History Main / LikeParentLikeSpouse

* Combined with RapeIsLove in that infamous ''DominicDeegan'' WallBanger.

* On ''ParksAndRecreation'', Ron has two bitchy ex-wives, both whom are named Tammy:

** This is sometimes used as an argument in favor of [[FanPreferredCouple Harry/Hermione]] - that is, just like Harry's mother, Hermione is a gifted muggleborn.
*** Also an argument ''against'' Harry/Ginny as used by HPHG shippers: Some shippers claim that there is something seriously wrong with Harry if he wants to marry his mother.

** This is sometimes used as an argument in favour of [[FanPreferredCouple Harry/Hermione]] - that is, just like Harry's mother, Hermione is a gifted muggleborn.

* Discussed in ''HomeMovies''. Brendan starts putting on weight, so Coach [=McGuirk=] tells him to go for the girls whose fathers were fat during their "impressionable years." [=McGuirk=] later on goes on a disasterous date with the school nurse, and one of the first questions he asked was if her father was fat. In another episode, he drunkenly tells his date "Y'know, I think it was Charles Darwin who said that men want to marry their mothers. So maybe thats why I like you, cause you remind me of my mother. Which is funny, because I hate my mother..."

It happens that the first example of the male gender that a baby girl encounters is her father, and that forms her impression of maleness in general, up to and including the mate she connects with and, if she's anywhere near the Christian religion, her impression of God as "our Father in Heaven". If she has a negative father, she'll often grab up negative boyfriends as well, so it takes a certain amount of awareness to be able to break out of that tendency.

* In ''BackToTheFuture'', Lea Thompson plays Marty [=McFly's=] mother in the first two films and his paternal great-grandmother in Part III- obviously not blood relatives of one another. WordOfGod states that this is because [=McFly=] males are genetically predisposed to be attracted to women who look like Lea Thompson. Hence his mother looking like his paternal ancestor. And even Jennifer fits this type, they further note. (Of course, the actual behind the scenes reason is because they wanted Thompson in the movie somehow and this was the only character available for her.)

* In [[JamesHSchmitz The Witches of Karres]], young heroine Goth announces that she is going to marry the (adult) hero when she grows up. It is noted by several characters that said hero very much resembles her father. ([[spoiler: They're distant cousins.)]]

* ''{{Friends}}'' parodied this, where Rachel's father is visiting at the same time as her mother, and as the two hate each other, Rachel has to sleep them in separate rooms. When Ross tries to get Rachel's father's glasses, drink and cigarettes, Rachel's mother notices, and advises Rachel see a psychiatrist as "you've chosen a boyfriend who is exactly like your father".

* Kate's two potential love interests on ''{{Lost}}'' each remind her of one of her fathers. Jack represents the stand-up guy she thought was her father. Sawyer represents the rogue "stepfather" who turned out to be her biological father (whom she also killed.)

** That sounds like the writers [[DefiedTrope defying]] the [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore inevitable comments]] that the girls must have "daddy issues".

* Discussed in ''HomeMovies''. Brendan starts putting on weight, so Coach [=McGuirk=] tells him to go for the girls whose fathers were fat during their "impressionable years". [=McGuirk=] later on goes on a disasterous date with the school nurse, and one of the first questions he asked was if her father was fat. In another episode, he drunkenly tells his date "Y'know, I think it was Charles Darwin who said that men want to marry their mothers. So maybe thats why I like you, cause you remind me of my mother. Which is funny, because I hate my mother..."

** The (nonfiction) book "When Elephants Weep" details the case of Tex, a whooping crane who was hand-raised and, when mature, rejected male cranes for "Caucasian men of average height with dark hair". Whooping cranes are so endangered that it was thought vital to get her into "breeding condition", at which point she could be successfully artificially inseminated. So the director of the International Crane Foundation, who met the necessary criteria, spent many weeks courting her. It worked, making this a case of InterspeciesRomance with emphasis on "romance" in the non-euphemistic sense of the word.

