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Happiness Is Mandatory: Difference between revisions
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The regime may be small scale. For example, it might be a parent or boss. When the regime actually controls the world, it's a [[Crapsack World]]. Often without added [[Crap Saccharine World|saccharine]], since "be happy, or else" doesn't actually make the world look like a happy place; in fact, it's more likely to simply highlight the depressing atmosphere even more.
Why does the regime do this? Well, maybe it is simply insane or enjoys toying with its underlings [[For the Evulz]], or they may be trying to paper over the fact that [[Dystopia Is Hard]]. The regime is perhaps trying to subject its populace to [[Stockholm Syndrome]]. Or through [[Insane Troll Logic]], because beating is so effective to control the population, it can be applied as well to emotional states. Either way, the demands for happiness tend to underscore the regime's [[Zero
If this trope was inverted, it would be much easier for the citizens to follow - since the law itself would already give them something to be unhappy about.
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* ''[[Brave New World (Literature)|Brave New World]]''
** Distributing affordable drugs in large quantities makes it a borderline case with [[Government Drug Enforcement]].
* ''[[
* In ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Witches Abroad|Witches Abroad]]'', Lily Weatherwax is an evil fairy godmother that turns Genua into an [[Expy]] of Disney Land, where everyone is happy and laughing... because the ones that aren't, disappear.
* In ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]'', people are required to love [[Evil Overlord|Big Brother]] and be happy about it.
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== Live Action TV ==
* In ''[[
* The fairy-tale kingdom of Happy Valley from ''[[Monty Python|Monty Python's Flying Circus]]''. The subjects were always happy all the time because, by royal decree, anyone who wasn't happy would be put to death. One subject whose wife had just died is seen being arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to hang by the neck until he cheers up.
* ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' TOS episode "It's a Good Life", based on the Jerome Bixby short story. A mutant 6-year-old child with incredible powers requires that everyone be happy around him. Anyone who isn't gets "sent to the cornfield".
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'''[[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. }}
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' contains a [[Shout
* ''[[Ultima V]]'' has this as a major plot point. Where in [[Ultima IV]] your aim was to demonstrate the eight Virtues (e.g. honesty, humility, and compassion), the dictator that has sprung up in part five enforces all of them on pain of torture. "Thou shalt help those in need... or thou shalt suffer the same need!"
* Inverted in ''Normality''. Nobody in Neutropolis is allowed to show any signs of happiness, lest to be taken away to be "normalized".
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[[Category:Politics Tropes]]
[[Category:Happiness Is Mandatory]]
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