Line #127 ComicStrip/MadamAndEve


1	[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madam_and_eve.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:315:Serving gin and snark since 1992.[[note]]From left to right: [[CheerfulChild Thandi Sisulu,]] [[BeleagueredBoss Gwen "Madam" Anderson,]] [[ServileSnarker Eve Sisulu,]] and [[GrumpyOldWoman Mother Anderson]][[/note]]]]
3
4	''Madam & Eve'' is a [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica South African]] NewspaperComic strip written by Stephen Francis and drawn by Enrico "Rico" Schacherl. First published in 1992, it features a mix of domestic comedy and political satire. The core of the strip is the relationship between a white middle-class woman and her black maid, as they cope with the end of South Africa's Apartheid, a football World Cup, several presidential elections, and day-to-day issues such as crime, race relations, potholes, and television soap operas.
5
6	The four main characters are:
7
8	* '''Gwen "Madam" Anderson''' is a middle-class white South African woman and Eve's long-suffering boss. She has an adult son, Eric.
9	* '''Eve Sisulu''', Madam's snarky, long-suffering, perpetually underpaid live-in black maid.
10	* '''Edith "Mother" Anderson''' is Madam's mother. She originally visited on vacation from England, but moved in as a permanent character in 1994. She is addicted to gin and tonic, and wages a never-ending war with the neighborhood Mielie Ladies (street vendors).
11	* '''Thandi Sisulu''' is an eight-year-old Zulu girl who frequently hangs around the house. Originally the baby sister of Eric Anderson's girlfriend, she has been [[RetCon retconned]] as Eve's cousin from next door.
12
13	''Madam & Eve'' is a highly popular strip in South Africa, appearing in 13 publications with an audience of over 5 million people. A live-action sitcom adaptation appeared on South African TV from 2000 to 2002.
14
15	The official website for the strip is [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za here]]. The Instagram site is [[https://www.instagram.com/madamandevecartoons/ here]]. An archive browser is available [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi here.]]
16
17	----
18	!!''Madam & Eve'' features the following tropes:
19
20	* AcidRefluxNightmare: A RunningGag is that eating curry for lunch gives Mother Anderson nightmares. [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001352.jpg Case and point.]]
21	* AffectionateNickname: Thandi often calls Mother Anderson "Gogo" (Zulu for "grandmother").
22	* AllWomenLoveShoes: Few things get Madam more excited than a shoe sale.
23	* AnimateBodyParts: A [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=1&comic=3680 story arc]] revolves around the Scorpions having seized [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manto_Tshabalala-Msimang Manto]]'s liver, which is portrayed as being able to think and speak on its own.
24	* AnimatedActors:
25	** One series of strips ([[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=7&comic=1403 starting here]]) had Mother Anderson evicted from the comic after she lost an online poll. She ends up looking for work through the Acme Cartoon Employment Agency, then tries a stint as Franchise/{{Batman}}'s [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001417.jpg sidekick.]]
26	** Another set of strips have Gwen and Edith subpoenaed by a commission investigating racism in comics. When they're accused of using the comic to perpetuate the [[UncleTomfoolery "lazy maid"]] stereotype, Eve defends them by [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000270.gif pointing out]] that the strip ''also'' depicts white madams as [[EqualOpportunityOffender insensitive boors who spend all their time watching soap operas and drinking gin.]]
27	%%* AnimatedOuttakes: [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002606.gif Now available on DVD!]]
28	* AnimateInanimateObject: Talking household appliances appear in [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=1&comic=2910 this strip]], although they were probably just boredom-induced hallucinations.
29	%%* AnnoyinglyRepetitiveChild: This is one of Thandi's favorite ways to annoy Mother Anderson, as she demonstrates [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004564.jpg here.]]
30	* ArtifactTitle: When the strip first started, its main focus was on the relationship between the eponymous white Madam Gwen and her black maid Eve. In more recent years, however, the spotlight has shifted heavily to the relationship between Gwen’s mother Edith and her kid neighbor Thandi. If someone started reading the strip nowadays, they might wonder why it’s named after two characters who don’t appear as much as they did in the strip’s early years.
