History Main / JealousParent

This is often the flip side of the OedipusComplex. Sub-trope of ParentsAsPeople. Audience sympathy tends to vary according to how well they knew the parents before they became parents: TheHero who marries his LoveInterest and has BabiesEverAfter tends to be more sympathetic than the guy we meet mid-tantrum as his wife is changing their son's nappy.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia, escalating all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to [[DomesticAbuse domestic violence]]. During a calm "honeymoon" phase in the cycle of abuse, a HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the three of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a two-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of episode 6, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis, and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

See also ObnoxiousInLaws, LetHerGrowUpDear, MyBelovedSmother, OverprotectiveDad, and VisitByDivorcedDad.

* In ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' Brian Banner, Bruce’s appallingly abusive father cites this as a reason why he hates his only son — because Bruce took all of his wife Rebecca’s love. Brian stated he never wanted kids and thought Bruce was a monster from the get-go so seeing said child get nothing but love and care from his mother whom Brian wanted purely for himself eventually made him snap. [[TilMurderDoUsPart Cumulating in Brian murdering Rebecca]] [[HarmfulToMinors in front of Bruce]] as the mother and son were trying to escape from the abusive piece of shit.

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

** Variation in the ''Literature/TheShining'' Wendy is pretty jealous of her husband Jack whom their beloved son Danny can’t help but love several degrees more than her (he does love his mother, but utterly idolises his father). Wendy herself loved her father more than her mother and vice-versa, which is why her mother is so cold and emotionally abusive towards her. Ironically in the [[Film/TheShining Kubrick adaptation]] and its [[Film/DoctorSleep sequel]] the dynamic is completely reversed, Danny is far closer to Wendy something Jack seemingly held against both of them.

* In ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' Brian Banner, Bruce’s appalling abusive father cites this as a reason why he hates his only son — because Bruce took all of his wife Rebecca’s love. Brian stated he never wanted kids and thought Bruce was a monster from the get-go so seeing said child get nothing but love and care from his mother whom Brian wanted purely for himself eventually made him snap. [[TilMurderDoUsPart Cumulating in Brian murdering Rebecca]] [[HarmfulToMinors in front of Bruce]] as the mother and son were trying to escape from the abusive piece of shit.

%%* Among many other issues, Brian Banner felt this way toward his son [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce]]. [[AbusiveParents He doesn't get better]], [[TilMurderDoUsPart and the situation ends in tragedy]].

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Jaime was like this with Cersei after the birth of their firstborn. Complicated somewhat because theirs is a SecretRelationship, so their son's paternity had to stay secret. Parenthood wasn't something they experienced together--Cersei was socially considered a mother but Jaime ''wasn't'' socially a father, and did not act as one. This made parenthood a wedge between them even moreso than it is for most couples.

Given the bond that pregnancy forages between mother and child, jealous fathers are by far the most common example of this, although the inverse is also possible. Same-sex couples are not exempt, either. A perfectly even division of labor a nice idea, but very difficult to actually implement. Almost invariably, one parent will emerge as the primary caregiver, and their lover may feel displaced.

Given the bond that pregnancy forages between mother and child, jealous fathers are by far the most common example of this, although the inverse is also possible. Gay couples are not exempt, either. A perfectly even division of labor a nice idea, but very difficult to actually implement. Almost invariably, one parent will emerge as the primary caregiver, and their lover may feel displaced.

Given the bond that pregnancy forages between mother and child, jealous fathers are by far the most common example of this, although the inverse is also possible. Gay couples are not except either. A perfectly even division of labor a nice idea, but very difficult to actually implement. Almost invariably, one parent will emerge as the primary caregiver, and their lover may feel displaced.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia -- the LoveTriangle (although it's platonic on both sides for Claudia) goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to [[DomesticAbuse domestic violence]]. During a calm "honeymoon" phase in the cycle of abuse, a HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the three of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a two-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of episode 6, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis, and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

This can be understandable, to some extent: becoming a parent is a major life change for a couple. Even the SickeninglySweethearts will get a rude wake-up call when their child is screaming to be fed just as they settled down for a snuggle. Babies require time, money, affection and attention... and that means, no matter how hard mum and dad try to carry on as normal, someone or something else is going to have less of those things. Usually, in fiction at least, it's the spouse/partner. And if it's ''not'', that can easily slide into ParentalNeglect.

