Follow TV Tropes

Following

History PlayingWith / CardboardBoxOfUnemployment

Go To

OR

Added: 237

Changed: 96

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Straight''': Alice is fired from her job at TropeCo/TropeCo Her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk/locker, so Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.

to:

* '''Straight''': Alice is fired from her job at TropeCo/TropeCo Her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk/locker, desk or locker, so Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.



** Trope Co. closes down, resulting in all of the employees walking out with boxes.

to:

** Trope Co. closes down, closes, resulting in all of the employees walking out with boxes.



* '''Enforced''': The Alice Show is sponsored by a cardboard box manufacturer, and they force the writers to have Alice fired from her seemingly stable job so as to show her carrying one of their cardboard boxes.
* '''Lampshaded''': Alice is fired from her job. She tells her disbelieving coworker Charlie "Yes, Bob really did just fire me! See this box? It's full of all that stuff from my desk!"

to:

* '''Enforced''': The ''The Alice Show Show'' is sponsored by a cardboard box manufacturer, and they force the writers to have Alice fired from her seemingly stable job so as to show her carrying one of their cardboard boxes.
* '''Lampshaded''': Alice is fired from her job. She tells her disbelieving coworker Charlie Charlie, "Yes, Bob really did just fire me! See this box? It's full of all that stuff from my desk!"



* '''Discussed''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie, "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last quarter's earnings. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."
* '''Conversed''': Alice and Charlie talk about the movie they saw last night, and Alice remarks on how unrealistic it is that the main character could fit everything from his desk into a cardboard box after he was fired.

to:

* '''Discussed''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie, "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last quarter's earnings. We We'd better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."
* '''Conversed''': Alice and Charlie talk about the movie they saw last night, and Alice remarks on how unrealistic it is that the main character Adam could fit everything from his desk into a cardboard box after he was fired.



* '''Played for Drama''': Bob makes Alice do a ShamefulStrip and put her clothes in the box.

to:

* '''Played for Drama''': Drama''':
**
Bob makes Alice do a ShamefulStrip and ShamefulStrip, put her clothes in the box.box, and leave the building naked.
** The items Alice brought with her to Trope Co. remind her of key accomplishments at her job and she regrets not getting to do more of them.

Added: 436

Changed: 126

Removed: 65

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Straight''': Alice is fired from her job at Trope Co. Her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk[=/=]locker, so Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.
* '''Exaggerated''':

to:

* '''Straight''': Alice is fired from her job at Trope Co. TropeCo/TropeCo Her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk[=/=]locker, desk/locker, so Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.
* '''Exaggerated''': '''Exaggerated''':



* '''Inverted''': Alice shows up to her first day of work carrying a box of personal items.

to:

* '''Inverted''': '''Inverted''':
**
Alice shows up to her first day of work carrying a box of personal items.items.
** Bob fires Alice, gives her a cardboard box, and tells her to put all the things she has that belong to TropeCo/TropeCo into it.



* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice is fired from Trope Co. and leaves with a box of her personal items, only to walk across the street and immediately get hired by Trope Co.'s rival [[SdrawkcabName Eport Co.]]

to:

* '''Zig Zagged''': '''Zig-Zagged''': Alice is fired from Trope Co. and leaves with a box of her personal items, only to walk across the street and immediately get hired by Trope Co.'s rival [[SdrawkcabName Eport Co.]]



* '''Lampshaded''': Alice is fired from her job. She tells her disbelieving coworker Charlie "Yes, Bob really did just fired me! See this box? It's full of all that stuff from my desk!"

to:

* '''Lampshaded''': Alice is fired from her job. She tells her disbelieving coworker Charlie "Yes, Bob really did just fired fire me! See this box? It's full of all that stuff from my desk!"



** Alice knows that Trope Co. is laying off 10% of it's employees on Friday -- she also knows that's when Bob will test a valuable prototype in his office. On Friday she sneaks into Trope Co., disguises herself as an employee, steals the prototype, hides it in a cardboard box, and walks out the door camouflaged by the dozens of other employees who have been laid off and their cardboard boxes.
* '''Defied''': Alice walks into a meeting with her boss Bob, but she sees that he has an empty cardboard box with her name on it. She tells him "If you think you can just up and fire me, you're wrong. I'm the only one who knows how to work the copy machine!" Bob is persuaded not to fire Alice.
* '''Discussed''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last quarter's earnings. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."
* '''Conversed''': Alice and Charlie talk about the movie they saw last night -- Alice remarks on how unrealistic it is that the main character could fit everything from his desk into a cardboard box after he was fired.

to:

