Where Did We Go Wrong?: Difference between revisions

''These'' kids ended up having their own views of how the world works. For better or worse, they don't share their parents interests, they don't want to enter the same careers, or worst of all, they may not share their parents' [[Berserk Button|political or religious views.]] This leads the parents to wonder, "Where did we go wrong?".

 

 

Classic set-ups include a girl with a domineering [[Stage Mom]], or a son being forced to hunt deer in a [[Manly Men Can Hunt]] scene. In more dramatic works, a rebellious child might end up being [[Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal|downright criminal.]]

Very common in sitcoms.

 

 

== Film ==

 

* Both versions of ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' or its many rip-offs utilize this trope but also subvert it in that in the end, it's shown that the teenagers and parents weren't quite as different as initially believed.

* ''[[Trainspotting]]'': Renton's parents have this view toward him and it's justified considering he's a heroin addict. Sadly, he realizes how much they must be disappointed in him.

* ''[[Austin Powers]]'': Dr. Evil asks where he went wrong out loud in response to Scott Evil not living up to his father's expectations in the first two movies. They reconcile in the third movie {{spoiler|although Dr. Evil does a [[Heel Face Turn]], leaving Scott as the lone [[Big Bad]].}}

 

== Live Action TV ==

 

** Eric's sister Laurie starts off as the favorite, but as the series progresses Red begins to see the strong character in Eric while becoming more and more disappointed in how the promiscuous Laurie turned out.

** Actually, Laurie was Red's favorite, whereas Kitty was intimately aware of what Laurie was really like and thus favored Eric.

* ''[[Family Ties]]'': Alex P. Keaton was a business suit wearing Republican teenager born to hippy parents.

* Robin's dad on ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' tried his best to raise his kid up to be just like him... despite being a girl. He was more than upset when he caught her kissing a boy for the first time.

* George and Angie on ''[[The George Lopez Show]]'' feel this way about Carmen, especially after she runs away and becomes a groupie for some rapper.

 

== Webcomics ==

 

 

== Western Animation ==

 

* ''[[Moral Orel]]'': Played straight on the [[Adult Swim]] show with a heavy case of [[Cerebus Syndrome]]. This is also a case in which it's seen as a very good thing that the kid will not end up like his parents.

** It's eventually revealed that Francine's parenting alone would turn Steve into a lazy, slovenly, spoiled brat, whereas Stan's parenting alone would turn Steve into a cat-killing sociopath.

* On ''[[King of the Hill]]'', most plots involving Hank and his son Bobby will take a turn through this trope. Most of the episodes end with Hank learning [[An Aesop]] about accepting that his son's talents and interests are different from his, then [[Status Quo Is God]] will kick in and they get to recycle the plot with [[Aesop Amnesia|a different disappointment of Bobby's]].

** Finally averted in the [[Grand Finale]] when Hank and Bobby bond over Bobby's talent for grilling.

 

 

 

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[[Category:Stock Phrases]]

[[Category:Alice and Bob]]