31	* AsideGlance: The characters will frequently look directly at the reader after a particularly groan-worthy punchline.
32	* AssShove:
33	** After Madam and Mother are arrested for attending an illegal rave party, one of the other prisoners offers to let them use [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000771.gif the cell phone that he snuck in.]]
34	--->'''Mother:''' "I hope it's one of the small ones."
35	** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000741.gif Implied]] when Eve is asked about what she'd do if she were to win the All African Domestic Games.
36	** President Mugabe [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003968.gif finds another 50,000 votes.]]
37	%%* AutoIncorrect: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007087.jpg this comic.]]
38	%%-->"Time for my gym and tongue it!"
39	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Appears in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004445.jpg this comic,]] where Thandi confesses that she hid Mother Anderson's passport years ago so she could never leave South Africa. Cut to Mother watching Thandi playing outside, clearly touched, while Eve smiles at them both.
40	* BatmanGambit: In one strip, Eve is doing all sorts of disruptive housekeeping chores -- vacuuming the floor, washing the windows, etc. -- while Madam is trying to watch television in the lounge. Madam eventually gets frustrated and retreats to her bedroom, leaving the TV free for Eve to watch her soap operas.
41	* BeenThereShapedHistory: Eve claims in [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=5&comic=327 this series of strips]] that her ancestor inspired a number of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's plays.
42	-->'''Shakespeare:''' ''Jislaaik,'' this woman comes up with catchy titles!
43	* BeleagueredBoss: Madam is a mild example, as her servant Eve Sisulu balances her housekeeping skills with a steady dose of quiet sass and attitude.
44	* BenevolentMonsters: In one set of strips, a family of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikoloshe Tokoloshes]] move in next door to the Andersons. They have no interest in kidnapping people, the husband's a computer programmer, and the wife has her own domestic servant.
45	-->"Told you they're normal."
46	* BestOutOfInfinity: In one strip, Madam and Eve play rock-paper-scissors for Eve's annual salary negotiations. Eve keeps winning, and Madam retorts with "Best out of 45!"
47	* BetterThanABareBulb: The only trope ''Madam & Eve'' loves more than LampshadeHanging is [[WorldOfSnark excessive snark,]] as the examples on this page demonstrate. The lampshades are frequently used for BreakingTheFourthWall.
48	%%* BlackComedy: Though the strip is usually family-friendly, it sometimes dips into some dark areas, such as [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001342.jpg this strip about childhood HIV.]]
49	%%* BlatantLies: Invoked when [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001498.jpg Madam and Mother serve as impartial investigators]] to see if Iraq has any nuclear weapons.
50	%%* TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed: Played with in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001336.jpg this strip,]] which tries to talk about [[https://www.vday.org "V-Day"]] without actually ''naming'' the body part in question.
51	%%* BratsWithSlingshots: Mother Anderson is a granny with a katty.
52	* BreakingTheFourthWall:
53	** Done from time to time, such as one strip where the characters complain about the bad art because artist Rico Schacherl was on vacation.
54	%%** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003809.gif Happy holidays!]]
55	%%* TheButlerDidIt: Parodied in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002784.gif this comic.]] "The maid did it! The maid ''always'' does it!"
56	* CacophonyCoverUp: In [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000189.jpg this comic,]] Gwen and Edith keep using loud noises to prevent Eve from hearing about the government's recommended minimum wage rates for domestic workers.
57	* CelebrityLie: Inverted in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002005.gif this comic,]] where the Andersons return home to find Eve throwing a large party. She explains that it's a birthday party for Nelson Mandella, and Madam declares the party over. Mandella hugs Eve goodbye, and the shocked Andersons chase after him... thus failing to notice the ''other'' superstars at the party.
58	* CheerfulChild: Thandi Sisulu is the most outwardly happy character in the cast. Lampshaded in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007428.jpg this strip]].
59	* ChromosomeCasting: All of the main characters are female, with three adult women and an eight-year-old girl. Males are relegated to either supporting characters or RealLife political and celebrity figures. Technically, Gwen has an adult son, but he hasn't appeared in the comic for over a decade.
