History Main / ICanChangeMyBeloved

->'''Marge''': ''[[ThisIsSparta He's a whole! New! person!]]''

->'''Marge''': ''[[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter He's a whole new person!]]''

->'''Marge''': [[ThisIsSparta He's a whole. new. person.]]

* Subverted in ''TheTenantOfWildfellHall'', Helen enters into her marriage with Arthur looking forward to changing and redeeming him, only to find that it's not that easy. She ends up thoroughly miserable, and in fact leaves him (an unspeakable move at the time) to rescue their son from his influence. This is also played straight in the same book: her friend is miserable in her marriage, but her husband is willing to change, and with a few points from both his wife and Helen, he shapes up into a very considerate partner.

-->-- ''TheSimpsons'', "Lisa's Date With Destiny"

* Parodied on ''FamilyGuy'' in the episode "The Former Life of Brian". Brian tries to impress a recently-widowed mother (only referred to as "Jared's Mom") by putting on a magic show for her son, only to find out that she already has a boyfriend, Paul:

* Inverted in ''{{Futurama}}''. Romanticorp tested pickup lines on women using test dummies. One of the dummies used the line "My two favorite things are commitment and changing myself." The woman in the test chamber [[CodeWordCoitus immediately fell in love]] with the dummy.

--> '''Leela:''' [[{{ptitlek9eb8qja}} Does that dummy have a brother?]]

* Inverted in ''Futurama''. Romanticorp tested pickup lines on women using test dummies. One of the dummies used the line "My two favorite things are commitment and changing myself." The woman in the test chamber [[CodeWordCoitus immediately fell in love]] with the dummy.

* Lampshaded and parodied on ''FamilyGuy'' in the episode "The Former Life of Brian". Brian tries to impress a recently-widowed mother (only referred to as "Jared's Mom") by putting on a magic show for her son, only to find out that she already has a boyfriend, Paul:

* [[TheSimpsons Marge Simpson]] did this with Homer, and insists it worked. See Page Quote.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* An episode of the Adam West Batman series had The Penguin fool a wealthy woman into falling in love with him just so he could earn her trust then rob her. After his scheme is exposed she is still in love and insists if she were to marry him she could reform him into a perfect man. Penguin's response? "Take me to prison!"

Bob has a lover or LoveInterest who is destructive, or merely "wrong" in some way subjective to the character. Nope, Alice certainly isn't the perfect match for Bob. But never fear! Bob's love will send Alice trough a metamorphosis that remake her into his perfect woman. Or so he thinks. Of course, it rarely works out. If it actually ''does'' work out, then it is LoveRedeems rather then this trope. In a long story arc it can be both tropes: First I Can Change My Beloved, then switch to LoveRedeems... and then, if the authors are cruel, switch ''back'' so that the actual redemption was [[StatusQuoIsGod just a facade or temporary phase]].

Compare DestructiveRomance. Contrast LoveRedeems and ReformedRakes, where this mindset actually ''works''. Also contrast DracoInLeatherPants where this mindset works because the one who has the mentality [[FanFiction is now the author!]]

* Averted ''[[DontTryThisAtHome hard]].'' And in the case of abusive relationships, this mentality has a decent-sized body count.

Bob has a lover or LoveInterest who is destructive, or merely "wrong" in some way subjective to the character. Nope, Alice certainly isn't the perfect match for Bob. But never fear! Bob's love will send Alice trough a metamorphosis that remake her into his perfect woman. Or so he thinks. Of course, it rarely works out. If it actually ''do'' work out, then it is LoveRedeems rather then this trope. In a long story arc it can be both tropes: First I Can Change My Beloved, then switch to LoveRedeems... and then, if the authors are cruel, switch ''back'' so that the actual redemption was [[StatusQuoIsGod just a facade or temporary phase]].

* "If Mr. Keuner loved someone" by Bernolt Brecht:

Contrast LoveRedeems and ReformedRakes, where this mindset actually ''works''. Also contrast DracoInLeatherPants where this mindset works because the one who has the mentality [[FanFiction is now the author!]]

-->- "Lisa's Date With Destiny" from TheSimpsons

* When Charlie's mother met his first serious LoveInterest on TwoAndAHalfMen, they squared off like a confrontation was about to take place. Instead, the mother simply asked desperately, "Can you fix him?" Exasperated, the girl confirmed, "I'm trying." True to her word, the entire episode was about her forcing Charlie to give up smoking and drinking, eat healthier, and incorporate exercise into his lifestyle. His StalkerWithACrush tells him that she would never try to change him because she ''actually'' loves him. The scenario backfires when Charlie finally takes a stand against his girlfriend- he puts his foot down in a fancy restaurant, getting the male clientele (similarly browbeaten) to back him up. The issue is dropped from then on.

-What do you do (Mr.K was asked) when you love someone?
-I make a sketch of the person, said Mr.K, and make sure that one comes to resemble the other.
-Which, the sketch?
-No, said Mr.K, the person.

* In the first season of ''TheGuild'', Zaboo tries to pull this on the protagonist. (When it doesn't work out he instead try to change himself, but that's a different story.)