Line #115 Main/FoolishHusbandResponsibleWife


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7	A trope that has existed since {{Dom Com}}s became popular in The50s, married couples in fiction tend to enforce gender stereotypes. The husband is portrayed as {{lazy\|Bum}}, [[{{Manchild}} immature]], [[NeverMyFault irresponsible]], and if he's a father, a BumblingDad. The wife is portrayed as the [[OnlySaneMan voice of reason]] who's more [[WomenAreWiser mature, sensible, and responsible]]; her main role is to keep her husband in line, as if being a {{housewife}} isn't enough trouble. [[ParentingTheHusband Her role to her husband may be more motherly than spousal]], which may cause him to [[HenpeckedHusband be submissive to his domineering wife]].
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9	The husband may not particularly be [[TheDitz outright stupid]], but rather he [[DidntThinkThisThrough has poor impulse control]] and may be overprotective, while the wife may be OnlySaneByComparison and have very low moral standards when her husband isn't around, also veering into MyBelovedSmother territory if she's a mother. The wife will often [[WetBlanketWife try to beg her husband not to get into any kind of danger.]]
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11	Sometimes this trope can be [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] by depicting this kind of couple as [[AwfulWeddedLife toxic]] because of their differences; the Foolish Husband in particular can be considered an UnwantedSpouse depending on just how toxic their relationship is. This can be one reason for the wife to become a LadyMacbeth. This kind of couple can also be portrayed as ParentsAsPeople.
12
13	In more toxic portrayals, this kind of relationship can also fall under TheMasochismTango and/or NoAccountingForTaste. One can expect ParentalObliviousness from the dad, if not outright ParentalNeglect. Even AbusiveParents may have this dynamic. People will often [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim wonder why they're even together]]. If the husband is straight-up roguish, it'll fall into AllGirlsWantBadBoys.
14
15	Despite their flaws, this couple is usually HappilyMarried. The responsible wife may be a FlawlessToken if [[TheSmurfettePrinciple she's the only notable girl]] in a series.
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17	SubTrope of MenAreChildish. This may overlap with WomenAreDelicate ("delicate" here meaning "thoughtful" and "domestic"), and MenAreTough ("tough" here meaning "stubborn" and "undomesticated"). Related to ParentingTheHusband, BumblingDad, {{Manchild}}, and LazyHusband. This can also overlap with UglyGuyHotWife if their contrasting maturity levels are portrayed through contrasting levels of beauty.
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19	See also WomenAreWiser, or FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling for the sibling version of this trope. Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife trope is exclusive to spouse relationships. In several instances, [[OppositesAttract these two work well together because of how different they are]].
20
21	Contrast PairTheSmartOnes and PairTheDumbOnes, although these can overlap if someone is OnlySaneByComparison. Don't expect the father to be a Standard50sFather unless the trope is inverted.
22
23	'''Note:''' Boyfriend/girlfriend examples do not count.
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25	----
26	!!Examples:
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* Minor example in ''Manga/CastletownDandelion'', where the King and father of the many princes and princesses in the series, in one of the few anime where both parents are actually present, manages to throw out his back when trying to do a BridalCarry with his wife, the Queen. She, meanwhile, laments that he's too injured to attend to the many royal duties he has.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
34	* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': While Calvin's dad isn't exactly foolish (he's a patent attorney) and just as irritated by Calvin's antics as Calvin's mom, there's also plenty of strips showing him trolling Calvin by [[LiesToChildren telling him outrageous lies about how the world works]] (such as the world being black and white until the '60s, or wind being caused by trees sneezing, or Calvin not being brought by a [[DeliveryStork stork]] but a pterodactyl, etc.).
35	* {{Downplayed}} in ''{{ComicStrip/Foxtrot}}''. While Roger is a BumblingDad extraordinaire, and his wife Andy is more competent than he is at housework, she's also often considered wrong by her children (and presumably, the audience), notably on the subject of video games (she doesn't want violent ones in her home), the thermostat setting (being of the "if you're cold, wear a sweater" school of thought), and health food (having once made turkey-shaped ''tofu'' for Thanksgiving).