** Alice knows that Trope Co. is laying off 10% of it's its employees on Friday -- she also knows that's when Bob will test a valuable prototype in his office. On Friday she sneaks into Trope Co., disguises herself as an employee, steals the prototype, hides it in a cardboard box, and walks out the door camouflaged by the dozens of other employees who have been laid off and their cardboard boxes.
* '''Defied''': Alice walks into a meeting with her boss Bob, but she sees that he has an empty cardboard box with her name on it. She tells him him, [[VetinariJobSecurity "If you think you can just up and fire me, you're wrong. I'm the only one who knows how to work the copy machine!" machine!"]] Bob is persuaded not to fire Alice.
* '''Discussed''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie Charlie, "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last quarter's earnings. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."
* '''Conversed''': Alice and Charlie talk about the movie they saw last night -- night, and Alice remarks on how unrealistic it is that the main character could fit everything from his desk into a cardboard box after he was fired.fired.
* '''Played for Laughs''': We see some of Alice's personal effects and they look funny, they are incongruous for her personality, or both.
* '''Played for Drama''': Bob makes Alice do a ShamefulStrip and put her clothes in the box.



%% Optional items, added after "Conversed," at your discretion:
%%

to:

%% Optional %%Optional items, added after "Conversed," at your discretion:
%%
discretion:



%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

to:

%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''':
???

Added: 330

Changed: 120

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Edited "Downplayed"


* '''Downplayed''': Alice has been slowly cleaning out her desk, but on the final day needs a small box to carry the rest of the stuff out.

to:

* '''Downplayed''': '''Downplayed''':
**
Alice has been slowly cleaning out her desk, but on the final day needs a small box to carry the rest of the stuff out.out.
** Alice is retiring -- technically moving from a status of "full employment" to "unemployment." At the end of her last day at the office, she leaves the building with a box full of her desk's personal items.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Subverted''': Alice is shown packing her personal items into a box and carrying that box out of her cubicle - but it's revealed that she was just promoted, and she's moving into the corner office.

to:

* '''Subverted''': Alice is shown packing her personal items into a box and carrying that box out of her cubicle - -- but it's revealed that she was just promoted, and she's moving into the corner office.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


'''Basic Trope''': Alice is fired from her job at Trope Co. -- her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk/ locker, so Alice takes her personal items home in a cardboard box.
* '''Straight''': Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.

to:

'''Basic Trope''': Alice When a character is fired from her job at Trope Co. -- her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk/ locker, so Alice takes her personal items home in fired, they leave with a cardboard box.
box full of their personal items.
* '''Straight''': Alice is fired from her job at Trope Co. Her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk[=/=]locker, so Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk and locker, and takes the box home.



* '''Subverted''': Alice is shown packing her personal items into a box and carrying that box out of her cubicle -- but it's revealed that she was just promoted, and she's moving into the corner office.
* '''Double Subverted''': ???

to:

* '''Subverted''': Alice is shown packing her personal items into a box and carrying that box out of her cubicle -- - but it's revealed that she was just promoted, and she's moving into the corner office.
* '''Double Subverted''': ???Alice keeps a box on her for both moving from cubicle to cubicle and for the occasion that she is fired.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.

to:

** Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go go. Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.

Added: 67

Changed: 9

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Straight''': Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk/ locker, and takes the box home.

to:

* '''Straight''': Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk/ desk and locker, and takes the box home.



** Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go -- Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.

to:

** Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go -- Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.



** That moment Alice is informed that she is fired, a security guard hands her a box of her belongings and escorts her out of the building

to:

** That moment Alice is informed that she is fired, a security guard hands her a box of her belongings and escorts her out of the buildingbuilding.
** Alice rolls out with a delivery cart stacked with several boxes.

Added: 360

Changed: 238

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Exaggerated''': Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go -- Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.
* '''Downplayed''': ???

to:

* '''Exaggerated''': '''Exaggerated''':
**
Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go -- Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.
** Trope Co. closes down, resulting in all of the employees walking out with boxes.
** That moment Alice is informed that she is fired, a security guard hands her a box of her belongings and escorts her out of the building
* '''Downplayed''': ???Alice has been slowly cleaning out her desk, but on the final day needs a small box to carry the rest of the stuff out.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added Examples


* '''Parodied''': Bob tells Alice she's fired, and presents her with a cardboard box made specifically for the occasion. He goes on about the merits of the box her's presenting her infomercial style: the convenient handles, the double-wall construction, the stylish faux wood-grain finish. Alice gets an idea to start making and selling boxes specifically for workers who have just been fired.

to:

* '''Parodied''': Bob tells Alice she's fired, and presents her with a cardboard box made specifically for the occasion. He goes on about the merits of the box her's presenting her box, infomercial style: style; the convenient handles, the double-wall construction, the stylish faux wood-grain finish. Alice gets an idea to start making and selling boxes specifically for workers who have just been fired.



* '''Lampshaded''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last project. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."

to:

* '''Lampshaded''': Alice is fired from her job. She tells her disbelieving coworker Charlie "We're in real hot water with "Yes, Bob over the last project. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after really did just fired me! See this meeting."box? It's full of all that stuff from my desk!"



