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Compliment Fishing

 Compliment Fishing
type
FeatureClass
 Compliment Fishing
label
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing
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ComplimentFishing
 Compliment Fishing
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Let's say you've written something. You know it's goodnote because you're such a better writer than us, right? but you still want to attract more feedback and compliments than you'd normally get.note Although that's still more than we've ever gotten.
So, you go out of your way to call attention to how bad it isnote Even though it's nowhere near as bad as this entry, tell everyone why they'd never want to see it, and, in extreme cases, wangst at length about how you're a miserable failure of a writer who deserves to die alone.note What does that makes us by comparison, then?
Then, just sit back and watch the sympathy and back-pats roll in. Of course, you can disparage the first ones as insincere to really get them rolling.
This is a common tactic of the Shrinking Violet - though in their case, the line between this trope and Heroic Self-Deprecation is often very thin indeed. Subtle Attention Whores also love this trope, as it lets them bask in pity-praise without having to directly toot their own horn. It's also a good strategic move in Passive-Aggressive Kombat and Politeness Judo.
This can backfire very badly for the compliment fisher if people respond by agreeing with them. ("It's OK, we love you even though you're a bad writer.") If someone does that on purpose, it's probably a form of Backhanded Compliment. People with particularly bad cases of self-loathing may even prefer this type of response, confirming and mentally justifying their own negative perception of themself.
It can also set up a very effective Stealth Insult if the target only objects to one of the putdowns the compliment fisher makes, implying they think all the others are valid points. ("I'm a bad writer, I'm ugly, and nobody likes me!" "That's not true; your writing isn't bad.")
A Sub-Trope of Self-Deprecation, and the dishonest, manipulative little sister of the heroic form, though both can result from the same base feeling of self-loathing and can be very hard to distinguish from each other. Compare and contrast Suspiciously Specific Denial. If two people try this at once, it can lead to Outhumbling Each Other.
By the way... You don't have to bother editing this page. I know you don't really want to. It's OK, there are much better pages on the wiki for you to spend your time with, I understand if you think this one is a waste...
Compare Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?, this trope's creepy, Freudian sister.

Examples
 Compliment Fishing
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2023-06-22T06:13:34Z
 Compliment Fishing
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2023-06-22T06:13:34Z
 Compliment Fishing
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Dropped link to MotiveRant: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Compliment Fishing
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Dropped link to NominalHero: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Compliment Fishing
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Dropped link to PlotParallel: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Compliment Fishing
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DBTropes
 Compliment Fishing / int_177ecec6
type
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_177ecec6
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The Lollipop Chainsaw character Juliet, according to Word of God, enjoys being told she's not fat. Hence her frequently saying that she is.
 Compliment Fishing / int_177ecec6
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_177ecec6
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1.0
 Lollipop Chainsaw (Video Game)
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Compliment Fishing / int_177ecec6
 Compliment Fishing / int_1bfa015e
type
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_1bfa015e
comment
In Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the Grim Reaper of all people starts fishing for compliments, clearly jealous of the praise B&T are heaping on Station, the Martian genius. At one point Death thoroughly Squicks the boys by trying to get them to compliment his ass.
 Compliment Fishing / int_1bfa015e
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_1bfa015e
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1.0
 Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
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Compliment Fishing / int_1bfa015e
 Compliment Fishing / int_1dd9862b
type
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_1dd9862b
comment
Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School: Side Despair: Gundham reassures everyone that his pet bear will only bite high-ranked demons. Sonia, who has a crush on Gundham, indignantly asks if he means that she's a demon of low rank. Of course, since both of them are perfectly human and just like to pretend otherwise, it's clear Gundham didn't mean that and she knows it.
 Compliment Fishing / int_1dd9862b
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_1dd9862b
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1.0
 Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School
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Compliment Fishing / int_1dd9862b
 Compliment Fishing / int_1e2c4217
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_1e2c4217
comment
The Joy Luck Club: A girl brings her oh-so-very American fiancé home to meet her oh-so-very Chinese family. She forgot to brief him on the Chinese-mother tactic of bringing out their best dish garnished with lots of self-depreciation. He protests that her dish is delicious...
 Compliment Fishing / int_1e2c4217
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_1e2c4217
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 The Joy Luck Club
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Compliment Fishing / int_1e2c4217
 Compliment Fishing / int_3558eaa2
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_3558eaa2
comment
In the Community episode "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas", the study group are debating why Abed has chosen to give them certain toy characters in his Christmas fantasy dreamworld. Annie, who has been made a clockwork ballerina, suggests that he's just given them random characters, coyly adding that "it's not like I'm that thin and graceful... right?" Much to her dismay, Britta caustically suggests that she's instead been given that role because she's "fragile and tightly wound."
 Compliment Fishing / int_3558eaa2
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 Compliment Fishing / int_3558eaa2
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 Community
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Compliment Fishing / int_3558eaa2
 Compliment Fishing / int_4250613
type
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_4250613
comment
At one point in Snape's Worst Memory, Lily asks him "You don't think I'm getting too fat, do you, Sev?" Snape muses to himself that her phrasing makes clear that she's aware that she's gaining weight, wondering why she's bothered to ask him about it.
