Vitriolic Best Buds/Real Life

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Examples of Vitriolic Best Buds in Real Life include:

  • This behavior predates and transcends the human species. Most mammals, some birds, and even a few fish engage in "friendly" fights, usually between males (but not always), as a form of social interaction (If you've ever been around a litter of puppies or kittens, you know what we're talking about. There are times you're not sure if they're playing, or if one stole the other's food and they're having an actual knock-down drag-out.) Little everyday scuffles burn off energy, reduce tension within the group, and keep the hierarchy in balance. Some animals even have sex (in a non-reproductive context) to establish dominance or form social ties.
  • Supposedly this tradition was started amongst the English nobility by Oliver Cromwell. Dueling over insults had gotten so out of hand that Cromwell encouraged a joking, insulting familiarity among his friends, and it became the style among the upper class. Centuries later you're still expected to "take the piss".
  • The relationship between Britain and Australia is probably the clearest-cut example of Vitriolic Best Buds being applied on a national level. For all the sporting rivalry and "convict"/"pommie" sniping, the two countries get on surprisingly well with each other.
    • The relationship between Britain and virtually anyone else. Despite everything, Britain has been one of the US's best allies, despite everything, Britain and France have co-operated in two world wars, and numerous minor conflicts since, etc. Heck, every part of Britain manages to have this relationship with all the other parts of Britain.
    • Speaking of France, the relationship between France and the US; the amount of vitriol between the two countries is sometimes so high that they seem to be on the verge of throwing their nuclear arsenals at each other, yet, both countries have been allies since before the US even existed. Might be caused by chauvinists from both countries being ignorant of their own history while the rest of the population knows better.
  • Authors G. K. Chesterton (devout Catholic with conservative social views and opposed strongly both to capitalism and socialism) and George Bernard Shaw (vegetarian, socialist, and atheist -- "Christianity would be a good idea if anyone actually tried it.") frequently debated each other viciously over political, social, and moral issues, then would go have a few rounds at the pub afterwards. Both were Deadpan Snarkers with a fondness for epigrams and wordplay.

Chesterton: George, you look like you came from a country in a famine!
Shaw: G.K., you look like you caused it!

