History Main / WellDoneDadGuy

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In the episode "Peter's Daughter" ([[AesopAmnesia at least just for one episode]]), Peter vows to become a better father to Meg after saving her from a flood which put her into a coma. Meg begins to appreciate him, but unfortunately, [[OverprotectiveDad Peter takes it too far when Michael comes in the mix]].

Because of this, parents might indignantly accuse their children of being [[UngratefulBastard ungrateful bastards]], although this isn't always the case for those who are not. There could be valid reasons why children show indifference toward their parents. Maybe parents are a bit strict when it comes to setting rules for their children, especially those who are [[TeensAreMonsters rebellious and disrespectful]], creating further animosity. Maybe parents want to force their children to [[FantasyForbiddingFather pursue a particular career, treating their own aspirations as meaningless]]; in this case, it's all about the FamilyBusiness. Also, it could be that the children think they have better things to do, such as playing video games and hanging out with their friends, rather than spending time with their parents. Whatever reason it may be, it shouldn't hurt them to acknowledge who their parents are and what they have done for them. Most cultures and value systems do include some degree of duty to HonorThyParent, after all.

Compare and contrast AbusiveParents, where the parents don't care about their children, even if they may care for their respect, and DisneylandDad, where parents give their children big, splashy gifts but don't pay much attention to them only a daily basis, sometimes due to custodial agreements.

* In ''Manga/ShinjiIkariRaisingProject'', Shinji seems a bit embarrassed about the way Gendo shows his approval of his son. In stark contrast to [[WellDoneSonGuy the canon version the series]].

* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', the only person who Kotetsu really cares about winning the respect and approval of is his daughter, Kaede. Later on, Barnaby starts feeling this way with respect to Kotetsu.

* ''Fanfic/TheBlackSheepDogSeries'': Despite claiming that he doesn't care about his wayward elder son, Orion Black does crave for Sirius's respect, and has to restrain himself from beating Sirius when the latter goes out of his way to insult him because he doesn't want to "confirm [Sirius's] worst assumptions about [him]".

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'': Aaron Davis wants nothing more in life then for his beloved nephew Miles Morales to look up to him as a role model despite his criminal past. [[spoiler:To the point that it's implied to have contributed to him becoming [[TheDragon the Prowler]], having either invented the identity to look cool before getting caught up in [[BigBad Kingpin's]] gang or decided to work with Kingpin to get the money necessary to support a lifestyle he thought would impress Miles.]]

* ''Film/UltramanCosmosTheFirstContact'' has this dynamic between the protagonist, the then 10-year-old Musashi Haruno and his stepfather, Yujiro, as Musashi's biological father, an astronaut, died in a space mission 5 years prior to the movie. Despite being merely a stepdad, Yujiro tries his best to be a good father and role model to his stepson, encouraging Musashi at every turn and inspiring the boy to excel at everything he does. By the end of the movie, Musashi finally got over his depression and had then accepted Yujiro as a father figure.

* Paul Sr. from ''Series/AmericanChopper'' tries to repair his broken relationship with his son, Paul Jr. in the GrandFinale of ''American Chopper: Senior Vs. Junior'' after he [[spoiler: fired him from the previous series which lead to its {{Cancellation}}]].

