History Main / FleetingPassionateHobbies

[[folder:Comics]]
* In ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'', the mother, Andy, does this a lot, sometimes becoming [[CompressedVice briefly addicted]] to the video games [[HypocriticalHumor which she criticizes Jason for playing]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Frank and Joe are hardly any better, in many books the plot is kicked off by one of them suddenly displaying a new hobby or skill they claim to have been into for years but is only now brought up.

--> ''Those who know Bertram Wooster best are aware that he is a man of sudden, strong enthusiasms and that, when in the grip of one of these, he becomes a remorseless machine -- tense, absorbed, single-minded.''

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the Cutie Mark Crusaders do this a lot. They tend to approach pretty much every new activity with endless enthusiasm and put a lot of effort into it, and then abandon it as soon as it becomes evident that it won't get them their cutie marks. Some of the things they've tried include zip-lining, journalism, musical performance, and hairstyling. [[spoiler: They finally get their cutie marks in the season five episode "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", and their special talent turns out to be helping other ponies with ''their'' cutie marks. The Crusaders realize this only after they decide to [[SweetAndSourGrapes stop focusing so hard on getting their cutie marks]].]]

* According to Roy's mother in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', this is his father Eugene's big problem; When he discovers a new goal, he becomes utterly fixated on it...up until he gets bored and moves on to something else. Apparently, he has such a bad case of this that when he's actually compelled to see a project through, he'll get bitter and ornery. His desperation with Xykon is not because he particularly cares about avenging the Sorcerer's victims, but because he can't cross over until the lich is destroyed for good.

* The manga version of ''Manga/BattleRoyale'' takes this to an extreme with Kazuo Kiriyama, who, due to a brain injury he suffered in utero, was unable to display any sort of passion. Hence, after mastering a particular hobby, he'd discard any interest in it. For example: he mastered a violin in a short amount of time, then threw the violin away. Likewise with a painting he created.

* ''Losing Joe's Place'': Rootbeer Racinette, a secondary character and later indispensable plot coupon from Gordon Korman's book. He has a running gag where he gets a new hobby every day, and later is turned into a variety act by his desperate for money "friends".

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Hal from ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' took up board games, skating, NASCAR, robot building, painting and various others. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in one episode that features this happening with DDR: We learn that he and Lois have an agreement that Hal can indulge in these things as long as it doesn't interfere with his job, as they both know the obsession isn't going to last. It's implied that these hobbies are one of the primary causes of their financial difficulties.

*** However Sisko rediscovered that when tachyons interact with the sails on a Bajoran Light-Ship, they are capable of accelerating them to Warp-speeds. Since this proved the Bajorans claim that they used Light-Ships to make First Contact with Cardassians, it's likely it was deemed historical significant and placed into a museum.

*** Paris however is shown as having kept these hobbies in addition to his new ones. As reviewer WebSite/SFDebris notes, given all of his many skills and hobbies, Paris is incredibly ''overqualified''... and he's the guy Starfleet ''doesn't'' want?!

* Ellen of ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'' would show up with different passions and/or different jobs. She was absolutely fixated on each one for the episode it lasted for--marching band, woodshop, and vending machine repair in one episode. Invariably, each one would disappear after it had lost its plot relevance--except for marching band, which in a surprising bit of continuity was mentioned a season before she developed an obsession with it.

--> '''Wilson:''' I'm looking for a new hobby. I've narrowed it down to channeling Aztec spirits, or roller blading.
* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', Hank Schraeder starts collecting minerals while recovering from a botched hit, but loses interest once he can walk again.

* ''Series/FrontierCircus'': In "Calamity Circus", Tony is shown with a overwhelming desire to master other skills of clowning, and spends much of the episode learning how to be a clown. This is at odds with his personality in other episodes where he is happy being the advance man and shows no interest in actually performing.

* According to Roy's mother in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', this is his father Eugene's big problem; When discovers a new goal, he becomes utterly fixated on it...up until he gets bored and moves on to something else. Apparently, he has such a bad case of this that when he's actually compelled to see a project through, he'll get bitter and ornery. His desperation with Xykon is not because he particularly cares about avenging the Sorcerer's victims, but because he can't cross over until the lich is destroyed for good.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': In "The Gi", there's a flash back to when Gumball and Darwin quickly got tired of football, tennis, horseback riding and figure skating (in the case of the last one, only Gumball got tired of it). For each one, we get a cumulative counter of how much money they've wasted starting these things and going nowhere with them.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' brings us Mr. Bickles. In every episode he has a new "dream". Examples include running a Seafood Restaurant, being a Vegas Magician, Being a playwright and being a lifeguard. These are the tip of the iceberg. With each new dream, he invests his time and money. He is usually already at work and gushing about how he finally accomplished it. A word of advice:[[BerserkButton Do not ruin Mr.Bickles' dream]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'': In "Helen's All Thumbs", Helen takes up video gaming and becomes passionate on it. However, she has to give the games up because they make her see things and she neglects feeding her dogs.

