History PlayingWith / MattressTagGag

** Alice goes to {{Hell}}, and {{Satan}} notes that she ripped the tag off her mattress. Even ''he'' is [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth scared of her]]!

* '''Lampshaded''': "You're under arrest for ripping the tag off your mattress! YouHaveTheRightToRemainSilent..."

** The legal text on the tag is phrased to make extremely clear even to the dumbest of individuals (on all sides of the law) that tearing it off after you bought it from the store ''does not'' turns you into a criminal.

* '''Played for Horror''': Ripping off the tag makes Alice the target of the local InspectorJavert RabidCop, the one who thinks he is emulating Film/DirtyHarry but is copying [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd Judge Death]] instead, who will annihilate her in the most gory act of PoliceBrutality he can devise [[MakeAnExampleOfThem to teach everybody else a lesson]].

* '''Implied''': The character is in jail with the mattress tag obviously visible in a sensitive area. When asked WhatAreYouInFor, they reply "Why do you think?"

** The police don't arrest Alice for removing her mattress' tag.

** Alice rips the tag off her mattress, but nothing happens.

** Later, she gets a new mattress, and decides to sell her old one on Craigslist, or at her next yard sale. One of the prospective buyers notices the tag is gone and has Alice arrested.

* '''Downplayed''': Alice is fined for ripping the tag off her mattress

* '''Zig Zagged''': Some are arrested for pulling the tag off, and some are not. Some are fined, some are imprisoned, and some are sent to DeathRow.

** Alice goes to {{Hell}}, and {{Satan}} notes that she ripped the tag off her mattress. Even ''he'' is [[TooSpicyForYogSogoth scared of her]]!

** Alice is ''executed'' [[DisproportionateRetribution for pulling the tag off her mattress]].
** Alternatively, an entire FBI SWATTeam is dispatched to Alice's home just because she ripped the tag off.

* '''Subverted''': Shortly after she rips the tag off, the police show up at her door, but they do not arrest her. They are there asking witnesses or potential witnesses to a crime.
** Alice works at Mattresses, Inc.
** Alice rips the tag off her mattress, but nothing happens.
* '''Double Subverted''': The police see the mattress tag stuck to Alice's shoe, and arrest her. The crime they were seeking information about was the missing mattress tag.
** She ripped the tag of her mattress at home, which either did not come from Mattresses, Inc., or if it did, it has long since been bought and paid for.

** Alice gets to prison and meets her new cellmate, Betty. Alice asks her, "WhatAreYouInFor", and Betty replies that she's in for killing her husband. She then asks Alice the same question, and Alice replies that she's in for ripping the tag off her mattress. Betty is shocked and appalled. Word quickly spreads around the prison of what a hardened criminal Alice is, and none of the other inmates even ''try'' to mess with her.

** Alice accidentally tears the label off of Bob's mattress. In a panic, he grabs her and dives out the window. A second later the room [[PineappleSurprise explodes]].[[note]]'''Justified''': Bob it turns out is a [[TuxedoAndMartini secret agent]], and the grenade-mattress was just one of many an ill-advised ShoePhone[[/note]]

* '''Averted''':
** Alice doesn't rip the tag off her mattress.
** Alice doesn't ''have'' a mattress... Or she ''does'', but the mattress never had a tag to begin with. It might be little more than a glorified sack of straw/leaves/cornhusks/newspaper/what have you.

* '''Discussed''': "Would someone ''really'' get arrested for taking the tag off their mattress?"
* '''Conversed''': "Not in RealLife, unless they were a vendor or manufacturer of mattresses. And even then, it would probably be a civil issue."

* '''Conversed''': "Not in RealLife, unless they were a vendor or manufacturer of mattresses."

%%* '''Implied''': ???

%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

* '''Justified''': Alice is the owner of Mattresses Inc.

* '''Enforced''': RuleOfFunny

* '''Exaggerated''': Alice is ''executed'' [[DisproportionateRetribution for pulling the tag off her mattress]].

* '''Inverted''': Alice is rewarded for ripping the tag off her mattress.

* '''Parodied''': Alice gets to prison and meets her new cellmate, Betty. Alice asks her, "WhatAreYouInFor", and Betty replies that she's in for killing her husband. She then asks Alice the same question, and Alice replies that she's in for ripping the tag off her mattress. Betty is shocked and appalled. Word quickly spreads around the prison of what a hardened criminal Alice is, and none of the other inmates even ''try'' to mess with her.

* '''Averted''': Alice doesn't rip the tag off her mattress.
** Alice doesn't ''have'' a mattress.
*** Or she ''does'', but the mattress never had a tag to begin with. It might be little more than a glorified sack of straw/leaves/cornhusks/newspaper/what have you.

* '''Exploited''': Alice's best friend Betty is arrested in some NoodleIncident, and Alice is trying to get arrested and sent to jail to be with her or help her escape.

* '''Defied''': Alice does not rip the tag off her mattress, fearing that she'll be arrested.

* '''Conversed''': "Not in RealLife, unless they were a vendor or manufacturer of mattresses."

Defied: ???
Discussed: ???
Conversed: ???

Exploited: ???