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', [[spoiler:Apollo Justice is this to his foster dad, Dhurke Sahdmadhi. Dhurke makes a surprise visit to see Apollo... after leaving him in America at least a dozen years prior. Dhurke is constantly talking to his adopted son and trying to make a connection, or even get a smile out of him, but Apollo refuses. Things eventually get better as Apollo finally comes around and acknowledges Dhurke, and even comes to appreciate him.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/TheDevilOnGString'', Kanesaki Ikuko desperately seeks the approval of her daughter Azai Kanon, despite forcefully pushing her to do figure-skating to fulfill her dream of being an Olympic gold medalist. She constantly dishes out over-the-top praise, gives her whatever she wants, and generally spoils her. While Kanon appears to accept this at first, she grows increasingly distant towards her, stopped calling her Mom, and moved in with her brother. Eventually, [[spoiler: Kanon sees through her veil and nearly decides to drive her to suicide, holding back at the last moment when she realised that, despite all that Ikuko had done to her, Ikuko was her mother]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In one episode, Homer becomes a bodybuilder and tries to climb Springfield's tallest mountain, the Murderhorn, in a bid to impress Bart. Various other episodes have him doing whatever he can to gain Lisa's and Maggie's respect (which it's not easy, that with him being not as smart as either of them, his own rampant {{Jerkass}}ery and the show's NegativeContinuity), to [[HilarityEnsues varying degrees of success]] by episode's end.

Because of this, parents might indignantly accuse their children of being {{ungratefulBastard}}, although this isn't always the case for those who are not. There could be valid reasons why children show indifference toward their parents. Maybe parents are a bit strict when it comes to setting rules for their children, especially those who are [[TeensAreMonsters rebellious and disrespectful]], creating further animosity. Maybe parents want to force their children to [[FantasyForbiddingFather pursue a particular career, treating their own aspirations as meaningless]]; in this case, it's all about the FamilyBusiness. Also, it could be that the children think they have better things to do, such as playing video games and hanging out with their friends, rather than spending time with their parents. Whatever reason it may be, it shouldn't hurt them to acknowledge who their parents are and what they have done for them. Most cultures and value systems do include some degree of duty to HonorThyParent, after all.

[[folder:Film]]
* Deconstructed in ''Film/TheWrestler''. Randy Robinson has let down his daughter Stephanie for [[DaddyDidntShow not being around her a lot]] due to [[CareerResurrection reliving his glory days in the wrestling ring]] [[spoiler:and [[BrokenPedestal didn't get the chance to once again redeem himself in her eyes]] after he failed to keep his promise to have dinner with her]].
* In ''Film/{{Warrior}}'', Paddy Conlon, who was an alcoholic dad, tries to seek forgiveness from his son [[TheUnfavorite Brendan]], who was under-appreciated in favor of his brother Tommy. Despite being reluctant about it, Brendan eventually forgave his father.

* Both Juan and Lazaro in ''Film/JuanOfTheDead''.
* Joe Brody of ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}''. As a result of the death of his wife Sandra at Janjira and his subsequent development into a ProperlyParanoid ConspiracyTheorist investigating what really caused the plant to collapse, he has become estranged from his son Ford, who thinks all his dad's crazy-sounding theories are just a pathetic attempt keep from moving on from that grief like he has. The fact that the first time in years Ford meets up with Joe is to retrieve him after he got arrested trying to sneak into the Janjira quarantine zone didn't help either.
* In ''Film/ViolentSaturday'', Shelley Martin knows that his eldest son Stevie is ashamed of him because he did not serve in UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo. (His job as mine supervisor at a copper mine was considered vital for the war effort and he was forbidden to enlist.) He is attempting to reconnect with Stevie when he is taken hostage by the bank robbers. His need to prove himself leads him to stage a DieHardOnAnX, and he is instrumental in defeating the robbers. The end of the film shows that his son now regards him as a hero.

* In ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'', the relationship between Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son, Commodus, is established as troubled from the start due to their diverging personalities. When Aurelius attempts to reason with Commodus over the latter being passed over as successor, he tells him that his "faults as a son, is [his] failure as a father". Commodus [[{{Patricide}} doesn't take that well]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'': Aaron Davis wants nothing more in life then for his beloved nephew Miles Morales to look up to him as a role model despite his criminal past. [[spoiler:To the point that it's implied to have contributed to him becoming [[TheDragon the Prowler]], having either invented the identity to look cool before getting caught up in [[BigBad Kingpin's]] gang or decided to work with Kingpin to get the money necessary to support a lifestyle he thought would impress Miles.]]
-->'''Aaron''': I'm sorry. I just... wanted you to look up to me. I let you down, man, I let you down.

