Putting the Foot Down

Like Releasing Stress, Putting the Foot Down is a positive alternative to the Villainous Breakdown. In this situation, the hero or heroine reaches the end of his or her rope. He or she channels that into making a firm policy, making a clear statement, and/or using firm discipline, whether it's scolding someone for doing something terrible or standing up against the antagonist.

Examples

 * Belle puts her foot down several times in Beauty and the Beast, like when she tells off the Beast for scaring her and standing up to Gaston.
 * Roger Radcliff tells Cruella De Vil that he and Anita are not selling Pongo and Perdita's puppies.
 * Marge Simpson scolds her son Bart for his pranks.
 * Mufasa scolds Simba for disobeying him and putting Nala in harm's way.
 * Darkwing Duck often scolds his daughter Gosalyn for disobeying him and her misbehavior throughout the Darkwing Duck series
 * Queen Elinor puts her foot down after Merida slices the family tapestry in rage, taking her bow and throwing it into the fireplace. Later, she realizes her mistake and fishes it out.
 * Edd puts his foot down to Eddy's mischief, and sometimes to Ed too.
 * Delia Ketchum scolding her son Ash for his recklessness in the second Pokemon film
 * Dracula puts his foot down when he discovers Mavis kissing Jonathan.
 * Princess Bala does so when she stands up to General Mandible and reveals his evil plan to flood the colony.
 * Homer Simpson scolds his son Bart for shoplifting an expensive video game from Try-N-Save
 * Brandon scolds Ash Ketchum for his recklessness and carelessness, which resulted in him to be possessed by the King of Pokelantis
 * Mr. Krabs scolds Patrick, alongside Spongebob, for selling his crabby patties without his permission, while Patrick was selling Krabby Patty google-eye sculptures at a higher price.
 * Mac & Coco scolds Bloo for scaring kids.
 * Homer and Marge scolds Bart for destroying his sister's Thanksgiving centerpiece and ruining Thanksgiving, and sends him to his room.
 * Homer Simpson scolds his daughter Lisa for ruining his barbecue.
 * Marge Simpson scolds her son Bart for disobeying him by going to Nelson's after she explicitly forbade him to
 * Nelson and Molly scolds Eddie for playing on dangerous things like what he's not supposed to do and not listening to advice from other animals.
 * Vegeta scolds Goku for not saving their sons and Piccolo after Kid Buu destroyed the Earth.
 * The Crystal Gems scolds Steven Universe for disobeying an order.
 * Marge Simpson scolds her husband Homer for dumping the silo in the lake and letting the EPA put a dome on Springfield.
 * Homer Simpson scolds his son Bart for not watching Maggie and banning him from seeing the new Itchy & Scratchy movie.
 * Mr. and Mrs. Turner scold their son, Timmy for using the elements from Maho Mushi to unintentionally ruin both their jobs and banning him from watching TV.
 * Stacey and Wayne Jeremiah scold their son, Jason after he was blamed for shoplifting by Mortimer. Next, after finding out that Jason was framed, Stacey stood up to Mortimer and she was going to call the police.
 * Mr. Anderson sends Riley to her room after she makes a scene at the dinner table and yells at him to shut up.
 * Sheila Broflovski, Sharon Marsh and Liane Cartman scolds their sons, Stan, Kyle and Cartman for seeing the Terrance and Philip movie again and grounding them.
 * Linda Flynn and Lawrence Fletcher scold their daughter, Candace for throwing a wild party when she is forbidden to do it.
 * Drew Pickles scolds her daughter, Angelica for wrecking his home office and sending her to her room.
 * Leah Estrogen stands up to Mayor Phlegmming when he blows off her point that Jones was right about Thrax. Realizing the mayor only cares about his re-election, she heads to the hypothalamus herself.
 * Stinger scolds Maverick for disobeying a direct order to land his plane even though he was trying to save Cougar from crashing his plane.
 * James Henry Trotter standing up to his aunts in New York City.
 * Baloo puts his foot down with Mowgli, while having to take Mowgli back to the Man-Village.
 * Kira Watanabe stands up to Coco LaBouche for deceiving Chas Finster.
 * Mrs. Leary, fed up with Tabitha's abuse, stands up to the evil woman for lying to her foster son Edward and murdering his parents.
 * Mavis scolds her father, Dracula while she discovers the viral video of him tossing Dennis over the edge of a tower.
 * Chakotay scolds B'Elanna Torres for pushing Joe Carey and fighting with him.
 * Rose Dewitt Bukater puts her foot down with her mother Ruth, when she learns that there aren't enough lifeboats for everyone on board, and she also puts her foot down with her abusive fiancé Cal Hockley, when she finds out that he framed Jack Dawson for stealing the Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace.
 * Kerchak puts the foot down with Tarzan by ordering him to stay away from the humans and to protect the gorillas Later Kerchak puts the foot down with Tarzan for disobeying his orders to stay away from the humans as well as fighting, over-powering and almost strangling him to death and for betraying the gorillas.
 * The Genie puts the foot down with Aladdin, when Al thinks he cant get him and Abu out of the Cave of Wonders.
 * Bulma scolding Krillin, Yamcha and Master Roshi for having Goten and Trunks in the Time Chamber to be killed by Super Buu.
 * Big Macintosh scolds the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle) for writing mean-spirited gossip about him and Applejack.
 * Helen Parr firmly orders Violet and Dash to get a grip.
 * Marlin puts his fin down with Nemo, which leads Nemo saying that he hates his father.
 * Jiminy Cricket puts his foot down after discovering that Pinocchio is friends with Lampwick.
 * Stu and Didi Pickles grounds their son, Tommy for taking Stu's medallion without asking.
 * The Crystal Gems and Greg scolding Steven Universe for trying to run away with Connie and banning him from TV for 1,000 years.
 * Nicole sending Gumball and Darwin to their room that means no TV, internet and miss out on the trip to the museum.
 * Stan always make Dipper do dumb chores. He's putting his foot down this time.
 * Chief Bogo reprimands Judy Hopps for leaving her post and causing trouble in Little Rodentia.
 * Nick Wilde berates Judy Hopps for her speech about predators going savage.
 * Tantor scolds Terk over her "emotional constipation", and tells her that Tarzan really needs their help.
 * Ella puts her foot down with Lady Tremaine, calling her out on her cruelty.
 * Anastasia gets angry at Dimitri for conning her.

