Wants a Prize For Basic Decency: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:3455427220 8814c9f421 m 3750.jpg|frame|''I didn't [[Kick the Dog]], so [[Dude, Where's My Respect?|where's my cookie?]]'']]

 

{{quote|'''Buffy:''' ''What are you doing?''

'''Spike:''' ''Making this woman more comfortable. I'm not sampling, I'll have you know. Just look at all these lovely blood-covered people. I could, but not a taste for Spike, not a lick. I knew you wouldn't like it.''

'''Buffy:''' ''You want credit for not feeding on bleeding disaster victims?''

 

A character expects special extra kudos for behaving in a situation like a decent human being instead of a [[Jerkass]], disregarding that basic humanity is expected of others by default, rather than something above-and-beyond, to be rewarded for. Also includes other people complimenting the first character's extra special moral behavior.

 

Compare [[It's All About Me]], [[Entitled to Have You]], and [[Pitying Perversion]]. Contrast [[Dude, Where's My Respect?]], in which a character actually ''does'' heroic things but gets no positive acknowledgement for it. Also contrast strong cases of [[Crapsack World]], where having a shred of humanity actually ''is'' to exceed any reasonable expectations.

{{examples}}

== Literature ==

* Invoked in ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]'', when Dorian realises that his painting is reflecting all the hedonism he's committed, and thinks that not picking up this country girl he comes across will improve it. The painting develops a smug grin of hypocrisy.