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Ambiguous Name: Rich Idiot With No Day Job

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    Original post 
Note: This thread was proposed by The Mayor of Simpleton.

The problem: Rich Idiot With No Day Job is a trope about a millionaire playboy disguise employed by superheroes. Think Bruce Wayne as Batman's secret identity, for example. Per the description:

When you think about it, the best Secret Identity a superhero can have is that of the Millionaire Playboy. Plenty of time to devote to smiting evil, plenty of money to spend on wonderful toys — and if anybody becomes suspicious about these advantages, they'll be forced to admit that you're such a feckless layabout you couldn't possibly be Scaryanimalman. You're just too Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense.

Unfortunately, the name does not say that at all—it mentions the "millionaire playboy" part, but not the "superhero disguise" part. Matthew Wayne brought this trope up a while back over concerns regarding the name, and he and I did a wick check.

Wick check: Link here, but here's the quick results:

  • 10/50 examples were correctly used, or 20%
  • 31/50 examples were misused, or 62%, and
  • 9/50 examples were zero-context or unclear, or 18%.

Totaled together, that's

  • 10/50 correct, or 20%, and
  • 40/50 incorrect, or 80%.

Analysis: So, as expected, a lot of misuse. Not only did many examples not describe superhero disguises at all, some of the ones that mentioned disguises weren't for superheroes. This tells me that maybe the scope of this trope is too narrow, even though this is a thing that happens in fiction.

Possible solutions: Depends on if we have enough examples to salvage. My ideas:

  • If there are enough examples to salvage this, at the very least we need to rename. I also would argue for expanding this trope if we do that—this does seem like a concept that need not be exclusive to superheroes. Under that proposal, we could do something like Millionaire Playboy Disguise for the name.
  • If there are not enough examples to salvage this as is, we could send the concept to the Trope Idea Salvage Yard and cut or disambiguate the trope—I do think this is a real thing, so if we don't have enough examples we'll let the TLP do the work.

What does everyone else think? Any other ideas or suggestions?

Wick check:

Here a wick check will be performed for Rich Idiot With No Day Job.

Why?: While this trope is about a rich playboy persona being a popular superhero disguise, the vague name does not say that, and this trope might be attracting misuse.

Wicks checked: 50/50

Wick totals:

  • 10/50 examples were correctly used, or 20%
  • 31/50 examples were misused, or 62%, and
  • 9/50 examples were zero-context or unclear, or 18%.

Totaled together, that's

  • 10/50 correct, or 20%, and
  • 40/50 incorrect, or 80%.

    open/close all folders 

    Correct use (rich playboy as superhero disguise) (10/50) 
  1. Funny.Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice: Upon meeting Clark and hearing which paper he's with, Bruce wonders aloud if he owns it. He doesn't even seem to be playing the Rich Idiot With No Day Job angle, either. He's genuinely perplexed. Heroism implied in pothole.
  2. Characters.Batman Arkham Series Rogues Gallery City: Has this reaction when Batman unmasks himself in front of him, as it completely invalidates his whole "Bruce Wayne never had to fight for anything" argument. Heroism implied in pothole.
  3. MCU.Stark Family: He very much acts like this in Season 2 of Agent Carter. While he does spend a lot of his time trying to shoot movies and drink away his problems with many gorgeous women, he immediately drops everything to help Peggy when it comes to resolving the Zero Matter crisis. Correct usage of trope.
  4. Characters.Star Wars Rebel Cells: Her cover, which she uses to explain her long absences from Chandrila as gallivanting around the galaxy buying things. Correct usage of trope.
  5. Literature.Confessions Of AD List Supervillain: Ultraweapon is apparently this. He made part of his original armor but has since used a core of engineers to make the rest of it. He now coasts on the profits and prestige from 'his' work. A superhero. Correct.
  6. Awesome.Batman: In the Batman & Captain America crossover, Bruce and Steve fight in their civilian identities, which shows is just them feeling each other out. Steve notes for a Rich Idiot With No Day Job, Bruce is surprisingly agile and his body is hard and muscular, while Bruce notes that Steve is using arcane martial arts techniques that the Army would never teach. Bruce immediately stops the fight, chuckling that he knows Steve must be Captain America. Steve gives himself a Dope Slap and laughs that he should have known Batman would pick a secret identity like Bruce's. Refers to a superhero disguise. Correct.
  7. ComicBook.Superman And Batman Generations Just for the Heli of It: In the 1939 chapter, Bruce Wayne illegally lands his autogyro on the grounds of the World's Fair to help cement his image as a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. Refers to a superhero disguise. Correct.
  8. Characters.Batwoman: Like her inspiration, Kate maintains this image, and before finding her purpose she really was one. In the first issue of her run in Detective Comics, her girlfriend breaks up with her because she thinks Kate is not responsible enough and has been "tomcatting around" when she has actually been fighting crime. When Batman begins to shadow Kate Kane in order to determine if she is the woman in the Batwoman costume she goes clubbing, apparently picking up random women, before he loses sight of her in a dark alley. Correct usage of trope.
  9. Characters.Starman DC Comics: Millionaire Playboy: Ted Knight is filthy rich. He has no job, went to an exclusive prep school, has a butler to drive him around, and is never once seen working. He's described as "wealthy playboy Ted Grant". He outdoes Bruce Wayne in the Rich Idiot With No Day Job category. Later on he's always seen doing something related to his astronomy hobby, but he clearly has all the time and funds that he needs to pursue that hobby. A superhero uses this trope as their secret identity. Correct.
  10. Recap.DC Super Hero Girls 2019 S 1 E 39 Tween Titans: Watching Make it Wayne, Barbara thinks Bruce Wayne is an annoying Rich Idiot With No Day Job (while idolizing Batman), but she adores his ward Dick Grayson because he's super sweet (who she loathes as Robin). Close enough, as Wayne is Batman's identity.