Suddenly, they are no longer the center of their partner's universe. They may feel that their wife/husband/partner no longer regards them as a "lover," but rather as "the other parent of my child." It's not that their husband/wife doesn't love them any more -- it's just that children need more care than adults, and that means more time. Some partners have real trouble with this, especially when they're left kissing thin air because their partner ran off to tend to their child.

Dad is more likely to be the resentful party, although resentful mothers aren't unheard of. In the case of mum, she'll often have felt resentful throughout the pregnancy, and angry that her partner keeps talking to the "bump" instead of her. She may accuse her husband of treating her as a walking incubator, not the woman he fell in love with. Usually, the "social demotion" aspect of motherhood (for example, a woman feeling that she loses her identity as a person because other people see her only as a mother) will be a major theme in the plot, and her jealous parent characterization will be tangential to that theme. In the case of dad..? He's more prone to getting the ManChild treatment. His wife is almost certain to complain that she now has "one extra baby" rather than a partner. A male jealous parent is less likely to receive CharacterDevelopment than a female: his jealousy will be either a permanent flaw or, on the other end of the scale, PlayedForLaughs.

Resentful parents fall on a sliding scale of understandable to Jerkass:

* '''Concerned:''' Yes, this parent is a little resentful at being left out in the cold, but overall their motivation is altruistic. The attention their partner gives the child is truly over-the-top, and they run a real risk of turning into a [[MyBelovedSmother smothering parent]] or an overly-restrictive one. The "resentful" parent is actually more concerned that the child will be adversely affected, or that their partner is burning themself out -- the fact that their spouse hasn't spoken to them since the kid was born is a lesser concern.
* '''Justified:''' The parent really is resentful, but their partner's behavior is obviously out of order. Usually the resentful mother falls into this category.
* '''Culture Shock:''' Slightly less sympathetic than the Concerned and Justified type, but still understandable. This parent just hasn't got into the swing of parenthood yet. They still miss their status as lover/spouse rather than mum/dad, and the constant "not tonight, dear"s are getting them down. Usually they adjust, particularly after their partner has stopped freaking out and insisting on going to the emergency room every time the kid coughs, and they both become GoodParents after AnAesop or two. Tends to happen if the couple had children when the were quite young, the baby was born before they felt they had "quality time" with their partner, or if there was a ShotgunWedding involved.
* '''Temporary:''' This parent acts like a brat during the neediest stages of their child's development, but mellows out when the child is less dependent on his or her parents. Living with them is still pretty hard on their partner and child, but not as unbearable as the...
* '''Selfish:''' To be blunt, this character should probably not have had children, at least until they'd grown up a bit. Every action their partner takes on the child's behalf is a personal insult to them. And not just playing with them or cooing over them -- they resent the time taken to feed and bathe the child. If the child gets sick, this parent will probably fake being sick too. They always seen one step away from throwing a tantrum themself. May cross the Moral Event Horizon and become an AbusiveParent. Nearly AlwaysMale, to the despair of good dads everywhere.

There is, of course, a step-parent variant, where the new partner is jealous of their love interest's children from a previous relationship. The symptoms of being a jealous parent remain the same, but the motivation is usually different: a jealous biological parent is resentful because they were there first and feel that the child has "stolen" their lover's attention; a jealous step-parent is resentful because they know that the children were there first, and therefore they will ''never'' have their partner's undivided attention.

This is often the flip side of the OedipusComplex. Sub-trope of ParentsAsPeople. Audience sympathy tends to vary according to how well they knew the parents before they became parents: TheHero who marries his LoveInterest and has BabiesEverAfter tends to be more sympathetic than the guy we meet mid-tantrum, as his wife is changing their son's nappy.