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Fan Works]]
39	* ''Fanfic/JuniorOfficers'': Humphrey isn't exactly dumb, but he's very stubborn and set in his ways. [[PsychopathicManchild He can also be very immature]] with his [[EntitledBastard entitled attitude]]. He [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain thinks that all girls have to be feminine]] (as [[WantedAGenderConformingChild shown in his interactions with Margaret, whom he tried to force to be girly]]). Gertrude, however, is an OpenMindedParent who's accepting of her kids' traits, and she's even cool with the fact that Deborah once kissed a girl. Unlike him, she appears to know what love really is. This dynamic between Gertrude and Humphrey is [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]], as it's noted that they have an AwfulWeddedLife, especially since [[DomesticAbuse Humphrey treats his wife badly]].
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Films - Animated]]
43	* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Giselle and Elliot end up getting married in the second movie, and Giselle's still as [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] to the clumsy and often [[LovableCoward wimpy]] Elliot as ever. Even before their marriage, she often tried to steer him in the right direction, though that would usually fly right over his head.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
47	* ''Film/{{Rags}}'': Downplayed with the engaged couple of Diego and Martha. Diego isn't ''un''-intelligent, but he's constantly bringing home junkyard trash that always breaks down, and in one scene was shown to have fallen asleep on the job. By comparison, Martha is a lot smarter and more reliable, as the one who pays the most attention to Charlie's needs, comes up with the plans, and keeps Diego focused and in line.
48	* ''Film/ThisHouseHasPeopleInIt'': Tom is a borderline ManChild obsessed with things like "Boomy the Cat", eating clay, and going to South Africa. He's constantly shown doing weird things, such as drawing pictures while in his son's room, singing out loud in an otherwise silent room, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking refusing to get glasses when he clearly needs them]]. Anne, by comparison, is much more level-headed and normal. She has her quirks, like worrying too much about Lynk's disease or getting too attached to fictional characters, but in general, she's the "normal" partner in the relationship and tries to reason with Tom.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Literature]]
52	* ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'': Downplayed to an extent, as both Papa and Mama Bear can be the voice of reason. Papa isn't stupid, but he's impulsive, sometimes [[ParentalHypocrisy hypocritical]] when it comes to things his kids do, and often egotistical. Mama, by comparison, is serious, doesn't fall prey to addictions, and does her best to teach her kids and Papa to do the right things. However, she also has a temper and can be preachy, so Papa has to reel her in whenever she gets too angry.
53	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': Frank is shown to be somewhat over-the-top, [[ItMakesSenseInContext becoming armed with buckets of water to splash onto teenagers on Halloween]] and [[BerserkButton going berserk when he found out someone placed his General Grant figurine on the thermostat]] in the film adaptation of ''Rodrick Rules''. That said, Susan is more dedicated to her job as a parent than Frank is, acting [[YoungestChildWins extra protective of Manny]] and trying to get Rodrick to hang out with Greg more. However, since she [[PushoverParents always spoils Manny]] and [[MisplacedRetribution blames Greg or Rodrick for his actions]], there's much debate about how grounded in reality she really is.
54	* Elisa of ''Literature/EastOfEden'' tries to prevent her husband Samuel Hamilton from spending too much money on filing useless patents, and makes him ask for payment from his neighbors for the times when he worked for them.
55	* In ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'', Molly's father Martin is a BumblingDad and {{Manchild}}. The novel ''Literature/EpithetErasedPrisonOfPlastic'' reveals that his late wife, Calliope, was a strict, controlling workaholic. Somehow, their opposing personalities ended up balancing out rather than conflicting. However, this is {{deconstructed}}, as after Calliope's death, the Blyndeff family is left with only the Foolish half of the trope, with Martin alone being a [[ParentalNeglect horribly negligent father]] who causes a lot of stress and harm to his daughters with his irresponsibility.
56	* ''Literature/GeorgesMarvellousMedicine'': George's father often tends to get too overzealous for his own good, like when he's so eager to get started on more of George's medicine that he doesn't let George explain that he can't remember all the ingredients. George's more soft-spoken mother tells her husband to listen to George, and overall, she's more nervous about how remaking the concoction might backfire.
57	* Discussed and deconstructed in ''Literature/GoneGirl''. Nick is out of his depth with the brilliant manipulator Amy and, as she's plotting [[spoiler:to fake her own death and frame him for her murder]], she takes great pleasure in observing his stupidity while she meticulously frames him. He also falls into it himself, such as refusing to be honest about his affair with Andie after Amy goes missing and playing along with Amy's anniversary game even though he's only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper digging himself deeper.]] Go often calls him a "stupid fucking idiot" because of these terrible decisions. However, Nick sees this trope in action when he realizes Amy's real plan, and understands that while he may not be an EvilGenius, he has a major advantage over her because she ''thinks'' she's smarter than everyone else.
