History Main / YesMan

* In the ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'' films and and [[LiloAndStitchTheSeries series]], Mertle is always surrounded by her chorus of Yes girls; "Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh!"

* In Creator/{{PGWodehouse}}'s short story ''The Nodder'' (one from the Mr.Mulliner cycle), the fictional hierarchy of the [[GoldenAgeOfHollywood studio-era Hollywood]] Yes-Men and related professions is explained [[UpToEleven in ridiculous detail]] - apparently one distant relative of Mr. Mulliner was a humble Hollywood Nodder:

** And apparently there also exists an underclass known as Nodders' assistants.

Compare HypercompetentSidekick, TheRenfield, OpinionFlipflop. Contrast CommanderContrarian and HonestAdvisor.

* Kevan Lannister from ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' is one to his older brother, Tywin. He turns out to be a subversion, as he actually does think for himself and agrees with Tywin so often because he knows that Tywin always acts in the best interests of House Lannister. [[spoiler:After Tywin dies, Kevan's niece, Cersei, expects him to become her Yes Man and in shocked when he doesn't.]]
** Cersei puts a bunch of Yes Men in charge of everything in the kingdom. It doesn't turn out well.

For some assistants, however, it means kowtowing, flattering, and generally blowing smoke up the posterior areas of their superiors. This is the domain of the YesMan.

For them, their boss is the be-all and end-all of their world. If the boss says "Jump!", the good Yes Man says "How high?" The ''great'' YesMan already knows, and follows up by apologizing that his leap was not worthy. The boss may not need or desire this, of course... but if they're a ControlFreak, a [[TheNeidermeyer Neidermeyer]], or a PointyHairedBoss, you can be sure they'll have or want a Yes Man. Sometimes, they'll have a team of them, led by the Alpha Yes Man.

TheDragon is sometimes the YesMan, though just as often goes to the opposite extreme. The ProfessionalButtKisser is almost indistinguishable from the YesMan, except their devotion is to the ''position'' rather than the boss, so they'll treat anyone who gets, steals, or kills for the job the same as their old boss.

Of course, even exceptionally devoted [[YesMan Yes Men]] can be pushed too far, especially by an over-demanding or bullying boss... and if they are, then the boss had better be careful; TheDogBitesBack.

** In later seasons, the Scranton, PA and Stamford, CT branches merge. Andy, the YesMan for the other branch, comes along and forms a rivalry with Dwight.

* One of StephenColbert's tactics is to act like a YesMan to highlight the absurdity of his opponent's position, the most common targets being GeorgeWBush or BillOReilly. Of Michael Behe:

* Colonel Klink on ''Series/HogansHeroes'' became a YesMan whenever a general, any general, showed up. He practically licked the boots of Field Marshals.

* In ''[[SeventeenSeventySix 1776]]'', Judge James Wilson is the YesMan to his fellow Pennsylvania delegate, John Dickinson, who is staunchly against American independence. But when the Second Continental Congress favors independence, Wilson breaks away from Dickinson for the very same reason he initially embraced this trope: he ''doesn't'' want to be remembered.

* Owen, Xanatos's second, on ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' is an example of a slightly-more-free-willed YesMan, who is also something of a BattleButler. However, regardless of his competence, he is actually ''bound by magic'' to serve Xanatos for his lifetime. So while he can raise objections and suggestions, when Xanatos finalizes his decision he must carry it out. This could be troublesome, as Xanatos seeks immortality, [[spoiler:and Owen, as Puck, is already immortal]].

* Koizumi from ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' happily agrees with everything Haruhi says, even things like shooting photos of Mikuru in embarrasing poses and outfits (much to Mikuru's dismay) ''and'' kisses her ass like a pro to boot. He will however, try to convince Haruhi of other possibilities, if the situation gets too serious. Because of Haruhi's GenreSavvy, he compares it to other fictional happening, but [[WrongGenreSavvy it doesn't always work out good for him]].

->'''[[MessianicArchetype Brian]]:''' Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't ''need'' to follow me...\\

* And of course, the scene from ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'' in which Brian is trying to talk the crowd ''out'' of following him, but they WontTakeNoForAnAnswer.

* And of course, the scene from ''TheLifeOfBrian'' in which Brian is trying to talk the crowd ''out'' of following him, but they WontTakeNoForAnAnswer.

* ''Film/RobinHood2010'' has an early scene, where the RichardTheLionheart is inspecting his encamped troops, and asks a lowly longbowman [[RussellCrowe Robin Longstride]] if what they did during the Crusades was right and God approved. Robin, after some hesitation, [[AvertedTrope chooses to be honest with his king]], saying that no, the things that they did in the Holy Land did not please God. Richard praises the man for having the courage and integrity to speak honestly to his liege, [[InvokedTrope then condemns him for having the foolishness to tell his liege something he would rather not hear]] and has him thrown in the stockades.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Silverhawks}}'' had "Yess-Man," lackey to the BigBad Mon* Star.

