Sandbox / Pygmalion Plot Wick Check

Correct: Character falls in love with their creation

1. Film.Ruby Sparks: "Literally. Thinking about Pygmalion is what inspired Zoe Kazan's story. Ruby is Galatea: she's Calvin's ideal woman and muse, and after he writes her into existence he can control every aspect of her through his writing — at least until she rebels." ("Ideal woman" on a page about a romcom. There's also another sinkhole in the description)
2. Recap.Star Trek S 3 E 13 Elaan Of Troyius: "Captain Kirk must teach the Dohlman of Elaas civilized manners before her wedding to the ruler of the planet Troyius. He ends up falling in love with her because he touches her tears — and the tears of Elasian women are a potent love potion."
3. Characters.Family Guy Antagonists: "She turned Chris into the most popular kid in school as a joke but the mock relationship turned genuine. Eventually, Chris actually became the one to callously drop her into the bottom of the social poll."
4. Film.Victor Frankenstein: "After Victor rescues Igor from the circus, he essentially "transforms" the latter into a younger version of himself. Victor fixes the hunchback's deformity so that Igor is no longer a cripple, Victor gives Igor fashionable clothing which is very similar (if a little less ostentatious) to his own, and encourages Igor's scientific talent by having him work as his lab assistant. Victor gradually grows to care for Igor and ends up needing Igor more than Igor needs him." Clarifies that it's a platonic example, but the emphasis is on the caring.
5. Literature.In Dreams Awake: "Helen O'Loy": An endocrinologist and a roboticist have a bet as to whether a robot could be made to act like a real woman. The endocrinologist insists no robot could duplicate the complex biological system that created emotions, the roboticist insists it could. The roboticist wins when the endocrinologist not only has to admit that Helen has human-like emotions, but eventually marries her. (The roboticist, who narrates the story, eventually admits to the audience that he fell in love with her as well.)
6. Theatre.Born Yesterday: "Billie is rather crass but becomes more educated and cultured with Paul's help. Because of this she realizes that Harry is a terrible person and eventually gets with Paul."
7. Fridge.Culture Club: "If you take the lyrics of "Mannequin" literally instead of writing them off as nonsense, it can be one of the best demonstrations of Creating Life Is Awesome. Who better to fall in love with than your own creation?"
8. WesternAnimation.Anastasia: Two con-men, Dimitri and Vlad, style an orphan to pass for the Empress's long-lost granddaughter, and the younger, Dimitri, is smitten when he sees his creation succeed. Unbeknownst to all of them, she really is Anastasia. Though, of course, he loved her all along.
9. Literature.Galatea In 2 D: "Roger thinks this at first, since the nymph was drawn as his ideal of an ideal woman." Light context, the description says "the hero discovers that his drawings can be brought to life" so she is his creation
10. Series.Will And Grace: ""Fagmalion", in which Will and Jack teach the Straight Gay Barry to be a "proper" homosexual, then both get a crush on him."
11. ComicBook.Madame Frankenstein: "The whole plot can be considered an adaptation of the story of Pygmalion and Galatea. Vincent creates Galatea (whom he purposefully names after the Greek character) with the intent of creating the perfect woman, but unlike the story of Pygmalion, Galatea does not love him back and he reveals his true colors as the true villain of the story."
12. ComicBook.Fall Out Toy Works: "On top of the Toymaker dealing with a failing factory and a robot going through an existential crisis living with a man she might not even want to love comes another complication...The Toymaker has fallen in love with his creation. She might just feel the same."
13. Recap.Buffy The Vampire Slayer S 5 E 15 I Was Made To Love You: " Averted; Warren thought he'd fall in love with his creation, but she turned out to be boring, as compared to his real-life unpredictable girlfriend." Not an aversion
14. Film.Aggie Appleby Maker Of Men: " Gender Inverted: Aggie “creates” Schlumpy into a tough guy and a fighter, but she realizes that she doesn’t really like these qualities."
15. Film.Just One Of The Guys: "Terry decides that she can turn Rick into a popular student. She falls in love with him."
16. Music.SHI Nee: "The music video for "Married To the Music" involves a bride who creates her "ideal" groom by using Key's head, Taemin's eyes, Jonghyun's mouth, Onew's nose, and Minho's body."
17. Series.The Twilight Zone 2002: "In "Dream Lover", a bored artist decides to create the literal girl of his dreams to help him unwind after drawing her on a sheet of paper. She gradually becomes more rebellious and starts to ignore him until she reveals that he didn't create her, she created him. She erases him when he becomes jealous of her romance with a real man."
18. Main.Evil Overlord: "even his own Hot Consort was a female Darkling he created magically." (The Darkness entry)
19. Theatre.Educating Rita: "Subverted. It's implied that Frank falls for Rita over the course of her lessons, but also that his attraction is to her down-to-earth, innocently enthusiastic self, having been long jaded by the pretension of academia."
20. Website.Neopian Times Writers Forum: "Deconstructed with Aldrich; he brings his statue to life but she does not love him back and leaves."
21. Literature.George And Azazel: "A super creepy example with Dr Smith and Suzanne, given she's his biological daughter. The term "Pygmalion fantasy" is even used to refer to his relationship with her. He gave her plastic surgery to make her strikingly beautiful, and also coached her on how to behave and speak, bought her an apartment and hired a personal shopper for her. Smith was completely obsessed with Suzanne, to the point she found him overbearing. Even after her death, he continues to be obsessed with her, making other patients physically resemble her and becoming fixated on one woman, Barbara Tompkins, who particularly reminds him of Suzanne."
22. Main.I Want My Beloved To Be Fashionable: "Opposite of the Pygmalion Plot, where a burning desire to change someone results in falling in love."
23. Fanfic.Uchibi Sasuke: " Sasuke trains Sakura to become a stronger ninja in hopes of polishing her into a proper Uchiha wife."
24. Manga.My Dear Marie: "Unlucky at love, he creates a robot with the appearance and name of his crush, Mari."