60	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Madam's son Eric and his girlfriend Lizeka were introduced in 1993, but have disappeared from the strip since the early 2000s.
61	* {{Cloneopoly}}: A popular gag in the comic is to use [[FictionalBoardGame fake board games]] to comment on current events, such as [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000313.gif "ANC Monopoly"]], [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001301.jpg "South African Monopoly"]], and [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002492.gif "Parliamentarian Monopoly".]]
62	* ComicBookTime: The strip has run for over thirty years, yet none of the characters have aged and Eve still [[RunningGag hasn't received a pay raise.]]
63	* ConsistentClothingStyle:
64	** Eve is almost never seen without her apron.
65	** Madam is always shown wearing her large hoop earrings.
66	* ContrivedCoincidence: The main characters have an uncanny ability to cross paths with famous RealLife South African politicians and luminaries. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002550.gif this comic.]]
67	%%* CorruptPolitician: '''[[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007582.jpg Very]]''' [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004507.jpg frequently]] [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me005671.jpg seen,]] due to the RealLife corruption of the South African government, and arguably the main source of humor in the comic. Often accompanied by sarcastic commentary from the main characters.
68	* CrossoverCameo:
69	** One Sunday strip has Madam and Eve visited by ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'s'' Sid Kibbitz, who tries to get hired as their manager and take ''Madam & Eve'' worldwide. [[TheStoner Zonker Harris]] shows up at the end and starts asking about the local "dagga".
70	** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004477.jpg This comic]] has [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]] called to testify in the corruption trial of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Selebi#Corruption_charges Jackie Selebi]].
71	--->"D'OH! Go ahead! Play the race card! It's because I'm yellow, isn't it?"
72	** [[Literature/TheHobbit Samwise, Frodo, and Gollum]] end up [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002276.gif at the Andersons.]]
73	* CuckooClockGag: The neighborhood Mielie Lady gifts Mother Anderson a cuckoo clock in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000112.jpg this strip.]] No points for guessing what the cuckoo bird has been replaced with.
74	* CulturalTranslation: Spoofed in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002060.gif this comic]] showing the "minor alterations" made to adapt ''Madam & Eve'' for publication in different countries.
75	%%* ADayInHerApron: Madam and Eve trade places for a day in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006442.jpg this strip.]]
76	%%-->'''Madam:''' [[TemptingFate "How hard can it be?"]]
77	* DirtyOldWoman: Mother Anderson dips into this on occasion, such as the time they [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000782.gif visited a nude beach.]]
78	* DisproportionateRetribution: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004508.jpg this comic]] with a supermarket cashier and an overly-long queue.
79	%%* ADogAteMyHomework: This is Thandi's go-to excuse for not doing her homework. [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007532.jpg Case in point.]]
80	%%* DoingInTheWizard: Appears in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002559.gif this comic]] with Eve's voodoo dolls.
81	* DropInCharacter: Thandi, though most strips start with her already in the Anderson home. A RunningGag consists of Mother Anderson throwing her out and slamming the door.
82	* EthnicMenialLabor: Eve is the black housekeeper to the middle-class white Madam.
83	%%* EvilLawyerJoke: Apparently, hating lawyers is one thing that both humans and ''tokoloshes'' [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002065.gif have in common.]]
84	%%* ExpospeakGag: Thandi tries it in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007607.jpg this comic.]]
85	* FaintInShock: Eric does this ''twice'' when he runs into [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000766.gif his mother]] [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000767.gif and grandmother]] at an underground rave.
86	* FarSideIsland: One story arc has Madam, Eve, and Mother abruptly stranded on a small island and find themselves trying to cope with the lack of resources. At the end of the week, a frustrated Mother walks off the island, revealing it to be in the middle of a city park.
87	* FauxDocumentary: Thandi narrates Mother Anderson's daily routine as a nature documentary [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000810.gif here.]]
88	* FictionalPoliticalParty: In [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=5&comic=352 this set of strips,]] Mother Anderson joins the Surprise Party -- their philosophies, policies, and candidates are hidden from everyone, including themselves. Their motto is "Are We Corrupt and Inefficient, or Honest and Hardworking? Vote for Us and Find Out!"