    Rich spoiled person, not a superhero disguise (31/50) 
  1. The Hedonist: The Ashwood Abbey compact of Hunter: The Vigil is this. They started out as just a bunch of Rich Idiot With No Day Job types, until they made the mistake of defiling a werewolf-controlled locus with one of their orgies. Their founder decided the proper response was to arm himself with heavy artillery, start another orgy, then kill the werewolves when they came to repeat their cleansing. Ashwood Abbeyists basically hunt monsters for the fun of it, often seducing them (and/or outright raping them), torturing them and murdering them. Of course, this does bite them in the ass; their fondness for "experimentation" means they often wind up on the losing side (disembowled while trying to rape werewolves, ghouled because of their fondness of drinking vampire blood for the rush, mindcontrolled by mages, etc), and most other hunters despise them to the point many regard them as being just as bad, if not worse, than the monsters themselves. Pothole does not imply the existence of superheroes.
  2. Characters.Hannibal Lecter Film: He was born into great wealth, which gives him the time to develop his sadistic habits. Not a hero.
  3. Characters.Startopia: The only race that can't be hired. Their only purpose is to be pampered in the hopes that they will excrete an energy-rich material called Turdite. Naturally, their radically-different philosophies mean that they don't get along with the Groulien Salt Hogs. Not superheroes.
  4. Recap.Central Park S 1 E 7 Squirrel Interrupted: Bitsy feels this way about her family, something she spares no amount of contempt on. Her brother Ambrose feels the same way, even though according to Bitsy all he's done is sit on their vast fortune whereas she flipped the property she inherited into an empire. One of her relatives shares the fact that she raised a million for her charity, even though that million was entirely an allowance of money from Ambrose. Heroism not implied.
  5. Series.Sanctuary: Karma Houdini: The Vampires (with Trust-Funds) from "Sleepers". Even after Tesla devamps them again, we get no indication that they were punished for the murders they committed, nor learn anything from the experience! We're never exactly made certain of how much of their behaviour and actions were caused by becoming Vampires, with several indications being given that they were already a bunch of spoilt, arrogant jerkasses to begin with?! Heroism not implied in pothole.
  6. Webcomic.A Girl And Her Fed: The Girl. She has a day job, albeit a really sucky one.
    Sometimes when we're bored, the ghost of Ben Franklin and I get hammered on old scotch and he goes five hours into the future to cherry-pick high-yield stocks for day trading. Heroism not implied.
  7. YMMV.A Wedding 1978: Alternate Character Interpretation: Mack is said to be an art collector, but whether this means that he does it as a profession or that he's a Rich Idiot With No Day Job living off his wife's money is unclear. The latter possibility could cast a different light on his efforts to have an affair with Tulip while claiming that they've had a Love at First Sight moment. Heroism not implied.
  8. Characters.Atlas Shrugged: Poses as a useless, girl-chasing playboy to maintain Obfuscating Stupidity while he prepares to make his contribution to Galt's master plan. Not a hero.
  9. Characters.American Psycho: One-Hour Work Week: His job is very high-paying, with a cushy office, but he doesn't seem to do any actual work there and has a lot of free time on his hands. In the various adaptations of the story, Patrick's time at his office is spent watching TV, listening to music on his Walkman, doing crossword puzzles, lifting weights, and any number of other unrelated activities. Famously, when Patrick and all his associates attend a business meeting, the time is spent showing off their business cards, and later, when Patrick attempts to look busy when visited by Detective Kimball, all Patrick can think to do is pick up his phone receiver and ramble on about men's fashion and proper tipping etiquette, rather than pretend to actually be in the middle of business. When his secretary looks through his day planner, it's almost empty save for lunch dates (plus doodles in the film). It's mentioned both in the book and the film that it's his dad's company. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert mused that Patrick's spree might have been averted if he'd been put to work hitting nails with a hammer, which is about the only task he's qualified for.Heroism not implied in pothole.
  10. Characters.Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children: Her side of the family owns one of the biggest chains of drugstores in Florida, but she doesn't appear to have a real job other than drinking wine and throwing elaborate parties to show off their home. Not a heroic person.
  11. Characters.Married With Children: He gets so bored with having nothing to do at home yet is vastly wealthy because of his past scams and Marcy's net worth that he'll go feed the ducks.... with quarters and watch them sink. Heroism not implied.
  12. Characters.Succession: Unlike his half-siblings, he coasts by on the family's wealth and doesn't hold a job. Not a heroic person.
  13. Characters.Oceans Eleven: While he's far from an idiot Danny notes that Toulour is "rich and bored". He doesn't need the money from his heists so he's clearly in it for the challenge and the glory. Not a heroic person.
  14. Characters.Nikita: Her cover after regaining control of her father's conglomerate Zetrov, a lavish unemployed lifestyle powered by a company trust fund. Not a superhero.
  15. Recap.Bob Chipman Film Reviews Number To B: 6 Underground: It was among the purest expressions of Michael Bay's style as an auteur filmmaker that Bob had ever seen, particular in terms of its themes, which he compared to "The Boondock Saints but for the Davos WEF attendees" in its lionization of the super-rich cutting through the red tape and taking matters into their own hands to solve the world's problems — a position and premise that he found to be extremely questionable on a moral level, even if he admitted that it wasn't so different from many of the superhero movies that he loves, and grudgingly admired Bay for his full-bore commitment to this worldview. The utterly bonkers action scenes, another trademark of Bay's, complemented the film's ideology remarkably well, with Bob calling it Bay at the most over-the-top he'd been since Bad Boys II, especially in how he refused to shy away from the bloody violence and collateral damage inherent to the action scenes. It was a bit too long, not quite as clever as it thought it was, and suffered from one-note characters beyond Ryan Reynolds' protagonist, but it still earned a 7 out of 10 and a recommendation as a "fun but kinda troubling watch". Pothole doesn't seem to be referring to a superhero of any kind.
  16. WebAnimation.Smash King: The second Bowser is forcibly brainwashed and transformed into Giga Bowser, all four members stop messing around and do everything in their power to get the situation under control, and to determine what should be done with Bowser and Ganondorf going forward. Dedede in particular shows off exactly why he became President in spite of seeing like a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. Not a superhero—the trope requires that the character be one.
  17. Characters.Citadel Of The Heart Grandis: Technically speaking, nothing is stopping Grandis from living a feral lifestyle as his Phase 3 form and being left to his own devices, but considering how much Grandis feels the need to at least attempt to socialize without Going Mad From The Isolation, Grandis attempts to take an Inverted God Guise in which he's either a hobo or a garbage man of some variety, and has a very small sense of common sense and a lack of proper grasp on social customs that you honestly would never guess that Grandis is actually The Omniscient but is severely hampered with his intelligence by his previously mentioned lack of common sense and social understanding. Even as an inversion, this is incorrect—it's inverting the "rich playboy that isn't a disguise" definition.
  18. Film.Knives Out: When Ransom probes Marta for the reason he left everything to her, she says it had more to do with them (Ransom's family) than anything she did, referring to their greed, narcissism, and entitlement. Ransom accepts this and acknowledges that he and his family are inadequate inheritors.He actually subscribed to that belief early on, believing his family to be hypocrites claiming to be "self-made" while they are almost entirely dependent on Harlan (or, in Richard's case, on Linda). He himself has no trouble being or acknowledging that he is a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. He still wants the money, though, and in fact commits the murder purely to continue being one. Pothole does not refer to a superhero.
  19. Literature.The Black Magician Trilogy: To some degree, many magicians (except Healers). Alchemists are often considered to waste their time on silly hobbies instead of useful innovations. However they do create things which help the lives of many, such as keeping the rivers clear of silt for trading. Warriors are only useful in times of war. If they aren't into teaching (like Fergun), there's little for them to do in the meantime. And as of High Lord, we learn that Warriors aren't even that useful against a magician invasion because they don't know black magic. So they literally are paid and housed to do nothing. Does not refer to a superhero disguise.
  20. ObfuscatingStupidity.Video Games: In Skyborn, Sullivan Chesterford is introduced as a rich fop who earns Claret's ire by being a poor pilot for his airship, forcing it to need repairs within a year. He proves himself surprisingly competent in a fight when he and Claret team up in the first battle of the game. This makes sense as he's the Red Spectre. His half-sister Jillian actually offers this as an explanation for his behavior:
    Jillian: He acts that way on purpose, silly! Deep down, he's actually a really thoughtful guy! Does not refer to a superhero disguise.
  21. Film.Strangers On A Train: Bruno hates his rich father partly because the latter wanted him to take on a regular job. Not a heroic person.
  22. Series.Laguna Beach: Most of the cast appear to be characterized in this way, with the exception of a handful of people. Only Stephen (who explicitly has a job working at a surf shop, and is seen handling tasks the few times he's seen there) appears to have anything resembling a professional career. None of them are heroic people.
  23. Characters.Criminal Minds Unsubs Seasons Six To Seven: He and his sister are the heirs of a large textile empire, which gives him the expensive clothes and honed smooth manners he uses to lure his victims to his house. Not a heroic person.
  24. Characters.Django Unchained: He's wealthy and, as Stephen and to a lesser extent Lara Lee manage the plantation, Calvin is free to spend his time sleeping with "comfort girls", watching "Mandingo" slaves fight to the death, and fancying himself to be a sophisticated intellectual and a gentleman. Not a heroic person.
  25. Characters.Greys Anatomy: Actively subverted. Jackson, despite his pretty face and wealthy family, is a dependable, intelligent doctor who earned his spot among the crew. Character isn't a hero, nor is the fact that he's simply wealthy an example of this trope, subverted or otherwise.
  26. Characters.Hitman 3 Side Characters: Downplayed. She's an artist, but she has no interest in ensuring the exhibit is properly working, telling the tech staff that she pays them to monitor such things. She is much more concerned with talking to her friend, who clearly wants to left alone. Not a heroic person.
  27. Characters.MCUHYDRA Operatives: Until Ward came along, he just loafed around spending his father's money, but finds his inner strength while getting tortured. Not a heroic person.
  28. Roleplay.NTWF Mafia: Celes Teal. Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense by day, guardian angel by night! Not a superhero.
  29. Characters.Hannibal Lecter Film: He was born into great wealth, which gives him the time to develop his sadistic habits. Not a heroic person, plus little context.
  30. LightNovel.Boogiepop Series: Though she's still a high school student, Nagi maintains this image. Not a superhero.
  31. VideoGame.Doctor Lautrec And The Forgotten Knights: Claude got into adventuring to find a girl that would fall for him, not his inheritance. Then he fell for Milady... Not a superhero.

