History Main / TheLastDJ

Compare RebelliousRebel, whose conflicts with his superior are acute, not chronic, and who rapidly ends up dead or fleeing. Also compare BunnyEarsLawyer, where the traits that would hold back a Last DJ get overlooked on account of how much of an asset the character is otherwise. The traits in a Bunny Ears Lawyer are also mostly just quirks and eccentricities that may be self indulgent, as opposed to the Last DJ who is more likely to feel like he's the OnlySaneMan. The traits that cause the Last DJ to clash with his bosses or colleagues are traits related to virtuousness and work ethic in comparison to his or her more [[VastBureaucracy bureaucratic]], cliquish, or BotheringByTheBook colleagues. The Last DJ is especially at a disadvantage in a system that is [[IncompetenceInc "Broken by Design"]].

Compare RebelliousRebel, whose conflicts with his superior are acute, not chronic, and who rapidly ends up dead or fleeing. Also compare BunnyEarsLawyer, where the traits that would hold back a Last DJ get overlooked on account of how much of an asset the character is otherwise. The traits in a Bunny Ears Lawyer are also mostly just quirks and eccentricities that may be self indulgent, as opposed to the Last DJ who is more likely to feel like he's the OnlySaneMan. The traits that cause the Last DJ to clash with his bosses or colleagues are traits related to work ethic in comparison to his or her more [[VastBureaucracy bureaucratic]], cliquish, or BotheringByTheBook colleagues. The Last DJ is especially at a disadvantage in a system that is [[IncompetenceInc "Broken by Design"]].

Compare RebelliousRebel, whose conflicts with his superior are acute, not chronic, and who rapidly ends up dead or fleeing. Also compare BunnyEarsLawyer, where the traits that would hold back a Last DJ get overlooked on account of how much of an asset the character is otherwise. The traits in a Bunny Ears Lawyer are also mostly just quirks and eccentricities that may be self indulgent, as opposed to the Last DJ who is more likely to feel like he's the OnlySaneMan. The last DJ's traits usually apply to work ethic in comparison to his or her more [[VastBureaucracy bureaucratic]], cliquish, or BotheringByTheBook colleagues. The Last DJ is especially at a disadvantage in a system that is [[IncompetenceInc "Broken by Design"]].

Compare RebelliousRebel, whose conflicts with his superior are acute, not chronic, and who rapidly ends up dead or fleeing. Also compare BunnyEarsLawyer, where the traits that would hold back a Last DJ get overlooked on account of how much of an asset the character is otherwise. The traits in a Bunny Ears Lawyer are also mostly just quirks and eccentricities that may be self indulgent, as opposed to the Last DJ who is more likely to feel like he's the OnlySaneMan.

In the end, of course, if he pushes them too far the bosses might decide to fire him once and for all, his reputation be damned.

** Which earns him a NotSoDifferent from [[BigBad Kariya]], who claims that they are true swordsmen who were BornInTheWrongCentury. They do, notably, share a BloodKnight tendency never to walk away from a fight that marks them out in the increasingly bureaucratic Tokugawa regime.

** This trope is deconstructed in the play: Cyrano refuses Cardinal Richelieu's (the most powerful man in France) patronage as a playwright because [[ExecutiveMeddling Richelieu could correct one of two of his lines]], [[HonorBeforeReason recriminates De Guiche for his use of deception and spies in the war]], and [[CausticCritic stubbornly attacks all the phonies he encounters with his satirical letters]]. He never compromises. What destiny waits for the Last DJ in RealLife? He got the respect of his peers, but almost all of them died honorably at war. [[RealityEnsues At the end of his life, Cyrano lives alone, unknown and in poverty, and it is clearly implied that his numerous enemies were sick of him and arranged a cowardly assassination]]. Cyrano realizes that none of his works will ever be remembered except the one scene that was plagiarized by Moliere (who certainly was a genius playwright, but also had to compromise a lot with his patrons to be allowed to play... and is a thieving author) and dies surrounded by only three friends (who gladly would have helped him, [[DontYouDarePityMe but as Mother Margarita said, Cyrano certainly would not have let them do it)]].

* The main reason Optimus Prime in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is stuck leading a glorified repair crew is that he won't kiss ass and toe the line like Sentinel Prime does. Most obviously presented when Optimus refuses to cave in and lie about the presence of Decepticons on Earth, even though Sentinel threatens to have him locked away for "Inciting panic".

