History Main / CallItKarma

* In 2008, UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}}'s public transport brand Metlink threw an ad campaign to dissuade "fare evaders" (i.e. people who ride without buying tickets) by telling the tales of the CoolAndUnusualPunishment suffered by various rule breakers, such as being forced to buy 97 boxes of girl scout cookies as well as wonderful windfalls happening to people who played by the rules. It even had a web page where you could point at people in a crowd, and a terrifyingly UncannyValley "Karma Llama" would pop up and tell you what happened to them as a consequence. In keeping with this trope, absolutely nothing were actual real consequences of their fare evading.

{{Karma}} is a complex spiritual concept whose [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma disambiguation]] is perhaps best left not to Wiki/TVTropes or Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}, but to actual religious study.

* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Homer and Apu". After Homer causes Apu to be fired from the Kwik-E-Mart for selling tainted meat, Apu goes to his house. Initially Homer thinks he's there to sell something, but Apu replies that the only thing he's selling is "karmic realignment". [[SmartBall Homer's reply]] provides the page quote.

* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Homer and Apu". After Homer causes Apu to be fired from the Kwik-E-Mart for selling tainted meat, Apu goes to his house. Initially Homer thinks he's there to sell something, but Apu replies that the only thing he's selling is "karmic realignment". Homer's reply provides the page quote.

To illustrate, Call It Karma will have a beautifully poetic ironic death where a killer dies at the hands of a "victim" [[HoistByHisOwnPetard wielding his own knife]]... while capital K {{Karma}} would have him [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnated]] into a lower caste of ancient Hindu society. Therein lies the problem, the former is easier to be inserted in a narrative, but the latter needs longer narratives for it to be pulled off (thus taking time). For examples of the latter, see PyrrhicVillainy.

To illustrate, Call It Karma will have a beautifully poetic ironic death where a killer dies at the hands of a "victim" [[HoistByHisOwnPetard wielding his own knife]]... while capital K {{Karma}} would have him look around and notice that the [[MoralityPet few]] things he cared about have been destroyed by his own actions, both directly and indirectly, ''a la'' classic Greek {{Tragedy}}. Therein lies the problem, the former is easier to be inserted in a narrative, but the latter needs longer narratives for it to be pulled off (thus taking time). For examples of the latter, see PyrrhicVillainy.

Originally, the term ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma Karma]]'' was a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit Sanskrit]] word for a rather specific spiritual concept, but over the centuries the word has been borrowed by countless languages, cultures, subcultures, religions, works of fiction, and even video games. Over time the word has [[{{flanderized}} evolved]] to such an extent that many who consider it to be part of their everyday vocabulary are unfamiliar with its original definition. In everyday terms, Karma has often been simplified as a direct cause-effect EquivalentExchange reaction to a characters actions, both good and bad.

'''Apu:''' He's got me there.

* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Homer and Apu". After Homer causes Apu to be fired from the Kwik-E-Mart for selling tainted meat, Apu goes to his house. Initially Homer thinks he's there to sell something, but Apu replies that the only thing he's selling is "karmic realignment".
-->'''Homer:''' "You can't sell that! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos!" ''[slams the door]''
-->(''{{Beat}}'')
-->'''Apu:''' "He's got me there."

Is not related to the Music/{{Silverstein}} song of the same name.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* The ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=49011 Karma]]. The flavor appears to be that because your enemy draws dark power from the swamp, they are cursed to be strangled to death by branches in the swamp. It's probably just best to think of it as a slow-acting BoltOfDivineRetribution.

-->'''Homer:''' [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments "You can't sell that! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos!"]] ''[slams the door]''

-->'''Homer:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "You can't sell that! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos!"]] ''[slams the door]''

To illustrate, Call It Karma will have a beautifully poetic ironic death where a killer dies at the hands of a "victim" wielding his own knife... while capital K {{Karma}} would have him look around and notice that the [[MoralityPet few]] things he cared about have been destroyed by his own actions, both directly and indirectly, ''a la'' classic Greek {{Tragedy}}. Therein lies the problem, the former is easier to be inserted in a narrative, but the latter needs longer narratives for it to be pulled off (thus taking time). For examples of the latter, see PyrrhicVillainy.

