History Main / NoAccountingForTaste

* Though they're not married, WebAnimation/HomestarRunner's titular character and Marzipan. Marzipan considers their relationship to be entirely up to her, breaks up and makes up at the drop of a hat, and seems to genuinely prefer the company of several of the other male characters over Homestar's, and it seems like the only reason she enjoys having him around is to make herself feel smarter. Homestar, for his part, is air-headed enough to honestly think "Go away, stupid" means the same thing as "hello, Marzipan" and is either apathetic or happy when Marzipan announces they're breaking up. At the same time, he does seem to genuinely enjoy her company. The couple's dysfunction can be seen in how they [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/deck.html consider each other]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/qualitytime.html via cardboard proxy]].

* ''{{Manga/Gravitation}}'s'' OfficialCouple could fit the bill as well, despite being much younger (and more sexual) than most other couples like this. Seeing how coldly Yuki treats Shuichi and all the troubles Shuichi goes for him...

* Ataru's parents on ''Manga/UruseiYatsura,'' although it's implied that their relationship is a bit on the rocks (to the point where we see Ataru's mother threatening to leave a few times...not to mention the time she openly tried to seduce Rei)
** No one can figure out why Lum is so determined to keep her 'husband' Ataru when she's the only girl he doesn't chase.

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', L is visibly surprised when Light Yagami announces that he'll keep seeing Misa Amane; throughout the series, the Taskforce and Light's family witness their relationship with a shrug. The audience, of course, knows the [[UnholyMatrimony true nature]] of [[VillainProtagonist Light's]] [[PsychoSupporter and]] [[DarkMistress Misa's]] [[MadLove feelings]] [[UnequalPairing for each other]].

* Basil and Sybil in ''Series/FawltyTowers.'' They actively hate each other, but stay married and even share a bedroom, if not a bed. According to Basil in one episode, they even "go for a walk" together two or three times per week; however, he was very possibly making this up just to appear "normal" to the psychiatrist he was talking to, and it emphasises that he cares more about the status of being married than who he is married to.

** Star questions how her parents -- a workaholic lawyer and a snobby socialite -- ever fell in love with each other in the first place.
*** However, flashbacks in ''Lost'' show Johnathan and Stella's past relationship and reveal that they both genuinely loved each other when they were first married and were happy together. Unfortunately, their different values and upbringings eventually caused them to drift apart. Johnathan acknowledges that he was so in love with Stella that he was blinded to her flaws, like her snobbery. On the other hand, Stella was in love with Johnathan when he was a young man just starting his career, and she did love the family they made together, but over the years, they lost their spark. Stella admits to herself that she is still unsure if she grew bored with him or felt neglected because of his work schedule, but she eventually felt that their relationship couldn't be saved.

* ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'': [[PeggySue In the previous timeline]] Shinji had wondered why his nice, loving mother would fall for his JerkAss father. But after considering his mother got absorbed into Unit 01 on purpose to become an eternal reminder of humankind’s existence and she actually ''wanted'' him to watch how she seemingly died, Shinji wonders why his father would marry her and decides there is no accounting for taste.

* ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomStranded''

** There is also Stella's marriage to Jean-Luc, a snobbish man who has no problem hitting on other women. Stella does explain that she fell for Jean-Luc based on his good looks, sophistication, and the fact that he came from Old Money like her, while her relationship with Johnathan was dead by the time she met him. It seems that Stella is/was attracted to Jean-Luc because they had more things in common, and she seems content with their marriage, though she is either unaware or in denial of his womanizing ways.

* George and Loraine [=McFly=] in ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', a geeky doormat and a frumpy, closed-minded housewife who only met because her father accidentally ran him over with his car. Their son Marty accidentally disrupts the meeting via time travel and has to fix it, his actions giving George a backbone and encouraging Loraine's passionate side, as well as making it so they fall for each other for real and not just through the FlorenceNightingaleEffect. When Marty returns to 1985, both parents are better people personality-wise and are very obviously HappilyMarried.

* Given the extremely vast cast of the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series, it's inevitable that some characters would fall into this. What makes it more peculiar is that some of these are rival couples--meaning they woo each other and get married ''over the course of the game.'' And then go right to never getting along.

*** Actually, all of the rival couples in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonDS'' and ''[[DistaffCounterpart Cute]]'' end up questioning the marriage and being unhappy in it, except for one: Nami and Gustafa, who seem perfectly happy in their marriage, finding someone who enjoys travel and their alone time, but both loving the valley enough to stay.

* In ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', for reasons unknown to all but the Star Spirits themselves, Mona thinks Wario is really cool and is hinted to be attracted to him. For reference, she's a cute, attractive, cheerful FieryRedhead, and he's a greedy, ugly, overweight, amoral, CorruptCorporateExecutive whose breath always smells like garlic. For her part, [[BadassOnPaper Wario]] is a treasure hunter who's earned his wealth battling beasties and saving the world.

-->'''Lady Everglot''': Hah! As if that has anything to do with marriage. Do you suppose your father and I "like" each other?\\

** Tomo once asked Mrs. Kimura, point-blank, what attracted her to her husband. The woman did not have an answer outside of "Isn't he handsome?", which Tomo pegged as a desperation measure. He actually ''is'' rather good looking as most of the time he's not locked into that creepy/shocked expression of his.

** Vegeta and Bulma: An arrogant, superpowered, {{jerkass}} half-monkey prince with homicidal tendencies and a supremely intelligent, yet vain and equally arrogant woman. Had a fling, a son (later a daughter), eventually married and are still together. (Bulma once said that even ''she'' doesn't know why she's attracted to him, although it's probably because of his features[[note]] Most of Bulma's love interests were tall dark and handsome and she was attracted to Goku when she first saw him all grown-up[[/note]] and the fact that [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys he's a bad boy]].)
** One episode of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' has Vegeta remark that he doesn't exactly dislike Bulma's pushy side. He even notes he likes the feistiness and Goku responds with a smile that Chi-Chi can be the same way. Vegeta then explains that as Saiyans, they're naturally attracted to strong-willed women. Piccolo's reaction of "That. Explains. Everything" crows the humor of it all.
** Krillin and Android 18: A short, noseless DoggedNiceGuy with a [[ButtMonkey bad tendency]] to get [[DeathIsCheap horribly killed]] and a sarcastic, cold woman who was initially an evil {{Cyborg}}. (In fact, most would say that 18 never really stopped being evil, but is just a lot ''less'' so now than she used to be.) They got married, had a daughter and are [[HappilyMarried still together]]. In fact, she went on a rather violent - and emotional - RoaringRampageOfRevenge in one arc in ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' where he was killed. (He got better, [[DeathIsCheap as is often the case in this franchise]].)

** Star questions how her parents, a workaholic lawyer and a snobby socialite, ever fell in love with each other in the first place.

** There is also Stella's marriage to Jean-Luc, a snobbish man who has no problem hitting on other women. Stella does explain that she fell for Jean-Luc based on his good looks, sophistication and the fact that he came from Old Money like her, while her relationship with Johnathan was dead by the time she met him. It seems that Stella is/was attracted to Jean-Luc because they had more things in common, and she seems content with their marriage, though she is either unaware or in denial of his womanizing ways.

--> '''Trini''': "I know we don't marry men for their brains, but there is a limit."
* Such ill-suited couples are to be found in most, if not all, Creator/JaneAusten's novel. Their being still together is justified, because in those times, once you were married, there was no turning back.

** Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram from ''Literature/MansfieldPark''. He's a very intelligent and capable man, but he married an insipid, lazy and fairly stupid woman. At least she's affectionate and kind, and lets herself be guided by Sir Thomas in important issues; they do seem to be rather fond of each other sometimes.
** It was the case of Anne's parents Sir Walter and Lady Elliot of ''Literature/{{Persuasion}}''. Lady Elliot was the sensible and amiable spouse who married an empty-headed snob who only thinks about his own baronetcy and extremely good looks. The narrator says she was not the happiest of women, but she still managed to cope and found enough pleasures in her duties and she loved her daughters.

* While ''Literature/AllForTheGame'''s Neil Josten isn't the sweetest person in the world and isn't known for having the best judgment, ''everyone'' seriously questions his attraction to [[spoiler: Andrew Minyard. Even Andrew thinks their's something wrong with him.]] There's even an ongoing bet among their teammates that the relationship is based on mutual hatred.

** It's shown several times that they actually love each other ''very'' much (such as when Marie suggested they had a loveless marriage Frank was so shocked and offended he simply walked away), they just really annoy each other.

* John and Mary in ''Series/FatherTed'' are an Irish take on this trope - a married couple who utterly loathe each other but who live in a Catholic nation where divorce was illegal up until the 1990's and which even today is loaded with social stigma and religious sanction. They have no choice but to pretend to be happily married in public - especially in front of the local priests.

* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': Al and Peg are a textbook example of this trope. They verbally stated that they couldn't stand each other, and it's a wonder they didn't kill each other by the end of the show's run. (Despite this, Al never actually cheated on Peg, and was known to react violently towards anyone who made a pass at her. Peg acted the same way towards almost anyone who had feelings for Al.)

** Jackie and Hyde. She's rich, spoiled, selfish AlphaBitch-type, he's a [[BrilliantButLazy smart but lazy]] ConspiracyTheorist [[TheSlacker slacker]]. They both can see the improbability of their relationship.

** Frasier himself has had a string of bad luck with women, most infamously, his ex-wife, [[IceQueen Lilith Sternin]].

* Deconstructed in ''Series/KevinCanFuckHimself'' where Allison is significantly out of her husband Kevin's league in the looks department and Kevin himself is an InsufferableImbecile who is completely oblivious to the destructive consequences of his {{zany scheme}}s. Despite this, most of the characters belittle'' Allison'', wondering why Kevin would stick around with such a "nag" due to the misogynistic environment Kevin cultivated around them. By the start of the series, they have been married ten years and Allison is so emotionally drained from constantly catering to Kevin's irresponsible nature and impulsive whims (on top of feeling deeply lonely due to having no social life of her own) that she decides MurderIsTheBestSolution.

* ''ComicStrip/TheLockhorns''. Every one-panel strip is Loretta complaining about Leroy's laziness, or Leroy complaining about Loretta's cooking, or Loretta complaining about Leroy flirting with another woman, or just one of them explaining how unattractive they find the other.

* Jun Kazama from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' is one of the nicest characters in the franchise, though keep in mind that GoodIsNotNice or [[GoodIsNotSoft Soft]]. She has a fling with Kazuya Mishima, who is... not [[{{Jerkass}} very nice]]. [[AbusiveParents At all]]. As of the second Tag game, she ''still'' seems to have feelings for him despite everything. Feelings which he just blows off.
* Guybrush and Elaine from the ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series. Guybrush is resourceful but otherwise a wimpy ditz. Elaine is smart, beautiful and tough but fiercely independent and very bossy. In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'' both of them are attracted to other people and in the finale, Elaine temporarily becomes [[spoiler: a voodoo demon who tries to kill Guybrush]] and yet somehow they still stay together at the end.
* One of the cases in ''VideoGame/ZootopiaCrimeFiles'' features a mouse named Donna who is head-over-heels for an ugly, sleazy gerbil named Dinks. Neither Nick nor Judy understand the appeal.

* ''VideoGame/AITheSomniumFiles'': It's eventually revealed that [[CorruptPolitician So Sejima]] at one time had a relationship with [[spoiler:Manaka Iwai]]. ''Massive'' age gap aside ([[spoiler:Iwai]] was 19 at the time while Sejima was in his 40's), it's never established just what she saw in Sejima. [[spoiler:Renju and Hitomi]] repeatedly tried to talk her out of seeing him, to no avail.

* Though they're not married, WebAnimation/HomestarRunner's titular character and Marzipan. Marzipan considers their relationship to be entirely up to her, breaks up and makes up at the drop of a hat and seems to genuinely prefer the company of several of the other male characters over Homestar's, and it seems like the only reason she enjoys having him around is to make herself feel smarter. Homestar, for his part, is air-headed enough to honestly think "Go away, stupid" means the same thing as "hello, Marzipan" and is either apathetic or happy when Marzipan announces they're breaking up. At the same time, he does seem to genuinely enjoy her company. The couple's dysfunction can be seen in how they [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/deck.html consider each other]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/qualitytime.html via cardboard proxy]].

* Francine and Stan from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' are a weird case. Several episodes revolve around Stan putting Francine (sometimes his entire family) through some {{plan}} that involves putting her through horrible things (so far he's [[spoiler:made the whole family go months without any food money to get a better deal on a car]], [[spoiler:made Francine think he killed their neighbor and her attempts at making him more open will get him killed so she'll stop bugging her about it]], and [[spoiler:frame her for murder which made her feel so guilty, she moved to a horrible part of India to help the poor so he doesn't have to hear her say "I told you so"]]), and though [[SnapBack they're over it by the next episode]], they aren't actually ''shown'' getting over it (in the last one, she explicitly tells him she hasn't forgiven him yet). On the other hand, [[DependingOnTheWriter other episodes]] show he's genuinely caring, doesn't ''realize'' the things he does are so bad and tries to fix them.
** In one episode, Stan decides he has to know that he "won" over Francine's old fiancé and so fakes his death while watching the house via hidden cameras to see how Francine will react when her ex comforts her. Francine discovered the cameras, figured things out, and pretended to be close to her ex (but never went all the way) in order to yank Stan's chain[[note]]Of course, Stan's island resort was hit with a hurricane, which ''did'' leave him stranded and thus he didn't know what was happening anymore[[/note]]. After the explain this to each other, Francine's ex declares that they're perfect for each other because they're both insane and storms out of the house.
** Stan does occasionally show genuine love and affection to Francine, having even put her well-being over his principles and job. The times when he does this can even approach heartwarming levels, especially both Christmas episodes. Heck, one episode had them ''out-right state'' that their marriage is just a sham: Stan loves her only for her looks, Francine just wants to be taken care of. They actually ''end the episode'' with them telling the other this. The Aesop for this particular episode seems to be that they're both so shallow the best they can hope for is each other.

** Joe and Bonnie show shades of this as well, particularly in the later seasons. In one episode Bonnie vacationed in Paris intending to cheat on him, and then Joe actually ''did'' cheat on her with his new coworker, although they reconciled at the end. In another episode Joe regains the ability to walk after an experimental medical procedure. He states that he's leaving Bonnie, who then shoots him in the legs at point-blank range to re-cripple him and make him dependent on her. At best, Joe and Bonnie appear to get along. At worst, they seem to genuinely hate each other.

* On ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', Suzie Kokoshka is the sole breadwinner for her household and is expected to do housework on top of that to her ManChild LazyHusband, Oskar. There are a few times where she leaves but she always returns. She appears to have left him for good come ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnoldTheJungleMovie''.

** Felix and Sunset Boulevardez aren't much better, as Felix is every bit as lazy, sexist and jerky as Oscar and Sunset does nothing but belittle and assault Felix like Trudy does to Oscar. (Unlike Oscar and Trudy, however, the show ''does'' provide an explanation as to why they're together: Sunset--a cop--had arrested Felix for some crime he'd committed and used the threat of jail time to '''blackmail''' him into marrying her. This raises the questions of 1) why Sunset would want to marry someone like Felix in the first place and 2) what sort of crime Felix had committed that he would prefer being stuck with Sunset over going to prison.)
* Jerry and Beth Smith from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''. If the two of them are sharing a plot line in an episode, it's probably about their struggling marriage. Various episodes have shown that they do still care about each other deep down, but there's still a lot of resentment about the reason behind getting married in the first place, and Beth's alcoholic mad-scientist father living with them hasn't helped.
** An episode reveals it's basically ToxicFriendInfluence on steroids. They do genuinely love each other, but they're both so horribly insecure that despite their complaints, they're actually attracted to and enable the others' faults. Beth may complain or be annoyed by Jerry's spinelessness, but she actually needs it because it makes her feel good about herself and her worth, using it to balance out the negativity how desperate she was to get her father's attention. Jerry meanwhile is aware he's a loser, but he's attracted to Beth's strength and abrasiveness because he can let her take charge and take care of him while also being with someone who initially would be considered out of his league.
** Heck, in Season 3, when [[spoiler: Rick has a plan to get them to divorce and him becoming the family patriarch,]] both of them become ''even worse.'' Jerry becomes a bigger hapless loser while Beth begins lashing out at her kids and becoming a bigger jerk. On the other hand, their harsher circumstances do ''force'' them to change a bit (with Morty lashing out at Beth and Rick finally explaining to Jerry why he doesn't like him). It ends with [[spoiler: Beth getting back together with Jerry. However, the circumstances are unique in that after Beth and Rick spend time and Beth realizes how much like her dad she is, he gives her a choice on creating a duplicate to take her place on Earth while she goes on crazy space adventures, especially since the duplicate would supposedly become self-aware of being a clone. The next episode has an insensitive joke by Rick causing Beth to be gaslit and after an identity crisis, goes to Jerry and finally talk things out.]]

* Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty in ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}''. Sam, though he loves Liberty, has a serious case of ItsAllAboutMe and [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-05 since he was a kid]] has ignored Liberty's opinion on matters like imperialism and exploitation of others, showed in Sinfest as [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-05 porn]]. Liberty tried to talk about it but she was [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-06-03 rebuffed]]. Now Sam crossed the line and tries to get Liberty into joining him [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-02 in porn sex]] and Liberty has become a LoveMartyr to her {{Jerkass}} husband.
** Not anymore. Sam thinks Liberty only married for money. After hearing this, she packs her suitcase and leaves. [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2014-12-02 (Start of arc.)]]

* In ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', Lu(cifer) says the trope name about Gabriel before he gets the whole story.

** There was one flashback to their younger days, where Truffles was considerably more attractive and less shrewish.

* Eustace and Muriel in ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'', since Muriel is a sweet and kindhearted woman while Eustace is a misanthropic jerk who hates everyone and is generally neglectful towards his wife. At best they get along, and Eustace is at best complacent when he gets what he wants. You have to wonder why they were married or if they liked each other. Their AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moments are very rare.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer and Marge have always, ''always'' been in a weird flux between wondering why are they still together and being HappilyMarried: They're facing constant troubles, but it's always made a big deal instead of just "a fact of life". It's not until TheMovie that she walks out on him for real, even if only temporarily.

* Fred and Wilma Flintstone in ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones''. The BetaCouple Barney and Betty, however, are quite HappilyMarried. Subverted in one of the movies, though, where Fred ''had'' to fight to get Wilma's favor back during a vacation trip where he was close to losing her. It's implied that Wilma ''likes'' the [[JerkWithAHeartOFGold clumsy yet good-hearted oaf]] that Fred is.

** There was one flashback to their younger days, where Truffles was considerably more attractive and less shrewish.

* Francine and Stan from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' are a weird case. Several episodes revolve around Stan putting Francine (sometimes his entire family) through some {{plan}} that involves putting her through horrible things (so far he's [[spoiler:made the whole family go months without any food money to get a better deal on a car]], [[spoiler:made Francine think he killed their neighbor and her attempts at making him more open will get him killed so she'll stop bugging her about it]], and [[spoiler:frame her for murder which made her feel so guilty, she moved to a horrible part of India to help the poor so he doesn't have to hear her say "I told you so"]]), and though [[SnapBack they're over it by the next episode]], they aren't actually ''shown'' getting over it (in the last one, she explicitly tells him she hasn't forgiven him yet). On the other hand, [[DependingOnTheWriter other episodes]] show he's genuinely caring, doesn't ''realize'' the things he does are so bad and tries to fix them.
** In one episode, Stan decides he has to know that he "won" over Francine's old fiancé and so fakes his death while watching the house via hidden cameras to see how Francine will react when her ex comforts her. Francine discovered the cameras, figured things out, and pretended to be close to her ex (but never went all the way) in order to yank Stan's chain[[note]]Of course, Stan's island resort was hit with a hurricane, which ''did'' leave him stranded and thus he didn't know what was happening anymore[[/note]]. After the explain this to each other, Francine's ex declares that they're perfect for each other because they're both insane and storms out of the house.
** Stan does occasionally show genuine love and affection to Francine, having even put her well-being over his principles and job. The times when he does this can even approach heartwarming levels, especially both Christmas episodes. Heck, one episode had them ''out-right state'' that their marriage is just a sham: Stan loves her only for her looks, Francine just wants to be taken care of. They actually ''end the episode'' with them telling the other this. The Aesop for this particular episode seems to be that they're both so shallow the best they can hope for is each other.
* Holly and Peter from ''WesternAnimation/{{Scruff}}''. One can only wonder how Holly can put up with an airhead like Peter. Also, Sanda and Truffles, who is known for his hacking cough.
* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', the entire Morgendorffer and Barksdale family seem to agree that Daria's aunt Rita suffers from this trope.
-->'''Jake''': Who's escorting your sister to this [wedding], anyway?\\
'''Helen''': Well, she dumped the sculptor, the skydiving instructor had that horrible accident, and I believe that Bruno is in some federal facility. So I don't know...\\
'''Jake''': That Rita sure knows how to pick 'em.

* Peg on ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' is a beautiful, sensible, likable woman, who married and stayed married to Pete, a fat, unstable, selfish, mean, hypocritical, LazyHusband who treats their son badly and spoils their daughter rotten when he's not just flat-out ignoring both of them or using them to win an argument with her. And yet [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther she is shown on a few occasions to genuinely love him]]. [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome She and the daughter both disappear in the movies]], so it's possible she eventually left him.

** Peter has done horrible, horrible things to Lois, the worst of which was locking her in the trunk of a car and driving the car into a lake. But she stays with him for some reason. Lois has done horrible things right back, like [[BlackComedyRape raping]] Peter. Twice. Almost all of their marriage problems follow RuleOfFunny, though. And all of that said, Peter will never willingly cheat on Lois.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':