History Main / JohnBarleycornAndFriends

* In "I Drink Alone" by Music/GeorgeThorogood, the singer refers to his "friends" which are actually brand names for beer and liquor. These include "his good buddy Weiser", "Jack Daniels and his partner Jimmy Beam", and his "dear Old Grand-Dad".

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', when Squigley swears off alcohol and other drugs, he begins to [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere hallucinate animated joints, beer cans, and booze bottles]] in [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2006-11-08 this]] strip (which is the image for this page).

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-->'''Denis:''' I love him (indicates beer). He's hops, he's barley, he's protein; he's a meal. But without him (indicates cigarettes) he's NOTHIIIIING!!! And I love the two of them together, they're great. Maybe their cousin coffee comes over on the weekends, but otherwise it's just him and him. And as much as I love him (beer), I love him (cigarettes) even more, because I. Love. To. Smoke!

* Jim Breuer has a well-known bit where he describes drinking as having a party in your stomach and the drinks as guests, so you have to only invite guests who get along. Beer is a regular dude, scotch is a potentially-ViolentGlaswegian, tequila is a {{Bandito}}, and your stomach is the bouncer who orders everyone out when he's had enough.

* A 1980s series of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOOyD5ayrrk anti-smoking]] [=PSAs=] in Britain pitted ComicBook/{{Superman}} against a villain called [[PunnyName Nick O'Teen]] who acted like TheAggressiveDrugDealer in trying to get kids to smoke cigs. He had a top hat coloured to look like a cigarette butt and yellow teeth.

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventuresHowISpentMyVacation'': When Fowlmouth and Shirley the Loon go to the movies there's an announcement "no smoking in the theater." Cut to a disappointed anthropomorphic cigarette being booed and forced to leave. He just wanted to see the movie!

* John Barleycorn is briefly mentioned in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'' when Susan finds the area of the lifetimer room reserved for anthropomorphic personifications. The Oh God of Hangovers might count as well.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/OzzyAndDrix'' pitted the eponymous duo against the demonic Nicotine (voiced by Creator/TimCurry) and his henchmen [[PlayingWithFire Butane]], [[BlowYouAway Carbon Monoxide]], and [[MuckMonster Tar]].

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Dionysus (a.k.a., Bacchus) was the Greek and Roman god of winemaking and wine. Eventually, he became the personification of wine itself along with its positive and negative effects upon drinkers. In some later depictions, [[http://www.printsoldandrare.com/thomasnast/011tnast.jpg like this 1870 cartoon by Thomas Nast]], he is shown as the embodiment of alcohol-caused human misery.

* Creator/DenisLeary anthropomorphosizes beer, cigarettes, and coffee in one routine.

'''Glynis''': Those last three are whiskeys.

* "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds" by Music/TheBeatles is widely interpreted as an anthropomorphism for LSD. ([[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs It ain't]], it was actually inspired by a drawing John Lennon's son made about his classmate Lucy O'Donnell.) Doesn't mean that [[DeathOfTheAuthor people don't take it that way anyway]] or that the song isn't pretty damn trippy:

* As seen in ''Film/MoulinRouge'', absinthe has been long anthropomorphized as "the green fairy".

This trope is frequently done for the purpose of [[AnAesop warning]] about [[DrugsAreBad drinking, smoking, or using drugs]] and the depiction can often come across as {{Anvilicious}}. Other times, the John Barleycorn and Friends trope will be employed in a less serious and [[PlayedForLaughs more light-hearted fashion.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', when Squigley swears off drugs and alcohol, he begins to [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere hallucinate animated joints, beer cans, and booze bottles]] in [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2006-11-08 this]] strip (which is the image for this page).

* Another name well known from British folk songs is Nancy Whiskey.

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Dionysus (or Bacchus) was the Greek and Roman god of winemaking and wine. Eventually, he became the personification of wine itself along with its positive and negative effects upon drinkers. In some later depictions, [[http://www.printsoldandrare.com/thomasnast/011tnast.jpg like this 1870 cartoon by Thomas Nast]], he is shown as the embodiment of alcohol-caused human misery.

--> I love him (indicates beer). He's hops, he's barley, he's protein; he's a meal. But without him (indicates cigarettes) he's NOTHIIIIING!!! And I love the two of them together, they're great. Maybe their cousin coffee comes over on the weekends, but otherwise it's just him and him. And as much as I love him (beer), I love him (cigarettes) even more, because I. Love. To. Smoke!

* Kumar is trying to liberate Harold from jail in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' when he is distracted by a giant bag of weed at the police station. Kumar immediately forgets about Harold and has an elaborate DreamSequence where he falls in love with the anthropomorphized bag of weed--then makes love to said anthropomorphized bag of weed--then marries the bag of weed--then is stuck in a miserable marriage with the bag of weed.
--> '''Harold''': Kumar! Still in jail, asshole! Come here!

