History Main / MyParentsAreDead

** ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'': Basil, depressed about failing to catch Ratigan yet again and playing the violin to console himself, dismisses Olivia's request that he find her father with "Surely your mother knows where he is". Olivia responds, "I don't have a mother", and Basil's playing comes to a screeching halt.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'': After Marahute shows Cody her egg, Cody asks "Where's the daddy eagle?" Marahute just lowers her head. Cody understands and responds, "My dad's gone too".

** PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''. Vanellope meets the [[Franchise/DisneyPrincess Disney Princesses]] and they pepper her with questions to decipher if she's a [[PrincessClassic true princess]] too. They're unsure until Vanellope reveals she ''also'' [[MissingMom doesn't have a mother]].
-->'''[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jasmine]]:''' Do you have daddy issues?\\

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', Linguini is asked how his sick mother is doing. After Linguini stammers for a few seconds that she is getting better, another character responds, "She died", in a monotone voice.

-->'''Scootaloo:''' Yeah, just keep digging that grave Apple Bloom. Doin' good.

--->'''[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jasmine]]:''' Do you have daddy issues?\\

'''Jasmine, [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}, [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]], WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}, [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ariel]], [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa and Anna]]:''' Neither do we!\\

'''Jasmine, [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}, [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]], WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}, [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ariel]], [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa and Anna]]:''' Neither do we!

-->'''Frankie:''' ''(tearing up)'' She's ''dead''. I send her e-mails as a journaling device.

-->'''Hajime''': Why do you care so much, it's just a stupid cat!\\
'''Satsuki''': Kaya [the cat] showed up the same day our mother left... our ''dead'' mother! You feel bad now!?

* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'': Colonel Tigh manages to put his foot firmly (and predictably, since they are a "rag-tag fugitive fleet" of refugees of a multi-planet genocidal nuclear apocalypse) in mouth while dealing with a kid he finds hanging out with the Viper pilots.

-->'''Sam''': You came all the way to tell her off?
-->'''Claire''': You always get along with your mom?
-->'''Sam''': Never got the chance to find out. She died when I was a baby.
-->'''Claire''': I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't...
-->'''Sam''': Oh, no, it's okay. I-I got to know her later in life. And, yeah, I suppose we got along okay.
-->'''Claire''': What?
-->'''Sam''': In this line of work, death isn't always good-bye.

Someone brings up a potential topic about someone close to them. Another one asks what happened to them, and the former frowns, saying, "[[ParentalAbandonment They're dead.]]"

** Relatively early on, Mr. Koiwai reveals that Yotsuba isn't his biological daughter, that her "adoption" was basically him finding her and [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe taking her home]], and that he has never even seen her parents, implying he thinks her biological parents are dead. (Naturally, some fans insist that she's actually an alien who got lost.)

* ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'': Barbara Gordon once complained about her father James Gordon being too overprotective and intrusive into her life, then followed it up with "...but you know how weird parents can be about these things." Bruce's response: "I wouldn't know."

* Happens in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'' without the orphaned party being present. [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]] is insisting that he be allowed to help pay his parents' bills, while his parents insist they can take care of themselves. Martha then quips "I bet Batman never does this to ''his'' parents." Clark immediately goes quiet, and the narration states that he was suddenly reminded of just how fortunate he is.

"Dead." Her voice was a little sharp.\\
Shinji looked away. "I'm sorry."

** ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'': Basil, depressed about failing to catch Ratigan yet again and playing the violin to console himself, dismisses Olivia's request that he find her father with "Surely your mother knows where he is." Olivia responds, "I don't have a mother", and Basil's playing comes to a screeching halt.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'': After Marahute shows Cody her egg, Cody asks "Where's the daddy eagle?" Marahute just lowers her head. Cody understands and responds, "My dad's gone too."

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', Linguini is asked how his sick mother is doing. After Linguini stammers for a few seconds that she is getting better, another character responds, "She died," in a monotone voice.