Women look to their fathers as a template about what to expect and desire in a man. Sometimes if they have a really bad relationship with their father, they can go the exact other way and choose a husband opposite to their father. Either way, their father remains a very important influence in the choice of a spouse.

The same goes for men using their mother as a guide when choosing a wife.

-->--''Harry Dresden to Molly Carpenter, [[TheDresdenFiles Proven Guilty]]''

-->''"It's trite but true that a lot of young women look for a man who reminds them of their dad. Your dad fights monsters. I fight monsters. Your dad rescued your mom from a dragon. I rescued you from Arctis Tor. Seeing the pattern here?"''

* Discussed in ''HomeMovies''. Brendan starts putting on weight, so Coach [[=McGuirk=]] tells him to go for the girls whose fathers were fat during their "impressionable years". [[=McGuirk=]] later on goes on a disasterous date with the school nurse, and one of the first questions he asked was if her father was fat. In another episode, he drunkenly tells his date "Y'know, I think it was Charles Darwin who said that men want to marry their mothers. So maybe thats why I like you, cause you remind me of my mother. Which is funny, because I hate my mother..."

* Charlie Sheen's character on ''TwoAndAHalfMen'' (whose name I do not know and don't care enough about to look up) in one episode dates a real estate agent who dresses, acts, and belittles everyone exactly like his character's mother. She even has two sons who act exactly like the titular two brothers as kids.

* It's odd when you thought that ShallowLoveInterest in ''KatekyoHitmanReborn'' carries [[RuleThirtyFour exploitable]] {{Subtext}} that [[YourMileageMayVary either funny or squicky]]. Besides being similar ([[ArtEvolution in recent days]]) to HIMSELF (ScrewYourself ahoy!), Kyoko are strikingly similar to Tsuna's [[OedipusComplex mother]], [[RuleThirtyFour make that of you will]].

* It's odd when you thought that ShallowLoveInterest in '''KatekyoHitmanReborn'' carries [[RuleThirtyFour exploitable]] {{Subtext}} that [[YourMileageMayVary either funny or squicky]]. Besides being similar ([[ArtEvolution in recent days]]) to HIMSELF (ScrewYourself ahoy!), Kyoko are strikingly similar to Tsuna's [[OedipusComplex mother]], [[RuleThirtyFour make that of you will]].

* Gohan from DragonballZ marries Videl, the strongest young woman on the planet. His mother was the strongest woman in the world when she was 18. They were both [[Tsundere tsunderes]], too.

* {{Castle}}'s mom, first wife, ''and daughter'' are all [[HeroesWantRedheads redheads]], and his first wife is a lot like his mom. If I remember correctly, it was {{lampshaded}}.
** If his mother and first wife were noth redheads, then isn't his daughter being a redhead simply genetically probable rather than anything remotely creepy?

** His character's name is Charlie too. Just FYI.
** Also in ''TwoAndAHalfMen'', the father of Charlie's semi-stalker, Rose, is played by Martin Sheen.

* According to DoctorPhil, many men compare women they date to their mothers.
** According to some other, actually [[ImNotADoctorButIPlayOneOnTV reliable]] psychologists, they think this too.

* StarWars - This trope ''may'' (read ''may'') be one of the MANY reasons Anakin Skywalker was such a disappointing character. Everybody was expecting Padme to fall in love with a LoveableRogue / JerkWithAHeartOfGold the way her daughter Leia fell for Hans Solo. What we got was...well...

* ''HarryPotter'' ends up falling for a girl just like the mother he barely even remembers. This could just be down to J.K. Rowling being fond of redheads

*** Also an argument ''against:'' Some shippers claim that there is something seriously wrong with Harry if he wants to marry his mother.

** If I recall correctly it wasn't so much ''Drew's mother'' specifically, just that she treated Drew more like a child than a boyfriend. But then Drew gets a vision of his mom's face during sex...SoYeah.