* Spirit in ''Manga/SoulEater'' desperately tries to get the respect and love of his daughter, who sympathizes with her mother over him in their divorce. Whenever he [[BigDamnHeroes saves her life]] his internal monologue always shows that he hopes Maka can see how cool he's being. Maka appreciates his efforts, but is reluctant to tell him that thanks to her continued animosity towards him (that he continues [[TheCasanova the behavior]] that caused the divorce in the first place is a ''big'' roadblock between the two). Ironically enough, Maka was very much a DaddysGirl as a child, and elements of this remain in the present, even if masked by her animosity.

* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', the only person who Kotetsu really cares about winning the respect and approval of is his daughter, Kaede. Later on, Barnaby starts feeling this way with respect to Kotetsu.
-->'''Barnaby''': I just aspire to be someone worthy of his trust.
* One could make a strong case that this is the driving thematic conflict of ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}''. Tomoya spends most of the story hating his father, and the audience bears witness to his father's nonchalance, drinking habits, and rather messy lifestyle, though the father is continuously confused at why his son hates him so. This culminates in [[spoiler:episode 18 of After Story, where Tomoya, now a distant father to his young daughter, speaks with his father's mother about the hard times his dad was going through. Tomoya finally admits that, as horrible a person his dad is, he ultimately did a good job of fathering. This gives him the strength to have a similar moment with his daughter, whom we hear call him "daddy" for the first time, signifying her acceptance of him as her father after he had been so cold to her. This is followed up with the next episode, where Tomoya goes to thank and apologize to his father personally, and we learn that this entire idea was very much on his father's mind the whole time. Finally, the last scene we see in the epilogue is a flashback to a young Tomoya and his dad walking hand-in-hand in a field of flowers, symbolizing their closure.]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Anime/DragonBallGT'': when Vegeta's daughter Bulla demands that Vegeta shave off his mustache, telling him it makes him look like a "total geek", it devastates Vegeta so badly that [[ComicalOverreacting he reacts]] as if he just had a HeroicBSOD over a horrific TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, complete with a [[{{Gasp}} GASP!]], HiddenEyes, a DramaticSpotlight, and Bulla's voice echoing dramatically in a mocking ''"total geek...total geek...total geek..."'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etnt88WwbZk He then shaves off the mustache the very next day.]]