* Ren Sohma, in ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', is a Selfish type who can't stand the attention that her husband, Akira, gives to their child Akito. In fact, she's so jealous that she does her best to ruin Akito's life. This includes [[spoiler:having Akito be [[RaisedAsTheOppositeGender raised as a man]] under the excuse that the Sohma family having a female head would look bad, but really because she couldn't stand another woman getting more male attention than her, even her ''own daughter'']]. There may be some justification since it had to be unnerving for her when the Zodiac children started crying and pawing at her stomach when she became pregnant with Akito, since they could sense that Akito would be the next God of the Zodiac.
* In ''Manga/HappyYarouWedding'', widower Akira proposes to his son's nanny, sparking a RelationshipUpgrade. One side effect of this is that Yuuhi starts lavishing even more affection on his son Shouta, and Akira starts getting comically jealous of the attention, feeling like the relationship between him and Yuuhi should have gotten better, not worse.
* Deconstructed in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. The manga explains that Gendo Ikari ignored Shinji after his wife Yui's death because he envied how much she cared for [[MommasBoy Shinji]] and how much attention she placed on him.[[note]]''Manga/NeonGenesisEvangelionCampusApocalypse'', though it is an alternate universe, presents a version of how Gendo and Yui got together that's probably not too different from "reality": Gendou was a severe social introvert who had no friends until Yui [[ManicPixieDreamGirl forcefully inserted herself into his life]], because she thought he was cute when he smiled; he even cancelled the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt for her sake. Small wonder, then, that Gendou considers Shinji to have "stolen" Yui from him.[[/note]]
* From ''Manga/ElfenLied'', Mayu's mother reacts to the news that her stepfather had been routinely ''raping her'' with jealousy that she had seduced her man that way. Also overlaps with KarmaHoudini as she and the stepfather are never seen getting their comeuppance, and beyond Mayu confessing everything to her new family, rarely mentioned.

** Rei's father, on the other hand, is squarely Selfish, ignoring Rei and forever mourning his dead wife. To the point that he doesn't even see her on her birthday, let alone any other time.

* An early ''ComicStrip/BabyBlues'' Sunday strip had Wanda accuse Darryl of being this towards a then-infant Zoe. Darryl insists that he isn't, but the last panel shows him thinking [[IResembleThatRemark "Envious, yes. Jealous, no."]]
** Wanda herself has been guilty of this. One Sunday strip has her wondering why Zoe seems [[DaddysGirl so fond of Darryl]], pointing out that she (Wanda) is the one who feeds, clothes, and primarily cares for her daughter. Darryl, meanwhile, just has to come home from work and play with her. Darryl's only response is [[FridgeBrilliance "I guess that explains it, doesn't it?"]]

* ''ComicBook/Dynamo5'': {{Downplayed|Trope}}. According to Scatterbrain (Gage Reinhart), the supervillain Chrysalis is afraid that her looks are fading and she can't attract men anymore. He said that she is jealous of her daughter Cynthia because of her looks and that she probably can better attract men. However, it appears that Chrysalis does not let her jealousy affect her relationship with her daughter, and they appear to be close.
* Among many other issues, Brian Banner felt this way toward his son [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce]]. [[AbusiveParents He doesn't get better]], [[TilMurderDoUsPart and the situation ends in tragedy]].