58	* Molly Weasley of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' is shown to try to prevent her husband Arthur from working on his unlawful inventions involving using magic on muggle items. Arthur is by no means stupid or even especially foolish, but his fascination with muggle culture and inventions does occasionally lead him into trouble. He's also by far the softer of the parents, rarely scolding his sons for things and being so amused by the garden gnomes that he can't bear to banish them from the property entirely.
59	* Played with ''The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish'' by Creator/AlexanderPushkin, the Russian version of ''Literature/TheFishermanAndHisWife''. The old woman thinks she and her husband are an example of this trope: she outright calls him an idiot as she berates him for meeting a BenevolentGenie and not even asking for a new wooden tub instead of the broken one they have. However, while her first wishes (for the wooden tub and a new, better house) are at least justified as they really are very poor, later she wants to become a gentlewoman and then a tsarina, with all the power and riches and none of the responsibilities that come with these positions, and it becomes clear that she is the foolish one of the couple.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
63	* ''Series/TwoPointFourChildren'': Bill is the head of the family and is usually the voice of reason. Her husband Ben in contrast is more of a {{Manchild}}, although he has been shown to be better at handling the emotional side of things than his wife at times.
64	* ''Series/DesperateHousewives'': Tom Scavo is a {{Manchild}} while his wife Lynette is much more sensible and responsible than he is.
65	* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'': Walter is Josh's BumblingDad who tends to be just as goofy, unlucky, and teased as his son. Audrey is generally more responsible and intelligent than him, keeping him and the kids in line and keeping a clear head for the most part. [[DevilInPlainSight Neither of them notice Megan's true colors, though.]]
66	* In ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', Zoe is a strong, tough, often serious warrior woman. Her husband Wash is often the series' comic relief. He's goofy and likes to joke around, though he does have his serious moments when flying the ship. [[DownplayedTrope He's not particularly bumbling or incompetent though]].
67	* ''Series/HappyDays'': While [[GoodParents both parents want what's best for their children]], Howard is portrayed as a cynical, [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] grouch who often acts overprotective of his teen daughter Joanie (although to be fair, Mrs. C is [[MyBelovedSmother overprotective of her too]]), sometimes to such ridiculous extents that Marion lampshades his strictness. As an [[{{NEET}} unemployed]][[note]]save for a brief job at Arnold's diner in "Marion Rebels"[[/note]] middle-aged woman, she does the cooking and cleaning around the house while Howard is at work, essentially making her the standard '50s {{housewife}}.
68	* ''Series/HomeImprovement'': The early seasons played the trope straight, following a strict formula: Tim's dumb decisions anger Jill, Tim gets advice from Wilson (usually mangling it when he tries repeating), Tim apologizes and they make up. It's zigzagged after Jill starts studying for her psych degree: Jill often finds she's not as smart as she thinks she is and causes problems on her own, while Tim is sometimes able to resolve problems with his own wits.
69	* Deconstructed in ''Series/KevinCanFuckHimself''. Kevin is a ManChild of the highest order, regularly blowing what little money he has on unnecessary sports merchandise and various {{Get Rich Quick Scheme}}s, as well as getting up to all kinds of wacky antics that end in AmusingInjuries. His wife Allison generally ''tries'' to be the voice of reason and maturity, but between Kevin's complete refusal to heed her advice and the way his idiotic actions take up all her time and energy (leaving her with no social life or time for herself) over the years, she's grown to increasingly resent him to the point of wanting him dead.
70	* This is mostly downplayed on ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'', as Ward is about as [[GoodParents good a parent]] as June, giving Beaver the proper father-to-son talk whenever [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin his wrongdoings are discovered]]; however, there are times when Ward is a bit unnecessarily hostile to the Beaver, for which June will call him out.
71	-->'''June''': Ward, don't you think you were a little rough on the Beaver last night?
72	* Downplayed in ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''. Hal is certainly a BumblingDad, HenpeckedHusband, and {{Manchild}} making Lois the one too often the voice of (relative) reason, forced to get her family under control in any given episode due to their shenanigans. That said, she's also a [[MyBelovedSmother domineering]] ControlFreak with a HairTriggerTemper and shades of PsychopathicWomanchild, averting some of the most egregious aspects of WomenAreWiser.
73	* On ''Series/ModernFamily'', Phil [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny has a short attention span]], [[TheChewToy is occasionally subject to]] AmusingInjuries, and [[{{Keet}} is considerably hyperactive]]. Claire (his wife) once said she feels like she's married to a child.