89	%%* FindingABraInYourCar: Parodied in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004231.jpg this strip]] with a feather duster.
90	%%* ForInconveniencePressOne:
91	%%** Played with in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007049.jpg this comic,]] which features all of the inconvenience with none of the machinery.
92	%%--->"Nice try, buddy! You're not a robot!"
93	%%** Eve sets up her own Customer Care line in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000195.jpg this strip.]]
94	* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Occurs by accident after Mother Anderson [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002585.gif hires some bouncers]] to keep ruffians out of the comic.
95	* FracturedFairyTale: Mother Anderson often tells these to Thandi, to the consternation of Gwen. Such as in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007578.jpg this example.]]
96	* TheGadfly: All of the main characters indulge in this.
97	** Eve's roadside booths are often a way to throw shade at the Andersons or [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003789.gif squeak out a few extra dollars from them.]]
98	** Madam will prank Eve over her paycheck or their [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000974.jpg employee-employer relationship requirements.]]
99	** Thandi periodically riles up Mother Anderson by commenting about [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006481.jpg her age or her Gin & Tonic habit]].
100	** In return, Mother Anderson enjoys telling LiesToChildren and [[FracturedFairyTale fractured fairy tales]] to Thandi, apparent to see how long it'll take her to realize she's been pranked.
101	* {{Gasshole}}: Deliberately induced in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007189.jpg this strip]] to comply with government directives during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.
102	* GenderFlip: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000243.jpg this strip]] to commemorate National Women's Day.
103	-->'''Madam:''' "What should we celebrate?"\
104	'''Eve:''' "That we're not men?"
105	* GirlFriday: Spoofed when Mother Anderson retells the story of ''Literature/RobinsonCrusoe''.
106	-->'''Madam:''' I shall call you... "Friday".\
107	'''Eve:''' I take Friday off.\
108	'''Madam:''' Then I shall call you "Friday Off".
109	* GirlishPigtails: Eight-year-old Thandi is always shown with her hair tied in two small bunches on top of her cornrows.
110	* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: Thandi is the perpetually cheery eight-year-old girl next door, and Mother Anderson is the GrumpyOldWoman of the house.
111	* GoofySuit: One story arc had Mother Anderson get a job dressed as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakumi Zakumi the Leopard,]] the 2010 World Cup mascot. She mostly used it to prank the local bartenders.
112	* GossipEvolution: In [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=1&comic=3126 one strip]], a radio broadcast about Jacob Zuma's... ''questionable'' ideas on how to prevent the transmission of [=HIV=] turn into a rumor that the government is giving people free Creator/{{MTV}}.
113	%%* GroinAttack: Mother Anderson delivers one when she takes [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001066.gif boxing lessons from Evander Hollyfield.]]
114	%%* GrowingUpSucks: Mother Anderson frightens Thandi by [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006572.jpg invoking this trope here.]]
115	* GrumpyOldWoman: Mother Anderson's default state is being perpetually grouchy and unhappy. Though between the rampant government corruption, her snarky family members, and the noisy neighborhood Mielie Ladies, it's not entirely unjustified.
116	* HiredHelpAsFamily: This is Madam and Eve's relationship in a nutshell; Eve is privy to all of the Anderson family secrets, yet is always considered a little bit of an outsider. Though the line between their employer/employee hierarchy is never blurred, the two bicker enough LikeAnOldMarriedCouple to fit this trope.
117	* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: Explained in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000408.gif this comic]] -- the aliens invade on major holidays because they get paid double overtime for doing so.
118	* IdenticalPanelGag: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001427.jpg this strip]] ostensibly to reduce waste during a municipal workers' strike.
119	* IdleRich:
120	** The Andersons seem to fall under this trope -- neither of them do any work (except for [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands occasional part-time jobs as needed for a laugh]]), and there's seldom any anxiety about paying the bills or rising prices. Most discussions about money only arise during [[RunningGag Eve's annual wage negotiations.]]
121	%%** Mocked by Eve in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002502.gif this comic.]]