* From ''Webcomic/KillLaKillAU'', we have Ragyou's mother, Youko, who is the Selfish type and she is clearly not the mothering sort, being the sort to mostly sit in front of the TV and smoke cigarettes, explicitly stating that she should have thrown her away and is quick to call her ungrateful. Her words to a then six-year old Ragyou, on her birthday no less:
-->"You turned six and I would very well like to forget your birthday because making you ruined my body, cost me my social life, and took all of your father's attention. You've been doing that for six years."
* [[spoiler: Asuka]] from ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'' is the Temporary type. [[spoiler: She ''really'' didn't want a kid, partially out of fear that it would ruin her relationship with [[LivingEmotionalCrutch Shinji]]. It was to the point that she ''tried to induce a miscarriage via starvation''. Fortunately, seeing the first ultrasound awakened her maternal instinct and she was firmly in {{Good Parent|s}} territory by the time that Aki was born (though her jealous phase would come back to haunt her during her rematch with [[MindRape Arael]]).]]
* In the ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' [[AlternateUniverse AU]] fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/24654493/chapters/59615725#workskin What to Expect When You're On the Run]]'', [[{{Yandere}} Vanessa]] becomes jealous of her daughter when she feels her husband Michael is spending to much time with her. [[DramaticIrony The Irony]] being that said daughter was only conceived as TheBabyTrap, which was planned by Vanessa to get Michael to leave his university and be with her more permanently. [[GoneHorriblyRight Well, she succeeded]].

* Amelia in ''Film/TheBabadook'' is Selfish, as she ultimately admits that she loves her dead husband more than her living son. The fact that he died driving her to the hospital to give birth plays a big role in it. [[spoiler:She gets better.]]
* In ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'', ex-firefighter-turned-TheAlcoholic LowerClassLout Richard is a Selfish type who abuses his son Andrew, while the only one he loves was his bed ridden wife, which Andrew loves too and in turn his mother loves him back. It is implied the reason Richard abuses Andrew other than to use him as a stress vent to pass out his financial problems onto him was out of alcohol-induced jealousy of Andrew being more loved by his wife than him, while the way he abuses Andrew can have him come across as an absolutely CrazyJealousGuy and a {{Yandere}}. When Richard learns Andrew attends a talent show and a party and that his son has powers which he uses to overpower the former from abusing him, Richard's jealousy of his son upgrades to being jealous of his son trying to find his own happiness and improve his life then Richard and the fact Andrew is a more powerful being then him, finally culminating in Richard attempting to strike Andrew at the hospital after the death of his wife which Richard proceeds to blame Andrew for (likely for Andrew "stealing" all of his wife's love away from Richard before her passing, while leaving him out), only to earn Andrew's wrath.

* In ''Literature/ACryInTheNight'', Erich expresses jealousy over he and Jenny's newborn son, 'jokingly' complaining about how she spends most of her time with him and that he's feeling left out (it's worth noting that their son was born premature and is quite sickly, so Jenny is trying to keep him healthy). [[spoiler:This takes an [[PlayedForHorror especially dark turn]] given the implication [[OffingTheOffspring Erich murdered their son]] partly so he could have Jenny all to himself again]].
* In ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'', Petiron (Selfish) becomes a SpoiledBrat when his son, Robinton, is born in ''Masterharper of Pern''. He and his wife, Merelan, were SickeninglySweethearts, but after Robinton was born he became jealous and resentful, taking it out on his sweet-natured son who only ever [[WellDoneSonGuy wanted his father's approval]]. Merelan's desperate attempts to keep Petiron happy exhausted her -- possibly leading to her death (according to her best friend).

* In ''Literature/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin'', Eva is a Concerned / Justified type in her own eyes, and a Selfish type in the eyes of her husband. Due to UnreliableNarrator, it's hard for the reader to pin down which one is truth... but given that Franklin dismissed Eva's concerns, doted on Kevin and demanded that Eva give up her job and move to the suburbs for Kevin's good, there's probably an element of Justified at least.
* In Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheGreatDivorce'', one damned soul accuses her husband of being a jealous parent, complaining that he (and their daughter) begrudged her her grief for her dead son; her brother, a Bright One, contradicts her: they rightly revolted against her obsession, despite their love for the son/brother, because it was about her, not her son.
* In ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'', Christian flips shit when Ana reveals she's pregnant, saying that he doesn't feel ready to "share" her with anyone and that she will prioritise parenting over being his wife. While drunk, he even suggests that Ana will love the baby more than him. Ana [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out on it]], saying he's being immature and needs to grow up and take responsibility, also suggesting that she ''will'' choose the baby over him if she has to because unlike him, the baby actually ''is'' a helpless child who cannot fend for itself. He seems to have [[BabiesEverAfter mellowed out]] by the time their second child is on the way, likely putting him under Type Temporary, though he strongly comes off Type Selfish the first time.
* Edward Cullen from ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' is probably a Concerned but comes off Selfish, when he explicitly says that he prefers that Bella abort rather than lose her. He even bitterly asks her how he could ever love the baby if it meant that Bella died to give birth. He gets better in words when Nessie's born, but he and Bella still don't pay that much attention to their child, preferring to pawn her off to other relatives.
* Played with in Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/FiveLittlePigs'', where it is mentioned that Amyas Cale often expresses jealousy over his wife Caroline frequently favouring her sister more than him. They do have a child, but their daughter barely registers in anyone's attention.
* ''Literature/EleanorAndPark'': Richie is implied to be a Selfish type with his stepchildren and son. He’s abusive to them save for the youngest, who he mostly ignores.

