Obnoxious In-Laws: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Like a mother-in-law in a bad sitcom..."''
|'''Kaname Chidori''' (regarding Commander Mardukeus), ''[[Full Metal Panic Fumoffu]]''}}
{{quote|''"The only enemies at a wedding, Klump, are the in-laws."''
|'''King K. Rool''', ''[[Donkey Kong Country (animation)|Donkey Kong Country]]''}}
{{quote|''"When are you going to learn that In-Laws are your natural enemies?"''
|'''Dan,''' [[Dan Vs.]]}}
A [[Happily Married]] couple faces various problems, but none quite like the [[Sitcom]] In-Law. A member of one of the couple's family (often the wife's) has an obvious animosity towards their relative's spouse. They hate the person their daughter/sister/son/brother is married to and aren't shy about reaffirming it. While the object of this hate always tries to be nice to them (often at the insistence of their partner/spouse), the in-laws pull out all the stops to ridicule, abuse and undermine their target, and even try to set up their relative with somebody else, in spite of being married, and their spouse still living. Most of the time, they hate the poor guy for no reason [[Why Couldn't You Be Different?|other than not being a millionaire.]] Occasionally the hate stems from a [[Disproportionate Retribution|past incident that the hero/heroine has long since made up for.]] Or it could just be some people are... [[Jerkass|just jerks.]]
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{{examples}}
▲== Anime & Manga ==
* ''[[Orange Yane no Chiisana Ie]]'', where the in-laws of Natchi's ex-husband (who oppose her divorcing him and living with Shoutaro), are [[Jerkass|completely barbaric]] in how they treat her when she visits. [[Fridge Logic|Somehow they think this will result in Natchi wanting to come back and be part of their family...]]
* One story told during the [[Gossipy Hens]] episode of ''[[Paranoia Agent]]'' concerns a woman whose life is ''hell'' due to her overbearing mother-in-law. {{spoiler|When the mother-in-law uses the woman's ''birthday'' to demand rice balls, she snaps and tries to kill her -- at which point Shonen Bat intervenes and kills the mother-in-law.}}
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==
* In ''[[Superman]]'', General Sam Lane did not approve of Lois marrying mild-mannered reporter, Clark Kent, feeling that he was too much of a wimp, and even threatened to not attend their wedding. In all fairness, according to Lois's sister, he's hated all of his daughters' beaus. For the record, he wasn't very fond of Superman either [[Fantastic Racism|because he didn't trust aliens.]]▼
* Inverted in ''[[FoxTrot]]''. Andy herself dreads her mother's visits because the whole family absolutely adores her and she feels pushed to the sides.▼
* [[Cathy]]'s in-laws are absolutely annoying.▼
▲* In [[Superman]], General Sam Lane did not approve of Lois marrying mild-mannered reporter, Clark Kent, feeling that he was too much of a wimp, and even threatened to not attend their wedding. In all fairness, according to Lois's sister, he's hated all of his daughters' beaus. For the record, he wasn't very fond of Superman either [[Fantastic Racism|because he didn't trust aliens.]]
== Fan Works ==
* Women aren't immune to this trope either, as the title character of ''[[
* In the ''In My Eyes'' stories' latest{{when}} chapter, Megatron outright says he'll kill {{spoiler|Sarah if she doesn't break up with Will.}}
== Jokes ==▼
* One man once wrote a letter to his daughter's ex-boyfriend. He claims he can't sleep ever since he damaged the relationship. He claims he's writing the letter in hopes the potential son-in-law forgives and forgets. The man said that, when he saw the boy for the first time, he was surprised with the tatoos and the nose ring, but nowadays he doesn't mind that much. He also understands that riding a motorcycle in high speed and without a helmet isn't that dangerous as long as one pays attention to the other vehicles. The man also understands his reaction to the fact the boy never worked was quite inadequate and too extreme and unfair. He's quite convinced many good and able people also must live under bridges and sleeping in parks. He now also understands that the fact his daughter wants to get married at age 17 instead of attending an ivy-league college, is simply an alternative for her education, since not everything is taught at books and school. Sometimes he realizes how outdated he could be while meddling in topics of those nature and he recognizes he's wrong. He claims to have been foolish for opposing them and wished to redeem himself by giving his blessings. He even signed his letter as "your future father-in-law".▼
** Then he wrote a P.S. congratulating the boy for his lottery winnings.▼
== Literature ==▼
* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' novels, Nanny Ogg is this towards her daughter-in-laws, but not her son-in-laws.▼
* ''[[Harry Potter/Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince|Harry Potter]]'': Molly and her daughter Ginny don't approve Bill's (Molly's first-born) marriage to Fleur Delacour. In the end, when Bill's battle scars didn't make Fleur like Bill any less, Molly and (presumably) Ginny warmed up to her.▼
{{quote|'''Ginny:''' I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her.▼
'''Harry:''' She's alright. ''(hastily)'' Ugly, though. }}▼
* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: In ''[[The Bible]]'', Rebekah is "vexed" by the wives of Esau. It seems to be mostly because they are Canaanites, and follow Canaanite traditions and customs, worshipping their gods instead of the God of Abraham.▼
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* ''[[Fargo]]'' has the obnoxiousness of Jerry Lundegaard's father-in-law Wade Gustafson be one of the primary ways that Jerry's [[Batman Gambit]] turns into a ''very'' dark [[Fawlty Towers Plot]].