122	* IKnowMortalKombat: Mother Anderson considers herself an expert in law because she's watched every episode of ''Series/LALaw,'' ''Series/LawAndOrder,'' and ''Series/AllyMcBeal''.
123	* InitiationCeremony: Eve has a nightmare about participating in a secret ritual [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002495.gif to become a madam.]]
124	* InkblotTest:
125	** An early strip had the characters watching a television interview with white supremacist spree killer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barend_Strydom Barend Strydom]] after he was released from prison as part of F. W. De Klerk's 1992 amnesty:
126	--->'''Interviewer:''' I have here some Rorschach ink-blot tests. Would you mind taking a look and tell me what you see?\
127	'''Strydom:''' For sure. No problem. Let me see... I've got it! It's a picture of a white man beating up a black man.\
128	'''Interviewer:''' Uh-huh... and this one?\
129	'''Strydom:''' ...I would say this is a black man flattened by a steamroller... and this one is a dead black man surrounded by butterflies... Got any more?\
130	'''Interviewer:''' Well, Barend, I think you have a serious problem.\
131	'''Strydom:''' ''ME?!! You're'' the one showing me all these racist pictures!
132	** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007044.jpg This strip]] has Former SABC executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng interpreting inkblots into a self-aggrandizing reality.
133	--->'''Hlaudi:''' That's me receiving the Nobel Prize for ''genius!''
134	%%* InsultBackfire: Done with presidents [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006337.jpg here.]]
135	* InterclassFriendship: Working-class Eve has this with the well-to-do Andersons, even if their friendship is firmly on the [[VitriolicBestBuds vitriolic]] side.
136	* InvisibleParents: This trope is played straight with Thandi, whose home life is all but nonexistent and whose mother has only appeared in the comic a handful of times. This is especially notable during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, as she's staying in the Anderson's home during the lockdown and even attends her remote school classes there.
137	* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis:
138	** One story arc [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=1&comic=794 (starting here)]] features Eve writing and starring in a play about working for the Andersons. [[WhoWouldWantToWatchUs They don't find it funny,]] but it becomes a critical success.
139	** Another arc had Eve write a novel about her job, but it's rejected by the publisher because the characters are [[{{Flanderization}} unbelievable.]]
140	* JailBake: Subverted when the Andersons are sent to prison. Eve sends them a cake with two files inside, and the elated ladies immediately use them... [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002245.gif to work on their manicures.]]
141	* LeFilmArtistique: In [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001541.jpg this comic,]] Gwen's son Eric shows off his student film, a documentary about a beleaguered maid, her [[BadBoss exploitative madam,]] and a [[TheTriple dinosaur attack.]] Neither Gwen ''nor'' Eve take it well.
142	-->'''Madam:''' "I think you can kiss your trust fund goodbye."
143	* LiesToChildren: Mother Anderson enjoys using these to "explain" various topics to Thandi.
144	* LiteralMinded: In one strip, Thandi hears President UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump complain about being the victim of "the biggest witch hunt ever", then imagines him being chased down by a squadron of [[WitchClassic flying witches]].
145	* LittleProfessorDialog: Thandi regularly speaks with an adult-level vocabulary.
146	* LivingCurrency: The embodiment of the Rand (the South African dollar) shows up from time to time; one storyline also has him encounter embodiments of the American Dollar, a few other currencies, and Gold and Platinum as well.
147	* LuxuriousLiquor: Gin and tonic is Mother Anderson's TrademarkFavoriteDrink, though it's ''slightly'' subverted as the [[IdleRich family's wealth]] is only ever implied.
148	%%* MallSanta: Thandi ambushes the Mall Santa and forces him to listen to her wish list [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000815.gif here.]]
149	* {{Mammy}}: Eve Sisulu is this trope played straight and sarcastically -- she's a black live-in maid/housekeeper who does not always show the approved degree of respect for her white employer.
150	%%* ManInTheMachine: Played for laughs when Eve builds a [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003923.gif Gin & Tonic vending machine.]]
151	* MartialArtsAndCrafts:
152	** A variation appears in one set of strips where Eve practices for the South African Extreme Ironing competition.