74	* Parodied in a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit which has a man buying an expensive car as a Christmas gift for the family, only to have his wife blast him for it, as he never discussed it with her and they can't afford it, thanks to him losing his job a year and a half earlier.
75	* ''Series/Severance2022'': New agey dumbass Rickon is married to snarky, intelligent Devon, though there are some flickers of HiddenDepths that show he is not quite as slow as Mark thinks.
76	* ''Series/SuperStore'': Deconstructed. Adam and Amy have this dynamic, with Amy working a job at Cloud 9 to support the family, and Adam having no job and trying to start up various businesses, only for them to fail due to his incompetence. This drives a wedge between them eventually as Adam fails to see things realistically and accuses Amy of trying to ruin his fun, while she is forced to take jobs she doesn't want and make tough decisions as a result of his failed business ventures. It eventually ends in [[spoiler:their divorce]].
77	* ''Series/TetanggaMasaGitu'': The older couple among the four main characters plays this straight. Adi is a lazy, deadbeat husband who likes to do whatever he wants while Angel is the responsible, hardworking wife who ''tries'' to order Adi around. They [[BickeringCouplePeacefulCouple contrast]] the younger Bastian and Bintang who are balanced in terms of emotionally and financially supporting each other despite playing WomenAreWiser straight too.
78	* PlayedWith on ''Series/WandaVision''. At first, Wanda and Vision fit these roles decently; Vision is portrayed as naïve, bumbling, and generally comical, whereas Wanda is the more grounded partner. This is the result of the show homaging different sitcom tropes, as this dynamic is more obvious in the '50s and '60s episodes. Vision smartens up pretty quickly, and not just in the context of being a sitcom husband, but also in terms of his actual reality; Wanda, meanwhile, tries more and more desperately to keep herself and her world together, which winds up with her being the more impulsive one and Vision more down-to-earth. [[spoiler:Ultimately justified. It turns out that Wanda created her sitcom world as a way to cope with her overwhelming grief, and created a new Vision as a part of that. Vision didn't know what was going on and didn't have all the same knowledge as Wanda, which made him seem dumber at the start in comparison, ''in addition'' to being forced into a generic sitcom role.]]
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
82	* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': Earl is dense and often comes up with convoluted ideas to deal with a problem (i.e. [[ToiletTrainingPlot toilet-training Baby]] to get out of changing diapers or getting the council to ban swear words so he can watch TV again) while his wife Fran [[StatingTheSimpleSolution offers a simpler solution]] to try to talk him out of it.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Theatre]]
86	* ''Theatre/AvenueQ'': Brian is an unemployed, aspiring-yet-unfunny-comedian. His fiancé, and later wife, is Christmas Eve, who is a smart-yet-aggressive licensed therapist who speaks at least two languages and worked her way up from being a Japanese immigrant.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Video Games]]
90	* Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' behave like this both before and after he marries her in the fourth game. She's always appealing to Nate to ditch the dangerous adventuring lifestyle, and he rarely heeds her advice. This trope strains their relationship in ''[[VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd A Thief's End]]'' when he [[spoiler:teams up with his long-lost brother Sam to track down a fabled pirate colony and lies to her about it]], but ultimately, [[spoiler:Elena realizes Nate will always be eager for adventuring, and ultimately reaches a balance with Nate by using Libertalia gold to buy Nate's former boss' salvage company and operate as legal treasure hunters]].
91	[[/folder]]
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93	[[folder:Web Video]]
94	* ''WebVideo/{{Dad}}'': Dad is a BumblingDad ManChild who has no idea about the truth surrounding his existence. Mom/Cheryl is a brilliant scientist who's running the show, [[spoiler:or so she thinks]], and does her best to keep Dad in line while acting like a stoic and distant party to him. [[spoiler:This is all because "Dad" is just a role Andan was brainwashed into playing by Cheryl and her server goons. The real Andan is quite smart and competent, but for the sake of the "dad experiment," he's being forced to turn into the much-less-smart Dad. Later videos would reveal that when Andan isn't around, Cheryl has to use Dadbots instead, who are even more unstable and child-like.]]