-->Lad looks at other gals
-->Gal thinks Jim Beam is handsomer than lad
-->He isn't bad

--> One little problem that confronts you
--> Got a monkey on your back
--> Just one more fix, Lord, might do the trick
--> One hell of a price for you to get your kicks

--> Here I lie in my hospital bed
--> Tell me, Sister Morphine, when are you coming round again?

--> Picture yourself in a boat on a river
--> With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
--> Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
--> A girl with kaleidoscope eyes

[[folder: Radio]]

* Subverted in the NoirEpisode of ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'', Finnemore repeatedly says the only partner he needs is Jim Daniels, who lives in a bottle in his desk. It turns out that, while his desk does indeed contain a bottle of whiskey, it also contains his partner, a little man in a bottle named Jim Daniels (no relation).

!!Examples

[[folder: Advertising ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* In the [[VerySpecialEpisode Very Special Comic Book]] ''Spider-Man, Storm, Power Man'' the trio battle Smokescreen, who is a villain making kids smoke (and destroying one kid's track career) and is made of pure smoke.
* Nick O'Teen was a villain in a series of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' [=PSAs=].

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* In "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/6220663 Ten Alternate Universes: Havelock Vetinari]]" by pedanther, the Western fic describes Sheriff Vimes as spending a lot of time "in conference with his good friend Jimkin Bearhugger". Bearhugger's is the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s main whisky brand.

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''GetCrazy'' centers around a big New Years party concert where there's a big anthropomorphized marijuana cigarettein the audience who ends up smoked down to a stub.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Myths & Religion ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'', there's Mr. Butts, a giant talking cigarette used to represent the tobacco industry. Occasionally, he's joined by his friend Mr. Jay, who is a giant anthropomorphized joint.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module [=UK1=] ''Beyond The Crystal Cave''. The {{PC}}s may encounter a deity named the Green Man, who is involved with (among other things) the production of alcoholic beverages. His breath causes intoxication in any creature who breathes it. One of the names he goes by is (wait for it!) John Barleycorn.

[[folder: Theatre ]]
* Modern updates of the 15th Century morality play ''Everyman'' (which ordinarily features characters which are AnthropomorphicPersonifications of various vices and virtues) will often include these among Everyman's temptations.
* In Terence [=McNally's=] play ''Whiskey'', different brands of whiskey are anthropomorphized as performing circus cowboys who have an act together: I. W. Harper, Tia Maria, Johnny Walker, Southern Comfort, and Jack Daniels (and their horse "Whiskey"). The personality of each is based on the branding of the liquors.

[[folder: Stand-up Comedy]]
* Creator/DenisLeary anthropomorphosizes beer, cigarettes, and coffee in one routine.
--> I love him (indicates beer). He's hops, he's barley, he's protein; he's a meal. But without him (indicates cigarettes) he's NOTHIIIIING!!! And I love the two of them together, they're great. Maybe their cousin coffee comes over on the weekends, but otherwise it's just him and him. And as much as I love him (beer), I love him (cigarettes) even more, because I. Love. To. Smoke!

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot'' has protagonist Ethan Thomas experience hallucinations of his addiction appearing as "the alcohol demon," who sometimes gives him in-game hints. Ethan later cures his alcoholism by slaying the demon, who gets replaced by another personal demon called "Acceptance."
* The King's Court bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' are anthropomorphic representations of various vices. Most of them represent gambling addiction, but there's the Tipsy Troop, a trio of alcoholic beverages, and Mr. Wheezy, a giant fire-breathing cigar, that represent alcohol and tobacco addiction.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]
* The Absinthe Fairy from ''Webcomic/{{Chimneyspeak}}'', which represents Elgie's love of the beverage.
* The Tequila Monster in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', when Squigley swears off drugs and alcohol, he begins to [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere hallucinate animated joints, beer cans, and booze bottles]] in [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2006-11-08 this]] strip (which is the image for this page).
* From ''Webcomic/NobodyScores'': [[http://nobodyscores.loosenutstudio.com/index.php?id=352 Puckish Mr. Jack]], [[LampshadeHanging obviating the need for plot mechanics since 1957]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

--> '''The Twelve Steps''': Nail biting?! Is that ''all?!'' You'll only need ''six'' of us. The rest of us are going to [[VivaLasVegas Vegas.]]

-->'''Chickens:''' "We are calling Peeete to get something to EAAAAAAT!"

* Denis Leary anthropomorphosizes beer, cigarettes, and coffee in one routine.
--> I love him (indicates beer). He's hops, and barley, and protein. He's a meal. But without him (indicates cigarettes) he's NOTHIIIIING!!! And I love the two of them together, they're great. Maybe their cousin coffee comes over on the weekends, but otherwise it's just him and him. And as much as I love him (beer), I love him (cigarettes) even more, because I. Love. To. Smoke!