-->''My work with gay and lesbian couples has led me to recognize that these dynamics are replicated whenever one parent, gender notwithstanding, takes charge of the kids … What I see over and over is that the person who takes on the role of primary caretaker almost always undergoes … a total immersion in the lives and rhythms of the children, a loss of self, and a greater difficulty extricating himself or herself from chores … The role of the more autonomous parent is to help the primary caregiver disengage from the kids and reallocate energy to the couple.''

* In an episode of ''Series/EastEnders'', has Tiffaney as justified type towards an unborn child, when she screamed at her husband, Grant, that she wasn't "a baby machine" after he became obsessed with having a second child.
* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia -- the LoveTriangle (although it's platonic on both sides for Claudia) goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to violence: first [[AbusiveParent he chokes Claudia]], and after Louis tackles Lestat to protect her, [[DomesticAbuse Lestat pummels his boyfriend to the point where Louis can't physically leave]]. During a calm "honeymoon" phase in the cycle of abuse, a HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the three of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a two-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of episode 6, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis, and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', Dr Cox went through this just after his son Jack was born and the usually self-absorbed and amoral Jordan made a genuine effort to be a caring mother to him. Partially because Perry can’t stand not being the centre of attention and partially because his own mother was extremely [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] and he saw Jordan’s focusing on Jack as abnormal.

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' Hal Emmerich/Otacon reveals that his father was the Selfish type and [[DrivenToSuicide drowned himself in the family pool]] (and tried to take [[MurderSuicide his stepdaughter Emma with him]]) after discovering that his wife and Hal's stepmother had been having sex with his son, and tellingly treated it as an insult to his masculinity rather than the ugly potential statutory rape it was since Hal was only 17.

* Cleveland acts as a mix of all of the above in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'', when Donna's constant affection for Rallo gets in the way of their sex life. While he does act somewhat self-centered and childish about it, he is at least somewhat justified since his stepson is deliberately trying to pry the two away from each other out of his own jealousy. Eventually, the two negotiate.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "She Used to Be My Girl", Marge gets jealous when Lisa admires her old high-school friend who now has a successful journalism career.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons,'' the episode "Tennis the Menace" had Marge swapping Homer for Bart as her doubles partner because Bart is a much better player, causing Homer to experience what Lisa describes as "[[OedipusComplex Oedipal anxiety]]."