* ''[[Guess Who]]'' features a Caucasian man dating an African-American whose father would rather have her dating a fellow African-American.
* Brought up in ''[[Addams Family
{{quote|"Now, keep in mind that for me they are still ''in-laws.'' Tradition dictates that I must ''despise'' them. Regardless of my own personal feelings in the matter."}}
▲== Jokes ==
▲* One man once wrote a letter to his daughter's ex-boyfriend. He claims he can't sleep ever since he damaged the relationship. He claims he's writing the letter in hopes the potential son-in-law forgives and forgets. The man said that, when he saw the boy for the first time, he was surprised with the tatoos and the nose ring, but nowadays he doesn't mind that much. He also understands that riding a motorcycle in high speed and without a helmet isn't that dangerous as long as one pays attention to the other vehicles. The man also understands his reaction to the fact the boy never worked was quite inadequate and too extreme and unfair. He's quite convinced many good and able people also must live under bridges and sleeping in parks. He now also understands that the fact his daughter wants to get married at age 17 instead of attending an ivy-league college, is simply an alternative for her education, since not everything is taught at books and school. Sometimes he realizes how outdated he could be while meddling in topics of those nature and he recognizes he's wrong. He claims to have been foolish for opposing them and wished to redeem himself by giving his blessings. He even signed his letter as "your future father-in-law".
▲** Then he wrote a P.S. congratulating the boy for his lottery winnings.
▲== Literature ==
▲* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' novels, Nanny Ogg is this towards her daughter-in-laws, but not her son-in-laws.
▲* ''[[
▲{{quote|'''Ginny:''' I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her.
▲'''Harry:''' She's alright. ''(hastily)'' Ugly, though. }}
▲* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: In ''[[The Bible]]'', Rebekah is "vexed" by the wives of Esau. It seems to be mostly because they are Canaanites, and follow Canaanite traditions and customs, worshipping their gods instead of the God of Abraham.
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* In ''[[That '70s Show]]'', Red Forman's mother, Bernice is incredibly obnoxious and rude to everyone, but especially to her daughter-in-law, Kitty. Kitty's own mother is not much better - however, she upsets Kitty more than Red.
* Of the four main adult characters from ''[[Yes, Dear]]'', three of them have an in-law for each: Don (Kim and Christine's father) for Greg, Jenny (Kim and Christine's mother) for Jimmy, and Natalie (Greg's mother) for Kim. Christine doesn't have this problem, though. On the other hand, considering the tension that exists between brothers-in-law Greg and Jimmy, much of the show has this trope as its premise.
* In ''[[The Honeymooners]]'', Ralph dreads the visits of his mother-in-law, because she constantly implies that Alice could've done better than him. Norton doesn't get along with his either, the two of them getting into a dispute over whose mother-in-law was nastier. Unfortunately for Norton, Trixie hears them, and it seems she had no idea he felt that way...
* ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'': Master Vile (Rita's dad) and Lord Zedd don't get along. Hilariously.
** Lord Zeddisn't too fond of Rito Revolto (Rita's brother) either.
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* In ''[[Life with Derek]]'', Nora's mother Felicia liked her first husband just fine, but doesn't care at all for her current husband George, mostly because she doesn't believe in divorce.