    ZCEs, unclear, and other (9/50) 
  1. VideoGame.The King Of Fighters XV: Team Art of Fighting: The disciples of Kyokugen-ryu, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia, now teaming up with their on-and-off frequent ally King for this sortie. No context pothole.
  2. VideoGame.The King Of Fighters 2001: Team Art of Fighting: The Kyokugenryu school reunites once more: Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia, Yuri Sakazaki and Takuma Sakazaki. No context pothole.
  3. VideoGame.Professor Layton: Arguably. ZCE.
  4. Film.The Whisperer In Darkness: Charlie Tower. No context.
  5. OnceDoneNeverForgotten.Live Action TV: Back when he was a literal Rich Idiot With No Day Job, Oliver Queen beat up a paparazzi once. Many characters never let him forget this. Unclear if this was a disguise or not.
  6. Series.Thunderbirds: The Tracys. Penny, too. ZCE.
  7. WesternAnimation.The New Adventures Of Zorro 1981: Don Diego. ZCE.
  8. VideoGame.The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: The entire reason he showed up at the mansion. No context.
  9. ExactWords.Video Games: In Mass Effect 2, Garrus hasn't told his family that he was fighting criminals on Omega as the vigilante Archangel, nor that he joined up with Commander Shepard again, instead carrying on a Rich Idiot With No Day Job deception. Specifically, he claims that he's on a cruise around the galaxy, which, given that being on the Normandy does mean that he is flying around the galaxy. He just fails to mention that he's fighting mercenaries and Collectors rather than sipping expensive drinks while watching the sun set over tropical beaches. Can't tell if this character is a superhero from context. Unclear.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Jan 17th 2023 at 4:55:45 AM

