Sentimental Drunk
Drinking alcohol makes a character more pleasant.
Up For Grabs Needs Examples Tropeworthy?

(permanent link) added: 2012-03-24 18:55:10 sponsor: Goldfritha edited by: IAmATropist (last reply: 2013-08-03 16:55:58)

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Drinking alcohol makes some characters nicer than soberity, often with large doses of melancholy. Large doses of maudlin sentimentality are common and may lead to declarations of "I love you guys." or tears.

Also termed a "happy drunk" (though it can also induce sadness) or "friendly drunk" as opposed to the "mean drunk" or "nasty drunk."

Sub-Trope of In Vino Veritas.

Can be Truth in Television because alcohol lowers inhibitions.


  • A character from the movie Wayne's World acted like a happy drunk, going around saying "I love you, man!" and hugging people.
  • Raymond Shaw in The Manchurian Candidate becomes both more pleasant and more melancholic when he drinks.
  • In the Charlie Chaplin classic City Lights there was a character who was exceedingly friendly and generous when drunk, but tight fisted and mean when sober. The fact that he also tended to black out and not remember what had happened when he was drunk adds to the confusion.

  • In Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog, Ned compares the sentimentality that time drops can cause to an Irishman in his cups, or a sober Victorian poet.
  • In L. M. Montgomery's A Tangled Web, Penny Dark gets drunk in order to convince Margaret to call off their engagement by repulsing her. Unfortunately for him, it makes him sentimental and convinced he really is in love with her. His actions convince her that she can't call it off.
  • In Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson's Hoka stories, one alien while drunk goes off in sentimental memories of his youth. Then he shifts to Mean Drunk on seeing a human -- or primate, as he puts it.
  • Slughorn and Hagrid get drunk together at Aragog's funeral. This puts Slughorn in a much more relaxed mood, so that Harry can question him about the covered up memory.

Live-Action TV
  • In one episode of King of Queens, Doug notices that Carrie is more friendly when drunk, and encourages her to go out drinking as much as possible.
  • In a two-parter (I think) of Cheers, the minister to perform Woody and Kelly's wedding dies, so they (Sam et. al.) find a minister uncle to perform the ceremony. But he's drunk so they sober him up. Then he's not actually nasty, but he refuses to perform the ceremony because he hates marriage. So they get him drunk again.
  • In a Friends episode, "Fun Bob" was the life of the party (in an appropriate and functional way) when drunk, but was lethargic and boring when sober.

Web Comics

Western Animation
  • The Simpsons: at Duff Gardens Bart & Milhouse go on a ride to make you feel like you're drunk, after which they're buddy-buddy. "You're my best friend!" "This guy...this is the guy..."
  • Family Guy: Stewie acts like this after he drinks something Brian tells him is alcohol.
  • One episode of Tom and Jerry had a drunk Tom act like Jerry was his best friend.

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