History SchmuckBait / WesternAnimation

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' episode "Tourist Trap", IT looks like a harmless, gigantic ball of rubber bands, despite the build-up to IT appearing, and the numerous warning signs surrounding it. Thinking someone's pulled a fast one on them, Ben decides to have his ''own'' brand of fun with IT, and his normally-more-sensible cousin Gwen doesn't even try to stop him. This releases the MonsterOfTheWeek to wreak havoc, simply because that's how the freakin' thing amuses itself. The conclusion of the episode implies that after the creature has been released, gone on a rampage, duplicated itself, rampaged more, fought Ben, continued to cause destruction, nearly killed people, and, oh yeah, more rampaging, until it was finally captured... '''''Absolutely nothing about how this thing was contained will be changed.''''' Everything will be fine, the mayor insists, "so long as people mind the signs." At least this time the creatures are put inside a giant lightbulb, where the crazed little suckers are easily visible.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' fans know of [[WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo his own Pandora's Box]], the Chest of Demons. Shaggy and Scooby had enough experience with real and fake ghosts to know they were being snookered.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ElTigre'' Manny and Frida find a chest covered in warning signs with a skull shaped lock. They declare "It's like an us trap" and consider that it might be a [[SecretTestOfCharacter test]] before immediately disregarding their concerns and crack it open. Unlike most cases of this trope bad things don't immediately happen when the ArtifactOfDoom is unleashed. It's only when they trick Manny's mom into putting it on to resume her abandoned [[BloodKnight superhero]] identity that things get [[PsychoSerum out of control]].

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Zuko lacks Aang's knowledge that when faced with a glowing egg sitting on a pedestal in an abandoned city, the smart thing to do is '''not''' touch it. Because of this, they wind up glued to a ceiling.
-->'''Aang:''' [[spoiler:''(to Zuko)'']] You ''had'' to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you...?

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':

** In "Daffy Doodles," Daffy is a vandal drawing mustaches on all the billboards. Porky is a police officer setting an ambush posing as a framed portrait. Daffy sets a box reading "Do not open till Xmas" in front of Porky Curiosity gets the better of him so he opens it. Daffy's hand comes out and draws a mustache on Porky.

** In "Daffy Doodles," Daffy is a vandal drawing mustaches on all the billboards. Porky is a police officer setting an ambush posing as a framed portrait. Daffy sets a box reading "Do not open till Xmas" on it. Curiosity gets the better of Porky so he opens it. Daffy's hand comes out and draws a mustache on Porky.

* In "Daffy Doodles," Daffy is a vandal drawing mustaches on all the billboards. Porky is a police officer setting an ambush posing as a framed portrait. Daffy sets a box reading "Do not open till Xmas" on it. Curiosity gets the better of Porky so he opens it. Daffy's hand comes out and draws a mustache on Porky.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'': In the season 2 episode "Prime Target", [[QuintessentialBritishGentleman Lord Chumley]] places a multitude of traps in his compound to ensnare Optimus Prime. There is a weeping woman that appears to be chained to a large heavy block. Prime isn't fooled for a second. The two Triplechangers, Blitzwing and Astrotrain, follow, and observe the scene, with Astrotrain wondering why Optimus Prime didn't save her. Blitzwing tells the woman to stop crying and stomps at her (or the block), which immediately snares him and coats him with a green liquid that hardens into an impenetrable crystalline coating. [[note]]It's unclear whether Blitzwing was actually taken in by the trap and trying to save the woman--which is HIGHLY uncharacteristic for a Decepticon--or whether he was simply trying to stomp on the woman (which turned out to be an illusion)[[/note]].

** "Don't Whizz On the Electric Fence!"

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon "[[WesternAnimation/QuietPlease1945 Quiet Please!]]", Tom corners Jerry, who writes out his last will and testament and gives it to Tom, who notices that Jerry is leaving Tom his sole earthly possession: "One custard pie? Let me have it!" [[PieInTheFace He does.]]

-->'''Freakazoid''': '''NOOOOOOO! GET OUTTA HERE WITH THAT WATCH! LAY OFF THE POOR BEAVERS, WILL YA?! ''SHEEEEESH!'' YOU'RE A CREEP! GO AWAY, WE WERE ALL HAVING A GOOD TIME UNTIL ''YOU'' SHOWED UP, JEEPERS! ''UGGGGGGH!'' GO HAVE SOME COFFE, WITH CREAM, OR SOMETHING! BECAUSE I'LL TELL ''YOU'' SOMETHING! ''THIS IS A HAPPY PLACE!'''''