* At one point in ''[[Literature/VorkosiganSaga Memory]]'', Miles Vorkosigan briefly tries being a rather literal version of this with Emperor Gregor. It's a good thing for Miles that Gregor is both Miles-Savvy (the two grew up as, effectively, foster-brothers) and very fond of Miles, as Gregor ''really dislikes'' yes-men[[hottip:*: Which is easily explained by the fact that one a yes-man from his youth actually ''conspired to kill him'']], because Miles' attempt consists entirely of repeating "Yes, Sire" after everything Gregor says, until Gregor tells him to stop it.

* From ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'', Percy is this to The Fat Controller in the earlier seasons, often saying the word "sir" more than once whenever spoken to by him.

-->--''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

!!Examples

[[folder: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Chi Fu from the movie ''{{Mulan}}'' behaves like an ObstructiveBureaucrat most of the time, probably because he's separated from the real authority, but in the presence of anyone of real power (the General or the Emperor), he turns into one of these, trying to anticipate his superior's words and actions and act accordingly. This is played for comedy at the closing of the film-when the Emperor [[KneelBeforeFrodo bows to Mulan]], it takes him a quarter of a second to go from oily yes-man fully supporting the execution of the heroine to prostrate on the ground before her.
* ''Film/RobinHood2010'' has an early scene, where the RichardTheLionheart is inspecting his encamped troops, and asks a lowly longbowman [[RussellCrowe Robin Longstride]] if what they did during the Crusades was right and God approved. Robin, after some hesitation, [[AvertedTrope chooses to be honest with his king]], saying that no, the things that they did in the Holy Land did not please God. Richard praises the man for having the courage and integrity to speak honestly to his liege, [[InvokedTrope then condemns him for having the foolishness to tell his liege something he would rather not hear]] and has him thrown in the stockades.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Finch on ''JustShootMe''.
* Dwight on the American version of ''TheOffice''. (Gareth from the UK Version)

* Al Borland of ''HomeImprovement'' acts like this around superiors. In one episode, he spoke to the president of their company more like one would the President of the United States, prompting Tim Allen's character to ask "Why don't you just glue your lips to his butt?" Later in that same episode, Tim brought Al along to discuss an agreement they both had with that very president on the logic that "if a suck up like you complains he ''has'' to take it seriously."
* Goldar to Lord Zedd in the second season of ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''.

* Colonel Klink on ''HogansHeroes'' became a YesMan whenever a general, any general, showed up. He practically licked the boots of Field Marshals.
* Ryuunosuke towards Takeru in ''SamuraiSentaiShinkenger''. His bootlicking of the team's leader is taken to comic proportions. He's been training for this all his life, and will not let himself look bad at all.

* In the ''LiloAndStitch'' films and and [[LiloAndStitchTheSeries series]], Mertle is always surrounded by her chorus of Yes girls; "Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh!"

* ''CampLazlo'' gives us Slinkman as Lumpas's Yes Man and Chip and Skip as Edward's.

* ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'' has an interesting variant on this trope with the Blue Meanie Max. He starts out saying "yes" to the Blue Meanie Alpha, which gets him in trouble, at which point he switches to "no" but still means "yes." By the end of the movie the Blue Meanie Alpha wants him to say "yes" but he has just gotten used to saying "no, your blueness" (which he at the last minute switches to "yes, your newness"). [[BadBoss Seems the Alpha takes pride in making his yes man's natural response the wrong answer.]]
* The ''{{Daria}}'' episode "Mart of Darkness" mostly takes place at a Costco-like discount warehouse, where the various characters interact with one of the clerks giving out free samples of deep-fried cheese logs. Whatever they want the cheese logs to be, she assures them that it's exactly what they are, be it healthy or unhealthy. She even contradicts herself: she assures the Fashion Club that they are calorie-free, right after telling Mr. DiMartino that they are 1,000 calories apiece and therefore enough to constitute an entire meal.

* Subverted with Mark Anthony who supposedly didn't like these, being GenreSavvy enough that Yes Men aren't really a great help. DoubleSubverted by the Alexandrians who learned this and from then on mixed a bit of honesty in when sucking up to him, so he'd think of them of brave men who dared to tell him the truth.

* ''Film/RobinHood2010'' has an early scene, where the RichardTheLionheart is inspecting his encamped troops, and asks a lowly longbowman [[RussellCrowe Robin Longstride]] if what they did during the Crusades was right and God approved. Robin, after some hesitation, [[AvertedTrope chooses to be honest with his king]], saying that no, the things that they did in the Holy Land did not please God. Richard praises the man for having the courage and integrity to speak honestly to his liege, [[EnforcedTrope then condemns him for having the foolishness to tell his liege something he would rather not hear]] and has him thrown in the stockades.

** In WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic episode Hurricane Fluttershy, there's a recurring minor character- an overly muscular pegasus with teeny-tiny wings- who frequently pops up to yell "YEAH!!" whenver Rainbow Dash is trying to pump the pegasi up.