History Main / WackyWaterbed

Compare BouncyBubbles, GelatinousTrampoline, SolidClouds, SpringsSpringsEverywhere, and TrampolineTummy, which have similar jiggly and/or bouncy properties. If everything seems to be made like a waterbed, that may be RubberyWorld instead. Waterbed mishaps (causing varying degrees of flooding) overlap with MurphysBed. Does not usually overlap with SoftWater, unless one were to use it as a landing zone without it rupturing or the person being injured. WalkOnWater involves literally walking on liquid water without anything covering the water like a waterbed.

RealLife waterbeds were designed [[OlderThanRadio in the 19th century]] for hospital purposes, as spring-based mattresses often caused bedsores. Popular ScienceFiction author Creator/RobertAHeinlein is often credited for their quick rise to popularity in America during TheSeventies and TheEighties, due to including a high level of speculative detail in some of his fictional works. As the new waterbed design swept the nation, many creators responded with a wave of jokes based on their (mis)use. However, the production of waterbeds has greatly decreased since their peak in the 80's, and tends to be a ForgottenTrope, more common in older media than in current fiction. Their relative obscurity in the modern day can cause an AluminumChristmasTrees effect to those who have never encountered them in real life. Works featuring waterbeds are thus [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece generally dated to the 1970's or 1980's]]. Waterbeds are also [[AmericansHateTingle generally unpopular in Japan]], even during their peak, primarily due to their traditional preference for firm mattresses, their generally smaller living spaces, many high-rises prohibiting water-filled furniture, and Japan being in a very seismically active area, hence their paucity in Japanese media.

RealLife waterbeds were designed [[OlderThanRadio in the 19th century]] for hospital purposes, as spring-based mattresses often caused bedsores. Popular ScienceFiction author Creator/RobertAHeinlein is often credited for their quick rise to popularity in America during TheSeventies and TheEighties, due to including a high level of speculative detail in some of his fictional works. As the new waterbed design swept the nation, many creators responded with a wave of jokes based on their (mis)use. However, the production of waterbeds has greatly decreased since their peak in the 80's, and tends to be a ForgottenTrope, more common in older media than in current fiction. Their relative obscurity in the modern day can cause an AluminumChristmasTrees effect to those who have never encountered them in real life. Works featuring waterbeds are thus [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece generally dated to the 1970's or 1980's]].

Compare GelatinousTrampoline, SolidClouds, SpringsSpringsEverywhere, and TrampolineTummy, which have similar jiggly and/or bouncy properties. If everything seems to be made like a waterbed, that may be RubberyWorld instead. Waterbed mishaps (causing varying degrees of flooding) overlap with MurphysBed. Does not usually overlap with SoftWater, unless one were to use it as a landing zone without it rupturing or the person being injured. WalkOnWater involves literally walking on liquid water without anything covering the water like a waterbed.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': Link can go to the inn in Zora's Domain and sleep on a Blissful Waterbed for a fee[[note]]80 rupees in ''Breath of the Wild'', ''50 rupees in ''Tears of the Kingdom''[[/note]]. Once he pays the fee, there's a sound effect of Link bouncing and giggling on the waterbed, which the player does not see, though it is implied that the innkeeper, being across from the beds, sees Link bouncing. Given the equipment Link uses in his adventure, the Blissful Waterbeds are apparently [[MadeOfIndestructium indestructible]], which is why the innkeeper says nothing about Link's behavior on the Blissful Waterbed.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': Link can go to the inn in Zora's Domain and sleep on a Blissful Waterbed for a fee[[note]]80 rupees[[/note]]. Once he pays the fee, there's a sound effect of Link bouncing and giggling on the waterbed, which the player does not see, though it is implied that the innkeeper, being across from the beds, sees Link bouncing. Given the equipment Link uses in his adventure, the Blissful Waterbeds are apparently [[MadeOfIndestructium indestructible]], which is why the innkeeper says nothing about Link's behavior on the Blissful Waterbed.