* An unusual variant occurs on ''[[Blossom]]'' between her father Nick Russo and her maternal grandfather Buzz Richman. Buzz doesn't really have anything against Nick, but Nick resents him for coming to the Russo house and sponging off them when he visits. The fact that Buzz's daughter abandoned Nick and the kids doesn't exactly help matters.
== Music ==
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* New Orleans R&B guy Ernie K. Doe's big hit -- "Mother-In-Law".
* [[Spike Jones]]'s "William Tell Overture" racehorse routine: "Mother-in-Law nagging in the rear!" "Aaaaah-aaaah-aaaah!!" This is clearly after Feetlebaum leaves his position [[Stealth Pun|well behind]] the rear of the pack.
== Newspaper Comics ==
▲* Inverted in ''[[FoxTrot]]''. Andy herself dreads her mother's visits because the whole family absolutely adores her and she feels pushed to the sides.
▲* [[Cathy]]'s in-laws are absolutely annoying.
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== Video Games ==
* One of the [[Crowning Moment of Funny|funniest]] examples is in ''[[Dragon's Lair]] II: Time Warp''. The ''entire'' first level has Dirk trying to escape Daphne's mother (who resembles [[Brawn Hilda|a retired opera star]]... boy, even her name is Hilda!). She starts chasing Dirk with a rolling pin after she finds out that he let Daphne get kidnapped again. If the player presses the wrong button, Dirk can actually get ''killed'' by her! Dirk runs away from her on a horse, but she starts following him on an ''ox'', trying to bash the living daylights out of him while telling him to go rescue Daphne.
{{quote|'''Hilda:''' ''[[This Is Gonna Suck|DIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRKK!!!]]''
'''Dirk:''' Uh-oh...
'''Hilda:''' Kidnapped?... ''My'' Daphne, kidnapped again?!! Idiot! ''Dun-kof!'' You! Better! Find! My! Daughter! OR! ELSE! ''(throws a crate full of chickens at Dirk)'' COWARD!!! DIRK! I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE!! Did I raise my Princess to marry a ''frog''!?! Dirk! Hold still! You can run boy! But you cannot hide! }}
** The level ends with Dirk's mother-in-law hitting a giant snake (that, earlier on, was attacking Dirk), and telling it to "Shut up!"
** Just see it for yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vQaztLFRSM
* One level in the second ''[[Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan]]'' centers on a female pro wrestler who marries the heir to a traditional Japanese inn... only to find his mother does ''not'' approve. The level involves said wrestler proving she can be a good inn hostess in order to earn the old woman's approval.
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** Incredible level of messing with his mind, both with normal guilt-trips and sly insinuations and her illusionist father causing him to ''semi-constantly hallucinate vividly for days on end''. Notably, Miranda gave them a very successful [[Shut UP, Hannibal]] rant which included, "he was ''looking forward'' to calling you 'Mom and Dad!'"
*** This was largely because Donovan was orphaned and raised by elves. One of the things this means is he grew up without a surname and took hers when they married, because elves weren't going to adopt a human enough to give him their ''family name''.
* ''[[What's New with Phil and Dixie]]'', in [https://web.archive.org/web/20150428205218/http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20100221 the strip] about ''castles'':
{{quote|'''Dixie''': Well, the drawbridge is up, the windows are barred, and the fire moat is lit. So how about you and me...
'''The dude with a grappling hook''' ([[Right Behind Me|behind her]]): Hello, daughter! I'm here for a visit! Where's the fridge? }}
* ''[[Evil Inc.]]'' had Evil Atom [http://evil-inc.com/comic/evil-atom-at-home-3/ complaining] that he got enough of creatures of evil in the office.
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{{quote|'''Stan:''' They're loud, they're pushy, they make me feel like a guest in my own house!}}
** Stan hates them so much that he actually goes in search of Francine's birth parents. After initially thinking they are wonderful, Stand finds out that they are much worse and abandoned Francine because they would have had to fly ''coach'' since babies weren't allowed in the first class cabin.
* In ''[[The Fairly
** In "Timmy Turnip", Timmy's maternal grandparents keep referring to Dad as the "son-in-law that we don't like" and, as a [[Running Gag]], gives him bags full of rabid wesels.
* Linda's mother in the second episode of ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' so grates on Bob that he hides from her by pretending to be stuck inside the wall. [[Hilarity Ensues]], but by the end of the episode they seem to be patching things up.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Family Tropes]]
[[Category:
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