** Later episodes go on to continue deconstructing this. For example, patients impressed by Dr. Cox and familiar with the hospital's power structure wonder how Dr. Cox can only be an Attending Physician and not higher up the chain of command. Cox' therapist tries to get him to confront his self-sabotaging tendencies, basically contending that Cox lies to himself by pretending that those tendencies are idealism and staying honest rather than self-loathing. At one point when Cox criticizes his HeroWorshipper JD for playing the game and scoring brownie points with [[BadBoss Dr.]] [[ZeroApprovalGambit Kelso]], JD responds by saying "Look, I wanna be like you...but a more successful you. There's nothing wrong with playing the game once in a while." Even Dr. Cox himself shows that he realizes what a toll his behavior takes on his life. In one episode JD blows off a date to work late in an attempt to imitate Dr. Cox. When Cox learns about this he berates JD and gives the younger man some food for thought by saying "Are you trying to be like me? Newbie -- don't you realize that I just barely want to be like me?" It finally pays off for Cox in the show's last season, when he becomes Chief Of Medicine after Dr. Kelso's retirement and several other would-be Chiefs flop at the job. Even that has its downside, however, as Cox becomes so bogged down with paperwork that he barely has any face time with his beloved patients -- or even his son -- just like he was worried about.

** Mariner is an even more extreme example, as she [[AlmightyJanitor still serves as an ensign]] despite the fact that one of her fellow academy grads is already a Captain. She's been in Starfleet for a surprisingly long time, and it's implied she's been both promoted and demoted several times. She's got a strong sense of her own convictions and is extremely competent when she applies herself, but her laziness when she doesn't care and a general disdain for authority have severely limited her career advancement (which is a state she seems perfectly content with).

* Sir Sparhawk, the protagonist of Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheElenium'' series, originally held the hereditary position of Champion of the Royal House of Elenia... but when the king was corrupted by his [[BrotherSisterIncest sister]] and a greedy [[CorruptChurch Primate]], Sparhawk refused to just go along with things. He was then forced to take on the position of glorified nursemaid for the young princess Ehlana, in hopes that he'd resign his position in humiliation. Instead, he proceeded to raise her into a [[TheHighQueen brilliant ruler]]. The king finally exiled Sparhawk, sending him to keep an eye on the heretics, in the middle of the desert half a world away. Years later, once the king has died and he is allowed to return, her DeadlyDecadentCourt quickly finds that he is not only as incorruptible as ever, but now also on ''very'' [[WifeHusbandry friendly terms]] with the highest power in the kingdom. Not to mention well-armed and more than willing to prove it to anyone who impugns the honor of [[spoiler:his wife]] the Queen Elhana, or himself.

** This trope is deconstructed in the play: Cyrano refuses Cardinal Richelieu's (the most powerful man in France) patronage as a playwright because [[ExecutiveMeddling Richelieu could correct one of two of his lines]], [[HonorBeforeReason recriminates De Guiche his use of deception and spies in the war]], and [[CausticCritic stubbornly attacks all the phonies he encounters with his satirical letters]]. He never compromises. What destiny waits for the Last DJ in RealLife? He got the respect of his peers, but almost all of them died honorably at war. [[RealityEnsues At the end of his life, Cyrano lives alone, unknown and in poverty, and it is clearly implied that his numerous enemies were sick of him and arranged a cowardly assassination]]. Cyrano realizes that none of his works will ever be remembered except the one scene that was plagiarized by Moliere (who certainly was a genius playwright, but also had to compromise a lot with his patrons to be allowed to play... and is a thieving author) and dies surrounded by only three friends (who gladly would have helped him, [[DontYouDarePityMe but as Mother Margarita said, Cyrano certainly would not have let them do it)]].

** Harry Dresden becomes this himself [[spoiler: in ''Literature/BattleGround'' when his refusal to play ball with the White Council's LawfulStupid rules finally gets him cast out while his two strongest advocates on the Senior Council are incapacitated following the events of the book. When Harry is told this, and also told that he'll have to submit to random inspections or be executed, Harry tells them to get bent]].

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The internet folk tale ''The Story of Mel'' tells of a legendary programmer in the very early days of computing who is asked to do something unethical by the Big Boss. Mel refuses, and the story is told from the perspective of a junior programmer trying to understand Mel's code and make it do what the bosses ask. In the end he doesn't do it, telling the Big Boss it's impossible, but telling the audience he 'didn't feel comfortable hacking up the code of a Real Programmer.'
** TruthInTelevision: Mel is now thought to have been Mel Kaye, who worked on drum memory computers at Royal [=McBee=] in the late 50s.
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' - Lieutenant Karrin Murphy was transferred to Special Investigations specifically because she wouldn't shut up about inconvenient facts. [[spoiler:This also results in her getting demoted later, when her absence during an investigation got her in serious trouble.]] She couldn't exactly tell her boss she was helping a wizard [[spoiler:storm the Winter Queen's castle]] to rescue a teenage girl, now, could she?
** And in the book ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', she is fired (but with retirement pay, thanks to her boss at SI fighting for her) after [[spoiler: disappearing for a while in order to help Harry save his recently-discovered daughter.]]