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#1: Dec 30th 2022 at 12:51:57 AM

To-do list:

    Original post 
Note: This thread was proposed by The Mayor of Simpleton.

The problem: Rich Idiot With No Day Job is a trope about a millionaire playboy disguise employed by superheroes. Think Bruce Wayne as Batman's secret identity, for example. Per the description:

When you think about it, the best Secret Identity a superhero can have is that of the Millionaire Playboy. Plenty of time to devote to smiting evil, plenty of money to spend on wonderful toys — and if anybody becomes suspicious about these advantages, they'll be forced to admit that you're such a feckless layabout you couldn't possibly be Scaryanimalman. You're just too Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense.

Unfortunately, the name does not say that at all—it mentions the "millionaire playboy" part, but not the "superhero disguise" part. Matthew Wayne brought this trope up a while back over concerns regarding the name, and he and I did a wick check.

Wick check: Link here, but here's the quick results:

  • 10/50 examples were correctly used, or 20%
  • 31/50 examples were misused, or 62%, and
  • 9/50 examples were zero-context or unclear, or 18%.

Totaled together, that's

  • 10/50 correct, or 20%, and
  • 40/50 incorrect, or 80%.

Analysis: So, as expected, a lot of misuse. Not only did many examples not describe superhero disguises at all, some of the ones that mentioned disguises weren't for superheroes. This tells me that maybe the scope of this trope is too narrow, even though this is a thing that happens in fiction.

Possible solutions: Depends on if we have enough examples to salvage. My ideas:

  • If there are enough examples to salvage this, at the very least we need to rename. I also would argue for expanding this trope if we do that—this does seem like a concept that need not be exclusive to superheroes. Under that proposal, we could do something like Millionaire Playboy Disguise for the name.
  • If there are not enough examples to salvage this as is, we could send the concept to the Trope Idea Salvage Yard and cut or disambiguate the trope—I do think this is a real thing, so if we don't have enough examples we'll let the TLP do the work.

What does everyone else think? Any other ideas or suggestions?

Wick check:

Here a wick check will be performed for Rich Idiot With No Day Job.

Why?: While this trope is about a rich playboy persona being a popular superhero disguise, the vague name does not say that, and this trope might be attracting misuse.

Wicks checked: 50/50

Wick totals:

  • 10/50 examples were correctly used, or 20%
  • 31/50 examples were misused, or 62%, and
  • 9/50 examples were zero-context or unclear, or 18%.

Totaled together, that's

  • 10/50 correct, or 20%, and
  • 40/50 incorrect, or 80%.