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Homer becomes a bodybuilder and tries to climb Springfield's tallest mountain, the Murderhorn, in a bid to impress Bart. Various other episodes have him doing whatever he can to gain Lisa's and Maggie's respect (which it's not easy, that with him being not as smart as either of them, his own rampant {{Jerkass}}ery and the show's NegativeContinuity), to [[HilarityEnsues varying degrees of success]] by episode's end.
* [[NoNameGiven Timmy Turner's dad]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' is, when not unwittingly contributing to Timmy's HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood, desperately trying to make his son proud.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode "[[Recap/KimPossibleS4E14MathterAndFervent Mathter and Fervent]]", Mr. Stoppable spends the episode doing things like wearing a cape, volunteering at the fire department (ending up as a cook), and coming along on a mission to get Ron to write the assignment on his hero about him.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': [[MadScientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz]]' relationship with his [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter daughter Vanessa]] revolves around this. In Vanessa's case, she's quite annoyed with his father's [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents pestering]] and tries to [[CassandraTruth convince her mom that he's evil]]. However, in episodes such as "Dude, We're Getting The Band Back Together" and "Finding Mary McGuffin", she does show appreciation for Doofenshmirtz.
* Mr. Krabs seems to have this relationship with Pearl in some episodes of ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', such as "Squeaky Boots" and "Whale Of A Birthday", despite Pearl being sometimes annoyed with him.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', if Fox would show the slightest respect for honor, morality, heck, even respect for other people's property rights, her father Halcyon Renard would give her his full approval and mega-corporation in an instant. Instead, she tries to bankrupt him so her husband Xanatos can buy the business because she considers corporate espionage and sabotage more fun.
* In the episode "Peter's Daughter" of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' ([[AesopAmnesia at least just for one episode]]), Peter vows to become a better father to Meg after saving her from a flood which put her into a coma. Meg begins to appreciate him, but unfortunately, [[OverprotectiveDad Peter takes it too far when Michael comes in the mix]].
** In "April in Quahog", Peter admits that he hated his kids. The whole episode has him trying to win back the love the kids had for him, so at the end, he buys an X-Box and the kids automatically love him again.
* Goofy in ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' and ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'' really wants his son Max to think he's cool.
* One of Creator/TexAvery's cartoons ''One Cab's Family'' has some aspects of this. The father wants his son to be a taxi cab just like him and is burdened on him being interested in being a hot rod convertible. But that changed when the son chooses the taxi cab and now everything is set right with the father. Though his son still uses a hot rod engine.
* ''WesternAnimation/LittleJohnnyJet'', also by Tex Avery, has a very similar premise. B-29 Bomber John can't get a job because everyone is looking for jets instead. His feelings of inadequacy are compounded when he and his wife Mary's (a Douglas DC-3) newborn son Junior turns out to be a jet as well. John decides to enter a contest for jets to land a huge contract to provide for his family and to prove to himself and to Junior that a bomber like him still has value. In the end, Junior bails him out, which shows John that he doesn't need to prove anything to his son. Which is good, since the military is so impressed by Junior that they place an order for 10,000 more jets just like him.
* Hunson Abadeer of ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' loves his vampire daughter Marceline and cares about her approval, but has, on a couple of notable occasions, either hurt her or forced her into something in which she has no interest. It doesn't help that he pretty much abandoned her as a child, which led to her Simon being her ParentalSubstitute.

-->'''Aaron''': I'm sorry. I just… wanted you to look up to me. I let you down, man, I let you down.

Because of this, parents might indignantly accuse their children of being [[UngratefulBastard ungrateful]], although this isn't always the case for those who are not. There could be valid reasons why children show indifference toward their parents. Maybe parents are a bit strict when it comes to setting rules for their children, especially those who are [[TeensAreMonsters rebellious and disrespectful]], creating further animosity. Maybe parents want to force their children to [[FantasyForbiddingFather pursue a particular career, treating their own aspirations as meaningless]]; in this case, it's all about the FamilyBusiness. Also, it could be that the children think they have better things to do, such as playing video games and hanging out with their friends, rather than spending time with their parents. Whatever reason it may be, it shouldn't hurt them to acknowledge who their parents are and what they have done for them. Most cultures and value systems do include some degree of duty to HonorThyParent, after all.

* [[spoiler: All for One of all people]] is this in ''FanFic/ConversationsWithACryptid''. He deeply regrets what his abandonment did to his family (he left in the first place in fear his enemies would find them), and spends most of the sequel trying to make up for it.
* ''FanFic/NobodyDies'': Asuka plays this up to the point where Kyoko is an outright {{Abusive Parent|s}}, but it also remains a facet of Shinji's relationship with his father; Gendo might be a lot less messed up with Yui still at his side, but he isn't prone to overt displays of emotion and it's not always obvious that yes, he does love his son. They spend a fair chunk of the story working through this.

* In ''[[FanFic/HotspringSouls Slice of Souls!]]'', Ornstein is this to his daughter Zoe. The reason he takes her hiking on her birthday is that he feels he's been neglectful and wants to impress her. Ironically, Ornstein is actually a pretty capable father and most of his insecurities are because of Smough taunting him.
* ''FanFic/ToHellAndBackArrowverse'': Malcolm Merlyn, of all people, becomes this to [[spoiler:his illegitimate son Oliver. This is justified by the fact that he basically ruined Oliver's life, something he already felt plenty guilty of; learning of their true relation just makes it worse, and it becomes clear that Malcolm is willing to do anything to make up for it short of giving up the Undertaking itself. What further complicates matters is that Oliver is ''completely unaware'' of the situation -- he just sees Malcolm as his distant but loving godfather, and then as his worst enemy after learning that he sabotaged the ''Gambit''. What's more, Malcolm can't tell him the truth due to the Queens forbidding it, making Malcolm's chances of reconciling with Oliver nonexistent]].