153	--->"It combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt."
154	%%** Played straight with [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002782.gif Tai Chi feather dusting.]]
155	* MenCantKeepHouse: A rare female version, as Madam [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002521.gif tearfully admits]] that she's "domestically challenged" and incapable of most basic housekeeping tasks on her own.
156	%%* MistakenForRacist: Happens to Eve and Madam when they [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002575.gif argue]] over which [[EasternZodiac Chinese New Year animal]] is in effect.
157	%%* MistakenForTerrorist: Mother Anderson's chemist (pharmacist) "Al" [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003447.gif gets subjected to this]] just because he's unfortunate enough to have the last name "Qaeda".
158	* {{Nepotism}}:
159	** One strip explains that a new [=R300=] million government compound was built on an active volcano because President Zuma hired his unqualified cousin as a consulting geologist. He gave himself a crash-course in geology by [[IKnowMortalKombat watching reruns]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones''.
160	** During a [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001355.jpg morality training class,]] one student admitted he couldn't decide between awarding a government contract to his brother's construction company or his uncle's construction company.
161	* NeverMessWithGranny: In addition to terrorizing the neighborhood Mielie Ladies with her katty (slingshot), Mother Anderson's also gotten into [[BigBallOfViolence brawls]] with her AnimatedActor replacement, and once held a government minister hostage to protest a liquor tax increase.
162	* NobodyHereButUsStatues: For her "Museum of Domestic Horrors", Eve [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cartoons/me000304 gets one of the Mielie Ladies]] to pretend to be a statue, who mocks Mother Anderson when her back is turned.
163	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Averted hard -- prominent politicians and celebrities (from South Africa and elsewhere) are named and shown very frequently.
164	* NoEnding: Most of the comic's multi-strip story arcs will end abruptly, with the characters returning to [[StatusQuoIsGod the status quo]] without comment.
165	* NoFourthWall: The comic does this fairly often -- the characters will address the audience, criticize punchlines, experience technical difficulties, and file for unemployment.
166	** [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=5&comic=1331 This series of strips]] has the comic downsized from four panels to three due to an ink shortage.
167	** Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007010.jpg this July 25, 2019 farewell comic,]] marking the series' departure from the ''Mail & Guardian'' newspaper.
168	* NonResidentialResidence: Played for laughs in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004579.jpg this comic,]] when Eve rents out ''parts of household appliances'' (the ironing board, the top of the washer, etc.) for attendees of the 2010 World Cup.
169	%%* NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007499.jpg this comic]] with RealLife South African political statements and campaign commercials.
170	%%-->"We haven't made up anything lately. The politicians keep beating us to it."
171	%%* ObsessiveSportsFan: Mother Anderson [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001387.jpg turns into one]] during the 2002 World Cup.
172	%%* ObliviousToHints: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000188.jpg this comic]] with a Mercedes car dealer who forgot his company also sells weapons systems.
173	%%-->"Boy, is this guy dumb."
174	%%* PaintingTheMedium:
175	%%** Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007481.jpg this strip]] with a high-tech twist.
176	%%** [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=5&comic=14 One set of comics]] revolve around a cartoon repairman who has to repair and replace their old cartoon panels.
177	* PrintLongRunners: In print since 1992.
178	%%* ProductPlacement: The comic strip promotes the live-action TV adaptation (and [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]]) [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002714.gif here.]]
179	* ProfessionalSlacker: Eve is not above sneaking some downtime where she can, such as taking two-hour tea breaks or napping on her ironing board.
180	* ProneToVomiting: On Madam and Eve's first airplane flight, Eve gushes excitedly about flying while Madam spends the entire time throwing up into a paper bag.
181	* PunBasedTitle: The comic is named after the Biblical characters Adam and Eve, naturally. Lampshaded [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001132.gif here.]]
182	* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When the creators were robbed in 2021, the comic was unavailable for a week. [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=2&comic=7451 Filler strips explaining the situation]] were displayed in the interim.
183	* ReimaginingTheArtifact: Thandi was originally introduced as the baby sister to Eric's college girlfriend Lizeka. However, with Eric and Lizeka written out of the strip, Thandi has been [[RetCon retconned]] as Eve's cousin.