 Compliment Fishing / int_4250613
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 Compliment Fishing / int_4250613
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 Snape's Worst Memory / Fan Fic
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Compliment Fishing / int_4250613
 Compliment Fishing / int_4962e658
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_4962e658
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In Mean Girls, Regina mentions at the Plastics' lunch table that she needs to lose a few pounds. She then stares expectantly at Gretchen and Karen, who immediately start complimenting how skinny she is.
 Compliment Fishing / int_4962e658
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_4962e658
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 Mean Girls
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Compliment Fishing / int_4962e658
 Compliment Fishing / int_578be4e1
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_578be4e1
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The Irregular at Magic High School:
Miyuki asks Tatsuya if a particular hairpin looks good on her. Being rather socially blunt, Tatsuya obliviously replies that there's a mirror close by.
Maya laments that she became too emotional during her Motive Rant, and Hayama comfortingly agrees that she was, but getting a bit overwrought was unavoidable. Maya pouts, implying that this was not what she wanted him to say.
 Compliment Fishing / int_578be4e1
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_578be4e1
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 The Irregular at Magic High School
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Compliment Fishing / int_578be4e1
 Compliment Fishing / int_61c2c9a2
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_61c2c9a2
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Miraculous Two Weeks: When Marinette admits to Adrien that she had a dream about kissing Chat Noir, he asks if that was the best part.
 Compliment Fishing / int_61c2c9a2
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 Compliment Fishing / int_61c2c9a2
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 Miraculous Two Weeks (Fanfic)
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Compliment Fishing / int_61c2c9a2
 Compliment Fishing / int_7950b30f
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_7950b30f
comment
Subverted and parodied in The Colbert Report on the "Formidable Opponent" segment (where Steve plays both parties in a debate). One version of him mentions that he needs to lose a few pounds, and his 'opponent' responds "yeah, you kinda do."
 Compliment Fishing / int_7950b30f
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 Compliment Fishing / int_7950b30f
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 The Colbert Report
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Compliment Fishing / int_7950b30f
 Compliment Fishing / int_8ab0ec8a
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_8ab0ec8a
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Blanche tries this on Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire. It doesn't work, though he's not outright rude about it, either: "Your looks are okay."
 Compliment Fishing / int_8ab0ec8a
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_8ab0ec8a
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 A Streetcar Named Desire (Theatre)
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Compliment Fishing / int_8ab0ec8a
 Compliment Fishing / int_934f9373
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_934f9373
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In chapter 20 of Boarding School Juliet, Teria offers to teach Romeo to swim, although she obviously isn't good at swimming either, due to her young age. The expectation is that he will refuse and praise her for her compassion note Honor Before Reason being heavily glorified in their culture, but instead Romeo took her offer at face value and asked if she was irresponsible. Cut to both of them struggling in the water.
 Compliment Fishing / int_934f9373
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_934f9373
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 Boarding School Juliet (Manga)
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Compliment Fishing / int_934f9373
 Compliment Fishing / int_964d576f
type
Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_964d576f
comment
MoringMark - TOH Comics: One strip features Hunter faking his death in order to hear what his mourning friends will say about him. Unfortunately for him, Luz catches on and winds up slapping him to expose the ruse.
 Compliment Fishing / int_964d576f
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_964d576f
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 MoringMark - TOH Comics (Webcomic)
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Compliment Fishing / int_964d576f
 Compliment Fishing / int_9df13d9e
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_9df13d9e
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Huckleberry Finn: "Mary Jane she set at the head of the table, with Susan alongside of her, and said how bad the biscuits was and how ornery and tough the fried chicken was-and all that kind of rot, the way women always do to force out compliments..."
 Compliment Fishing / int_9df13d9e
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 Compliment Fishing / int_9df13d9e
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 HuckleberryFinn
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Compliment Fishing / int_9df13d9e
 Compliment Fishing / int_9e2f90f4
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_9e2f90f4
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One Piece: Diamante is constantly fishing for compliments from Doflamingo to a ridiculous extent. Doflamingo goes along with it, possibly to better motivate Diamante.
 Compliment Fishing / int_9e2f90f4
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_9e2f90f4
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 One Piece (Manga)
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Compliment Fishing / int_9e2f90f4
 Compliment Fishing / int_a609ce5f
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_a609ce5f
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The Death God Alliance exaggerates this for comic effect when Bast outright orders Percy to pay her compliments.
 Compliment Fishing / int_a609ce5f
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_a609ce5f
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1.0
 The Death God Alliance (Fanfic)
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Compliment Fishing / int_a609ce5f
 Compliment Fishing / int_acb92fd0
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_acb92fd0
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Father Ted: Mrs Doyle tells Ted his voice is gorgeous, and he plays it down, clearly loving it. When she asks him to sing something else and he obliges with Paris In The Spring, it backfires when she suddenly decides his version was "catastrophic".
 Compliment Fishing / int_acb92fd0
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 Compliment Fishing / int_acb92fd0
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 Father Ted
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Compliment Fishing / int_acb92fd0
 Compliment Fishing / int_aeb84363
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_aeb84363
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In A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Cratchit is terribly nervous that her Christmas pudding won't be good enough, but her family tells her it's wonderful.
