History Main / TheObiWannabe

* In the second season of ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic'', Jo often goes to Queen Xhan for advice on how to be a good leader. The problem is that all of Xhan's advice is universally bad and rooted in a very toxic mindset, which repeatedly causes Jo to put herself and the other Local Heroes in danger. Notably, Jo only realizes her true potential as a leader after she ditches everything Xhan taught her.

* Peter Griffin from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''.
* Zuko from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirBender'' gets shades of this. When he joins the heroes, he tries to pass on the wisdom he has learned through Iroh, but can't phrase it properly so it makes no sense. He is at least able to teach Aang Firebending, including how to redirect lightning. This comes in handy in the final battle.
* Played for laughs with Lujanne from ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince''. In season 2, she offers advice to several main characters, but most of the advice is poor, and the Rayla calls her out on it. She brushes the critique off as "something her third husband would say".

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Many a ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' comic puts Meiling (who has become a ditzy goof-off in fandom) in this role to Flan, and usually knifed by Sakuya for it.

* In ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine'', the mysterious repairman delivers lots of [[IceCreamKoan cryptic and ominous-sounding warnings]], from which the gang infers that doing anything differently will screw up the timeline in unpredictable ways (like a vomit-covered squirrel changing the outcome of a pro-football game). [[spoiler:They end up defying him, and it turns out to be largely BS as Lou stays in the past to redo his life and makes his life infinitely better by the present day]].

* Robert Stadler was John Galt and co's first mentor in college in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', but they abandoned him as he gradually abandoned everything he believed in because he concluded GoodIsImpotent. Despite his denial, the guilt tortures him the rest of his life until he has a VillainousBreakdown the last time he meets with Galt.

The most common subversion of TheMentor, with whom he often forms OpposedMentors. Overlaps with KnowNothingKnowItAll and TheBlindLeadingTheBlind. Oftentimes invokes an IceCreamKoan. Compare and contrast MissionControlIsOffItsMeds, AntiMentor, and UncertifiedExpert.

* ComicBook/EmmaFrost has modeled herself as a teacher ever since the 90s when she decided her previous career choice of "RichBitch supervillainess" was going nowhere. Problem is, her track record as a teacher is spotty at best, with multiple students having died under her watch and [[ComicBook/AvengersVsXmen at least one incident]] where she went [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide mad with power]] and mentally enslaved her students outright. The page quote of her students CallingTheOldManOut is from ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' number 138 and is titled [[{{Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie}} The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost as a reference to Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie novel.

There's just one problem: His advice sucks!

-->--''ComicBook/NewXMen'' #138: "The Prime of Miss ComicBook/EmmaFrost"

* Headmaster Cross in ''Manga/VampireKnight'' does this to Zero, who usually either shrugs off his advice or [[DopeSlap Dope-Slaps]] him.

* Athrun Zala can be seen as a more serious and tragic version of this in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''. The intent was probably to have him be the OlderAndWiser mentor to new protagonist Shinn, as happened with Char and Kamille in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam''. The only problem is Athrun is still working on his own issues (which are [[AesopAmnesia suspiciously similar to the issues he'd worked through in the previous series]]), so most of his interaction with Shinn consists of punching him and calling him an idiot, which only makes Shinn's anger issues and hatred of authority even worse. To be fair, in a spinoff re-telling of ''Destiny'', narrated by Athrun in his point of view, they dig deeper into his relationship with Shinn as the mentor, showing they had more respect for each deep down than the TV show depicted. There's also the factor that Athrun is only 3 years older than Shinn, and even when ''not'' losing control of his own anger he's pretty terrible at actually ''explaining'' the lessons he's trying to teach. Thus resulting in Shinn pretty much making the same mistakes Athrun did at his age.
* Subverted by Old Kai in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': you're led to believe he is this due to his strange antics and his claims that he can bring out someone's true potential via a bizarre meditation-like ritual that seems utterly ineffective... until Gohan loses his temper over it and accidentally unleashes his immense yet ''still'' not fully realized power.

* ComicBook/EmmaFrost of the ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' number 138 is titled [[{{Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie}} The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost as a reference from Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie novel and provides the page quote.

* Played for laughs with Lujanne from ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince''. In season 2, she offers advice to several main characters, but most of the advice is FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, and the Rayla calls her out on it. She brushes the critique off as "something her third husband would say".