Making someone more high-class/cultured/popular

1. Recap.The Nanny S 1 E 3 My Fair Nanny: " Maxwell and Niles try to give Fran a crash-course in upper-class etiquette."
2. Playing Cyrano: "Rogelio asks Jane to come with him to a dinner party and help him look smart and cultured in front of Dina's friends. Jane and Dina, who are both writers, refer to the "classic" codifiers of Playing Cyrano and Pygmalion Plot; Rogelio is only familiar with the modern remakes, clarifying that he means like in Roxanne and My Fair Lady." Invoked Trope example as My Fair Lady is namedropped
3. Doctor Who – Classic Series Companions: "The original idea (without the "falling in love with her" bit). Leela defies the trope by learning just enough about technology and manners to get by, but intentionally staying very true to her savage origins. On more than one occasion, she ends up convincing others that her way of life is just more fun."
4. Literature.Queen Of Babble: "Tiffany references this in regards to Lizzie helping Ava Geck with her public image, though she mixes up the names "Eliza Higgins" and "Dr. Doolittle". This actually does happen, with Geck becoming more civilized."
5. Characters.Batman Rogues Gallery Part 3: "The basis of Professor Pyg's crimes and theme is based on a perversion of the Pygmalion play. He mutilates his victims both physically and mentally into Dollotrons based on his warped sense of belief of what a perfect human being should look like." Played for Horror?
6. Manga.Goldfish Warning: " Albeit a doomed enterprise from the start. Chitose tries and fails to "refine" Inakano's students."
7. Awesome.Contra Points: "It's not who I am. All your advice is just trying to turn me into you. Well, that's not what aesthetics is. Aesthetics is the expression of an inner truth. And I'll only ever be a second-rate Justine, but I can be a first-rate Tabby." I think?
8. Characters.Bo Jack Horseman Hollywoo Businesses: "A rather twisted version, since it involves a rather unfortunate case of Carnivore Confusion, but "Chickens" still focuses on Todd and Becca's relationship and how the former tries to adapt the latter to fit into society to avoid being caught and slaughtered."
9. WebVideo.Emma Approved: "Emma is very condescending and manipulative towards her, and starts a Pygmalion Plot (where she helps Harriet become more sophisticated) because she's certain that this is the best for her. "
10. Literature.Mairelon The Magician: "Complete with speech lessons." ZCE, but this is at least a "sophisticate" trait
11. Recap.Recess S 1 E 7 First Name Ashley: "Subverted. The Ashleys try to force Spinelli to become a proper lady, but due to treating her as a slave and Ashley intern and forcing their views on her, she wants out as soon as possible."
12. Recap.Brooklyn Nine Nine S 5 E 13 The Negotiation: "Holt and Terry trying to make Hitchcock a more presentable officer for the interview. Hitchcock recognizes it from My Fair Lady... or rather, its porn parody My Bare Lady."

