Line #767 Main/WellDoneSonGuy


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13	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/AustinPowers https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/list_small_5655.jpg]]]]
14	[[caption-width-right:350:[[BreadEggsMilkSquick Well, at least he has his priorities in order]].]]
15
16	->''"A father has to be a provider, a teacher, a role model, but most importantly, a distant authority figure who can never be pleased."''
17	-->-- '''Creator/StephenColbert''', ''Literature/IAmAmericaAndSoCanYou''
18
19	Our hero may be a perfectly NiceGuy, respectable, successful, a loving husband, and a good father. But what he really wants is for this ''one guy'' to [[SoProudOfYou acknowledge]] [[LikeASonToMe this]].
20
21	Most often, that ''one guy'' is his emotionally distant father, though it can also be TheAce, TheMentor, an AloofBigBrother, or especially that AlwaysSomeoneBetter individual, usually as an old friend of the hero. Almost always a SpecialGuest, and often a LargeHam as well. When it's a recurring character, usually a [[HelicopterParents controlling parent]].
22
23	A FawltyTowersPlot will often ensue as our hero tries increasingly more convoluted schemes to convince the "Well Done, Son!" Guy of his worth.
24
25	In the end, one of two things happens. Rarely, the "Well Done, Son!" Guy will turn out to have some kind of [[BrokenPedestal massive character flaw]], and our hero will realize that it's been a mistake to weigh his opinion so highly. This may result in the betrayed hero CallingTheOldManOut. Most of the time, though, everything comes to a head when the "Well Done, Son!" Guy finally asks the hero why he's gone to such ridiculous ends. The hero fesses up, and the "Well Done, Son!" Guy explains that he's respected the hero all along, and [[YouDidntAsk assumed the hero already knew]]. If the "Well Done, Son!" Guy is the hero's friend instead of his father, he'll often also explain that he'd always desperately wanted the respect of the hero as well (hell, sometimes the ''father'' [[WellDoneDadGuy wanted the kid's respect]], especially if there's something big and nasty in his past, probably either ignored by or unknown to the hero).
26
27	Cue the SentimentalMusicCue.
28
29	In other genres, this can be a bit more understated, with the "Well Done, Son!" Guy simply giving our hero an approving nod from a distance (or saying, [[Film/{{Babe}} "That'll do, pig"]]). If the "Well Done, Son!" Guy is a TricksterMentor or ZenSurvivor, they may have a very long and painful road ahead of them to get even that. May be part of an InadequateInheritor plot. The FantasyForbiddingFather usually inspires this sort of feeling. This dynamic is usually father-son. Mother-daughter and father-daughter are not too unusual, but mother-son is rare (unless it's the JewishMother scenario, which is almost always PlayedForLaughs). The final chapter is often DyingReconciliation.
30
31	A really unpleasant variation is when the "Well Done, Son!" Guy is already ''dead'', which in most cases means the approval and emotional bonding will never happen. At best, the character may gain some comfort by following [[MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave his understanding of what the deceased would want if he were alive]]. Sometimes due to a secondary character who knew the "Well Done, Son!" Guy well acting as a partial stand-in and saying that they would have approved.
32
33	Expect the resolution to occur either just after the climax or just before it. The former is the resolution of the character's emotional arc while the latter confirms that their character development has qualified them to face the final act.
34
35	Contrast SoProudOfYou where the child receives their parent's approval. Also contrast HatesTheirParent where the child wouldn't be bothered with seeking their approval. For the inversion, see WellDoneDadGuy. This may be caused by AntiNepotism.
36
37	----
38	!!Examples:
39	[[index]]
40	* WellDoneSonGuy/AnimeAndManga
41	* WellDoneSonGuy/ComicBooks
42	* WellDoneSonGuy/FanWorks
43	* [[WellDoneSonGuy/AnimatedFilms Film — Animated]]
44	* [[WellDoneSonGuy/LiveActionFilms Film — Live-Action]]
45	* WellDoneSonGuy/{{Literature}}
46	* WellDoneSonGuy/LiveActionTV
47	* WellDoneSonGuy/VideoGames
48	* WellDoneSonGuy/{{Webcomics}}
49	* WellDoneSonGuy/WesternAnimation
50	[[/index]]
51	[[foldercontrol]]
52
53	[[folder:Music]]
54	* The Music/SimplePlan song "Perfect" is about this.
55	-->''"And now I just try to make it,\
56	I just want to make you proud\
57	I'm never gonna be good enough for you"''
58	** Later:
59	--->''"I'm sorry I can't be [[TitleDrop perfect]]."''
