many guns as they can on their ships, which by definition aren't on Bretonnian soil.
* The Old Laws of the Underworld in ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'' often fall into this, with laws that make no sense, and often contradictory. But you better abide by it, unless you want to run afoul of the [[EldritchAbomination Kerberos]] in charge of the domain...

* The Kingdom of Khura'in from ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'' has the Defence Culpability Act, which says that if a defendant is found guilty of a crime, their defense attorney receives the same sentence, as the Khura'inese legal system considers them an accessory to said crime. Since Khura'in's courts are known to hand out death penalties ([[WouldHurtAChild even against children]]), the DC Act has essentially resulted in a pogrom against lawyers.

* In the {{Feelies}} for ''VideoGame/ZorkZero'', it is revealed that King Dimwit Flathead made every Thursday into "Birthday," on which everyone had to give him presents.
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': There are two acts punishable by death in The Shivering Isles -- attacking its ruler, [[MadGod Sheogorath]], and attempting to grow a beard.
* PlayedForDrama in ''VideoGame/PlagueInc''. Insanity is a possible symptom, and evolving it while a large enough portion of a country's population is infected leads to predictable results...

* In ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'', one of several {{random event}}s that can happen with a ruler with the Lunatic trait is to pass one of four insane laws: either banning the wearing of pants, decreeing that all dwellings must have holes in two opposite exterior walls, declaring turnips the sole currency of the realm, or [[DeliberateValuesDissonance banning interpersonal violence and capital punishment]]. None of the laws have any gameplay effect other than the ruler in question incurring an [[RelationshipValues opinion malus]] with all their vassals.
-->'''PlayerCharacter:''' ''(sending)'' This law will bring salvation to the realm.

* [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090225 One page]] of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has Gil mention in passing that the "Polar Ice Lords" have a tax on fire. He contrasts this and a couple other examples to show TheEmpire is [[WhatTheRomansHaveDoneForUs pretty reasonable compared to other options]]. However the Polar Ice Lords are yet to appear in the comic proper.

[[folder:Web Original]]

[[folder:Web Video]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E18HomerVsTheEighteenthAmendment Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]", the punishment for disobeying Springfield's prohibition law is to be launched out of the city by catapult.
** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E14TheSevenBeerSnitch The Seven Beer Snitch]]", Mr. Burns opens a for-profit prison, and conspires with Chief Wiggum to fill it by enforcing bizarre laws. Homer is arrested for kicking an old can in the street five times... [[{{Irony}} because he wasn't accepted for a guard job at the prison he is to serve his sentence in]]. Another law that makes it unlawful to be in public without hats is also mentioned, and they are all printed in a compendium of silly laws.

* The conflict of ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'' starts when Burgermeister Meisterburger proclaims a ban on toys after tripping on one and hurting himself. Upon hearing of it, Kris Kringle immediately comments on what a silly law it is. At the end of the special, the narrator explains that once the Meisterburger line died off and fell out of power, the people realized how ridiculous the toy-ban was and repealed it.

* The Mosaic Code itself has a few laws that could technically qualify: no eating pork or shellfish, no eating meat and dairy products together, no mixing fabrics, no trimming your beard, no crossbreeding animals or using mixed seed on a field, and so on. It also has some that [[ItMakesSenseInContext make sense in context]], but sound ridiculous to people who don't live in the ancient Levant. For instance, there are two ways that the ban on pork could make sense. Some have suggested it was a precaution against disease (since pork tends to harbor more parasites than other meats, especially in hot climates). Others point to economics: Unlike cows, sheep, and goats, which eat plants humans can't digest, the plants pigs can digest are all edible by humans, if not necessarily palatably. While this doesn't matter in places where human food is sufficiently abundant that the pigs can eat scraps and garbage, or in places that have lots of food that people could eat but have the choice of not eating,[[note]]Ancient Egypt is an example of the former; the abundant harvests of the Nile Valley meant that there was always enough food scraps to feed a bunch of pigs. Pre-modern Europe is an example of both, but especially the latter; the forests of Europe produced abundant acorns and other forest foods that humans can eat but don't unless they ''really'' have to, but which the pigs find delectable.[[/note]] people in dry climates with little water need to be more careful, and can't spare the necessary scraps to feed pigs. On the other hand, all of these prohibitions (no pork, no trimming beards, no wearing mixed fabrics, etc.), would have served to distinguish the Israelites from at least some of their neighbors, which would have been reason enough for a conquering tribe to hold to them.

* ''Series/HorribleHistories'' has a sketch about loony "sumptuary laws," which were common in England and Europe historically and dictated clothing you could or couldn't wear based on your station. In this sketch, a man has come to petition Queen Elizabeth I, and keeps receiving lectures that his clothing is illegal before he can actually get his business before the Queen. He has to take his cape off (because [[ProperlyParanoid it could conceal a sword]]), remove his shirt (because it's of the wrong material), and put a woolen hat ''on'' (to boost the business of the wool merchants.) In the end, Elizabeth asks if there's a law about having "a naked man in my throne room"; apparently, there isn't.