184	* RememberTheNewGuy: ''Madam & Eve'' has done this several times, usually by having family members come by to visit -- examples include Mother Anderson's identical twin sister and Eve Sisulu's mom. The most notable case would be Gwen's son Eric, who was abruptly introduced in 1993, appeared in a few strips, then promptly forgotten.[[note]]Then he reappeared again before being [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome permanently written out.]][[/note]]
185	%%* ReversePsychology: Madam attempts reverse psychology to get Eve to work better. They end up with [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002514.gif double-secret reverse psychology with a twist]] instead.
186	* RobotMaid: The Andersons try to replace Eve with a [=RoboMaid=] 2000. [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=7&comic=840 Things don't go as planned.]]
187	* RunningGag:
188	** Eve hasn't gotten a pay raise in over thirty years, so she supplements her income by selling various services from a roadside booth.
189	** Mother Anderson throws Thandi out of the house and slams the door behind her.
190	** Mother Anderson's ongoing war against the local Mielie Ladies.[[note]]Vendors who sell ears of corn by walking down the street while loudly yelling "MIELLLLLLLLIES!"[[/note]]
191	** Mother Anderson gets an AcidRefluxNightmare after having curry for lunch.
192	* SassyBlackWoman: Eve plays this trope with a quiet deadpan, serving up her sass through small acts of rebellion and wry expressions.
193	* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Mother Anderson doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, and [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me005290.jpg happily finds ways to get Thandi out of the house.]] She also wages an ongoing war against the neighborhood street vendors ("Mielie Ladies") with her slingshot.
194	%%* SellOut: Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000572.jpg this comic,]] where Eve and Mother drop {{Anvilicious}} plugs for (fictional) businesses to make some extra money.
195	* ServileSnarker: Eve serves snark more than anything else in the Anderson house.
196	%%* SeverelySpecializedStore: [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000901.jpg Chez Mielie.]]
197	* ShoutOut:
198	** Eve naps on her ironing board in a tribute to Snoopy from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}''.
199	** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006414.jpg One 2017 Sunday strip]] was named [[Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian "Eskom's Life of Brian Molefe"]], reflecting the then-current corruption scandal with lyrics set to the tune of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life".
200	%%** [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006462.jpg This strip]] is one to Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bohemian Rhapsody".
201	%%** And [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000062.jpg this comic]] gives props to both Music/{{Megadeth}} and Music/RedHotChiliPeppers.
202	%%** A gratuitous ''Film/JurassicPark'' [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002123.gif strip.]]
203	** [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=1&comic=3667 One strip]] has Eve's vacuum cleaner turn out to be a [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Transformer]].
204	** Several comics are deliberately done in the style of ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''
205	* SignatureHeadgear: Thandi always wears two pink bows in her short pigtails.
206	* SlobsVersusSnobs: Eve Sisulu is a blue-collar housekeeper working for two comfortable middle-class "madams". Downplayed in that while Eve is a ProfessionalSlacker, she isn't particularly slobbish, and the Andersons have a low-key austere lifestyle with a vaguely undefined fortune.
207	* SpecialPersonNormalName: According to [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000343.gif this comic,]] the Grim Reaper prefers to be simply called "Bob".
208	-->''...Bob Death?!''
209	* SphereEyes: Most of the characters have these. Somewhat averted with Mother Anderson and Thandi, who are drawn with either two pupils in a single sphere eye or eyes with only a partial circumference.
210	* SpoofAesop: [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002833.gif Don't Drink and Drive!]]
211	* StatusQuoIsGod: This trope is played rigidly straight; aside from the early introduction of [[GrumpyOldWoman Mother Anderson]] and [[CheerfulChild Thandi Sisulu]], there have been no major permanent changes since the strip first started in 1993. Even the [[RememberTheNewGuy introduction of Gwen's son Eric]] was [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome quietly ignored]] afterward (twice!).
212	%%* StealthInsult: Invoked [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002637.gif here]] with Eve's "Madam Report Cards".