* Subverted in a {{WesternAnimation/Garfield Special|s}} where a young girl and a cat live in a Utopia of a garden. The garden also contains a box which they are warned they must never ever open. After a moment of temptation, they never ever open the box and live happily ever after. This is based on a book of stories on Garfield's previous (and one future) lives, in which the same thing happens.

** In an episode, Garfield is trapped in a HauntedHouse and finds a rope hanging from the ceiling with a sign that says "DO NOT PULL ROPE." Naturally, he pulls on it and is dropped through a trap door. "There's your lesson for today, kids. When it says 'Don't Pull The Rope,' [[DontPullTheRope don't pull the rope]]."

** In an episode, Garfield is trapped in a HauntedHouse and finds a rope hanging from the ceiling with a sign that says "DO NOT PULL ROPE." Naturally, he pulls on it and is dropped through a trap door. "There's your lesson for today, kids. When it says 'Don't Pull The Rope,' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment don't pull the rope]]."

** Daddy's soul doughnut, Do not eat: "Mmm... forbidden doughnut."

%%* JustForFun/CandleJack. [[spoiler:At least, in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' episode of the same  ]]

%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'': Pretty much the entire plot of "Mind the Store, Don't Look in the Drawer".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon "WesternAnimation/QuietPlease", Tom corners Jerry, who writes out his last will and testament and gives it to Tom, who notices that Jerry is leaving Tom his sole earthly possession: "One custard pie? Let me have it!" [[PieInTheFace He does.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' fans know of [[WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo his own Pandora's Box]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWCsW3UTYUQ the Chest of Demons]]. Shaggy and Scooby had enough experience with real and fake ghosts to know they were being snookered.

** In an episode, Garfield is trapped in a HauntedHouse and finds a rope hanging from the ceiling with a sign that says "DO NOT PULL ROPE." Naturally, he pulls on it and is dropped through a trap door. "There's your lesson for today, kids. When it says '[[DontPullTheRope Don't Pull The Rope]],' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment don't pull the rope]]."

* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' fans know of [[WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo his own Pandora's Box]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWCsW3UTYUQ the Chest of Demons]].
* Subverted in a {{WesternAnimation/Garfield Special|s}} where a young girl and a cat live in a Utopia of a garden. The garden also contains a box which they are warned they must never ever open. After a moment of temptation, they never ever open the box and live happily ever after.
** This is based on a book of stories on Garfield's previous (and one future) lives, in which the same thing happens.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
-->'''Aang:''' [[spoiler:''(to Zuko)'']] You ''had'' to pick up the glowing egg...

** In an episode, Garfield is trapped in a HauntedHouse and finds a rope hanging from the ceiling with a sign that says "DO NOT PULL ROPE." Naturally, he pulls on it and is dropped through a trap door. "There's your lesson for today, kids. When it says 'Don't Pull The Rope,' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment don't pull the rope]]."

* In ''Franchise/MyLittlePony: Twinkle Wish Adventure'', the mayor gives Cheerilee the box containing Twinkle Wish, the sleeping wishing star, and warns her that it must not be opened until the next day at sunset, and even tells her "The fate of the entire festival is in your hands." Quite naturally, the box ends up opened mere minutes later, and Twinkle Wish is snatched away by a passing dragon.

** In the Season 4 episode "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired", Mrs. Puff is fired and replaced by a drill sergeant. After going over the "no eating" rule, he offers bon-bons. Most of the class (including Spongebob) were quiet enough to resist, but one student eats one and is thrown through the wall.

** In the Season 4 episode "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired!", Mrs. Puff is fired and replaced by a drill sergeant. After going over the "no eating" rule, he offers bon-bons. Most of the class (including Spongebob) were quiet enough to resist, but one student eats one and is thrown through the wall.
** At the cheapskate convention contest (in "Kracked Krabs" of Season 7), a video shows Mr. Krabs putting out a sign for free Krabby patties. Everyone comes in but is charged for every footstep.

* In ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', whenever Bloo sees a door that says "Do Not Open", he can never resist staying away.

** In "Hare Remover", Elmer tried to capture a rabbit to use as a test subject for a formula. He decided to use a BoxAndStickTrap. The trick was so old Bugs commented having heard about them from his ''grandfather'' and not believing (until then) he'd see one himself. He deliberately fell for it so whoever bothered setting it wouldn't feel disappointed.

* In one ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon, Tom corners Jerry, who writes out his last will and testament and gives it to Tom, who notices that Jerry is leaving Tom his sole earthly possession: "One custard pie? Let me have it!" [[PieInTheFace He does.]]