    open/close all folders 

    Correct use (rich playboy as superhero disguise) (10/50) 
  1. Funny.Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice: Upon meeting Clark and hearing which paper he's with, Bruce wonders aloud if he owns it. He doesn't even seem to be playing the Rich Idiot With No Day Job angle, either. He's genuinely perplexed. Heroism implied in pothole.
  2. Characters.Batman Arkham Series Rogues Gallery City: Has this reaction when Batman unmasks himself in front of him, as it completely invalidates his whole "Bruce Wayne never had to fight for anything" argument. Heroism implied in pothole.
  3. MCU.Stark Family: He very much acts like this in Season 2 of Agent Carter. While he does spend a lot of his time trying to shoot movies and drink away his problems with many gorgeous women, he immediately drops everything to help Peggy when it comes to resolving the Zero Matter crisis. Correct usage of trope.
  4. Characters.Star Wars Rebel Cells: Her cover, which she uses to explain her long absences from Chandrila as gallivanting around the galaxy buying things. Correct usage of trope.
  5. Literature.Confessions Of AD List Supervillain: Ultraweapon is apparently this. He made part of his original armor but has since used a core of engineers to make the rest of it. He now coasts on the profits and prestige from 'his' work. A superhero. Correct.
  6. Awesome.Batman: In the Batman & Captain America crossover, Bruce and Steve fight in their civilian identities, which shows is just them feeling each other out. Steve notes for a Rich Idiot With No Day Job, Bruce is surprisingly agile and his body is hard and muscular, while Bruce notes that Steve is using arcane martial arts techniques that the Army would never teach. Bruce immediately stops the fight, chuckling that he knows Steve must be Captain America. Steve gives himself a Dope Slap and laughs that he should have known Batman would pick a secret identity like Bruce's. Refers to a superhero disguise. Correct.
  7. ComicBook.Superman And Batman Generations Just for the Heli of It: In the 1939 chapter, Bruce Wayne illegally lands his autogyro on the grounds of the World's Fair to help cement his image as a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. Refers to a superhero disguise. Correct.
  8. Characters.Batwoman: Like her inspiration, Kate maintains this image, and before finding her purpose she really was one. In the first issue of her run in Detective Comics, her girlfriend breaks up with her because she thinks Kate is not responsible enough and has been "tomcatting around" when she has actually been fighting crime. When Batman begins to shadow Kate Kane in order to determine if she is the woman in the Batwoman costume she goes clubbing, apparently picking up random women, before he loses sight of her in a dark alley. Correct usage of trope.
  9. Characters.Starman DC Comics: Millionaire Playboy: Ted Knight is filthy rich. He has no job, went to an exclusive prep school, has a butler to drive him around, and is never once seen working. He's described as "wealthy playboy Ted Grant". He outdoes Bruce Wayne in the Rich Idiot With No Day Job category. Later on he's always seen doing something related to his astronomy hobby, but he clearly has all the time and funds that he needs to pursue that hobby. A superhero uses this trope as their secret identity. Correct.
  10. Recap.DC Super Hero Girls 2019 S 1 E 39 Tween Titans: Watching Make it Wayne, Barbara thinks Bruce Wayne is an annoying Rich Idiot With No Day Job (while idolizing Batman), but she adores his ward Dick Grayson because he's super sweet (who she loathes as Robin). Close enough, as Wayne is Batman's identity.

