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The Sponsor

 The Sponsor
type
FeatureClass
 The Sponsor
label
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor
page
TheSponsor
 The Sponsor
comment
So, you've acknowledged that you have a problem with addiction, and have made the decision to join a 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...
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })This is where The Sponsor comes in.
The Sponsor is a specific type of mentor who specializes in helping a character, usually the protagonist, deal with the trials and tribulations of recovering from an addiction. A 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 Older and Wiser.
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 Big Bad, or even bailing the protagonist out of jail. On the other hand, bad sponsors will actively impede the recovery of their wards through incompetence, malice, or both.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })See Mentors for comparison with characters whose function is not related to addiction. Sponsors who get in too deep run the risk of provoking Rage Against the Mentor or Mentor Occupational Hazard. For a character who monetarily sponsors a team, see The Team Benefactor.
Not to be confused with advertising "sponsors", who may in fact drive a show's production staff to drink more.
Examples:
 The Sponsor
fetched
2022-03-16T18:29:47Z
 The Sponsor
parsed
2022-03-16T18:29:47Z
 The Sponsor
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Sponsor / int_23188b61
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_23188b61
comment
On Party Down 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 Off the Wagon. Then his sponsor shows up. And that's how Ron got kicked out of AA.
 The Sponsor / int_23188b61
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_23188b61
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1.0
 Party Down
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The Sponsor / int_23188b61
 The Sponsor / int_24e41891
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_24e41891
comment
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 serial murder.
 The Sponsor / int_24e41891
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_24e41891
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1.0
 Dexter
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The Sponsor / int_24e41891
 The Sponsor / int_24ffd341
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_24ffd341
comment
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 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.
 The Sponsor / int_24ffd341
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Sponsor / int_24ffd341
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1.0
 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
hasFeature
The Sponsor / int_24ffd341
 The Sponsor / int_261c8d3f
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_261c8d3f
comment
In the Season 4 episode of The Simpsons "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..."
 The Sponsor / int_261c8d3f
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_261c8d3f
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1.0
 The Simpsons
hasFeature
The Sponsor / int_261c8d3f
 The Sponsor / int_2bbcacd9
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_2bbcacd9
comment
In the Looney Tunes short "Birds Anonymous", 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. However, the sponsor himself falls Off the Wagon and goes after Tweety, while Sylvester tries to stop him.
 The Sponsor / int_2bbcacd9
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_2bbcacd9
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1.0
 Looney Tunes
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The Sponsor / int_2bbcacd9
 The Sponsor / int_4b790c7a
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_4b790c7a
comment
In the commentary of Iron Man 2 John Favreau reveals that 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.
He extends this role in The Avengers to include Steve Rogers who has shut himself off from the world since awakening.
 The Sponsor / int_4b790c7a
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_4b790c7a
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1.0
 Iron Man 2
hasFeature
The Sponsor / int_4b790c7a
 The Sponsor / int_5926dde6
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_5926dde6
comment
On The John Larroquette Show, 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?"
 The Sponsor / int_5926dde6
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_5926dde6
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 The John Larroquette Show
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The Sponsor / int_5926dde6
 The Sponsor / int_5ebe48de
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_5ebe48de
comment
In Everything Must Go, 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.
 The Sponsor / int_5ebe48de
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_5ebe48de
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1.0
 Everything Must Go
hasFeature
The Sponsor / int_5ebe48de
 The Sponsor / int_6a4bddd6
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_6a4bddd6
comment
In the Iron Man story Demon In A Bottle, 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.
 The Sponsor / int_6a4bddd6
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_6a4bddd6
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 Iron Man (Comic Book)
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The Sponsor / int_6a4bddd6
 The Sponsor / int_6c9193a1
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_6c9193a1
comment
Subverted in The Venture Bros. when Sergeant Hatred begins drinking in a fit of depression.
 The Sponsor / int_6c9193a1
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 The Sponsor / int_6c9193a1
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 TheVentureBrothers
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The Sponsor / int_6c9193a1
 The Sponsor / int_761a48d7
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_761a48d7
comment
In Season 2 of Iron Fist (2017), Ward Meachum is attending Narcotics Anonymous, but is having sex with his sponsor instead of confronting his issues. He has a Heel Realisation 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.
 The Sponsor / int_761a48d7
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_761a48d7
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 Iron Fist (2017)
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The Sponsor / int_761a48d7
 The Sponsor / int_78b8e562
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_78b8e562
comment
A version on One Life to Live when Todd Manning is ordered to attend sex offender counseling as a condition of his parole. His counselor is himself a convicted rapist.
 The Sponsor / int_78b8e562
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_78b8e562
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 One Life to Live
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The Sponsor / int_78b8e562