60	* James Hetfield of Music/{{Metallica}}: his lyrics of "The Day That Never Comes" and "The Unforgiven".
61	* Kellin Quinn from the band Sleeping With Siren wrote the song "A Trophy Father's Trophy Son". The song was written about/from the point of view of his stepkids whose father basically abandoned them and Kellin's wife.
62	* Music/PinkFloyd: In ''Music/TheWall'', Pink's father is killed fighting in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and the gigantic void that [[DisappearedDad his absence]] leaves behind, mixed with the lack of any positive adult figures in his stead, leads to Pink being deeply insecure throughout his life, resulting in the formation of the titular wall.
63	* "User-Maat-Re" by Music/{{Nile}} depicts the exploits of its title character, the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II,[[note]]the title is derived from his throne name, User-Maat-Re Setep-En-Re[[/note]] as a desperate attempt to gain the favor of his dead father Seti I. Said exploits included the conquest of vast swaths of territory and a campaign of temple- and monument-building unmatched in the whole of Egyptian history for sheer quantity.[[note]]however, the liner notes to ''Annihilation of the Wicked'', the album that contains "User-Maat-Re", indicate that the quality was somewhat lower than certain predecessors of Ramses[[/note]] The song nonetheless depicts the spectre of Seti I as being eternally unsatisfied with his son's achievements ("[[TitleDrop User-Maat-Re]], thou hast done '''''nothing'''''"), driving Ramses to ever greater heights (or depths, if one views this as insanity).
64	* Music/FuckedUp: The ReligionRantSong "Son the Father" uses a number of family metaphors to describe humanity's relationship with God, comparing God to a distant father who shows no interest in the children that beg for his approval.
65	-->''"Daddy, Daddy, are you proud of me?"''
66	* Music/{{Nirvana}}'s "Serve the Servants", from ''Music/InUtero''
67	-->''I tried hard to have a father but instead I had a dad''
68	* "[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rTsqIdQHr3g The Price of Perfection]]" by Katherine Lynn-Rose practically epitomizes this trope.
69	-->''You've lived a life of sacrifice''\
70	''Nothing I do could dare suffice''\
71	''I'll never stop trying and trying to be''\
72	''Enough for you''
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
76	* ''TabletopGame/BlissStage'': The definition of Josh Preston's relationship to the [[{{GMPC}}the Authority Figure --]] his father Jim Preston.
77	* The Emperor to the Primarchs of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', though the relationship sours with many of them. [[Literature/HorusHeresy One in particular]] results in CallingTheOldManOut, OffingTheOffspring, CainAndAbel, the destruction of several planets, trillions of people dying, and a new dark age for the galaxy. Yeah, 40k is that kind of franchise.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Theatre]]
81	* ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon'': Elder Cunningham hopes that if he does well as a missionary, his "father will finally feel proud of [him] instead of just feeling stuck with [him]."
82	* ''Theatre/DeathOfASalesman'': Back in high school, Biff Loman idolized his father Willy, and succeeding in making him proud by becoming a star football player with a college scholarship. His worldview came crashing down when, just before the end of high school, he caught his father cheating on his mother, and subsequently sabotaged his future by refusing to attend summer school so he could graduate and go to college. Meanwhile, Biff's brother Happy has always been second best, but has none of Biff's self-awareness, and the play ends with Happy vowing to carry forward Willy's legacy [[spoiler: even knowing he committed suicide out of despair]].
83	* Cory from ''Theatre/{{Fences}}'', full on. Even remarked on almost by name:
84	-->'''Rose''': Everything that boy do... he do for you. He wants you to say, "Good job, son." That's all.
85	* Norman and Chelsea from ''Theatre/OnGoldenPond'' are a father-daughter version of this.