    Rich spoiled person, not a superhero disguise (31/50) 
  1. The Hedonist: The Ashwood Abbey compact of Hunter: The Vigil is this. They started out as just a bunch of Rich Idiot With No Day Job types, until they made the mistake of defiling a werewolf-controlled locus with one of their orgies. Their founder decided the proper response was to arm himself with heavy artillery, start another orgy, then kill the werewolves when they came to repeat their cleansing. Ashwood Abbeyists basically hunt monsters for the fun of it, often seducing them (and/or outright raping them), torturing them and murdering them. Of course, this does bite them in the ass; their fondness for "experimentation" means they often wind up on the losing side (disembowled while trying to rape werewolves, ghouled because of their fondness of drinking vampire blood for the rush, mindcontrolled by mages, etc), and most other hunters despise them to the point many regard them as being just as bad, if not worse, than the monsters themselves. Pothole does not imply the existence of superheroes.
  2. Characters.Hannibal Lecter Film: He was born into great wealth, which gives him the time to develop his sadistic habits. Not a hero.
  3. Characters.Startopia: The only race that can't be hired. Their only purpose is to be pampered in the hopes that they will excrete an energy-rich material called Turdite. Naturally, their radically-different philosophies mean that they don't get along with the Groulien Salt Hogs. Not superheroes.
  4. Recap.Central Park S 1 E 7 Squirrel Interrupted: Bitsy feels this way about her family, something she spares no amount of contempt on. Her brother Ambrose feels the same way, even though according to Bitsy all he's done is sit on their vast fortune whereas she flipped the property she inherited into an empire. One of her relatives shares the fact that she raised a million for her charity, even though that million was entirely an allowance of money from Ambrose. Heroism not implied.
  5. Series.Sanctuary: Karma Houdini: The Vampires (with Trust-Funds) from "Sleepers". Even after Tesla devamps them again, we get no indication that they were punished for the murders they committed, nor learn anything from the experience! We're never exactly made certain of how much of their behaviour and actions were caused by becoming Vampires, with several indications being given that they were already a bunch of spoilt, arrogant jerkasses to begin with?! Heroism not implied in pothole.
  6. Webcomic.A Girl And Her Fed: The Girl. She has a day job, albeit a really sucky one.
    Sometimes when we're bored, the ghost of Ben Franklin and I get hammered on old scotch and he goes five hours into the future to cherry-pick high-yield stocks for day trading. Heroism not implied.
  7. YMMV.A Wedding 1978: Alternate Character Interpretation: Mack is said to be an art collector, but whether this means that he does it as a profession or that he's a Rich Idiot With No Day Job living off his wife's money is unclear. The latter possibility could cast a different light on his efforts to have an affair with Tulip while claiming that they've had a Love at First Sight moment. Heroism not implied.
  8. Characters.Atlas Shrugged: Poses as a useless, girl-chasing playboy to maintain Obfuscating Stupidity while he prepares to make his contribution to Galt's master plan. Not a hero.
  9. Characters.American Psycho: One-Hour Work Week: His job is very high-paying, with a cushy office, but he doesn't seem to do any actual work there and has a lot of free time on his hands. In the various adaptations of the story, Patrick's time at his office is spent watching TV, listening to music on his Walkman, doing crossword puzzles, lifting weights, and any number of other unrelated activities. Famously, when Patrick and all his associates attend a business meeting, the time is spent showing off their business cards, and later, when Patrick attempts to look busy when visited by Detective Kimball, all Patrick can think to do is pick up his phone receiver and ramble on about men's fashion and proper tipping etiquette, rather than pretend to actually be in the middle of business. When his secretary looks through his day planner, it's almost empty save for lunch dates (plus doodles in the film). It's mentioned both in the book and the film that it's his dad's company. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert mused that Patrick's spree might have been averted if he'd been put to work hitting nails with a hammer, which is about the only task he's qualified for.Heroism not implied in pothole.
  10. Characters.Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children: Her side of the family owns one of the biggest chains of drugstores in Florida, but she doesn't appear to have a real job other than drinking wine and throwing elaborate parties to show off their home. Not a heroic person.
  11. Characters.Married With Children: He gets so bored with having nothing to do at home yet is vastly wealthy because of his past scams and Marcy's net worth that he'll go feed the ducks.... with quarters and watch them sink. Heroism not implied.
  12. Characters.Succession: Unlike his half-siblings, he coasts by on the family's wealth and doesn't hold a job. Not a heroic person.
  13. Characters.Oceans Eleven: While he's far from an idiot Danny notes that Toulour is "rich and bored". He doesn't need the money from his heists so he's clearly in it for the challenge and the glory. Not a heroic person.
  14. Characters.Nikita: Her cover after regaining control of her father's conglomerate Zetrov, a lavish unemployed lifestyle powered by a company trust fund. Not a superhero.
  15. Recap.Bob Chipman Film Reviews Number To B: 6 Underground: It was among the purest expressions of Michael Bay's style as an auteur filmmaker that Bob had ever seen, particular in terms of its themes, which he compared to "The Boondock Saints but for the Davos WEF attendees" in its lionization of the super-rich cutting through the red tape and taking matters into their own hands to solve the world's problems — a position and premise that he found to be extremely questionable on a moral level, even if he admitted that it wasn't so different from many of the superhero movies that he loves, and grudgingly admired Bay for his full-bore commitment to this worldview. The utterly bonkers action scenes, another trademark of Bay's, complemented the film's ideology remarkably well, with Bob calling it Bay at the most over-the-top he'd been since Bad Boys II, especially in how he refused to shy away from the bloody violence and collateral damage inherent to the action scenes. It was a bit too long, not quite as clever as it thought it was, and suffered from one-note characters beyond Ryan Reynolds' protagonist, but it still earned a 7 out of 10 and a recommendation as a "fun but kinda troubling watch". Pothole doesn't seem to be referring to a superhero of any kind.
  16. WebAnimation.Smash King: The second Bowser is forcibly brainwashed and transformed into Giga Bowser, all four members stop messing around and do everything in their power to get the situation under control, and to determine what should be done with Bowser and Ganondorf going forward. Dedede in particular shows off exactly why he became President in spite of seeing like a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. Not a superhero—the trope requires that the character be one.
  17. Characters.Citadel Of The Heart Grandis: Technically speaking, nothing is stopping Grandis from living a feral lifestyle as his Phase 3 form and being left to his own devices, but considering how much Grandis feels the need to at least attempt to socialize without Going Mad From The Isolation, Grandis attempts to take an Inverted God Guise in which he's either a hobo or a garbage man of some variety, and has a very small sense of common sense and a lack of proper grasp on social customs that you honestly would never guess that Grandis is actually The Omniscient but is severely hampered with his intelligence by his previously mentioned lack of common sense and social understanding. Even as an inversion, this is incorrect—it's inverting the "rich playboy that isn't a disguise" definition.
  18. Film.Knives Out: When Ransom probes Marta for the reason he left everything to her, she says it had more to do with them (Ransom's family) than anything she did, referring to their greed, narcissism, and entitlement. Ransom accepts this and acknowledges that he and his family are inadequate inheritors.He actually subscribed to that belief early on, believing his family to be hypocrites claiming to be "self-made" while they are almost entirely dependent on Harlan (or, in Richard's case, on Linda). He himself has no trouble being or acknowledging that he is a Rich Idiot With No Day Job. He still wants the money, though, and in fact commits the murder purely to continue being one. Pothole does not refer to a superhero.
  19. Literature.The Black Magician Trilogy: To some degree, many magicians (except Healers). Alchemists are often considered to waste their time on silly hobbies instead of useful innovations. However they do create things which help the lives of many, such as keeping the rivers clear of silt for trading. Warriors are only useful in times of war. If they aren't into teaching (like Fergun), there's little for them to do in the meantime. And as of High Lord, we learn that Warriors aren't even that useful against a magician invasion because they don't know black magic. So they literally are paid and housed to do nothing. Does not refer to a superhero disguise.
  20. ObfuscatingStupidity.Video Games: In Skyborn, Sullivan Chesterford is introduced as a rich fop who earns Claret's ire by being a poor pilot for his airship, forcing it to need repairs within a year. He proves himself surprisingly competent in a fight when he and Claret team up in the first battle of the game. This makes sense as he's the Red Spectre. His half-sister Jillian actually offers this as an explanation for his behavior:
    Jillian: He acts that way on purpose, silly! Deep down, he's actually a really thoughtful guy! Does not refer to a superhero disguise.
  21. Film.Strangers On A Train: Bruno hates his rich father partly because the latter wanted him to take on a regular job. Not a heroic person.
  22. Series.Laguna Beach: Most of the cast appear to be characterized in this way, with the exception of a handful of people. Only Stephen (who explicitly has a job working at a surf shop, and is seen handling tasks the few times he's seen there) appears to have anything resembling a professional career. None of them are heroic people.
  23. Characters.Criminal Minds Unsubs Seasons Six To Seven: He and his sister are the heirs of a large textile empire, which gives him the expensive clothes and honed smooth manners he uses to lure his victims to his house. Not a heroic person.
  24. Characters.Django Unchained: He's wealthy and, as Stephen and to a lesser extent Lara Lee manage the plantation, Calvin is free to spend his time sleeping with "comfort girls", watching "Mandingo" slaves fight to the death, and fancying himself to be a sophisticated intellectual and a gentleman. Not a heroic person.
  25. Characters.Greys Anatomy: Actively subverted. Jackson, despite his pretty face and wealthy family, is a dependable, intelligent doctor who earned his spot among the crew. Character isn't a hero, nor is the fact that he's simply wealthy an example of this trope, subverted or otherwise.
  26. Characters.Hitman 3 Side Characters: Downplayed. She's an artist, but she has no interest in ensuring the exhibit is properly working, telling the tech staff that she pays them to monitor such things. She is much more concerned with talking to her friend, who clearly wants to left alone. Not a heroic person.
  27. Characters.MCUHYDRA Operatives: Until Ward came along, he just loafed around spending his father's money, but finds his inner strength while getting tortured. Not a heroic person.
  28. Roleplay.NTWF Mafia: Celes Teal. Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense by day, guardian angel by night! Not a superhero.
  29. Characters.Hannibal Lecter Film: He was born into great wealth, which gives him the time to develop his sadistic habits. Not a heroic person, plus little context.
  30. LightNovel.Boogiepop Series: Though she's still a high school student, Nagi maintains this image. Not a superhero.
  31. VideoGame.Doctor Lautrec And The Forgotten Knights: Claude got into adventuring to find a girl that would fall for him, not his inheritance. Then he fell for Milady... Not a superhero.