*** It's also used to handwave EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, as Sulu was originally head of the Botany department, but was changed to helmsman to get his closer to the action on the Bridge. Botany then became a fleeting hobby to explain this change.

* A recurring plot on ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' is Bobby getting passionately, almost religiously into something for a short amount of time, only to drop it off soon after. This is justified in-series by Bobby being a teenager. Indeed, Bobby usually ends up acting much like an ill-informed adolescent would; [[KnowNothingKnowItAll knowing only the basics of his new hobby (if that)]], while constantly [[SoapboxSadie refusing to shut up about it]].

* Tommy Oliver from the ''PowerRangers'' metaseries suffers from this seasonally. He's had brief but intense interest in martial arts (he stays good, but he only did it purely for pleasure in the first season or two), American football, and ''racecar driving''. Most notably, he actually got a job doing that last one immediately following high school graduation, only to show up seven years later as a high school science teacher (with a Ph.D. in Paleontology) who'd retired from being a successful mad scientist who worked with biological experiments. It is unknown how, or if, he ever finds the time to sleep.

* Bender in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' has been through quite a few of these, though his love of cooking and folk music have persisted as part of his character.

* Bender in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' has been through several of these, though his love of cooking and folk music have persisted as part of his character.

** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Sulu had an interest in botany in one episode (ISTR) and in fencing in another. Also, antique firearms. The novel ''Death Count'' runs with this, claiming he picks up a new hobby on every shore leave. It's WordOfGod -- the original 1960's ''Star Trek Writer's Guide'' describes Sulu as a serial hobbyist, but this personality trait was only really played up in the early episodes of the series. It's even {{Lampshaded}} in "The Naked Time," when Riley mentions that Sulu's passion for botany has switched to fencing. The botany hobby gets briefly mentioned again in the third season episode "The Way To Eden." The fencing also comes up in the [[ContinuityReboot rebooted]] [[Film/StarTrek movie]].

* "WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' brings us Mr. Bickles. In every episode he has a new "dream". Examples include running a Seafood Restaurant, being a Vegas Magician, Being a playwright and being a lifeguard. These are the tip of the iceberg. With each new dream, he invests his time and money. He is usually already at work and gushing about how he finally accomplished it. A word of advice:[[BerserkButton Do not ruin Mr.Bickles' dream]].

* In many ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' settings, the [[OurGnomesAreWeirder Gnomes]] are portrayed as [[MadScientist tinkerers]], and as such will often fall under this trope. In less grim settings (or [[WhileRomeBurns occasionally, grim settings]]), the [[OurElvesAreBetter Elves]] might as well, especially if they are carefree or hedonistic.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the Cutie Mark Crusaders do this a lot. They tend to approach pretty much every new activity with endless enthusiasm and put a lot of effort into it, and then abandon it as soon as it becomes evident that it won't get them their cutie marks. Some of the things they've tried include zip-lining, journalism, musical performance, and hairstyling. [[spoiler: They finally ''do'' get their cutie marks in the season five episode "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", and their special talent turns out to be helping other ponies with ''their'' cutie marks.]]

* In the ITV adaptations of Agatha Christie's HerculePoirot mysteries, Poirot's sidekick Arthur Hastings is often engrossed in a new hobby that requires expensive equipment: golf, photography, sports cars...

* Chet, from ''TheHardyBoys'' series is prone to this. Shot Put, Ventriloquism, Scrimshaw, Spelunking...

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the Cutie Mark Crusaders do this a lot. They tend to approach pretty much every new activity with endless enthusiasm and put a lot of effort into it, and then abandon it as soon as it becomes evident that it won't get them their cutie marks. Some of the things they've tried include zip-lining, journalism, musical performance, and hairstyling.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Pictured above, in "The Gi" a flash back to when Gumball and Darwin quickly got tired of football, tennis, horseback riding and figure skating (in the case of the last one, only Gumball got tired of it). For each one, we get a cumulative counter of how much money they've wasted starting these things and going nowhere with them.

* "WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''Brings us Mr. Bickles. In every episode he has a new "dream". Examples include running a Seafood Restaurant, being a Vegas Magician, Being a playwright and being a lifeguard. These are the tip of the iceberg. With each new dream, he invests his time and money. He is usually already at work and gushing about how he finally accomplished it. A word of advice:[[BerserkButton Do not ruin Mr.Bickles' dream]].