History Main / ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. See also ScamReligion, for when Bob tries to get others to believe in his nonsense. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClaus and TheLadyOfTheLake.

** The evil trio who tempts V takes on the role of EmpoweringLakeLady, but subverts the role to snare the wizard. V is manipulated into accepting a price they doesn't understand (rather than admit that their own power had failed yet again) and is tricked to believe that they has an excuse to let hir more destructive tendencies run wild without accepting true responsibility for the havoc. Also, the power the trio give is tainted and fatally flawed in itself, not at all what V had imagined "Ultimate Arcane Power" to be, as revealed when [[spoiler:s/he tries to take down Xykon and gets schooled by the vastly more powerful lich]].

* [[This http://xkcd.com/842/]] XKCD comic.

* [This http://xkcd.com/842/] XKCD comic.

* In ChickTracts, false gods and other devils often fill the [[FauxEmpoweringEntity FEE role]], offering people what the victims already have or what the devils can't provide. Especially God-as-worshipped-by-catholics-and-muslims gets portrayed this way a lot. However, humans are fully capable of being [[FauxEmpoweredPerson FEP]] without any help from demons. The page illustration is from a tract where a kid [[JumpOffTheSlipperySlope jumps off the slippery slope]] and become a serial killer from finding out Santa and the Easter Bunny ''aren't real''.

* In ''Cinderella's Sister'', the "fairy godmoter" is all about hurting young women's selfesteem so that they will desirer more expensive clothes, cosmetic surgery etc. And she's not a real person either, merely an advertisement mascot.

* In ChickTracts, false gods and other devils often fill the [[FauxEmpoweringEntity FEE role]], offering people what the victims already have or what the devils can't provide. Especially God-as-worshipped-by-catholics-and-muslims gets portrayed this way a lot. However, humans are fully capable of being [[FauxEmpoweredPerson FEP]] without any help from demons. The page illustration is from a tract where belief in the easter bunny and SantaClaus lead a kid to JumpOffTheSlipperySlope and become a serial killer.

Bob thinks he has someone really special helping him. A guardian angel, a fairy godmother, the president of the United States, a wise alien, something like that. This fake or imaginary benefactor gives Bob something that makes him feel special and chosen.

Bob thinks he has someone really special helping him. A guardian angel, a fairy godmother, the president of the United States, a wise alien, something like that. This fake or imaginary benefactor (FauxEmpoweringEntity) gives Bob (FauxEmpoweredPerson) something that makes him feel special and chosen.

*** For the record: Shoutaro being a self-involved jerk and her mother being an abusive and neglectful harpie, the most meaningful emotional connection Kyoko had in her ''whole early life'' was in those couple of weeks with Corn. Probably a large part of why she has never hesitated to keep believing in fairies. (Of course, given her Hate Demons have actual psychic and possibly sometimes physical effects and the ESP guy seems to be the real deal, she may be correct to believe in fairies. She also hallucinates them sometimes. ([[OrIsIt Or not.]])
** Kyoko, in a mini version of this, has become Ren's [[TheObiWan gag Obi Wan]] in costume as a rooster named Bou. His relationship with the rooster has evolved oddly and with no apparent introspection on his part over the course of the series, although he seems to think it's a guy older than himself. Since his reaction when this comes out will be primarily embarrassment (and amazement at how oblivious she can be, given Bou's been giving him advice about seducing the teenage girl he's in love with without Kyoko ever suspecting it's her), it's much easier to look forward to than the collapse of Ren's web of lies. It should be ''hilarious''.
*** She would never have become so close to him without the Bou thing, since he was a jerk to Kyoko and the situation where Bou met Ren allowed a unique perspective, which allowed her to hate him less, although it got worse before it got better.

* In the world of ''{{Slayers}}'', there are plenty of real, actual demons, many of whom are openly seeking humans with whom to make an infernal pact with. So it's kind of [[ZeroPunctuation impressive, in a retarded kind of way]], that the GoldfishPoopGang HarmlessVillain manages to be a fervent worshipper of a demon who apparently doesn't actually exist.

* ScarredLands: One of the lesser ChaoticEvil gods is fake. The Chaotic Evil overgod killed but then pretended to make him a God so that his followers would pray to the overgod who slayed him while believing that it is him they serve. Why? ForTheEvulz, of course. And all the poor minions get for their faithful service is the horrors of Hell. Note that this isn't a ScamReligion: It is a real ReligionOfEvil that really worship an evil God - it's just that they have been decieved regarding ''which'' evil God hears their prayers!

** [[PlayedWith]] because he knows for a fact that he ''does'' have an anonymous benefactor, it's just his guess is incorrect; it's actually [[spoiler:the convict he helped at the beginning of the book]].

* Pip from GreatExpectations believes his sudden endowment to be from Mrs. Havisham to groom him into a proper husband for her ward, Estella. He's quite shocked to find otherwise.

Bob thinks he has someone really special helping him. A guardian angel, a fairy godmother, the president of the united states, a wise alien, something like that. This fake or imaginary benefactor (FauxEmpoweringEntity) gives Bob (FauxEmpoweredPerson) something that makes him feel special and chosen.

Consequentially Bob may consider his own actions justified based on having the benefactor's blessing (or acting as per her advice or direct order). However, Bob is totally wrong. And the results are likely to be disastrous as Bob builds his life on a lie and maybe drag others into the mess.

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClaus and TheLadyOfTheLake.

* Played for maximum tragedy & angst in the StarTrekVoyager episode [[spoiler:''Course Oblivion'']]. The crew put their trust in a shapeshifting alien who they believe to be the Star Fleet Captain Katheryn Janeway. This creature does believe itself to be Janeway, and it's trying to keep her crew safe and get them home, just like the real Janeway would. Too bad for the crew that she's not a real Star Fleet officer, and have a really flawed understanding of what is "safe" and what is "home".

* In TheWizardOfOz, the Wizard is ultimately proven to be a fraud, giving out {{Magic Feather}}s as if they was real gift. (However, the gifts are symbolic. Thus they can be considered valid in the film version, which was AllJustADream.) In the novels, the Wizard later learns real magic that nonetheless never has as big an effect on characters or the story as those three symbolic gifts he gave in the first book.

* Played for maximum tragedy & angst in the StarTrekVoyager episode [[spoiler:''Course Oblivion'']]. The crew put their trust in a shapeshifting alien who they believe to be the Star Fleet Captain Katheryn Janeway. This creature do believe itself to be Janeway, and it's trying to keep her crew safe and get them home, just like the real Janeway would. Too bad for the crew that she's not a real Star Fleet officer, and have a really flawed understanding of what is "safe" and what is "home".

Bob thinks he has someone really special helping him. A guardian angel, a fairy godmother, the president of the united states, a wise alien, something like that. This benefactor (FauxEmpoweringEntity) gives Bob (FauxEmpoweredPerson) something that makes him feel special and chosen.

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClause and TheLadyOfTheLake.

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. When it comes to TheLadyOfTheLake and similar, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity for the real thing. Note however that EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity is a subtrope

[[caption-width-right:226:Even in a less {{anvilicious}} [[TheVerse universe]], blind trust can still be a bad idea.]]

Consequentially Bob may have his own actions justified based on having the benefactor's blessing (or acting as per her advice or direct order). However, Bob is totally wrong. And the results are likely to be disastrous as Bob builds his life on a lie and maybe drag others into the mess.

Consequentially Bob may his own actions justified based on having the benefactor's blessing (or acting as per her advice or direct order). However, Bob is totally wrong. And the results are likely to be disastrous as Bob builds his life on a lie and maybe drag others into the mess.