 Compliment Fishing / int_aeb84363
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_aeb84363
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 A Christmas Carol
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Compliment Fishing / int_aeb84363
 Compliment Fishing / int_b7f04ccc
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_b7f04ccc
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The Patrick Star Show: Parodied in "Host-a-Palooza". GrandPat and Cecil are in a fishing contest, and they throw their fishing lines around randomly around the room. They finally hook each other, leading them to stop their feud and compliment each other. Squidina asks what they were trying to catch; they tell her that they were "fishing for compliments". Squidina groans.
 Compliment Fishing / int_b7f04ccc
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_b7f04ccc
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 The Patrick Star Show
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Compliment Fishing / int_b7f04ccc
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_bb8d2f1a
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Arthur Dent's "It was nothing really" doesn't get the reaction he had been expecting from Zaphod Beeblebrox.
 Compliment Fishing / int_bb8d2f1a
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1.0
 Compliment Fishing / int_bb8d2f1a
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1.0
 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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Compliment Fishing / int_bb8d2f1a
 Compliment Fishing / int_c43df4d8
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_c43df4d8
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The Doctor Who Eighth Doctor Adventures novel Vanishing Point features a scene where a deformed-but-still-attractive Ingenue has a heart-to-heart with Fitz, the Doctor's companion and a Chivalrous Pervert. He accuses her of doing this, but she seems to genuinely mean what she's saying about herself:
 Compliment Fishing / int_c43df4d8
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 Compliment Fishing / int_c43df4d8
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 Doctor Who
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Compliment Fishing / int_c43df4d8
 Compliment Fishing / int_c5eaa1a9
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_c5eaa1a9
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In the Beetlejuice episode "Beauty And The Beetle," Lydia starts feeling self-conscious after seeing a series of beauty aid commercials on TV. She asks Beetlejuice "Am I ugly?" After skirting the issue with his usual wisecracks, B.J. finally assures Lydia "You're not even pretty ugly!"
 Compliment Fishing / int_c5eaa1a9
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 Compliment Fishing / int_c5eaa1a9
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 Beetlejuice
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 Compliment Fishing / int_cefd252d
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_cefd252d
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Scarlet Lady:
While practicing together for the UMS3 tournament in "The Gamer", Adrien compliments Marinette's skills while claiming that they only won thanks to her and that he's 'nothing compared to [her].' Rather than comforting him, Marinette responds that it honestly makes sense that he's not as good at co-op, as he's only ever played by himself and doesn't have any experience working with a partner.
In "Simon Says", Scarlet Lady takes advantage of the titular akuma targeting Gabriel to appoint herself as Adrien's "bodyguard". The next day at school, she tries to get Adrien to praise her "heroic" alter ego, only for him to make clear how unimpressed he was.
"Evillustrator" has a Plot Parallel to the above moment when Adrien asks Marinette about her latest encounter with Chat Noir. Again, it backfires: Marinette tearfully declares how awful it was due to how Chat Noir forced her to promise to avoid getting involved with any other akumas:
 Compliment Fishing / int_cefd252d
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 Compliment Fishing / int_cefd252d
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 Scarlet Lady (Webcomic)
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Compliment Fishing / int_cefd252d
 Compliment Fishing / int_e6e72f96
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_e6e72f96
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In the Loop: Karen Clark jokes to Chad "you might be Secretary of State one day, young man!" Chad doesn't realise it's a joke and says "Don't say that if you don't mean it."
 Compliment Fishing / int_e6e72f96
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 Compliment Fishing / int_e6e72f96
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 In the Loop
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_f6c05e8e
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In the Friends episode "The One With Joey's New Girlfriend", Chandler confesses to the other friends that he has feelings for Kathy, and caps it off with, "I'm a horrible person." He then looks at the others expectantly, and upon getting no reaction, adds, "No, you're not, Chandler, we still love you, Chandler".
 Compliment Fishing / int_f6c05e8e
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 Compliment Fishing / int_f6c05e8e
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 Friends
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Compliment Fishing / int_f6c05e8e
 Compliment Fishing / int_ff9ab17f
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Compliment Fishing
 Compliment Fishing / int_ff9ab17f
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In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lwaxana Troi is flirting with an alien scientist and reminisces about how she "sparkled" in her youth. He's too distracted to reply, so she directly tells him what she's doing.
 Compliment Fishing / int_ff9ab17f
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 Compliment Fishing / int_ff9ab17f
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 Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Compliment Fishing / int_ff9ab17f

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Compliment Fishing
processingCategory2
Self-Demonstrating Article
 Snape's Worst Memory / Fan Fic / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 Shattered Glass / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 The Mirror Has Two Faces / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 In Another World with My Smartphone / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 Audrey, Wait! / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 In Another World with My Smartphone / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 The World God Only Knows (Manga) / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 Baby Daddy / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 Come Dine With Me / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 A Streetcar Named Desire (Theatre) / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing
 MoringMark - TOH Comics (Webcomic) / int_7d2be7bb
type
Compliment Fishing