213	* SternTeacher: Thandi's unnamed and long-suffering teacher frequently sends her to the principal's office for failing to do her homework.
214	* SuddenNameChange: When she was first introduced, Mother Anderson was given the first name "Abigail". Her twin sister Edith was introduced in 1995; afterwards, the two characters swapped names, with "Edith" being the character in the comic and "Abigail" as the visiting twin.
215	%%* SurprisePregnancy: Played for laughs when Eric introduces his girlfriend Lizeka [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001912.gif here.]]
216	%%* TakeThat:
217	%%** Done on a national level in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002130.gif this comic,]] which takes a jab at New Zealand.
218	%%** ''Film/SpiderMan3'' gets poked [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me003758.gif here.]]
219	%%* TheTalk: Played straight ''and'' subverted when Thandi asks about "unprotected sex" [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004599.jpg here.]]
220	%%* TokenMinority: Spoofed in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me002484.gif this comic.]]
221	%%* TourGuideGag: Eve turns the Anderson's home into a tourist attraction in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000196.jpg this comic.]]
222	%%-->'''Eve:''' "Tourists want to see the ''real'' South Africa."
223	* TrademarkFavoriteDrink: Mother Anderson loves her gin and tonic, and is seldom seen without holding a glass. She even has a gin vault in the house stocked with hundreds of bottles just in case.
224	* TransformationComic: One arc had Mother Anderson taking experimental drugs that briefly turned her into how the comic portrays the African cast, complete with the ability to speak Zulu, laughing at jokes mocking madams ([[HypocriticalHumor despite being a madam herself]]), and even buying Mielies[[note]]The South African word for corn[[/note]] from the Mielie Lady instead of pelting her with her sling shot. It lasts for a couple of strips before [[StatusQuoIsGod she turned back.]]
225	* TrollingTranslator: When the Andersons ask Eve to give them African names, she renames Mother Anderson "Ugogo We Sixhwele,"[[note]]Old Woman Who Drinks Lots Of Gin[[/note]] and Gwen becomes "Ingoco Ne Vila."[[note]]She Who Is Cheap And Lazy[[/note]] The madams ''love'' [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign their exotic-sounding names.]]
226	* UncattyResemblance: Invoked in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000032.jpg this strip.]]
227	* VictoryIsBoring: One week of strips began with Mother Anderson successfully driving away the neighborhood Meilie Lady with her incessant slingshot attacks. After a brief cheer of victory, she falls into a deep funk due to having nothing to challenge her. When the Meilie Lady returns at the end of the week, they exchange warm hugs, then Mother grabs her slingshot and gives chase once again.
228	* ViewersAreGeniuses: Justified; ''Madam & Eve'' is unafraid of leaning into its South African roots, frequently making jokes about local customs, using regional slang, and referring to local news and events. The strip will sometimes explain the most esoteric stuff for the benefit of outsiders, but readers not from South Africa will be challenged to understand the more subtle humor in the comic.
229	* VitriolicBestBuds: This is the primary dynamic between the characters; for all of their snarking and passive-aggressive sniping, they enjoy each other's company and support each other. WordOfGod [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/all_about_madamandeve.html says]] "Madam & Eve fight a lot, but they secretly like each other, even though neither of them will admit it."
230	* WaxOnWaxOff: Parodied when Eve teaches Madam the [[https://madamandeve.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/madam-and-eve-archive.cgi?shown=3&comic=1940 "Maid Aerobics"]] exercise regimen -- it's Eve's household chores disguised as a weight-loss program.
231	* WhatIf: [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me001547.jpg One comic]] presents rejected ideas for ''Madam & Eve,'' such as "Adam & Steve" and "Madonna & Eve".
232	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: The sight of a single Parktown prawn ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parktown_prawn African King cricket]]) is enough to turn all of the characters into nervous, quivering wrecks. [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me000548.gif Demonstrated here.]]
233	%%* WorldOfSnark: In this strip, ''everyone'' throws snark sooner or later. [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me006578.jpg Even the phones.]]
234	%%* WorthlessForeignDegree: Played for laughs [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me004004.gif here.]]

Context ComicStrip / MadamAndEve