95	* ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'': Inverted with Mario and Rosalina, once the two got married in 2017. Rosalina [[PushoverParents doesn't have the backbone to punish Jeffy]] and she can be [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]]. Mario makes more of an effort to discipline Jeffy and [[OnlySaneMan tends to be the only one of the main cast who's not normally stupid]]. However, Mario is frequently NotSoAboveItAll and [[AbusiveParent abusive to Jeffy]] at his worst.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Western Animation]]
99	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': Hugh is a goof who [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} has a strange obsession with ducks]] and [[IceCreamKoan often tells nonsensical pieces of advice]]. His wife Judy, on the other hand, is presumably where [[ChildProdigy Jimmy]] got his intellect from and tends to be more focused on doing chores. Unlike her husband, who has messed up Jimmy's inventions on several occasions, she seems to know how to work Jimmy's contraptions.
100	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Richard Watterson is a lazy couch potato who's also the dumbest member of his family (though he [[SmartBall occasionally has his moments of brilliance]]) in contrast to his smart, calculated, and careful wife, Nicole. Richard can often cause as much trouble as his children and is often the least help in solving whatever issue arises, while Nicole often acts as the voice of reason for the family along with Anais. However, this is somewhat {{Downplayed\|Trope}} since Nicole herself is OnlySaneByComparison since she has a [[HairTriggerTemper horrible temper]] and [[CompetitionFreak can be overly competitive]].
101	* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'' Inverted with Bill and Nancy Green. Nancy being the reckless, [[{{Outlaw}} lawbreaking]] wife and Bill the high-strung, no-nonsense husband. [[JustifiedTrope Though their personalities aren't surprising considering how each of them were raised as children]].
102	* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Inverted with Bob and Linda. Linda is [[GenkiGirl recklessly enthusiastic]], [[MyBelovedSmother tends to be smothering regarding the kids]], and is often a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. Bob, however, is pragmatic in regards to difficult situations, can cook burgers quite well, and usually objects to whatever shenanigans Linda's got planned.
103	* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'': Mr. Peanutbutter is a friendly but naïvely optimistic [[DogsAreDumb dog]] who makes incredibly hasty decisions due to his inability to acknowledge the downsides of a situation and need for everybody to love him. This is contrasted with his wife Diane, an intelligent author who is usually much more rational. [[spoiler:Their differences eventually lead to a divorce, and Mr. Peanutbutter's next girlfriend is somebody closer to his level of ditziness and naivety (though she's much younger than him)]].
104	* ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'': Since the show is spun-off from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', the role of Peter as the Dumb Husband and Lois as the Smart Wife is recycled through the portrayal of Cleveland (who [[AdaptationalDumbass was not dumb before the spin-off by any stretch of the imagination]]) and Donna respectively.
105	* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': Eustace fits "dumb" quite well, as he's a rude InsufferableImbecile who stubbornly refuses to get out of danger, but Muriel downplays the "smart" part of this equation because she can be equally foolish [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on the episode]]. No matter what, though, she's always more reasonable than her husband (she actually knows how to cook, unlike him, as he's too lazy to), and she's a loving [[ParentalSubstitute surrogate mother]] to Courage, while Eustace acts like [[AbusiveParents an abusive father figure]] to him.
106	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has Cosmo and Wanda. Cosmo is the dimwitted husband who is prone to impulsively grant dangerous wishes, and Wanda is the smart and sensible wife who often calls out her husband and/or Timmy for those kinds of wishes. Over the course of the show, their dynamics can be played with; Cosmo can show moments of intelligence and a sense of concern for Timmy and also for Wanda, and Wanda is a constant nag and can have NotSoAboveItAll moments if she shows moments of jealousy, obsession with chocolate, or getting insulted over her weight or being bribed for a nickel.
107	* On ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Peter is an AlcoholicParent who used to [[AbusiveParents berate and physically torture his teenage daughter Meg]] [[ItAmusedMe just for fun]], also becoming a {{NEET}} and LazyHusband after he loses his job at the toy factory. His {{flanderiz\|ation}}ed stupidity also caused him to act increasingly childish when Lois tried having serious conversations with him. While Lois herself is [[ParentalObliviousness oblivious to Stewie's psychopathic matricidal tendencies in the early episodes]] and barely less guilty of ParentalNeglect to her kids in the later seasons, she would act as Peter's conscience whenever the latter was contemplating any dumb decisions, and generally still calls out his childishness. This has become downplayed to a degree in the more current seasons, where Peter is not as dumb, conceited, or immature as he used to be, and Lois isn't as much a hypocrite.
108	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' is considered to be the earliest example in Western animation. Fred was responsible for nearly 98% of the conflicts he and Wilma got into that drove them apart. Wilma made it her duty to [[ParentingTheHusband make Fred's dinner and breakfast and make sure he's not running late for work]], essentially placing Fred into the LazyHusband status whenever he came home.
