Wacky Parent, Serious Child

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A pair that consists of a silly, carefree or simply lighthearted parent (almost always a father) and a son who is down to earth, snarky, brooding or all three. In addition, the parent will often be utterly embarrassing. Expect Awkward Father-Son Bonding Activity to pop out, which will usually end with an Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other moment.

Examples of Wacky Parent, Serious Child include:


Anime and Manga

Comic Books

  • The adult comic Viz includes the comic strip "The Modern Parents" by John Fardell. It is the satire of an extremist "green"/New Age couple and their antics, while their young son is the Only Sane Man.

Literature

Live Action TV

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Mayor is always cheerful and upbeat, even when planning his Ascension, while Faith, whom he treats like a daughter, is generally brooding and aggressive.
  • Absolutely Fabulous featured bumbling, selfish, impulsive, party girl mother Edina and her long-suffering, Only Sane Woman daughter Saffron.
  • A female version is provided by Susan Mayer and her daughter Julie in Desperate Housewives (at least, before Julie left Wisteria Lane).
  • Rick Castle and his daughter Alexis from Castle.
  • Respectively, Walter and Peter Bishop from Fringe.
  • Lisa and Tia Landry in Sister, Sister. Her long-lost twin sister Tamera and her father have the opposite relationship.

Professional Wrestling

Video Games

  • Final Fantasy VIII: Though they don't know it, Laguna is Squall's father. Squall is brooding, stoic and professional while Laguna is a Bunny Ears Lawyer who tends to misuse words and in general is a total loon. When Squall first meets Laguna by experiencing his memories in a dream, Squall thinks of Laguna as a moron.

Western Animation