* In ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'', much of Nugganite religion is the very substantive list of Abominations, which now includes babies ("I take it people still make them here?" "Yes, but they feel very guilty about it."), garlic, blue ("The ''sky'' is blue!" "Devout Nugganites try not to look at it these days."), rocks, ears, and accordion players, although Vimes for one agrees with him on that last one. [[spoiler:Nuggan has actually died because of this. People stopped believing in him as a god, only believing in his Abominations (when people actually wanted something, they pray to the Duchess, who is now a DeityOfHumanOrigin because of it). Since the Disc runs on ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve, Nuggan withered away until now he's no longer a sapient being; all he can do is Abominate random things, which is the reason most recent Abominations are so ridiculous.]]
** Ankh-Morpork has a law against ''metaphors'', once memorably phrased as "if you say someone has a face that can launch a thousand ships, you had better have the passenger manifests." Lord Vetinari is even said to ''enforce'' this law from time to time, most noticeably by requiring the creation of the Pork Futures Warehouse, a place to store pork that doesn't exist yet.

** Another orders all men to wear clothes that show the left side of their chest, because a Chaos cult in the area branded its members there. The idea being that Chaos cultists are to stupid to think of marking their members differently.

* Downplayed in Creator/HPLovecraft's short story "Literature/TheCatsOfUlthar". The story begins by telling us that [[ArcWords in Ulthar, no man may kill a cat]] - a law that is pretty unobjectionable, but still unusually specific. The rest of the story tells us [[CatsAreMagic why the people of Ulthar decided to pass this law]].

* Creator/PattonOswalt's routine "You Are Only Allowed Twenty Birthdays" proposes - among other things - that anyone who lives to the age of 120 be automatically made President of the United States. He gives examples of the sort of laws such a person, presumably senile, would pass ("Starting today, everybody has to put four cans of ravioli in their pants! Starting today, everybody has to marry a pelican!"), but ultimately argues that [[TakeThat this would still be preferable]] to things under then-president George W. Bush.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': There are two acts punishable by death in The Shivering Isles-- attacking its ruler, [[MadGod Sheogorath]], and attempting to grow a beard.

May involve a lot of FelonyMisdemeanor or DisproportionateRetribution.

* The Mosaic Code itself has a few laws that could technically qualify: no eating lobster or shrimp, no mixing fabrics, no trimming your beard, and even crossbreeding animals or using mixed seed on a field. It also has some that [[ItMakesSenseInContext make sense in context]], but sound ridiculous to people who don't live in the ancient Levant. For instance, there are two ways that the ban on pork could make sense. Some have suggested it was a precaution against disease (since pork tends to harbor more parasites than other meats, especially in hot climates). Others point to economics: Unlike cows, sheep, and goats, which eat plants humans can't digest, the plants pigs can digest are all edible by humans, if not necessarily palatably. While this doesn't matter in places where human food is sufficiently abundant that the pigs can eat scraps and garbage, or in places that have lots of food that people could eat but have the choice of not eating,[[note]]Ancient Egypt is an example of the former; the abundant harvests of the Nile Valley meant that there was always enough food scraps to feed a bunch of pigs. Pre-modern Europe is an example of both, but especially the latter; the forests of Europe produced abundant acorns and other forest foods that humans can eat but don't unless they ''really'' have to, but which the pigs find delectable.[[/note]] people in dry climates with little water need to be more careful, and can't spare the necessary scraps to feed pigs. On the other hand, all of these prohibitions (no pork, no trimming beards, no wearing mixed fabrics, etc.), would have served to distinguish the Israelites from at least some of their neighbors, which would have been reason enough for a conquering tribe to hold to them.

-->'''Cal:''' I have today passed a law to maintain public order! Deputy Chief Judge Fish will announce it!\\

-->'''Candidate''': We're for the compulsory serving of asparagus at breakfast, free corsets for the under-fives, and the abolition of slavery.\\

'''Candidate''': Oh, that! We just put that in for a joke!

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance''. In a case of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, Judges oversee every battle to ensure that you don't break some arbitrary law that changes every other battle. As the game goes on, the Prince of the Realm suffers something of a VillainousBreakdown and starts decreeing more and more laws.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': There are two acts punishable by death in The Shivering Isles, attacking its ruler, [[MadGod Sheogorath]], and attempting to grow a beard.

Sometimes the law ''may'' not have been Loony in and of itself in the beginning (a law that prevents animal cruelty, for example), but the fact that society changes and TechnologyMarchesOn makes any attempt at continuing to enforce the law seem insane (the animal the law was supposed to protect is long extinct, but the law has not been repealed or changed to account for it).

* ''WebVideo/WeirdSchoolRulesInHongKong'' discusses the strange rules set up by various schools across Hong Kong through skits, most of which are based on real-life school rules, and some are even [[RippedFromTheHeadlines based on real-life incidences with a bit of embellishment]].