109	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Oskar is irresponsible and lazy, and [[NeverMyFault he never takes responsibility for his actions]]. His wife Suzie is the one who does chores and has a job. This is often [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]], as they have gotten into fights because of Oskar's flaws, and [[spoiler:by ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnoldTheJungleMovie'', Suzie has divorced Oskar.]]
110	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'': Johanna is ground-minded and reasonable parent, though she’s prone to be overprotective and stern. Meanwhile, [[spoiler: Anders is reckless and spontaneous adventurer, who can’t stick to the plans, due to his adventurous spirit]]. That said, they are willing to workout their flaws for their daughter.
111	* ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm'': The King is a goofy {{Manchild}} who's still afraid of the dark and once mistook Princess (a doll) for an actual princess. His wife, the Queen, is more sensible as a ruler and tends to scold him for his immaturity. She also acts more motherly to the kids, while the King [[OneOfTheKids just plays games with them]].
112	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', we have the Blight parents Alador and Odalia. While they are AbusiveParents to Amity Blight, Alador is more of the voice of reason when it comes to his and Odalia's plans. Odalia, on the other hand, does more than her husband. It becomes inverted as the series progresses: Alador is revealed to be overworked and unintentionally out of touch, but performs a HeelFaceTurn and works to fix his relationships with his daughters and son. Odalia on the other hand, doubles down on her evil to the point where she [[spoiler: ''willingly helps the BigBad start the end of the world.'' The end of the series implies that Alador divorced Odalia.]]
113	* ''WesternAnimation/PeppaPig'': Daddy Pig is an accident-prone KnowNothingKnowItAll who [[BlatantLies often claims he knows how to do something when he doesn't]]. Mummy Pig is more mature and usually warns her husband that what he's planning on doing might be a bad idea.
114	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Dr. Doofenshmirtz's ex-wife Charlene has much more common sense than her ex-husband. One particular incident that is the focus of an episode is when she told him not to buy gargoyles for his building, but he did anyway and ended up not being able to make the month's rent payment on the building.
115	* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'': Oscar Proud is impulsive, stubborn, overprotective, and runs an unsuccessful snack business while his wife Trudy is the clear breadwinner of the family with her veterinary job.
116	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Zig-zagged. Carrot is something of a {{Manchild}} HouseHusband who stays home while his intelligent wife Celery takes the gang on space adventures. However, Carrot can be quite competent, particularly at culinary arts and survival skills, while Celery is as goofy as her husband at times.
117	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': Beth and Jerry tend to zig-zag on this. Sometimes Jerry is the Foolish Husband in regards to his [[ItsAllAboutMe narcissism]], pettiness and idiocy while Beth is calmer, collected, and [[WomenAreWiser smart]]. Most times though, Beth can be irresponsible and Jerry can take up the role as the OnlySaneMan.
118	* ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats1991'': Stu is a BunglingInventor who can be rather [[{{Manchild}} immature]], like when he gets into petty disputes with Drew. His wife Didi is the one to scold him when his inventions are especially faulty and/or dangerous. She does have her share of faults, though, like the fact that she follows the [[KnowNothingKnowItAll dubious child-rearing advice of Dr. Lipschitz.]]
119	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer is the quintessential cartoon BumblingDad who dwells on the couch in front of the TV on his days off from the Nuclear Power Plant, [[WouldHurtAChild resorts to strangling his son]] in the earlier seasons whenever Bart would provoke him, and generally doesn't think before he acts (the episode "Lisa Gets an A" opens with Homer using a toothpick to eat sealed food items in the store, assuming they were free). Marge constantly has to criticize his lack of thinking and get him off the couch, often to varying success. Homer has even been mistaken as Marge's fourth child in one episode.
120	** This trope wasn't quite as firmly established at the beginning of the series, leading to a couple of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness moments. The biggest one is Episode 1x4, "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E4TheresNoDisgraceLikeHome There's No Disgrace Like Home]]", where it's ''Marge'' who gets drunk at a company picnic and embarrasses everyone, and Homer who insists on taking the whole family to group therapy.
121	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Randy is a perverted [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] with a NeverMyFault complex. His wife Sharon is annoyed by his antics, and she frequently [[DeadpanSnarker snarks at him for it]]. She's not just the level-headed one in their relationship, though, [[OnlySaneMan she's one of the few sane adults in the whole series]].
122	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FoolishHusbandResponsibleWife