* '''Defied''': ???
* '''Discussed''': ??

to:

* '''Defied''': ???
Alice walks into a meeting with her boss Bob, but she sees that he has an empty cardboard box with her name on it. She tells him "If you think you can just up and fire me, you're wrong. I'm the only one who knows how to work the copy machine!" Bob is persuaded not to fire Alice.
* '''Discussed''': ??Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in real hot water with Bob over the last quarter's earnings. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."



%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:

to:

%% Optional items, added after Conversed, "Conversed," at your discretion:

Added: 1012

Changed: 1414

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* '''Justified''': Alice needs something to carry her potted plant, family photos, desk lamp, coffee mug, and collection of kitten figurines she kept on her desk;
* '''Inverted''': ???
* '''Subverted''': ???

to:

* '''Justified''': Alice needs something to carry her potted plant, family photos, desk lamp, coffee mug, and collection of kitten figurines she kept on her desk;
desk -- after determining they won't fit in her purse, her lunchbox, or her pockets, she grabs an empty cardboard box from the supply closet.
* '''Inverted''': ???
Alice shows up to her first day of work carrying a box of personal items.
* '''Subverted''': ???Alice is shown packing her personal items into a box and carrying that box out of her cubicle -- but it's revealed that she was just promoted, and she's moving into the corner office.



* '''Parodied''': ???

to:

* '''Parodied''': ???Bob tells Alice she's fired, and presents her with a cardboard box made specifically for the occasion. He goes on about the merits of the box her's presenting her infomercial style: the convenient handles, the double-wall construction, the stylish faux wood-grain finish. Alice gets an idea to start making and selling boxes specifically for workers who have just been fired.



* '''Averted''': Alice is laid off, but she was expecting Trope Co. to downsize and has been emptying out her desk over the past few weeks.
* '''Enforced''': The Alice Show is sponsored by a cardboard box manufacturer, and they force the writers to have Alice fired so as to show her carrying one of their cardboard boxes.
* '''Lampshaded''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in hot water with Bob. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."

to:

* '''Averted''': '''Averted''':
**
Alice is laid off, but she was expecting Trope Co. to downsize and has been emptying out her desk over the past few weeks.
weeks. The only thing left on her desk is a family photo, which she tucks into her purse before leaving.
** Alice leaves all her personal items on her desk, not caring what happens to them.
* '''Enforced''': The Alice Show is sponsored by a cardboard box manufacturer, and they force the writers to have Alice fired from her seemingly stable job so as to show her carrying one of their cardboard boxes.
* '''Lampshaded''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in real hot water with Bob.Bob over the last project. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."



* '''Exploited''': ???

to:

* '''Exploited''': ???'''Exploited''':
** Alice knows that Bob wants to fire her, but Bob can't fire anyone unless they've got a box to carry all their stuff out. Alice hides all the boxes in the office so that Bob can't fire her.
** Alice knows that Trope Co. is laying off 10% of it's employees on Friday -- she also knows that's when Bob will test a valuable prototype in his office. On Friday she sneaks into Trope Co., disguises herself as an employee, steals the prototype, hides it in a cardboard box, and walks out the door camouflaged by the dozens of other employees who have been laid off and their cardboard boxes.



* '''Discussed''':

to:

* '''Discussed''': ??



Back to [Trope]

to:

Back to [Trope]CardboardBoxOfUnemployment
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

'''Basic Trope''': Alice is fired from her job at Trope Co. -- her boss Bob tells her to clean out her desk/ locker, so Alice takes her personal items home in a cardboard box.
* '''Straight''': Alice grabs a cardboard box from the supply room, empties out her desk/ locker, and takes the box home.
* '''Exaggerated''': Bob tells Alice to put her things in a box and go -- Alice gets a refrigerator box and puts her entire desk in it.
* '''Downplayed''': ???
* '''Justified''': Alice needs something to carry her potted plant, family photos, desk lamp, coffee mug, and collection of kitten figurines she kept on her desk;
* '''Inverted''': ???
* '''Subverted''': ???
* '''Double Subverted''': ???
* '''Parodied''': ???
* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice is fired from Trope Co. and leaves with a box of her personal items, only to walk across the street and immediately get hired by Trope Co.'s rival [[SdrawkcabName Eport Co.]]
* '''Averted''': Alice is laid off, but she was expecting Trope Co. to downsize and has been emptying out her desk over the past few weeks.
* '''Enforced''': The Alice Show is sponsored by a cardboard box manufacturer, and they force the writers to have Alice fired so as to show her carrying one of their cardboard boxes.
* '''Lampshaded''': Alice tells her coworker Charlie "We're in hot water with Bob. We better stash some cardboard boxes under our desks, in case he decides to fire us after this meeting."
* '''Invoked''': ???
* '''Exploited''': ???
* '''Defied''': ???
* '''Discussed''':
* '''Conversed''': Alice and Charlie talk about the movie they saw last night -- Alice remarks on how unrealistic it is that the main character could fit everything from his desk into a cardboard box after he was fired.
----
Back to [Trope]
----
%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Deconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

Top