86	* The ''Theatre/MrsHawking'' play series: Oh, good heavens, Nathaniel. He is desperate for ''everyone'' to like him, but particularly to get Mrs. Hawking's hard-won approval. It's the single largest driving factor of his character.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
90	* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
91	** The first ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' game, a spinoff within the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' franchise, shows that this has long been the case for Franziska von Karma; there are clear hints of it in second game in the original series where she debuts, but you see it firsthand in Investigations. In the fourth case, which takes place in flashback, thirteen year old Franziska declares a competition with her adoptive brother Edgeworth to see who can solve the crime first, and proudly boasts about it to her father, Manfred von Karma. Considering how von Karma seems to care much more about Edgeworth's progress and skills than hers, this explains a lot about how desperate she was to prove herself, and why she insists to all the adults that she'll the best prosecutor around once she takes the bar. She calls her father "the anchor of her life," and it's obvious that she wants to outshine Edgeworth so he'll take more of an interest in her -- he doesn't even agree to come watch her first case once she becomes a prosecutor, and instead dismissively says that he'll think about it. Keeping in mind that Edgeworth's deceased father Gregory vexed von Karma for fifteen years, so much so that he [[spoiler: brought Edgeworth into his home and under his tutelage just so he could warp his sense of justice and one day frame him for murder,]] it makes sense that he often didn't give his daughter a passing glance. Later on, however, with the knowledge that [[spoiler: her father coerced a confession fifteen years ago during a case against Gregory, which led to a penalty on his record that inspired him to murder Gregory and let an innocent man take the fall,]] Franziska still takes pride in her family name, but she's now aware of the kind of man her father truly was -- she tells Sebastian Debeste, after he's learned that his father is [[spoiler: a HateSink of a man who murders and manipulates the justice system according to his whims,]] that a child must acknowledge the sins of their father, no matter how much they may have revered him before they knew his true character.
92	** In the sequel, [[spoiler:Sebastian Debeste]] is eventually revealed to be this for his father, having built up his entire career just to gain his approval. As it turns out, [[spoiler:Blaise was exploiting this trope by building up his son's credentials in order to use him as a pawn, which eventually leads to Sebastian CallingTheOldManOut]].
93	** In ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', Vera Misham puts her talents as [[spoiler:a forger of paintings, and later evidence]] to use for her father because she sees how happy she is able to make him by practicing those talents.
94	* In ''VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'', [[spoiler:Miyako became TheAce in an eventually fruitless bid to impress her parents, who were always quarreling each other before deciding to divorce.]]
95	* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': If [[spoiler:Rin]] had ''just'' been a little bit less of a bitch to her sister [[spoiler:[[TheWoobie Sakura]]]] and a bit more supportive instead of, say, threatening to kill her (even if she's just insecure herself), then [[spoiler:Sakura]] wouldn't have snapped and [[spoiler:tried to destroy the world]].
96	* In ''VisualNovel/{{Hakuouki}}'', Souji Okita wants nothing more than to be helpful to his father figure Isami Kondou and to earn his approval. This mostly leads to heartache for everybody, because although Kondou loves Souji like a little brother, he's somewhat oblivious to how strong his feelings run and how jealous he is of Kondou's reliance on Hijikata. Meanwhile, Souji quickly comes to the conclusion (helped along by the manipulation of Kamo Serizawa) that the only way he can be of help to Kondou is to use his prodigious talent for swordsmanship to kill Kondou's enemies... whether Kondou approves or not.
97	* In ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'', it is very strongly implied that Shizune Hakamichi's SpiritedCompetitor personality stems largely from a desire to earn the approval of her {{Jerkass}} AbusiveDad Jigoro. Unfortunately, he seems to view most of her accomplishments, including her position as StudentCouncilPresident, with contempt. Shizune is looked down upon by her father FOR her deafness, Jigoro thinks he gave life to a faulty human being who will never match his own standards.
98	* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'':
99	** Eva Ushiromiya, towards [[AbusiveParents her father Kinzo]]. [[DrunkWithPower This]] [[CainAndAbel causes]] problems.
100	** Natsuhi, Kinzo's daughter-in-law, also has this attitude towards him, perhaps even more so than Eva. [[spoiler:So much so that when he dies of natural causes, her attempts to [[OfCorpseHesAlive cover up his death]] combined with the stress from upholding the Ushiromiya family name causes her to snap, and as a result, she imagines his ghost as a kindly figure who supports and encourages her. In [=EP5=] Bernkastel tells Natsuhi, using [[LanguageOfTruth the red truth]], that Kinzo never actually thought she was good enough.]]
101	** Speaking of Bernkastel, her "double", Erika (who Bern refers to as her daughter), is in a similar position, desperately trying to gain her approval by succeeding in her objective as the Detective. Unfortunately for her, Bernkastel has... high standards, to say the least.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Web Animation]]
105	* In [[WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation Animation Vs. Minecraft]], [[spoiler: Purple's many deeds, his FatalFlaw, and his ChronicBackstabbingDisorder all stem back to him being an example of this trope, as revealed in [[MusicalEpisode Episode 29 - Note Block Universe]].]]
106	* In ''WebAnimation/BravestWarriors'', the Cereal Master's daddy issues are lampshaded, discussed, and resolved in less than five minutes.