    ZCEs, unclear, and other (9/50) 
  1. VideoGame.The King Of Fighters XV: Team Art of Fighting: The disciples of Kyokugen-ryu, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia, now teaming up with their on-and-off frequent ally King for this sortie. No context pothole.
  2. VideoGame.The King Of Fighters 2001: Team Art of Fighting: The Kyokugenryu school reunites once more: Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia, Yuri Sakazaki and Takuma Sakazaki. No context pothole.
  3. VideoGame.Professor Layton: Arguably. ZCE.
  4. Film.The Whisperer In Darkness: Charlie Tower. No context.
  5. OnceDoneNeverForgotten.Live Action TV: Back when he was a literal Rich Idiot With No Day Job, Oliver Queen beat up a paparazzi once. Many characters never let him forget this. Unclear if this was a disguise or not.
  6. Series.Thunderbirds: The Tracys. Penny, too. ZCE.
  7. WesternAnimation.The New Adventures Of Zorro 1981: Don Diego. ZCE.
  8. VideoGame.The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: The entire reason he showed up at the mansion. No context.
  9. ExactWords.Video Games: In Mass Effect 2, Garrus hasn't told his family that he was fighting criminals on Omega as the vigilante Archangel, nor that he joined up with Commander Shepard again, instead carrying on a Rich Idiot With No Day Job deception. Specifically, he claims that he's on a cruise around the galaxy, which, given that being on the Normandy does mean that he is flying around the galaxy. He just fails to mention that he's fighting mercenaries and Collectors rather than sipping expensive drinks while watching the sun set over tropical beaches. Can't tell if this character is a superhero from context. Unclear.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Jan 17th 2023 at 4:55:45 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
GastonRabbit MOD Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#3: Dec 30th 2022 at 12:52:42 AM

Just a heads up, it's the holiday season, I'm not going to hook any new crowners until January 2, and any currently hooked crowners will not be called until then. In addition, consensus will not be called via posts until then.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Amonimus the Retromancer from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the Retromancer
#4: Dec 30th 2022 at 1:04:21 AM

If the trope is Millionaire Playboy + Secret Identity, I feel it's just those two tropes occuring at the same time (plus Non-Idle Rich).

Edited by Amonimus on Dec 30th 2022 at 12:04:29 PM

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#5: Dec 30th 2022 at 1:09:19 AM

I could get behind retooling examples of this as examples of Secret Identity that involve being disguised as a Millionaire Playboy, but I'll wait for more input regarding whether to rename or move examples to Secret Identity + Millionaire Playboy. It's late right now and I didn't sleep much, so I don't feel like thinking things through right now, and I'm not voting quite yet.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Dec 30th 2022 at 3:09:54 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Noaqiyeum Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they) from the gentle and welcoming dark (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
#6: Dec 30th 2022 at 1:17:43 AM

When the discussion comes up of whether this is superhero-specific, I want to raise the question of Lord Peter Wimsey, who seems like a perfect example but is not in any way disguised - he just encourages the impression of being a wealthy dilettante so that people underestimate his deductive skills, in much the same way as Hercule Poirot plays up being a Funny Foreigner and Benoit Blanc and Columbo pander to their own stereotypes to hide that they're Smarter Than You Look.

The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
eroock Since: Sep, 2012
#7: Dec 30th 2022 at 4:02:29 AM

The trope name is misleading. The misused portion seems to belong on Idle Rich.

amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#8: Dec 30th 2022 at 6:14:47 AM

I agree with Amonimus, I don't think this is any more noteworthy of a Secret Identity than any other possible secret identity and comes off as The Same, but More Specific of that trope without the distinction being all that meaningful.

What might be tropeworthy is the common trope of wealthy people becoming superheros/vigilantes when they realize that going through the typical channels of philanthropy, activism, political donations, or creating something through a company is just not enough.

