How do you remove sticker residue from plastic (humor welcome)?

Everyone I ask always says to use rubbing alcohol, but whenever I try that, I just end up with a much larger sticky mess than the one I started with. Rubbing alcohol successfully spreads the stickiness, but I have never gotten it to remove it. What methods have you found to be successful at banishing the evil sticker residue? Humor, hyperbole, and sticker war stories are welcome, but if you have genuine tips, I would love to hear those, too.