{{Karma}} is a complex spiritual concept whose [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma disambiguation]] is perhaps best left not to TVTropes or {{Wikipedia}}, but to actual religious study.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: An evil character who has eluded punishment has all their bad karma catch up to them. Variation: the An evil character (or LovableRogue) tries to go good, but has all their bad karma catch up to them ''because'' they want to change.

* In 2008, usefulNotes/{{Melbourne}}'s public transport brand Metlink threw an ad campaign to dissuade "fare evaders" (i.e. people who ride without buying tickets) by telling the tales of the CoolAndUnusualPunishment suffered by various rule breakers, such as being forced to buy 97 boxes of girl scout cookies as well as wonderful windfalls happening to people who played by the rules. It even had a web page where you could point at people in a crowd, and a terrifyingly UncannyValley "Karma Llama" would pop up and tell you what happened to them as a consequence. In keeping with this trope, absolutely nothing were actual real consequences of their fare evading.

* In 2008, Melbourne's public transport brand Metlink threw an ad campaign to dissuade "fare evaders" (i.e. people who ride without buying tickets) by telling the tales of the CoolAndUnusualPunishment suffered by various rule breakers, such as being forced to buy 97 boxes of girl scout cookies as well as wonderful windfalls happening to people who played by the rules. It even had a web page where you could point at people in a crowd, and a terrifyingly UncannyValley "Karma Llama" would pop up and tell you what happened to them as a consequence. In keeping with this trope, absolutely nothing were actual real consequences of their fare evading.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: An evil character (or lovable rogue) tries to go good, but has all their bad karma catch up to them ''because'' they want to change.

* In 2008, Melbourne's public transport brand Metlink threw an ad campaign to dissuade "fare evaders" (i.e. people who ride without buying tickets) by telling the tales of the [[CruelAndUnusualPunishments bizarre karmic punishments]] suffered by this and that rule breaker (such as being forced to buy 97 boxes of girl scout cookies), as well as wonderful windfalls happening to people who played by the rules. It even had a web page where you could point at people in a crowd, and a terrifyingly UncannyValley "Karma Llama" would pop up and tell you what happened to them as a consequence. In keeping with this trope, absolutely nothing were actual real consequences of their fare evading.

* The [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]] is ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'', where Peter Venkman is saying these 3 words when he, Ray, and Egon are booted out of Weaver Hall after the dean claims that their research is nonsensical.
-->'''Venkman''': For whatever reasons, Ray...call it fate, call it luck, call it karma, I believe everything happens for a reason.

To illustrate, Call It Karma will have a beautifully poetic ironic death where a killer dies at the hands of a "victim" wielding his own knife... while capital K {{Karma}} would have him look around and notice that the [[MoralityPet few]] things he cared about have been destroyed by his own actions, both directly and indirectly, ala classic Greek {{Tragedy}}. Therein lies the problem, the former is easier to be inserted in a narrative, but the latter needs longer narratives for it to be pulled off (thus taking time). For examples of the latter, see PyrrhicVillainy.

* ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' runs on Call It Karma. In Season 15 of ''Series/TheAmazingRace'', Zev & Justin explained Call It Karma to a cabdriver in Cambodia, who was probably laughing inside when comparing it with the real concept of Karma that he was probably raised with. Later in that same season, Brian even stated his opinion that the race is a game of who can collect the most Karma Points.

* ''MyNameIsEarl'' is all about Karma, a concept developed by ''Carson Daly'', where every action is dictated by Karma which provides instant gratification to good deeds and equally opposite effects.

* In ''TheAdventuresOfShanShan'', [[http://shanshan.upperrealms.com/view.php?pageid=037&chapterid=1 they speak of the balance between virtue and karma.]]
* ''{{DDG}}'' has Off World, which is where you go to work off Karmic debt if you weren't outright good or bad enough for heaven or hell.
* In ''{{Drowtales}}'', Vaelia's religious views:

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0848.html in a discussion of a death, and a scolding.]]

* From the ''DanVs'' episode "New Mexico":

* Lampshaded in one episode of ''TheSimpsons''. After Homer causes Apu to be fired from the Kwik-E-Mart for selling tainted meat, Apu goes to his house. Initially Homer thinks he's there to sell something, but Apu replies that the only thing he's selling is "karmic realignment".
-->'''Homer''': [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "You can't sell that! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos!"]] ''[slams the door]''
--><[[BeatPanel beat]]>
-->'''Apu''': "He's got me there."