  • Canada's provinces are a bit of a semi-dysfunctional family. Anglophones and Francophones look down on each other. The Western provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) like to pick on the Eastern side, focusing on Ontario and Quebec. The Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) moan how they never get the cool stuff. Everyone bashes Ontario or at least Toronto. But when the chips come down and someone needs help, we would jump in to help and we really do care about each other. And nobody but us are allowed to make fun of each other. (Well, maybe the US. Sometimes.)
    • Between Alberta and Toronto, there the relationship is more strained, as due to some unpopular bills passed, it gave Alberta less sovereignty over its oil. And some of these bills have caused environmental damage, along with causing health problems for those who live near the Oil Sands (the area in northern Alberta where oil is located) and natural gas deposits. Despite this, when the chips are down, any Albertan still feels loyalty to Canada as much as any other province.
    • Hell, Canada and the US are this. Most of our interaction consists of ripping on each other, but in the end, even if the Canadians are too Tsundere to admit it, we all know that one country isn't complete without the other. ♥
    • Three words; Operation Yellow Ribbon. That is all.
    • We talk a lot of smack about Canada, but a large chunk of Americans don't take too kindly to other countries giving Canada a hard time. We love you, Canada. Even if we show our love with all the class and tact of a 12 year old boy with a crush. Who sometimes fancies himself as the school bully, and wants to act "tough", while still having a big heart and confused about himself, while we are the little softy kid in the schoolyard, that you want no one else other than you to pick on, because anyone else always takes it too far. U.S. and Canada would be the two countries the most interesting to psycho-analyse. Who wants a group therapy?
      • So, does this mean that Canada is the nerdy girl who is too focused on her studies while pining over that bad boy America who skips English class to go smoke in the boys room, all while thinking, "Oooh, I bet I can change him."?
      • Meanwhile, Canada's relation to Mexico is night and day compared to the US. While both countries do appreciate Mexican beers and food; the US tends to have a hatedom of Mexico (usually due to rampant crime, drug running, and illegal immigration), and only uses it as a vacation destination and cheap labor. Meanwhile Canada has an openly good relationship with Mexico.
  • While we're on the topic of provinces, this is the kind of relationship that exists between the states that made up the Union and the Confederacy, for obvious reasons. The antagonism created by the Civil War still hasn't dissipated much, but at least the North and the South are no longer archenemies and we'll (begrudgingly) admit we're better off together than we are apart. Just expect alot of jokes about accents and rednecks and those damn Yankees.
  • Australia and New Zealand have a similar relationship. Sure, we aussies might be merciless to the New Zealanders at the sports ground, but if ANY other country was to try and invade, or a national disaster was to strike, we would be the first to help them, and not just because we're their closest neighbours.
  • US and Australia seem to be a mild case of this and Bash Brothers... both are loud, boisterous nations with alot of crazy folk. In a weird turn of events, our fighting tends to be in reguards to who is more Crazy Awesome, rather than who is less sophisticated or uncouth... we Americans see the Aussies penal colony status and general rugged nature as a direct affront to our rednecks and general insanity, but any country fool enough to mess with us has to deal with the pair of us trying be the first to mess you up.
  • Finland and Sweden also have a rivalry in sports and the Finns have a habit of making jokes about the Swedes—mainly about their sexual preferences. The Norwegians apparently also have a habit of making fun of the Swedes, and the Swedes make fun of both the Finns and the Norwegians. Still, when the push comes to a shove the Nordic countries almost always support each other in for example political issues.
    • Note, however, that Norwegians tend to make jokes about swedes being stupid, not about their sexual preferences.
      • This goes both ways. The jokes are mostly the same as well, just with exchanged nationalities. And even Norwegians will share in the laugh when either (or both) Danes and Swedes jokes that Norway is the country neither wants.
  • In Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs fans act this way as a whole—if a person attends a Cardinals/Cubs game, they'll hear a lot of verbal jabs and intense cheering for both teams, but it will have a generally more friendly feel than a Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees game will. This looks like a Type 1 at first because the Cardinals have more to boast about in the long run, but quickly becomes a Type 2 if the Cubs win at Busch Stadium.
  • In the American News arena, you have political pundits James Carville, a passionate Democrat who worked for the Clinton campaign, and Mary Matalin, a staunch Republican who worked for George H. W. Bush's campaign. They often appear together on CNN with opposing viewpoints. They've been happily married for almost 20 years.
  • Bill O Reilly and Jon Stewart. Despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum and slinging barbs at each other almost nonstop, they also seem to regard each other as worthy adversaries and have appeared on the other's show multiple times over.
  • Boston and New York. More than just a baseball rivalry. On the surface, they hate each other, but they have more in common than they like to admit, and Bostonians do travel down to New York quite often to take in the sights and the like, and the same goes for New Yorkers. Only difference between this and a straight type 2 is Boston generally won't come to New York's rescue if it's getting insulted by someplace else.
  • Manga authors Masakazu Katsura and Akira Toriyama.
  • Scotland and Ireland, so much so that many people can't tell the difference. Scottish and Irish Americans seem pretty aware of their similarities, but in the old countries, these are pointed out at one's peril.
    • This (Irish) Troper's Scottish friend once said "My favourite holiday destination is definitely the USA - cause they think I'm Irish and they treat me great!"
    • The Republic of Ireland and the UK in general, but in particular England, naturally. We do love banging on about the past - moaning as a national pastime is one of the many things we have in common with our dear neighbours! - but we really do love you guys. A 2004 study by the British Council in Ireland showed 80% of Irish have a favourable view of Britain - more than in France, Germany, or even the US. Not to mention that when the Irish economy ever so impressively tanked a few years ago, the UK offered loans on top of their contribution to the international funds that went to prop Ireland up.
    • Also the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, to some extent, (the South's response to the WWII bombing of Belfast comes to mind) though it's light on the vitriol these days.
  • Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell of American Idol and the US version of The X Factor, who fight constantly - when they're not draped all over each other like little cuddlebugs. He has called her his poodle more than once.
  • Any actors who spend a decent amount of time together almost inevitably turn into this, because they spend so much time together and have to go through so many emotions, they often resort to teasing each other to get a laugh and let off steam. The best examples seem to come from Doctor Who, as the actors playing the Doctor and his companion almost always fall into this, with David Tennant / Catherine Tate and Matt Smith / Karen Gillan probably tying for the Best Example, although Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki / Misha Collins are a very close runner-up.
  • William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson had a professional rivalry, though how much of it spilled over into their strong personal friendship is anyone's guess. At any rate, it's amusing to picture them as a swift English cutter and an overbearing Spanish galleon, respectively.
  • Common between the various military branches. Each one loves to insult the others and use less-than-complimentary nicknames (Jarhead, Grunt, Squid, Flyboy, Puddle Pirate) but God help any civilian who tries to join in on the insults.
  • Typical in Bavaria (at least among older men in the countryside). There's this joke about a butcher and his customers:

Sepp: "Hä Hans, gib ma amol drei Boor vo deine greislichen Pfälzer, du Leitbscheisser, du windiger!" (hey Hans, give me six of your horrible Pfälzer [sausages], you sleazy rip-off!"
Hans the butcher: "Für dein Saumogn taugns allawei! No, du gschwollkopferter Bauernfünfer!" (They're still good enough for your pig-like stomach! You fat-headed hick!)
Tourist from Prussia: "Geben Sie mir bitte hundert Gramm von ihrer verfaulten Salami, Sie Vollidiot!" (Give me 100 g of your rotten salami, you damn idiot!)
It didn't end well for the latter.

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