Other Usage

1. Shaking Her Hair Loose: In "Someone To Watch Over Me", the Emergency Medical Hologram encourages Seven of Nine to do this while preparing her for a date. He's visibly entranced by the results. Doesn't say if he's making her more cultured, giving her a makeover, or just being supportive.
2. Characters.Hercules The Legendary Journeys: Atlanta creates a statue of Hercules in "If I Had A Hammer" that gains life of its own, but its very child-like. He is mistaken for a monster by a crowd and sacrifices his life to save both Atalanta and the real Hercules. No mention of love
3. Film.The Odd Life Of Timothy Green: "The premise of the film is about a couple who decide to create their ideal son/daughter after they are unable to conceive their own. That night their ideal "child" magically appears to them and they have to both raise him and learn how to be parents." Are we considering platonic/familial love here?
4. Characters.Wings Of Fire Main Antagonists: "He still tries to bring Clearsight back by enchanting other dragons, with little success." ???
5. ShoutOut.Video Games: The person who made all the dolls that populate the manor is named Pygmalie, in reference to Pygmalion Plot. Referencing the myth

ZCE

1. TearJerker.Oblomov: "She realizes that her Pygmalion Plot is failing and she can't drag him around for the rest of their lives."
2. Literature.The Fall Of The Sea People: "Literal example, with Aclaí as Pygmalion and Éirime as Galatia - with Anleacán for her pedestal. Then she is Selected and he never speaks to her again." What went on between Aclai and Eirime? did he make her? metaphorically "make" her?
3. YMMV.Gallifrey: "some variant on Romana/Brax is quite popular and a one-sided Pygmalion Plot actually becomes canon"
4. Characters.Sky High 2005: "Entry for The Svengali: Specifically of the weaker-willed variety that ultimately becomes dependent on their "creation." Not sure what this means
5. Literature.The Metamorphoses: " One of the stories told in the poem, and one of the few with a truly happy ending." This is the Trope Namer.
6. Recap.Scooby Doo Mystery Inc S 1 E 5 The Song Of Mystery: "The Shaggy/Velma B-plot"
7. Series.Magnum PI: ""Professor Jonathan Higgins". Magnum even lampshades it, referring to My Fair Lady. Higgins, purist that he is, prefers that he compare it to Pygmalion itself." Doesn't say what happened
8. Main.Hollywood New England: "Spike Heels (a Pygmalion Plot set in Boston) benefits significantly if the actors (and the audience) understand the difference between upper- and working class Boston accents."
9. Characters.Texhnolyze: "Between her and Ichise."

Stats:

• 24/50 or 48%: Correct use; a character falls in love with their creation
• 12/50 or 24%: Just about a character becoming more sophisticated without the "falling in love" stipulation"
• 14/50 or 28%: ZCE/Other