"While his other idiot friend Sheen Estevez has some redeeming qualities such as loyalty to his friends and an unselfish relationship with his girlfriend, Carl has none." I know that this is not entirely true.
Previous Trope Repair Shop thread: Duplicate Trope
, started by DrySoul on Dec 15th 2017 at 11:49:42 PM
whatever you call me
This trope isn't compared to Vitriolic Best Buds so much as equivalated, so the examples are making it redundant. The trope could be saved if the article made clearer distinction between, say, a verbally abusive but thick-skinned friendship and a friendship with a concrete conflict of interests or principles that they act on.
Edited by 216.99.32.45
When the laconic line is exactly the name of another trope (in this case Who Needs Enemies?), then why do both tropes have to exist?
I've always heard the expression "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" as refering to someone's friend who is a real friend, or at least really on their side, but quite often, due to clumsiness, carelessness, stupidity or even insanity, would do something harmful to them. It's just that it's never out of malice, not even mischief, although mischief may be involved provided that the actual consequences are unintended.
As for examples, duuh... Rorschach regularly breaking Dan Dreiberg's lock in Watchmen, maybe. Or the Quarian admirals in Mass Effect 2 and 3, very eager to blow up a ship you're on board of. Or the way Granny Weatherwax treats the younger witches in Discworld (although her case is disputable, it could be tough love).
With friends like these... who needs friends?