107	* In one episode of ''WebAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls'', Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyta visits her SuperheroSchool. She is dismissive of essentially everything Diana does and every one of her friends. Hippolyta would rather have her daughter go to school back on her home island.
108	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
109	** In Season 7, Simmons sneaks into the {{Holodeck}}... and the fantasy he enacts is Sarge expressing his appreciation for Simmons's input and opinions. This is interrupted by the ''real'' Sarge... who wants Simmons to come [[YesMan agree with him]] at a staff meeting, and sees no reason why Simmons might need to know in advance what he is agreeing to.
110	** With the reveal that Carolina is the Director's daughter, this paints a different picture as to why Carolina was so determined to be Number One on the leaderboard and why she was resentful towards the current Number One Tex, who the Director shows blatant favoritism towards. For Carolina, it wasn't about being the best but just getting some sign of approval from her cold, distant father.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Roleplay]]
114	* Rosa Fiametta and to a lesser extent her sister Frankie of ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' have this type of relationship with their father, who has pretty blatant favouritism for their brother Ilario and doesn't seem to care very much about his daughters. Both want acknowledgment/attention from their father, but neither is exactly going about getting it in the right way.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Web Original]]
118	* A RunningGag on Website/{{Cracked}} is that the columnist's parents (and sometimes grandparents) are excessively disappointed by their offspring being nerdy, pasty internet writers instead of getting real jobs.
119	* [[MemeticMutation The Internet]] has been exposed to a Website/FourChan meme of this nature, [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/son-i-am-disappoint SON, I AM DISAPPOINT.]]
120	* There is also [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/high-expectations-asian-father/photos High Expectations Asian Father.]]
121	* ''Website/{{Lioden}}'': Anubis was always considered a disappointment to his father Seth due to his lack of physical prowess and creepy interest in dead things. If you choose to wake him up in Rise of the Serpent, he's surprised that you picked him to fight against the Serpent instead of his father, and says that he half-expects Seth to revive himself and attack out of sheer rage.
122	* Morpheus's ''Twisted Universe''[='s=] story "The Karma of Serenity" is about a guy who is all about this, and is a bully because his father thinks 'a real man' should act like that. [[spoiler: This ends when he becomes a girl due to his twist and she is delighted to find out that she doesn't have to follow those rules anymore]]
123	* Jobe Wilkins of the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. He's still trying to get his father's approval, even though at fourteen he's already one of the greatest bio-devisers ''on the entire planet''. His dad is the supervillain Gizmatic, who only approves of deviser stuff that's mechanical, so lots of luck on that one.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Web Videos]]
127	* ''WebVideo/BelkinusNecrohunt'': Lancel, met in Session 4, is a dragonborn that's left the safety of Belkinus Proper in order to help people in a time of need, with the ulterior motive of impressing his father and showing that he's capable of surviving on his own. [[spoiler: This is problematic, as his father is Nathaniel.]]
128	* In the ''Series/DrunkHistory'' series, Ben Franklin is said to have acted this way toward his son William, calling him "my bastard son" and at one point sitting under an umbrella while William conducts the famous kite experiment in the rain, unenthusiastically cheering "Good job, William... you're my kid."
129	* ''WebVideo/DemoReel'':
130	** Tacoma Narrows. All he's ever wanted to do is make somebody proud, and as he sent his dad to jail and his mother hates him, he finally gets it in bromance buddy/boss/best friend Donnie.
131	** Rebecca too. Her parents openly criticize her every chance they get, from sexual partners to jobs to interests, but she still tries to make them happy and get their approval.
132	** Donnie ends up taking the cake, as he beats himself up over not being able to be as hopeful as ''[[spoiler:his mother who died from suicide]]''.
133	* ''WebVideo/DreamMachine'': Josie. She is desperate to prove to her parents— and really everyone else —that her choice to become an actress has paid off.
134	* WebVideo/MothersBasement's [[https://youtu.be/5Flzk4gQAWs The anime dad's guide to child neglect]] recommends motivating your child to improve by making them crave your affection.
135	* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick sympathizes with the daughters of the ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony\|TheMovie1986}}'' movie because she knows how it feels to have a mother who thinks you're a disappointment.
136	* Until they realize he's actually fairly worthless, newbies from WebSite/ChannelAwesome are desperate to please WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic. He never notices them. Film Brain still kept his crush until ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'', but that ends bittersweetly.
137	[[/folder]]

Context Main / WellDoneSonGuy