Happiness Is Mandatory: Difference between revisions

* Played with in a [[The Wizard of Id]] strip. The King is showing a visiting noble around, and the noble asks a peasant how things are for him, and gets the reply, "I can't complain." The noble says that's nice and asks why, and is told, "It's forbidden."

* In one [[Mickey Mouse Comic Universe|Mickey Mouse]] story, Mickey and Goofy meet a deranged monarch who has taken this [[Up to Eleven]]. He explains that he has no unhappy subjects, because if they are unhappy they are imprisoned. ''Then'', to demonstrate, he asks a random peasant whether he is happy. The peasant grins maniacally and seemingly sincerely and says that he is happy... and the king promptly orders him thrown into jail.

King: Yes, but he is sad ''now'' - and [[Morton's Fork|I aim to prevent crime before it happens!]] }}

 

* In the video game ''Floyd'' (also known as ''The Feeble Files''), the Omnibrain demands happiness. Solving one of the early puzzles in the game gets an innocent civilian executed on the spot for being unhappy.

* [[Skyrim]]: [[Ironic Nickname|Grelod the Kind]] has quite a way with [[Orphanage of Fear|children]].

'''[[Beleaguered Assistant|Constance]]:''' Yes Grelod?<br />

'''Grelod:''' Hroar's crying is keeping me up at night. I'll give you one chance to talk the tears out of him, or he's getting the belt. }}

** This saying can also be found tacked to many a cubicle wall in Corporate America.

* [[Dave Barry]] had a column about [[Walt Disney]] World with a similar description:

** He claimed that if you're seen not having fun, you get abducted by the staff "and then it's ''into the Goofy suit.''"

* This is not an uncommon vicious cycle in psychologically abusive situations, where the abuser uses the pain they inflict as an excuse to lash out again. The abuser may perceive their victim's misery as ingratitude, or they may simply be enraged by the evidence of their own actions.