Line #34 Main/TheSponsor


1	->'''Matt Scudder''': I guess I identified with him. I looked at his life, or what I figured his life must be, and saw how I could have followed a similar path. Anyway, I didn't set out to drag him to a meeting. I just found myself talking about it, and he seemed interested and open to suggestion.\
2	'''Jim Faber''': [...] I think it'll do you good to be working with a newcomer. Just don't be surprised if he drinks.\
3	'''Matt''': No.\
4	'''Jim''' You can't get anybody sober, and you can't keep anybody sober. You know that.\
5	'''Matt''': Sure.\
6	'''Jim''': And I hope you remember the definition of successful sponsorship.\
7	'''Matt''': That's when the sponsor stays sober.
8	-->--''Literature/MatthewScudder: A Long Line of Dead Men''
9
10	So, you've acknowledged that you have a problem with addiction, and have made the decision to join a [[TropaholicsAnonymous support group]]. While this is a great first step, you will soon find that the path to recovery is a long one, and the temptation to go back to your drug of choice can be great when you are outside the safety of your weekly meetings. If only there was someone you could call for advice. A veteran who is experienced with the pitfalls recovering addicts often face. Someone who could help you stay strong when your willpower is at its lowest...
11
12	This is where The Sponsor comes in.
13
14	The Sponsor is a specific type of [[MentorIndex mentor]] who specializes in helping a character, usually the protagonist, deal with the trials and tribulations of recovering from an addiction. A [[RecoveredAddict former addict]] himself, The Sponsor is in a perfect position to give others the benefit of his experience and help keep them on the straight and narrow. The shared struggle between sponsor and sponsee can give the former shades of OlderAndWiser.
15
16	A particularly attentive sponsor will often help a character with issues that on the surface seem unrelated to her addiction... after all, it is often the stresses of life that led the character to addiction in the first place. It is not uncommon to see The Sponsor helping out with repair work, searching for information that will bring down the BigBad, or even bailing the protagonist out of jail. On the other hand, bad sponsors will [[{{Sabotutor}} actively impede]] the recovery of their wards through incompetence, [[EvilMentor malice]], or both.
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18	See {{Mentors}} for comparison with characters whose function is not related to addiction. Sponsors who get in too deep run the risk of provoking RageAgainstTheMentor or MentorOccupationalHazard. For a character who monetarily sponsors a team, see TheTeamBenefactor.
19
20	Not to be confused with advertising "sponsors", who may in fact drive a show's production staff to drink ''more''.
21	----
22	!!Examples:
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24
25	[[folder:Comic Books]]
26	* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': In the ''ComicBook/DemonInABottle'' story arc, Tony Stark had a stint where he gave up the suit and wallowed in booze and despair for a while. Fortunately, his then-girlfriend, Bethany Cabe, picked him up and got him back in the game.
27	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In Comicbook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan, reformed supervillain M.A.C.H. VII is Boomerang's sponsor at Supervillains Anonymous. Except Boomerang has no interest in reforming, just in not going back to jail.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Film]]
31	* Creator/WilliamHurt's character in ''Film/ChangingLanes'' is The Sponsor for Doyle (played by Creator/SamuelLJackson). He shows genuine concern for Doyle throughout the film, even going so far as to bail him out of jail during Doyle's EscalatingWar with Creator/BenAffleck's character. Near the end he finally gets fed up with Doyle's increasingly unhinged antics, delivering this [[ReasonYouSuckSpeech scathing commentary]]:
32	--> "You know what, Doyle? Booze isn't your problem. It never was. You're addicted to ''chaos''. ''Rage'' is your drug of choice."
33	* ''Film/TheAlphabetKiller'': Though it is not drug-related, head of DefectiveDetective Paige's support group Richard Ledge acts in a TheSponsor-like capacity for her, giving her advice on dealing with the resurgence of her visions and even helping her out when she later gets in trouble with the police.
34	* In the commentary of ''Film/IronMan2'' John Favreau reveals that [[Creator/SamuelLJackson Nick Fury]] was written as Tony Stark's sponsor. He even went to AA meetings and talked to various sponsors to make sure his dialogue was right.
35	** He extends this role in ''Film/{{The Avengers\|2012}}'' to include [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] who has shut himself off from the world since awakening.
36	* In ''Film/EverythingMustGo,'' Detective Frank Garcia is this to Nick Halsey for his alcoholism. Interesting as Frank has been able to help Nick out of trouble, but is also willing to arrest him too if necessary.
37	* Richard Dirks is Daryl Poynter's sponsor in ''Film/CleanAndSober''.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
41	* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'': Lila from season 2 becomes Dexter's sponsor after he joins Narcotics Anonymous. Shortly after falling for him, Lila drops all pretense of looking out for Dexter's best interests in favor of deliberately sabotaging his life so that he'll have no one left but her... all the while unaware that Dexter's ''true'' addiction is to [[SerialKiller serial murder]].