%%* Loren's friend Trish in ''Film/ThisMeansWar''

->'''The Stepford cuckoos:''' ''We’re saying Sophie’s dead because she believed all the rubbish you talk about being superior. [[RichBitch You are all shiny surface with nothing underneath]]. [[EmptyShell You have no feeling and no heart]]. [[{{Troll}} Just nasty jokes and cleverness]]. [[InappropriateRoleModel People like you are a danger to impressionalbe children]], Miss Frost. Goodbye.''
->'''Emma Frost:''' ''No, that’s not true, I love children, teaching is my life!''
->'''The Stepford cuckoos:''' '' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion If you love them so much, then why did you let them die all the time]], you silly old woman?''
->'''Emma Frost:''' '' Old? [[IResembleThatRemark I’m only twenty-seven, you ungrateful wretches!]]''
->ComicBook/NewXMen 138: [[{{Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie}} The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost.

* Owl from ''Disney/{{Bambi}}''. The advice he gives Bambi and his friends is terrible advice to give young animals. Fortunately nature takes over and they ignore his advice.

* ComicBook/EmmaFrostComicBook of the ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' number 138 is titled [[{{Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie}} The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost as a reference from Literature/ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie novel and provides the page quote.

->'''The Stepford Cuckoss:''' ''We’re saying Sophie’s dead because she believed all the rubbish you talk about being superior. [[RichBitch You are all shiny surface with nothing underneath]]. [[EmptyShell You have no feeling and no heart]]. [[{{Troll}} Just nasty jokes and cleverness]]. [[InappropriateRoleModel People like you are a danger to impressionalbe children]], Miss Frost. Goodbye.''

->'''The Stepford Cuckoss:''' '' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion If you love them so much, then why did you let them die all the time]], you silly old woman?''
->'''Emma Frost:''' '' Old? [[IResembleThatRemark I’m only twenty-seven, you ungrateful wreteches!]]''
->ComicBook/NewXMen 138: [[{{ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie}} The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost.

->'''Emma Frost:''' '' No, that’s not true, I love children, teaching is my life!

->ComicBook/NewXMen 138: [[ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost.

->'''The Stepford Cuckoss:''' ''We’re saying Sophie’s dead because she believed all the rubbish you talk about being superior. [[RichBitch You are all shiny surface with nothing underneath]]. [[EmptyShell You have no feeling and no heart]]. [{{Troll}} [ Just nasty jokes and cleverness]]. [[InappropriateRoleModel People like you are a danger to impressionalbe children]], Miss Frost. Goodbye.''//
->'''Emma Frost:''' '' No, that’s not true, I love children, teaching is my life!//
->'''The Stepford Cuckoss:''' '' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion If you love them so much, then why did you let them die all the time]], you silly old woman?''//
->'''Emma Frost:''' '' Old? [[IResembleThatRemark I’m only twenty-seven, you ungrateful wreteches!]]''//
ComicBook/NewXMen 138: [[ThePrimeOfMissJeanBrodie The prime of Miss]] ComicBook/EmmaFrost.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': Brock gives romance advice to several other characters, most notably Ash's Totodile in the Johto saga, Corphish (also Ash's) in the Hoenn saga, and Dawn's Piplup late in the Sinnoh saga.

* Athrun Zala can be seen as a more serious and tragic version of this in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''. The intent was probably to have him be the OlderAndWiser mentor to new protagonist Shinn, as happened with Char and Kamille in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam''. The only problem is Athrun is still working on his own issues (which are [[AesopAmnesia suspiciously similar to the issues he'd worked through in the previous series]]), so most of his interaction with Shinn consists of punching him and calling him an idiot, which only makes Shinn's anger issues and hatred of authority even worse. To be fair, in a spinoff re-telling of ''Destiny'', narrated by Athrun in his point of view, they dig deeper into his relationship with Shinn as the mentor, showing they had more respect for each deep down than the TV show depicted.

* Played for laughs with Lujanne from ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince''. In season 2, she offers advice to several main characters, but most of the advice is FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, and the Rayla calls her out on it. She brushes the critique of as "something her third husband would say".

[[folder: AnimeAndManga]]
* Headmaster Cross in ''Manga/VampireKnight'' does this to Zero, who usually either shrugs off his advice or [[DopeSlap Dope Slaps]] him.