 The Sponsor / int_7d122312
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_7d122312
comment
The Flintstones 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!"
 The Sponsor / int_7d122312
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_7d122312
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 The Flintstones
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The Sponsor / int_7d122312
 The Sponsor / int_7f5bc680
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_7f5bc680
comment
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 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.)
 The Sponsor / int_7f5bc680
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_7f5bc680
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1.0
 Fallout
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The Sponsor / int_7f5bc680
 The Sponsor / int_819b8c9e
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The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_819b8c9e
comment
Though never seen onscreen in 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).
 The Sponsor / int_819b8c9e
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 The Sponsor / int_819b8c9e
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 Warehouse 13
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The Sponsor / int_819b8c9e
 The Sponsor / int_ac03f223
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_ac03f223
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Aaron Stark is protagonist Mark Benford's AA sponsor in 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.
 The Sponsor / int_ac03f223
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_ac03f223
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 FlashForward (2009)
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The Sponsor / int_ac03f223
 The Sponsor / int_bf3a0285
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_bf3a0285
comment
After Without a Trace'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.
 The Sponsor / int_bf3a0285
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_bf3a0285
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 Without a Trace
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The Sponsor / int_bf3a0285
 The Sponsor / int_c7b79375
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_c7b79375
comment
The Alphabet Killer: Though it is not drug-related, head of Defective Detective Paige's support group Richard Ledge acts in a The Sponsor-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.
 The Sponsor / int_c7b79375
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_c7b79375
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 The Alphabet Killer
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The Sponsor / int_c7b79375
 The Sponsor / int_ca08598f
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The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_ca08598f
comment
Walon, Bubbles' NA sponsor on The Wire. Played by actual recovering addict Steve Earle.
 The Sponsor / int_ca08598f
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_ca08598f
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1.0
 The Wire
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The Sponsor / int_ca08598f
 The Sponsor / int_cb6abef3
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_cb6abef3
comment
He extends this role in The Avengers to include Steve Rogers who has shut himself off from the world since awakening.
 The Sponsor / int_cb6abef3
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_cb6abef3
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1.0
 The Avengers (2012)
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The Sponsor / int_cb6abef3
 The Sponsor / int_d5f5c901
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_d5f5c901
comment
In The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, 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.
 The Sponsor / int_d5f5c901
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_d5f5c901
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 The Superior Foes of Spider-Man / Comicbook
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The Sponsor / int_d5f5c901
 The Sponsor / int_eef69f10
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The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_eef69f10
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Since this version of the character is a recovering drug addict, Sherlock Holmes in Elementary has one: Alfredo Llamosa, a reformed car thief turned security consultant for car companies. Alfredo proved rather popular with the fanbase, and there was much joy from the fandom when he reappeared in a later episode.
In season 2, a subplot involves Sherlock becoming a sponsor, something he's not sure he's ready for.
 The Sponsor / int_eef69f10
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_eef69f10
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 Sherlock Holmes
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The Sponsor / int_eef69f10
 The Sponsor / int_efa49b17
type
The Sponsor
 The Sponsor / int_efa49b17
comment
In The Mentalist 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.
 The Sponsor / int_efa49b17
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1.0
 The Sponsor / int_efa49b17
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1.0
 The Mentalist
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The Sponsor / int_efa49b17

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

 The Sponsor
processingCategory2
Characters as Device
 The Sponsor
processingCategory2
This Is Your Index on Drugs
 Iron Man (Comic Book) / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Changing Lanes / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Iron Man 2 / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 The Alphabet Killer / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 EOS 10 (Podcast) / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Californication / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Dexter / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Dopesick / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Feel Good / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 FlashForward (2009) / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Fool Me Once / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Orange Is the New Black / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 The John Larroquette Show / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 The Mentalist / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 The Sopranos / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 On Cinema (Web Video) / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 A Returner's Magic Should Be Special (Webcomic) / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Birds Anonymous / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 The Flintstones / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor
 Nashville / int_4189710e
type
The Sponsor