* In ''Film/{{Hanna}}'', Hanna is eating dinner with a nice (If slightly weird) family that are not aware of her history as a trained killer and current status as a fugitive from the CIA. When they ask her why she is on her own she explains that her father encourages independence and that her mother is dead. There is a bit of an awkward silence before the father asks how she died, to which Hanna calmly replies "Three bullets." There is a suitably hilarious SpitTake in response.

* In an outtake for ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', Peter begins telling Liz how great it is that her parents let her throw a party in her house when actor Tom Holland starts to ad-lib, "My parents..." There's a moment of realization on Holland's face before he finishes the sentence, "...are dead" and all the actors and extras crack up.
* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay''. The Terminator is on the phone (using John Connor's voice) to check out his foster mother. After using the wrong name for John's dog (proving his foster mother is actually the T-1000), he hangs up the pay phone, and says to John, "Your foster parents are dead."
* In ''Film/WandaNevada'', Beau tells Wanda, "Your parents must be worried sick about you." Wanda replies, "My parents died."
* In ''Film/DancingTrees'', Martha starts chatting with one of the customers at Nicky's bookstore about mystery novels. Then she abruptly says, "My mom was murdered," to the customer's shock. She then resumes talking about Creator/PatriciaCornwell.

* In Louise Penny's novel ''Literature/AFatalGrace'', a group of people at dinner are talking about things they used to dream of when they were children. It's gotten real enough for the gay man among them to say that he dreamed of being straight. When series detective Inspector Armand Gamache is asked he says, "That I saved my parents."

"Oh, sorry," he said, not sounding very. "But they were ''our'' [[FantasticRacism sort]], weren't they?"

** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix The Order of the Phoenix]]'': When Hermione wishes aloud she could see [[HellishHorse Thestrals]], which can only be seen by those who have seen death, and Harry replies, "Do you?"
** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'': When Ron was worried about his family's safety, he told his friends that "It's all right for you two, isn't it, with your parents safely out of the way?" It was probably supposed to be addressed at Hermione only, since he was directly talking to her, but Harry was not amused about the accidental wording.

* In ''Literature/WhenMyHeartJoinsTheThousand'', Stanley tells Alvie that [[HomeschooledKids his mom homeschooled him for a few years]] and asks if her parents homeschooled her. Alvie replies, "I don't have parents."
* In ''Literature/TheSpeedOfSound'', cafeteria worker Jerome tells Eddie, "Your mama done raise you right." Eddie says, "No, she didn't. She died when I was born."
* ''Literature/TheMissingPieceOfCharlieOReilly'': When Cody tells Ana and Charlie about his attempted shoplifting, Ana says, "Your parents must have freaked." Cody says, "I don't have parents." He explained that [[DisappearedDad he never knew his dad]], and his mom died in a drunk driving accident when he was six, leaving him to be raised by his grandma.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E1TheEleventhHour "The Eleventh Hour"]], young Amy Pond says "I don't have a mum and dad." (Which is true, but strictly speaking, [[RetGone they're not]] ''[[RetGone dead]]''...)

* Happens in a ''Series/LastComicStanding'' challenge where one comedian performs their act and the other heckles them. When Chris Porter, in the role of the heckler, cracks an IBangedYourMom joke at Josh Blue, Blue responds with this trope. Later, when their places are reversed, Porter makes the same joke in response to one of Blue's heckles, except with "sister" in place of "mom". Blue again says she's dead, but this time Porter's ready with the comeback "No, she just doesn't call you anymore."

* During an episode of ''Series/{{Supergirl|2015}}'', Cat Grant asks Kara about her parents. Kara tells her that they died "in a fire." (Actually, a planet-wide apocalypse, but, technically, yes, a "fire.")

* ''Series/LateNight with Creator/SethMeyers'': Milked to the extreme in the sketch "Seth Brings Jon Snow to a Dinner Party". Jon Snow, a hero from ''Series/GameOfThrones'', is unable to make small talk with New Yorkers. Whatever the other guests bring up, Jon has something ''very'' bleak to say about himself ("I'm a bastard, so I never knew my mother." & "My father's head was chopped off." & "My brother was stabbed to death at his own wedding." & "[My first love] Ygritte shot me with three arrows and then a child murdered her in cold blood.")

