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Bribe Backfire: Difference between revisions
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** Considering how things turned out, you have to wonder if it worked a little ''too'' well...
* The film version of ''[[The Twelve Chairs]]'', as per the page quote.
* In ''[[The Untouchables]]'' a corrupt alderman tries to bribe Eliot Ness on behalf of Al Capone. The alderman suffers no personal consequences but he does incur a classic scolding from Ness (in front of Ness's team), including the splendid line "In Roman times, when a fellow was convicted of trying to bribe a public official, they would cut off his nose, and sew him in a bag with a wild animal, and throw him in a river," and has the bribe tossed back at him.
== [[Jokes]] ==
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== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* [[Mission: Impossible (TV series)||Mission Impossible]]: "The Pawn": Phelps offers an indirect bribe to the KGB officer who is guarding the nuclear scientist Phelps has been assigned to extract. He is threatened with deportation by the KGB officer who sees through his [[Obfuscating Stupidity]] and orders more surveillance. However, Phelps knew the KGB officer could not be bribed and used the conversation to manipulate the officer’s emotions.
** Later Phelps uses fake evidence to convince the [[The Political Officer|commissar]] that the KGB officer is about to defect. This evidence includes [[United States]] currency. The commissar believes this evidence since the KGB officer resembled Patton in their behavior and personality. In addition, at the beginning of the episode Phelps says that if they are successful the KGB officer will be sent to a prison camp for failure. Therefore, it can be assumed that the officer was already under suspicion, the fake evidence simply proved the disloyalty.
* Happens in the ''[[Inspector George Gently]]'' episode "Bomber's Moon". A German businessman tries to bribe Sgt. Bachus. Bachus accepts the bribe so he will have the evidence to arrest him.
* Walter White in ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' tries to bribe Saul Goodman into keeping Badger quiet to the DEA. Saul kicks him out and threatens to call the cops.
** Only because Walter could be anyone (to be precise, a cop). Saul is glad to take a bribe once he discovers he's a drug dealer.
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** Card counting isn't technically illegal. However a casino has the right to choose who is allowed entry. People who actually do win big for example.
*** Since Malcolm was a minor, Hal shouldn't take him in there in the first place, even if for something that was not illegal per se.
* In an episode of [[Curb Your Enthusiasm]], Larry David tries to bribe a pharmacist to cut in line to get medicine for his wife. The pharmacist takes extreme offense at this.
* ''[[The Nanny]]'': C. C. Babcock once gave a gift basket to a critic who sent it back with a note stating he couldn't be bribed and, even if he could, a gift basket wouldn't be enough.
* In one episode of ''[[Burn Notice]]'', Michael tries to get important information from a Polish military intelligence officer. Since the officer has Russian ancestry and Michael has had to do infiltration missions in Russia, he poses as a Russian businessman offering to buy a few harmless facts. The Pole goes along with it... until they're alone, when he suddenly pulls a gun on Michael. Turns out the guy is both a patriot and has a grudge against Russia. Whoops. Fortunately for Michael, [[Action Girl|Fiona]] is around to save him from answering uncomfortable questions before a summary execution.
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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* In just about every Tabletop RPG where your [[Player Character|PC]] can bribe someone, there's a chance of arrest (or some other negative action) if your bribe attempt fails. Examples include ''[[Traveller]]'', ''[[Paranoia]]'' and early edition ''[[Dungeons
** The risk of failure is obviously increased if the bribe is [[Comically Small Bribe|inadequate to the situation]]; some rules (e.g. [[GURPS]]) also specify an increased risk if the bribe is ''too large'' (because it makes the briber look desperate and suggests that the situation is more dangerous than meets the eye).
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'''Homer''': "I understand."
'''Bart''': "Um, hey, Dad, I-- I think he wants--"
'''Homer''': "[[Not Now, Kiddo|Not right now, son.]] Daddy's talking to a policeman."
'''Chief Wiggum''': "Uh, let me put it this way. I'm looking for my friend Bill. Have you seen any Bills around here?"
'''Homer''': "No. He's Bart."
'''Chief Wiggum''': "I-- Listen carefully, and watch me wink as I speak, okay? The guy I'm really looking for--wink--is Mr. Bribe--wink, wink."
'''Homer''': "It's a ring toss game."
'''Chief Wiggum''': "All right, that's it, I'm shutting this game down." }}
** In another episode:
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== [[Real Life]] ==
* While [[Every Man Has His Price|bribery]] was common in the communist nations during the [[Cold War]] and is common in [[North Korea]]; this can backfire if the bribed official is threatened with exposure. Avoiding a [[Reassigned to Antarctica|transfer]], a prison sentence, or the death penalty is more important than money.
* Oh-so-painfully [[Truth in Television]]: Do a Google search on "bribe backfire" and check out the results. Attempted bribery is a serious offense, kids.
** Behold the [http://www.infoplease.com/toptens/leastcorruptcountries.html Top ten un-corrupted contries in the world.] Don't even bother here.
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[[Category:Index Backfire]]
[[Category:Money Tropes]]
[[Category:
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