* [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Brock]] gives romance advice to several other characters, most notably Ash's Totodile in the Johto saga, Corphish (also Ash's) in the Hoenn saga, and Dawn's Piplup late in the Sinnoh saga.

* Athrun Zala can be seen as a more serious and tragic version of this in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''. The intent was probably to have him be the OlderAndWiser mentor to new protagonist Shinn, as happened with Char and Kamille in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam''. The only problem is Athrun is still working on his own issues (which are [[AesopAmnesia suspiciously similar to the issues he'd worked through in the previous series]]), so most of his interaction with Shinn consists of punching him and calling him an idiot, which only makes Shinn's anger issues and hatred of authority even worse.
** To be fair, in a spinoff re-telling of Destiny, narrated by Athrun in his point of view, they dig deeper into his relationship with Shinn as the mentor, showing they had more respect for each deep down than the tv show depicted.

[[folder: FanFiction]]
* Albus Dumbledore in ''Fanfic/BlackSky'' considers himself as a wise, grandfatherly mentor to Rose Potter who will set her on the path to kill Voldemot by becoming a SacrificialLamb. The Black Family actually took care of the biggest hassle - the Horcruces - and teached Dorea everything she need to know for finishing the job. Dumbledore actually ''hampers'' her more than helping and she treats him a bloody nuisance in consequence.
* ''Fanfic/ReluctantHero'' uses two different variants with Pakku and Yugato as teachers for the Avatar. While Pakku is obviously unfit - since his sadistic and unrelenting methods only make his student hate and mistrust him - Yugato genuinely wants to help Zuko but fails in appeasing his anxiety and doubts.

[[folder:Film - Animation]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
* Loren's friend Trish in ''Film/ThisMeansWar''

-->'''Rick Rambis''': Pig Pen, when I want advice about a good Planet of the Apes film or maybe how to get the resin out of my bong I'll come to you ok? But I am not gonna take romantic advice from somebody who cannot spell romantic or advice... or bong.

[[folder: {{Literature}}]]

[[folder: LiveActionTV]]

* Colonel Rodney Crittendon from ''Series/HogansHeroes''. This re-occuring character was in some ways the Allies answer to the German's Colonel Klink. This British officer would get captured frequently and sent to Stalag 13 with Hogan and his crack team of deep cover saboteurs. He was technically higher ranked then Colonel Hogan (by date of promotion, as Crittendon would frequently remind Hogan) and would often usurp Hogan's Authority. Crittendon was just too incompetent and genre-blind to be anything less then a complete hindrance, though the clever spies would occasionally manage to use his bumbling stupidity to their advantage. What makes him an Obi Wannabe is the endless string of bad ideas and plans he would concoct for the "escape" from the POW camp: Unbeknownst to Crittendon, Hogan and his team have no intention of escaping, as the very premise of the show consists in them using the fact that they were under the supervision of the incompetent Commandant Klink and the incredibly lazy and corruptible Sergeant Shultz to launch various sabotage and subterfuge operations from deep within Nazi territory.

[[folder: Theatre]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Many a VideoGame/{{Touhou}} comic puts Meiling (who has become a ditzy goof-off in fandom) in this role to Flan, and usually knifed by Sakuya for it.

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]

* Bethany in the ''[[Literature/JessicaDarling Jessica Darling's IT List]]'' series would like to think that she's a CoolBigSis dispensing sage advice for how to succeed in junior high. The problem is, the items on her epynomous "[=IT=] Lists" are not only of questionable value, but are also written as [[IceCreamKoan cutesy one-liners]] that could ''really'' use some explanation for what they're supposed to mean. Jessica actually [[GenreSavvy figures that out]] by the end of the first book, but she still decides to continue going along with the lists, because at least they make her life interesting.

The most common subversion of TheMentor, with whom he often forms OpposedMentors. Overlaps with KnowNothingKnowItAll and TheBlindLeadingTheBlind. Oftentimes invokes an IceCreamKoan. Compare MissionControlIsOffItsMeds.

* Polonius from Theatre/{{Hamlet}}: half his advice to his son contradicts the other half, and when you look at his actions toward the royal family it's clear he's just trying to ingratiate himself at Hamlet's expense.

* The spirit of the Harkonnen Cannon in ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' tries to give Seras his sagely advice. She chooses to ask if her string of bad luck will continue. His answer? "Yep". He revealed a second later that it was a joke.

* Loren's friend Trish in ''Film/ThisMeansWar''.