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', one Mages Guild quest has you rooting out a [[EvilSorcerer Telvanni]] [[TheMole spy]]. When turning in the quest, you can choose to lie and say that Balmora Guild Hall Stewardess Ranis Athrys is the spy. If you do, the quest giver is surprised, mentioning that Ranis' parents were killed by the Telvanni. (Don't feel too bad for her though, as she is rather [[JoinOrDie aggressive]] when it comes to [[WithUsOrAgainstUs convincing independent mages to join the Guild]], so this may just be [[LaserGuidedKarma karma]] catching up to her.)

* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' subverts this: [[http://exterminatusnow.comicgenesis.com/d/20080920.html Eastwood tells Lothar his girlfriend is dead]], at which point Virus calls bullshit: not only is his girlfriend not dead, she broke up with him, and he had her new boyfriend [[KnightTemplar declared Hereticus Abomini]] and [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill shot him several dozen times while on the toilet]]. (Amusingly enough, the boyfriend ''was'' a heretic, it's just he was already dead when that was found out.)

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Noah says if everything was public knowledge his [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-03-31 "parents would still be alive."]]

** "[[SamusIsAGirl My mom has a kind of husky voice, though]]."

-->"It was left to me by my dad, my dad that's dead. My father is dead. I have a dead father."

* ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'': When Chip, Dale, and Monty go looking for Geegaw Hackwrench, they find his daughter, Gadget, instead. When they ask about him, her words are ambiguous, but her tone is not; only Dale doesn't get it, so she has to be more clear. When Monty says he'll be missed, she says, "He already is."

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', when Leela's former [[OrphanageOfFear Orphanarium]] declared her "Orphan of the Year" for successfully holding a normal blue collar job, her SpoiledSweet AsianAirhead friend Amy Wong says "Your parents must be so proud... oops." [[spoiler:It turns out her parents are still alive, and they ''are'' [[SoProudOfYou very proud of Leela]].]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', even though everyone knows that his parents are dead, uncomfortable topics might come up.
** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'': When Harry meets Draco Malfoy for the first time (in Diagon Alley while they're being fitted for their uniforms).

** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix The Order of the Phoenix]]'': When Hermione wishes aloud she could see [[HellishHorse Thestrals]], which can only be seen by those who have seen death, and Harry replies "Do you?"
** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'': When Ron was worried about his family's safety, he told his friends that "It's all right for you two, isn't it, with your parents safely out of the way?" Probably it was supposed to be addressed at Hermione only, (he was directly talking to her), but Harry was not amused about the accidental wording.

--> '''[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jasmine:]]''' Do you have daddy issues?
--> '''Vanellope:''' I don't even have a mom!
--> '''Jasmine, [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}, [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]], WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}, [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ariel]], [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa and Anna]]:''' Neither do we!
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', Linguini is asked how his sick mother is doing. After Linguini stammers for a few seconds that she is getting better, another character responds "She died" in a monotone voice.

Someone brings up a potential topic about someone close to them. Another one asks what happened to them, and the former frowns, saying "[[ParentalAbandonment They're dead]]".

* Happens in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' without the orphaned party being present. [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]] is insisting that he be allowed to help pay his parents' bills, while his parents insist they can take care of themselves. Martha then quips "I bet Batman never does this to ''his'' parents." Clark immediately goes quiet, and the narration states that he was suddenly reminded of just how fortunate he is.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' episode "My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad", a bully tells K.O. [[MyDadCanBeatUpYourDad the titular taunt]]; K.O. tries to respond in kind, before remembering that [[DisappearedDad he doesn't have a dad]]. He quickly recovers by saying that his mom can beat up ''anyone''.

* In WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss, In "Truth Seekers", Blitzo makes [[YourMom a mom joke]] on Agent One only to bee told that his mom is dead. This doesn't stop him from doing it later.

* In WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss, In "Truth Seekers", Blitzo makes one on Agent One only to bee told that his mom is dead. This doesn't stop him from doing it later.