42	* Aaron Stark is protagonist Mark Benford's AA sponsor in ''[[Series/FlashForward2009 Flash Forward]]''. As the first (and only) season of the series progresses, his focus shifts from helping Mark with his addiction to finding his kidnapped daughter.
43	* On ''Series/TheJohnLarroquetteShow'', John had as his AA sponsor David Crosby, perhaps the Poster Boy for rock star addicts. Once at the start of a meeting Crosby admitted he had had fallen off the wagon, leading John to respond: "My ''sponsor'' needs a '''sponsor'''?"
44	* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Charlie's court-ordered AA meetings become a lot more voluntary when The Waitress offers to be his sponsor. Unfortunately she's only doing it to get closer to Dennis and drops Charlie when it doesn't work out.
45	* The Showtime TV series ''Series/RudeAwakening'' was about a HardDrinkingPartyGirl going through AA, who ended up having {{UST}} with her sponsor.
46	* In ''Series/TheMentalist'' episode "Jolly Red Elf", the bizarre death of a Santa-suit clad alcoholic lead Jane to seek out his AA sponsor, who was later revealed to have been in love with the victim.
47	* On ''Series/PartyDown'' Ron joins AA and gets a sponsor, who is a plumber. When he needs a plumber at a party, he calls the sponsor, who comes to the alcohol-filled party and promptly falls OffTheWagon. Then ''his'' sponsor shows up. And that's how Ron got kicked out of AA.
48	-->'''Sponsor''': Do you understand what AA is actually for?
49	-->'''Ron''': I though I did!
50	-->'''Sponsor''': You DON'T!
51	* Though never seen onscreen in ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' Pete mentions that every other artefact requires him to call his since so many of them cause effects akin to intoxication (or in one occasions body swapping with a slightly drunk Myka).
52	* Walon, Bubbles' NA sponsor on ''Series/TheWire''. Played by actual recovering addict Music/SteveEarle.
53	* Since this version of the character is a recovering drug addict, Literature/SherlockHolmes in ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' has one: Alfredo Llamosa, a [[ReformedCriminal reformed car thief]] turned security consultant for car companies. Alfredo proved [[EnsembleDarkhorse rather popular with the fanbase]], and there was much joy from the fandom when he reappeared in a later episode.
54	** In season 2, a subplot involves Sherlock ''becoming'' a sponsor, something he's not sure he's ready for.
55	* A version on ''Series/OneLifeToLive'' when Todd Manning is ordered to attend sex offender counseling as a condition of his parole. His counselor is himself a convicted rapist.
56	* After ''Series/WithoutATrace'''s Martin Fitzgerald finally admits to having become addicted to painkillers and joins his friend/fellow agent Danny Taylor at an AA meeting, the next episode has him telling Danny that he met someone at another meeting who offered to be this to him.
57	* In Season 2 of ''Series/IronFist2017'', Ward Meachum is attending Narcotics Anonymous, but is having sex with his sponsor instead of confronting his issues. He has a HeelRealisation after getting her pregnant, but she rejects him; pointing out she will have enough problems raising a child and dealing with her own addiction without sorting him out as well.
58	* ''Series/FeelGood'': Maggie wants to be this for Mae, and the pair want to try to bypass the support group and just deal with addiction together.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Video Games]]
62	* There are dozens of [=RPGs=] where the player becomes this for [=NPCs=] with whom he will spend a grand total of four minutes in conversation. The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series is quite fond of this. (In contrast, if the player character gets addicted in Fallout, the only moral support they get is a shot of detox meds and a stern reprimand.)
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Western Animation]]
66	* In the Season 4 episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' "Marge in Chains", Lionel Hutz also calls upon David Crosby when he's tempted by "...that bottle of delicious bourbon. Brownest of the brown liquors..."
67	* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' when Sergeant Hatred begins drinking in a fit of depression.
68	-->'''Dean:''' Hatred! You listen to me! This is your ''sponsor'' talking! What is Step #4?
69	-->'''Hatred:''' Uh...to make a fearless moral inventory of ourselves?
70	-->'''Dean:''' Yes. And what are you doing in there?
71	-->'''Hatred:''' I don't know what "moral inventory" ''means!'' And you're not my sponsor!
72	* In the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "WesternAnimation/BirdsAnonymous", Sylvester joins the titular group to kick the bird-eating habit, and his sponsor is there to make sure he doesn't try to eat Tweety in a moment of weakness. [[spoiler:However, the sponsor himself falls OffTheWagon and goes after Tweety, while Sylvester tries to stop him.]]
73	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' Fred Flintstone once joined Eaters Anonymous, and his sponsor would grab whatever food Fred got a hold on while giving the group's secret call, "Gobble, gobble, gobble!"
74	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheSponsor