History Main / ParentingTheHusband

[[caption-width-right:350:AmIRight, target audience?]]

[[caption-width-right:350:{{Am I right}}, target audience?]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats''. In [[TheFilmOfTheSeries the movie]], Stu is having trouble getting baby Dil settled down. While telling Didi how frustrated he is, he himself starts wailing out loud. Didi says, "Oh, for Pete's sake, Stu," and puts a binky in his mouth.

* ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats''. In the [[FilmOfTheSeries movie]], Stu is having trouble getting baby Dil settled down. While telling Didi how frustrated he is, he himself starts wailing out loud. Didi says, "Oh, for Pete's sake, Stu," and puts a binky in his mouth.

* In ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', Battler Ushiromiya all but states that this is the relationship between his father Rudolf and his stepmother/CoolBigSis Kyrie. Since Rudolf is an irresponsible HandsomeLech and Kyrie doubles as his wife and business partner, it's not surprising.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', [[{{Tsundere}} Chi-Chi]] treats her husband [[IdiotHero Son Goku]] very much like this. However, it could be subverted, as the fact that Goku is a phenomenally powerful alien Martial Artist makes this relationship look more equitable than most other examples -- Chi-Chi "takes care" [[{{Housewife}} of Goku at home]], Goku "takes care of her in return"... [[ChronicHeroSyndrome by saving the world on a regular basis]]. To say nothing of when Goku actually does get de-aged to a child. Also Goku's home life isn't that explored in the story, what with him either dying or away fighting aliens, so Chi-Chi probably doesn't count on him doing chores around the house.

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* The TropeMaker: TheHoneymooners.

* ZigZagged on ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' with [[ManChild Andy]]. In the first season he is utterly dependent on his much more adult and responsible girlfriend Anne, culminating when it comes out that the broken leg he's used as an excuse to have her wait on him hand and foot actually healed some time ago. This could count as a {{Deconstruction}} since this is very much ''not'' depicted as a normal or healthy relationship for either of them. Then {{averted}} and sometimes mildly {{inverted}} when Andy dates (and later [[TheyDo marries]]) April, who had been a DeadpanSnarker but becomes much more carefree and fun-loving under his influence. Neither of them is especially mature or responsible, but being significantly older, when someone ''does'' have to emerge as the adult voice of reason, it's usually Andy.

* Despite not being married, in {{Dumbing of Age}} Walky [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/moms/ invokes this trope when he temporarily breaks up with Dorothy]]. Although it's clear that despite resenting how patronizing her behavior was, Walky [[ManChild doesn't really want to "grow up"]] and likes how dominant Dorothy is in the relationship. Likewise, while she has been embarrassed by him occasionally Dorothy definitely [[WeaknessTurnsHerOn enjoys Walky's juvenile and submissive personality on some level.]]

A rather awful DoubleStandard; the notion of a girlish wife in need of control and protection by a fatherly husband [[DeadHorseTrope rarely appears today and]] [[ValuesDissonance is largely perceived]] [[MostWritersAreMale as overtly sexist]], (similarly, the HenpeckedHusband scenario is considered nowadays to be a big TakeThat against the sole idea of a woman pulling the weight on the family-- see the description above) but this one persists. There are UnfortunateImplications on both sides-- men are told that they're useless and incompetent, at least in the realm of family life, and should really just let their wives take charge; women are told that they [[MenAreChildish can't expect their husbands to act like grownups]] and should just resign themselves to having to carry their husband's weight responsibility-wise and being regarded as the boring killjoy of the family for it.

** It's also averted with the main couple. Despite Hajime's otaku tendencies, he's shown doing just as much housework as Kaoru.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* In the Suite Life On Deck episode "Maddie On Deck", Maddie '''inadvertently''' gets engaged to an 8 year old. She learns that the only way to get out of the marriage was for Zack to duel him. After Zack loses Round 1, Maddie invokes this trope

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Randy Marsh is very much the sort of irresponsible ManChild who needs this... but half the time wife Sharon [[GenreSavvy doesn't bother any more]]. More often, it's son Stan who gets sucked into the role of StraightMan to his dad's Crazy Scheme of the Week.

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[[AC: WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Randy Marsh is very much the sort of irresponsible ManChild who needs this... but half the time wife Sharon [[GenreSavvy doesn't bother any more]]. More often, it's son Stan who gets sucked into the role of StraightMan to his dad's Crazy Scheme of the Week.

* The mandatory take by ''TheOnion'': [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-girlfriend-boyfriend-achieve-perfect-motherso,2714/ Area Girlfriend, Boyfriend Achieve Perfect Mother-Son Relationship]].

* ''Series/That70sShow'': Kitty sometimes acts like this toward Red. This is most evident in "Red Sees Red", where Kitty actually threatens to ''quit her job'' to keep an eye on Red and protect her kids from his wrath.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', [[{{Tsundere}} Chi-Chi]] treats her husband [[IdiotHero Son Goku]] very much like this. However, it could be subverted, as the fact that Goku is a phenomenally powerful alien Martial Artist makes this relationship look more equitable than most other examples -- Chi-Chi "takes care" [[{{Housewife}} of Goku at home]], Goku "takes care of her in return"... [[ChronicHeroSyndrome by saving the world on a regular basis]]. To say nothing of when Goku actually does get de-aged to a child. Also Goku's married life isn't that explored in the story, what with him either dying or away fighting aliens.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', [[{{Tsundere}} Chi-Chi]] treats her husband [[IdiotHero Son Goku]] very much like this. However, it could be subverted, as the fact that Goku is a phenomenally powerful alien Martial Artist makes this relationship look more equitable than most other examples -- Chi-Chi "takes care" [[{{Housewife}} of Goku at home]], Goku "takes care of her in return"... [[ChronicHeroSyndrome by saving the world on a regular basis]]. To say nothing of when Goku actually does get de-aged to a child. Of course with Goku being away from home or dead most of the time it's not like she can wait for him o do the chores.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', [[{{Tsundere}} Chi-Chi]] treats her husband [[IdiotHero Son Goku]] very much like this. However, it could be subverted, as the fact that Goku is a phenomenally powerful alien Martial Artist makes this relationship look more equitable than most other examples -- Chi-Chi "takes care" [[{{Housewife}} of Goku at home]], Goku "takes care of her in return"... [[ChronicHeroSyndrome by saving the world on a regular basis]]. To say nothing of when Goku actually does get de-aged to a child.