** Later episodes go on to continue deconstructing this. For example, patients impressed by Dr. Cox and familiar with the hospital's power structure wonder how Dr. Cox can only be an Attending Physician and not higher up the chain of command. Cox' therapist tries to get him to confront his self-sabotaging tendencies, basically contending that Cox lies to himself by pretending that those tendencies are idealism and staying honest rather than self-loathing. At one point when Cox criticizes his HeroWorshipper JD for playing the game and scoring brownie points with [[BadBoss Dr.]] [[ZeroApprovalGambit Kelso]], JD responds by saying "Look, I wanna be like you...but a more successful you. There's nothing wrong with playing the game once in a while." Even Dr. Cox himself shows that he realizes what a toll his behavior takes on his life. In one episode JD blows off a date to work late in an attempt to imitate Dr. Cox. When Cox learns about this he berates JD and gives the younger man some food for thought by saying "Are you trying to be like me? Newbie-don't you realize that I just barely want to be like me?" It finally pays off for Cox in the show's last season, when he becomes Chief Of Medicine after Dr. Kelso's retirement and several other would-be Chiefs flop at the job. Even that has its downside, however, as Cox becomes so bogged down with paperwork that he barely has any face time with his beloved patients -- or even his son -- just like he was worried about.

* The main character in the 1978 comedy ''Film/{{FM}}'', although he's a station manager rather than a literal DJ.

* The Last DJ was done very literally on ''Series/{{Cupid}} 2009''.
* The protagonists of many British drama series are like this, including ''Series/InspectorMorse'', ''Series/TheLastDetective, and ''Series/RumpoleOfTheBailey''.

* The title track of [[Music/SteelyDan Donald Fagen's]] first solo album, ''The Nightfly'' is sung in-character as this sort of DJ - "''An independent station, WJAZ, with jazz and conversation, from the foot of Mt. Belzoni. Sweet music! Tonight the night is mine - late line 'til the sun comes through the skylight''"

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'''s Eda the Owl Lady see herself as this while being a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope: part of being a witch is to align oneself with one of the many covens but restricts its members to one type of magic. Eda is completely against this type of broken system and chooses to work alone, resisting any attempt to make her a member. The end result, however, is she's living in squalor, hocks human junk as treasure, and the Boiling Islands' government as marked her as a wanted fugitive (both for refusing a coven and for various forms of fraud).

* One of the most extreme cases of this trope is the film, ''Film/HiveMind'', where the main character's sticking to his standards have made him the last [[YouWillBeAssimilated unassimilated]] human in a post-apocalyptic future. Interestingly, he literally ''was'' a [=DJ=] in his younger years.

This is a character type with a lot of integrity. His skills at what he does has made him something of a legend, [[AFatherToHisMen often greatly admired by those who work beneath or alongside him.]] He refuses to just go along with what his [[ExecutiveMeddling bosses or administration want]]. Unfortunately, because he doesn't play by the rules of office politics, and because house politics here promote {{blind obedience}}, his superiors have blacklisted him and made his career stall out at a certain point. This results in a tense situation where management may be actively looking to get rid of him, but can't because of his reputation, while he wants to either just do his thing or make changes to the existing system.

* One ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' episode features Marcelo Jarti, a popular South American war hero, revolutionary, and [[GreyAndGreyMorality drug kingpin]] who spends half his time dodging assassination attempts from the US and Britain because he refuses to go along with their plans for South American politics. [[spoiler: Turns out that he was actually put in a machine that made copies of him and the original died a while ago. It isn't made clear whether he chose this or not.]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''

* ''Literature/HarryPotter''

** Captain Vimes in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' felt that he was in this situation. In his own words: "Every time he seemed to be getting anywhere he spoke his mind, or said the wrong thing. Usually at the same time."\\

However, this has become inverted as the series progresses, as Vimes is repeatedly promoted and ennobled against his wishes, having to be coerced into accepting by the Patrician. Vetinari ''likes'' having a powerful person who won't play the game; it keeps the people who ''are'' playing it worried. The ultimate example is probably the end of ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'' where, much to Vimes's own bewilderment, Vetinari gives him a pay rise for upsetting everyone important in the city, and bursting into a council meeting with an axe. Vetinari muses in one book that having an authority figure who is so staunchly ''anti-''authoritarian is "practically zen".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'''s Eda the Owl Lady see herself as this while being a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope: part of being a witch is to align oneself with one of the many covens but restricts its members to one type of magic. Eda is completely against this type of broken system and chooses to work alone resists any attempt to make her a member. The end result, however, is she's living in squaller, hocks human junk as treasure, and the Boiling Islands' government as marked her as a wanted fugitive (mainly various forms of fraud).