* Inverted in one of the two third Literature/RedDwarf novels (it's confusing), ''Last Human''. Arnold Rimmer is understandably dejected when his [[spoiler:long lost son has been sorely disappointed to learn that the heroic feats of his father were a fiction invented by his mother and that the reality is that his father is a sniveling coward. Then, in the end, Rimmer performs an incredibly brave (if a bit reckless) feat; even though he kind of screws up the execution (though it does accomplish the intended end) his son, looking on, is incredibly proud of the act. Seeing his son beaming with pride, Rimmer is finally freed of the neurosis that has plagued his entire existence which ultimately leads to him selflessly volunteering for a HeroicSacrifice]].

* OnceUponATime, both Regina/the Wicked Queen, and Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin perform a heel-face turn primarily to get the respect and love of their respective children, Henry and Baelfire.

* In VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice, [[spoiler:Apollo Justice is this to his foster dad, Dhurke Sahdmadhi. Dhurke makes a surprise visit to see Apollo... after leaving him in America at least a dozen years prior. Dhurke is constantly talking to his adopted son and trying to make a connection, or even get a smile out of him, but Apollo refuses. Things eventually get better as Apollo finally comes around and acknowledges Dhurke, and even comes to appreciate him.]]
* In VisualNovel/TheDevilOnGString, Kanesaki Ikuko desperately seeks the approval of her daughter Azai Kanon, despite forcefully pushing her to do figure-skating to fulfill her dream of being an Olympic gold medalist. She constantly dishes out over-the-top praise, gives her whatever she wants, and generally spoils her. While Kanon appears to accept this at first, she grows increasingly distant towards her, stopped calling her Mom, and moved in with her brother. Eventually, [[spoiler: Kanon sees through her veil and nearly decides to drive her to suicide, holding back at the last moment when she realised that, despite all that Ikuko had done to her, Ikuko was her mother]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Series/{{Monk}}'': In "Mr. Monk and the Daredevil," Harold is framed as being the masked daredevil The Frisco Fly as part of a failed plan to kill him and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. Harold doesn't set the record straight, mainly because he doesn't want to lose the new sense of respect his son is showing him after years of being embarrassed by Harold's OCD.

* In ''FanFic/NobodyDies'', Asuka plays this UpToEleven to the point where Kyoko is an outright {{Abusive Parent|s}}, but it also remains a facet of Shinji's relationship with his father; Gendo might be a lot less messed up with Yui still at his side, but he isn't prone to overt displays of emotion and it's not always obvious that yes, he does love his son. They spend a fair chunk of the story working through this.

* In VisualNovel/GSenjouNoMaou, Kanesaki Ikuko desperately seeks the approval of her daughter Azai Kanon, despite forcefully pushing her to do figure-skating to fulfill her dream of being an Olympic gold medalist. She constantly dishes out over-the-top praise, gives her whatever she wants, and generally spoils her. While Kanon appears to accept this at first, she grows increasingly distant towards her, stopped calling her Mom, and moved in with her brother. Eventually, [[spoiler: Kanon sees through her veil and nearly decides to drive her to suicide, holding back at the last moment when she realised that, despite all that Ikuko had done to her, Ikuko was her mother]].

* ''Fanfic/TheUnfantasticAdventuresOfBizarroNo1'': Backwards creature or not, SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}} ''really'' doesn't want to let his son down. Bizarro's so worried about getting Junior a "good" gift for Father's Day (it's complicated), it's cute.