That said, I'm 99% sure that's Crimefighting with Cash. So I suggest either a redirect to Secret Identity or disambiguating between Secret Identity, Living a Double Life, and perhaps Obfuscating Stupidity if we want to play up the "pretending" aspect. Notably, Rich Idiot With No Day Job gets a mention in the 4th paragraph description of Obfuscating Stupidity as "a special case"

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 30th 2022 at 9:19:17 AM

MatthewWayne The Man Outside Reality from TVA Headquarters Since: Oct, 2014
The Man Outside Reality
#9: Dec 30th 2022 at 6:27:20 AM

Thanks for the pin Gaston.

I'm normally not one for advocating for a trope disambiguation, but in this case I feel that I have to make an exception.

As others have mentioned, this trope overlaps a lot with other wealth tropes, and the bad name causes many people to mistake it for being about lazy rich people in general, despite that character archetype covered by other tropes on this site.

There's also the fact that the "superhero disguised as an Upper-Class Twit" persona is becoming increasingly rare these days; it's worth noting that a good chunk of the "correct" examples done on the wick check primarily consist of Batman and his family. With that in mind, the concept seems to become less and less tropeworthy in my mind.

Edited by MatthewWayne on Dec 30th 2022 at 6:55:46 AM

Trust no one.
Amonimus the Retromancer from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the Retromancer
#10: Dec 30th 2022 at 6:55:08 AM

With many tropes mentioned disambiguating sounds likely.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
themayorofsimpleton Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him from Elsewhere (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Abstaining
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
#11: Dec 30th 2022 at 7:51:22 AM

Everyone else is right. My original suggestions weren’t workable. [tup] Disambig

TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
badtothebaritone (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Snooping as usual
Orbiting Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#13: Dec 30th 2022 at 8:49:50 AM

I'd rather redirct to Idle Rich since that's what most of the use is

Nen_desharu Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire from Greater Smash Bros. Universe or Toronto Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire
amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#15: Dec 30th 2022 at 11:11:26 AM

[up][up]Oh that is true. I didn't even realize that of the 40 incorrect examples, a whopping 31 (75%) were all examples of Idle Rich. If we're going with how the trope has been used and not what the trope was intended to cover then, yeah I can see redirecting it solely to Idle Rich

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 30th 2022 at 3:46:59 PM

Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
MurlocAggroB from the second-most ridiculous province of Canada Since: May, 2015
#17: Dec 30th 2022 at 1:46:19 PM

For what it's worth, I actually like the name Rich Idiot With No Day Job more than Idle Rich. It's longer, but it rolls off the tongue and it's more descriptive.

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#18: Dec 30th 2022 at 2:43:46 PM

I don't have a strong opinion on whether we redirect to Idle Rich or disambiguate, but now that more input has been given, I agree that this is redundant with Secret Identity. In the case of redirecting to Idle Rich, there's precedent with redirecting a misused trope to the trope it was misused in place of, as with Cosmic Horror being redirected to Eldritch Abomination after being renamed to Cosmic Horror Story, and Aloha, Hawaii! being redirected to Hula and Luaus after it was merged with Vacation Episode.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Dec 30th 2022 at 4:44:00 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
selkies Professional Wick Checker Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
Professional Wick Checker
#19: Dec 30th 2022 at 4:23:24 PM

On team redirect to Idle Rich. Even if Rich Idiot With No Day Job is still kept or used as a name or whatever, it'd imply that the rich character has to be "an idiot" + "has no day job/idle" — which as pointed out is a misleading name.

themayorofsimpleton Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him from Elsewhere (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Abstaining
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#21: Dec 30th 2022 at 5:25:05 PM

I'm going to change my vote to redirecting to Idle Rich after the merge with Secret Identity.

Non-Idle Rich was previously mentioned, but it seems that the misuse is actually for Idle Rich due to the "with no day job" part of the name causing confusion with the latter instead of the former.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Dec 30th 2022 at 7:26:44 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#22: Dec 30th 2022 at 9:06:43 PM

[up][tup] agree with both the merge and redirect

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 30th 2022 at 12:07:01 PM

MatthewWayne The Man Outside Reality from TVA Headquarters Since: Oct, 2014
The Man Outside Reality
#23: Dec 30th 2022 at 9:39:25 PM

I can get around a merge. Would certainly make wick cleaning much less strenuous a chore.

Trust no one.
MorganWick (Elder Troper)
#24: Dec 31st 2022 at 6:50:38 AM

Per the breakdown in the OP, Idle Rich makes up the entirety of the non-ZCE/unclear misuse, but only about 62% of the total use, which is pretty significant but at less than two-thirds I'm not sure it's enough to warrant a straight-up redirect. I'm actually surprised to see the trope being misused to this extent because I've always been pretty clear as to the actual definition, but it does seem like it might be Too Rare to Trope, redundant with Crimefighting with Cash, and not notable enough of a Secret Identity or as one of the Stock Superhero Day Jobs to warrant a separate page.

Edited by MorganWick on Dec 31st 2022 at 6:59:19 AM

GastonRabbit MOD Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#25: Jan 1st 2023 at 10:42:59 PM

Hooked a crowner.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.

Trope Repair Shop: Rich Idiot with No Day Job
1st Jan '23 10:40:21 PM

Crown Description:

There are concerns that Rich Idiot With No Day Job is redundant with Secret Identity. What should be done with Rich Idiot With No Day Job? Note that if there is no consensus for disambiguating or redirecting to Idle Rich, the page will be redirected to Secret Identity if it is merged with that trope.

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