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia -- the LoveTriangle (although it's platonic on both sides for Claudia) goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to violence: first [[AbusiveParent he chokes Claudia]], and after Louis tackles Lestat to protect her, [[DomesticAbuse Lestat pummels his boyfriend to the point where Louis can't physically leave]]. A HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the three of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a two-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of episode 6, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis, and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia -- the LoveTriangle (although it's platonic on both sides for Claudia) goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to violence: first [[AbusiveParent he chokes Claudia]], and after Louis tackles Lestat to protect her, Lestat [[DomesticAbuse pummels his boyfriend to the point where Louis can't physically leave]]. A HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the three of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a two-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of episode 6, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis, and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia -- the LoveTriangle (although it's platonic on both sides for Claudia) goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage."]] In vampire terms, she is Lestat's daughter because he's her maker, but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent to her than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three in episode 5 with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to DomesticAbuse. A HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the 3 of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family, too -- but a 2-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of season 1, Claudia wants to [[{{Patricide}} kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat]] so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestrat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia--the platonic LoveTriangle goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage"]]. They're a gay couple, and Claudia's adopted, (technically you could call her Lestat's daughter since he was the one who turned her) but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three with Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to DomesticAbuse. A sort of honeymoon period HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. He wants the 3 of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family too--but a 2-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. As Lestat puts it, "We endure each other for Louis's happiness." By the end of season 1, Claudia wants to kill her abusive, controlling father Lestat so she and Louis can be free. Lestat has likewise concluded that Claudia ruined his relationship with Louis and his solution is OffingTheOffspring.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestrat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia--the platonic LoveTriangle goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage"]]. They're a gay couple, and Claudia's adopted, (technically you could call her Lestat's daughter since he was the one who turned her) but Louis is the primary caregiver, more of a parent than Lestat is. This culminates in a scene between the three, Lestat and Claudia both simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to DomesticAbuse against both of them, though Louis gets the brunt of it. A sort of honeymoon period HopeSpot follows, with Louis trying to balance the two, and asking each to make more of an effort with the other. Lestat and Claudia at best play along and make some effort because they love Louis, but neither is really invested in his dream. Louis wants the 3 of them to be a family. Lestat and Claudia each want a family too--but a 2-person, Louis-and-me version, without the other. By the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis and his "solution" to their romantic woes is to [[OffingTheOffspring get rid of Claudia for good]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestrat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia--the platonic LoveTriangle goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage"]]. They're a gay couple and Claudia's adopted (technically you could call her Lestat's daughter since he was the one who turned her) but Louis is the primary caregiver. This culminates in a scene with the three of them in a room, Lestat and Claudia simultaneously begging Louis to choose them over the other. Before Louis can make a choice, Lestat resorts to DomesticAbuse against both of them, though Louis gets the brunt of it. In the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis ("Look what she did to us. She's corrupted everything.") and his "solution" to their romantic woes is to [[OffingTheOffspring get rid of Claudia for good]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestrat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia--the platonic LoveTriangle goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage"]]. They're a gay couple and Claudia's adopted (technically you could call her Lestat's daughter since he was the one who turned her) but--just by disposition--Louis is the primary caregiver. When Claudia runs away, Louis falls into a MessOfWoe and [[GriefInducedSplit withdraws from his lover]] with SilentTreatment. When Claudia returns, she tries to convince Louis to leave Lestat behind and run away with her. Lestat strangles her; Louis comes to her defense; Lestrat brutally beats him. In the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis ("Look what she did to us. She's corrupted everything.") and his "solution" to their romantic woes is to [[OffingTheOffspring get rid of Claudia for good]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': An ExaggeratedTrope with vampire lovers Lestrat and Louis and their vampire daughter Claudia--the platonic LoveTriangle goes all the way to MurderTheHypotenuse. Lestat fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Louis and [[ILoveYouVampireSon turned him into a vampire to be his lover and companion for all of eternity]]. He's a CrazyJealousGuy when anything gets in the way of that plan. The couple adopt a daughter, Claudia, as [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter "a band-aid for a shitty marriage"]]. When Claudia runs away, Louis falls into a MessOfWoe and [[GriefInducedSplit withdraws from his lover]] with SilentTreatment. When Claudia returns, she tries to convince Louis to leave Lestat behind and run away with her. Lestat strangles her; Louis comes to her defense; Lestrat brutally beats him. In the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis ("Look what she did to us. She's corrupted everything.") and his "solution" to their romantic woes is to [[OffingTheOffspring get rid of Claudia for good]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'':
** In the fifth episode, Lestat (who has already been established as a CrazyJealousGuy when it comes to his boyfriend Louis) becomes violent towards Claudia when she attempts to convince Louis to leave Lestat behind and travel to Europe with her to locate other vampires. Lestat now deems his vampire daughter to be a rival for Louis' love, and he treats her accordingly.
--->'''Claudia''': ''(telepathically)'' Come with me! Come with me, Louis.\\
'''Lestat''': Lou.\\
'''Claudia''': I thought I could live without you, but I was wrong.\\
'''Lestat''': ''(getting angry)'' Louis. LOUIS!\\
'''Claudia''': ''(telepathically)'' His love is a small box he keeps you in. Don't stay in it.\\
'''Lestat''': A thousand nights of sulking, and the first sight of her, YOU ARE JUST GONNA UP AND LEAVE ME?!\\
'''Claudia''': Please, come with me! Let's be vampires worthy of your love!\\
''(Lestat then attacks Claudia and chokes her)''
** In the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis. ("Look what she did to us. She's corrupted everything.") Lestat's "solution" to their romantic woes is to [[OffingTheOffspring get rid of Claudia for good]]. In other words, he views her as a platonic version of MurderTheHypotenuse.

