Referenced By / The Lady, or the Tiger?

Fan Works

• In New Hope University: Major In Murder, Juliet directly mentions "The Lady or The Tiger" at one point. In the fifth Chapter, the main character runs into a significant dilemma that is likened to the princess's choice. Saya is in love with Lucina, who recently got together with Katy, thereby sparking Saya's envy. Both Lucina and Katy are considered possible culprits for Juliet's murder, with each of them insisting that she is guilty and the other is innocent, and Saya can decide who to execute. Saya considers arranging for Lucina's survival even if Lucina hates her for it, but ultimately honors Lucina's request, resulting in Lucina's death, a choice Saya likens to choosing the lady. The author had a poll question for the fifth Chapter asking readers to choose between "The Lady" and "The Tiger." A narrow majority of readers chose the Lady, resulting in Lucina's execution.
• In Hoofstuck, Fluttershy recalls the story of Daring Do and the Lady and the Tiger.

Literature

• Dr. Seuss himself based the ending of The Butter Battle Book off the ambiguous ending of "The Lady and the Tiger".
• Piers Anthony puts the central dilemma into the mouth of one of his characters^note Can't remember which novel. Xanth series?, reframed as the question of whether the man should trust the princess about which door to open. It's merely a stalling tactic to distract an enemy: neither the character nor his opponent venture a guess on the answer.
• The Lady or the Tiger? is also the title of Raymond Smullyan's follow-up to What is the Name of this Book?, a collection of recreational logic puzzles. It uses the same set-up as the original, but in Smullyan's version, the king decides to give his prisoners a sporting chance, and places signs over the doors from which it is possible to logically deduce which door conceals the lady.

Live-Action TV

• Batman (1966): In the first season episode "Better Luck Next Time", Catwoman references the story when she's set up a Death Trap for Batman with two possible doors he can go through.

Music

• They Might Be Giants: "The Lady and the Tiger" is a tongue-in-cheek Perspective Flip where the Lady and the Tiger grow restless with waiting behind the doors for a resolution that will never come.
  The Lady said to the Tiger
  As they stood behind some doors
  "I'm sick of this job
  I don't know what we're waiting here fors"

Western Animation

• The Ben 10: Alien Force episode "Vendetta" sees Gwen reference the story while fighting a group of Forever Knights alongside Ben, who's transformed into Rath (a tiger-like alien).
  Gwen: Lady or the tiger, boys. Your choice. Okay, not really. (blasts them)
• An episode of Daria involves Jane wanting blonde highlights in her black hair to represent the lady AND the tiger. After their DIY dye job goes awry and Daria ends up kissing Jane's boyfriend, a betrayed Jane pronounces Daria the lady and the tiger.
• Used as a Literary Allusion Title in the Young Justice (2010) episode "The Lady, or the Tigress?". Artemis (whose codename is Tigress) recites the short story throughout the episode, in keeping with the episode's theme of difficult choices.

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