Basic Trope: Somebody warns one or more other people that something bad will happen but is not believed. The bad thing does happen, and the person who warned them is blamed.
- Straight: Alice uses her fancy technology to spot an alien spaceship in the sky and monitor the aliens' actions. She gleans that they want to Take Over the World and goes and warns the authorities. They believe she's just a Conspiracy Theorist, but then the aliens land and they do attempt world domination. The authorities, however, believe Alice sent them.
- Exaggerated: A whole lot of people noticed the aliens and suspected that they had malicious intentions. The authorities think that it's all a bunch of hooey, but when the aliens do try to take over the world, they believe that it's actually the humans who warned them pretending to be aliens.
- The authorities arrest Alice when she gives her initial warning about aliens destroying the capitol over nuclear weaponry was a thinly veiled threat of terrorism.
- Downplayed: The authorities suspect Alice, but they don't think she definitely did it.
- Justified:
- The town had a history of maniacs and Attention Whores announcing some kind of destructive plan, but never following through with them. In the eyes of the authorities, Alice was one of the few maniacs that actually backed up her threat.
- Alice knew a lot of details about the invasion, making it seem less like a lucky prediction than an inside job.
- Inverted: The authorities know all about the Alien Invasion and they think that the people who doubted them sent the aliens.
- Subverted: The authorities show up at Alice's place. They seem like they're going to arrest her, but they just wanted to apologize.
- Double Subverted:
- One of them apologizes. The rest disagree.
- They were using Reverse Psychology or something similar.
- Parodied: Alice says, "Watch out, Bob, you'll trip." Bob says he won't, but when he does, he accuses her.
- Zig-Zagged: The authorities alternate between being apologetic, blaming Alice, and suspecting her without outright blaming.
- Averted:
- Alice is believed.
- Alice is disbelieved but not blamed.
- Enforced: "So the aliens have finally landed, and Alice is proven right. But test audiences don't want us to close off the Obstructive Bureaucrat arc. What can we do?" "Maybe they blame her for the whole thing now?"
- Lampshaded: "But why would I send evil aliens down to Earth and then warn you!?" "I don't know; you tell me!"
- Invoked:
- Bob tells the authorities, "Alice probably did it. She was the first to mention it."
- It turns out that Alice deliberately got herself arrested as a Batman Gambit to get closer to sensitive equipment she needed.
- Exploited: When the aliens finally put their plan into action, they deliberately refer to Alice as their leader or implicate her when they make themselves known to the town. With everyone going after her as a result, they've bought enough time for a head start on the invasion.
- Defied: Alice proves she didn't send the aliens, or Bob proves that Alice didn't send the aliens, or they both do.
- Discussed: "My sister was the first one to notice, but no one believed her. Then, she got the blame."
- Conversed: "That poor character, first being shrugged off, now being blamed!"
- Implied: Everyone continues to shun Alice even after it's proved that aliens are attacking.
- Played for Drama:
- Alice feels very bad about the whole ordeal.
- After being falsely blamed, Alice vows to stop helping people.
- Played for Laughs: Alice is blamed based on Insane Troll Logic.
- Deconstructed: Valuable time is wasted blaming Alice for the tragedy, making it more destructive than it could have been.
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