History PlayingWith / BumblingDad

* '''Parodied''':
** Bob is TheDitz.
** [[WomenAreWiser Alice]] ends up ParentingTheHusband as much as [[FreeRangeChildren (or more than)]] her kids.

* '''Exaggerated''': Bob is an incompetent {{manchild}} who is TooDumbToLive. His wife and kids are [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParent embarrassed]] to be around him.

* '''Inverted''':
** Bob is a StandardFiftiesFather.
** Alternatively, Alice is MaternallyChallenged.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob is a very loving and attentive father, and he's also extremely good at his job and is an excellent provider. The problem is that he's also as stubborn as a mule when it comes to trying to fix something himself when it breaks down, rather than calling a professional. [[DoomItYourself On those occasions, his competence flies completely out the window.]]

** "[[Series/TheWaltons All]] [[Series/LeaveItToBeaver those]] [[Series/TheBradyBunch perfect]] DomCom families on TV...[[TastesLikeDiabetes they make me sick]]! I'll make a DysfunctionalFamily, with a [[TheFool blithering]] [[TheDitz idiot]] as its head!"
** One of the parents needs to be somewhat on the ball for the sake of ConservationOfCompetence, and you want the characterisations to be relatively consistent rather than a constant game of IdiotBall. You know that every time the dad is shown to be somehow "superior" to his wife, you'll have a protracted battle with the MoralGuardians, but [[DoubleStandard not so the other way around]]. What are you gonna do?

** Alternately, Bob decides, "Enough fooling around; I'm expecting kids soon.", and spends more time with Alice. He also learns basic household chores from her...

* '''Conversed''': "Seriously? Another bumbling dad show? I'd like to see a competent, take charge father on a sitcom for a change."
* '''Deconstructed''': Bob's stupidity and lack of responsibility has a decisively negative effect on his children and his wife, leading to the [[BigScrewedUpFamily breakdown]] of the (presumably already dysfunctional) family. In the end, Alice questions what she even saw in him in the first place and sues for a divorce.

* '''Played For Drama''': Bob's mistakes and selfishness negatively affect his family.
* '''Played For Laughs''': Bob's mistakes are the very reason HilarityEnsues in this story. He probably earns a living as a clown for hire because it's the best he can do with his ineptitude... and he's a runaway success at that.
* '''Played For Horror''': Bob is not just a {{Manchild}}, but a ''PsychopathicManchild'', LethallyStupid and actively hates being tied down. His family fears the day he will somehow get them all killed and the last thing they will ever hear on Earth will be something along the lines of "[[Series/FamilyMatters Did I do that?]]"

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%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

* '''Played For Horror''': Bob is not just a {{Manchild}}, but a ''PsychopathicManchild'', LethallyStupid and actively hates being tied down. His family fears the day he will somehow get them all killed and his last words will be something along the lines of "[[Series/FamilyMatters Did I do that?]]"

** But it turns out, he was really that dumb. When he seemed smart, he was FeigningIntelligence

* '''Deconstructed''': Bob's stupidity and lack of responsibility has a decisively negative effect children and his wife, leading to the [[BigScrewedUpFamily breakdown]] of the (presumably already dysfunctional) family. In the end, Alice questions what she even saw in him in the first place and sues for a divorce.

* '''Deconstructed''': Can have a negative effect on his children and his wife, leading to the [[BigScrewedUpFamily breakdown]] of the (presumably already dysfunctional) family.

* '''Exaggerated''': Bob is an outright JerkAss who is a borderline (if not outright) [[AbusiveParents abusive father]].

** Bob's family is a rather DysfunctionalFamily

** Bob is a StandardFiftiesFather

* '''Straight''': Bob means well, but he often grabs the IdiotBall and gets his wife and children into all sorts of [[NiceJobBreakingItHero misadventures with him]]. He is also a very flawed [[ThisLoserIsYou (yet sympathetic)]] individual.

** The family share possession of the IdiotBall pretty fairly, but Bob carries it more than most.

** "[[TheWaltons All]] [[LeaveItToBeaver those]] [[TheBradyBunch perfect]] DomCom families on TV...[[TastesLikeDiabetes they make me sick]]! I'll make a DysfunctionalFamily, with a [[TheFool blithering]] [[TheDitz idiot]] as its head!"