** In the Season 1 finale, Lestat firmly believes that Claudia has ruined his relationship with Louis. ("Look what she did to us. She's corrupted everything.") Lestat's "solution" to their romantic woes is [[OffingTheOffspring to get rid of Claudia for good]]. In other words, he views her as a platonic version of MurderTheHypotenuse.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the fifth episode, Lestat (who has already been established as a CrazyJealousGuy when it comes to his boyfriend Louis) becomes violent towards Claudia when she attempts to convince Louis to leave Lestat behind and travel to Europe with her to locate other vampires. Lestat now deems his vampire daughter to be a rival for Louis' love, and he treats her accordingly.
-->'''Claudia''': ''(telepathically)'' Come with me! Come with me, Louis.\\

* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', Dr Cox went through this just after his son Jack was born and the usually self-absorbed and amoral Jordan made a genuine effort to be a caring mother to him. Partially because Perry can’t stand not being the centre of attention and partially because his own mother was extremely [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] and he saw Jordan’s focussing on Jack as abnormal.

* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'' eventually revealed that Orel's abusive father Clay was completely doted on by his own mother when he was a child. Angela Puppington raved about how Clay was her "miracle baby," being the only pregnancy she had that wasn't stillborn. She attributed Clay's birth to all the praying she did while pregnant and thinks God blessed her, not realizing her other pregnancies were cut short because of her excessive drinking, smoking, and rough activities (none of which she did while she prayed for Clay to be born). As such, Angela was obsessed with Clay and neglected her husband Arthur who quietly grew annoyed by his wife and son. In this case, he was more annoyed by his wife's fanaticism and lack of common sense which was turning his son into a SpoiledBrat. That jealousy later turned into full-on resentment when Clay pulled a prank by pretending to die, causing Angela to have a heart attack and dying for real.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': In season 1 episode 5 [[{{Recap/AngelS01E05RmWAVu}} Rm w/a Vu]] the ghost haunting Cordelia's new apartment is revealed to be a [[MyBelovedSmother smothering mother]] who, when her son decided get married, trapped him within the walls of the apartment so he wouldn't leave her [[IfICantHaveYou and leaves him there to die]]. She dies of a heart attack immediately after, leading people with the false impression that he killed her and then disappeared.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': In season 1 episode 5 [[{{Recap/AngelS01E05RmWAVu}} Rm w/a Vu]] the ghost haunting Cordelia's new apartment is revealed to be a [[MyBelovedSmother smothering mother]] who, when her son decided get married, trapped him within the walls of the apartment so he wouldn't leave her [[IfICantHaveYou and leaves him there to die]]. She dies of a heart attack immediately after, leading people with the false impression that he killed her and then disappeared.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons,'' the episode "Tennis the Menace" had Marge swapping Homer for Bart as her doubles partner because he's a much better tennis player, causing Homer to experience what Lisa describes as "[[OedipusComplex Oedipal anxiety]]."