* '''Double Subverted''': But it turns out, he was really that dumb. When he seemed smart, he was FeigningIntelligence

** Bob really is a genius. However, he is an AbsentMindedProfessor who still needs a CuckoolandersMinder to function.

* '''Justified''':
** Unfortunately, [[ManChild emotional maturity]] and common sense are not (and never have been) prerequisites for parenthood.
** Bob's family is a rather DysfunctionalFamily

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': ???

** Alternatively, Alice is an incompetent mom.

* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': The family share possession of the IdiotBall pretty fairly, but Bob carries it more than most.

* '''Defied''': Alice breaks up with Bob when she sees that he is too immature to raise a family, and not likely to change any time soon.

''Basic Trope''': A comically incompetent father in a DomCom.
* '''Played Straight''': Bob means well, but he often grabs the IdiotBall and gets his wife and children into all sorts of [[NiceJobBreakingItHero misadventures with him]]. He is also a very flawed [[ThisLoserIsYou (yet sympathetic)]] individual.

* '''Basic Trope''': A comically incompetent father in a DomCom.
* '''Played Straight''': Bob means well, but he often grabs the IdiotBall and gets his wife and children into all sorts of [[NiceJobBreakingItHero misadventures with him]]. He is also a very flawed [[ThisLoserIsYou (yet sympathetic)]] individual.

** Alternatively, Alice is an incompetent mom.

* '''Double Subverted''': But it turns out, he was really that dumb. When he seemed smart, he was FeigningIntelligence
* '''Deconstructed''': Can have a negative effect on his children and his wife, leading to the [[BigScrewedUpFamily breakdown]] of the (presumably already dysfunctional) family.
* '''Reconstructed''': Bob is dumb and irresponsible, but he sincerely loves his family and is capable of stepping up when it's important.

** [[WomenAreWiser Alice]] ends up ParentingTheHusband as much as [[FreeRangeChildren (or more than)]] her kids.
* '''Lampshaded''': "He's like all those bumbling dads you see in sitcoms."

* '''Invoked''': Alice specifies in her Lonely Hearts ad that she's looking for a ManChild with whom to settle down and raise kids.

* '''Discussed''':
* '''Conversed''':
* '''Played For Laughs''': Almost always is.
* '''Played For Drama''': Bob's mistakes and selfishness negatively affect his family.

* '''Invoked''': Alice specifies in her Lonely Hearts ad that she's looking for an AdultChild with whom to settle down and raise kids.

** Unfortunately, [[AdultChild emotional maturity]] and common sense are not (and never have been) prerequisites for parenthood.

* '''Inverted''': Bob is a StandardFiftiesFather

* '''Justified''': Unfortunately, [[AdultChild emotional maturity]] and common sense are not (and never have been) prerequisites for parenthood.

* '''Parodied''': Bob is TheDitz.

* '''Enforced''': "[[TheWaltons All]] [[LeaveItToBeaver those]] [[TheBradyBunch perfect]] DomCom families on TV...[[TastesLikeDiabetes they make me sick]]! I'll make a DysfunctionalFamily, with a [[TheFool blithering]] [[TheDitz idiot]] as its head!"

** Bob's family is a rather DysfunctionalFamily

* '''Deconstructed''': Can have a negative effect on his children and his wife, leading to the [[BigScrewedUpFamily breakdown]] of the (presumably already dysfuntional) family.
* '''Reconstructed''': Bob takes parenting classes and reads some self-help books, and becomes a better and more helpful father.

* '''Invoked''': Alice marries and has children with Bob, who is an AdultChild.
* '''Defied''': Alice breaks up with Bob when she sees that he is too immature with which to raise a family, and not likely to change any time soon.

* '''Parodied''': Bob is TheRalphWiggum

** [[CloserToEarth Alice]] ends up ParentingTheHusband as much as [[FreeRangeChildren (or more than)]] her kids.

* '''Subverted''': Bob is a reasonably competent husband and father.
* '''Double Subverted''': But every once in a while, he grabs the IdiotBall and makes a mistake that affects the rest of the family.

** Bob has no children