Quotes
"Nicholas Wilde, you're under arrest. (Nick Wilde: For what? Hurting your feelings?) Felony tax evasion."

- Judy Hopps putting her foot down. "That's it! Go to your room! Now!"

- Bill Andersen sending Riley to her room for making a scene at the dinner table. "Tim, you left your post. You put us all in danger. (Timmy, protesting: But I--) You've got to learn to listen. You always think you know better than everyone else."

- Justin, scolding Timmy Brisby for leaving his post. "Simba, I'm very disappointed in you. (Young Simba: I know.) You could have been killed. You deliberately disobeyed me. And what's worse, you put Nala in danger!"

- Mufasa scolding Simba for disobeying him and putting Nala and risk. "(Tantor hears Tarzan's cry for help) Tantor: That sounded like Tarzan! He sounded like-like he was in trouble! Terk, selfishly: Yeah well Why doesn't he get his new friends to help him? I don't care. Tantor: Thaaat's IT!! (grabs Terk with his trunk) I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU AND YOUR EMOTIONAL CONSTIPATION! TARZAN NEEDS US, AND WE'RE GONNA HELP HIM!! YA GOT THAT?! Now, pipe down, and hang on tight! We've got a boat to catch."

- Tantor calling Terk out on her selfishness upon hearing Tarzan's cry for help before heading to the rescue. "Drew Pickles: ANGELICA!! Angelica Pickles: Oh! Hello, daddy. Drew Pickles (sternly): Angelica! What did Daddy say about playing in his study? Angelica Pickles: Mmm... Drew Pickles (pointing his finger at her): Didn't Daddy tell you not to play in here?! Didn't Daddy specifically explain to you about a hundred times how important his papers are??!! Angelica Pickles: Yes, daddy. I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again. I promise. Drew Pickles (sternly): Angelica, it's not gonna work this time! Angelica Pickles: Ok, I'm really, really sorry, daddy, dear. I promise, I'll never, ever- Drew Pickles (angrily): You're not being sincere, young lady! (Angelica gasps) This time, you're in big trouble! Angelica Pickles: Daddy, you're silly. I can't be in trouble. I'm Angelica, your only daughter, you're princess, your cupcake, you little tax shelter. (Drew instead puts Angelica to her room as punishment) Drew Pickles (furious): And you're gonna stay in your room! Angelica Pickles: But daddy... Drew Pickles (Cutting her off): You're gonna stay in your room and think about what you've done! (Drew slams the door)"

- Drew Pickles scolding his daughter Angelica for wrecking his home office and sending her to her room in the Rugrats episode, "Runaway Angelica". "You buttered your bread. Now sleep in it!"

- Jiminy Cricket putting his foot down after discovering that Pinocchio is friends with Lampwick. "(Iago pops his hand out of the sand) Iago: [cough! cough! cough!] Finally! This is terrific! (Strains to pull himself out and comes out with Jafar's black lamp underneath him) I've got sand in places I didn't even know I had! (Jafar [from inside his lamp]: Spare me your prattling, Iago! Are we out yet?!) Iago [mimicking]: "Are we out yet?" "Are we out yet?!" Yes, we're out! No thanks to you! If it weren't for me, you'd be stuck down there forever! (The lamp rumbles with Jafar's fury) (Jafar: IAGO!!!!) (Jafar's yell sends Iago blasted out of the lamp and landing face-first into a a clump of sand. Jafar's lamp glows red as he angrily speaks.) (Jafar: You will now release me...so that I may have my revenge.) Iago (dusting himself off): Yeah, yeah, when I'm good and ready. (Jafar: DO AS I SAY, YOU WORTHLESS PIPSQUEAK!) Ya know somethin'? You're NOTHING without me! (Jafar: WHAT?!) Who comes up with all the good ideas? ME! Who does all the work? ME! (Jafar: If it weren't for ME, you'd still be in a cage at the bazaar, squawking, "Polly want a cracker!" (Iago snarls with rage. He's finally had enough!) Iago (singing) That's it, I've had it! I hate to be dramatic / But it's time for me to fly the coop! Terrific! Fine! / I'm drawin' the line / Before I wind up in a parrot soup! (Iago picks up Jafar's lamp and flies to a nearby water well) I was a fool to let you run the show /I'm cuttin' ya loose, pal! / Look out below! (Drops the lamp down the well)/ Arrividerci! / C'est la vie! / Hope all goes well! I'm lookin' out for ME!"

- Iago finally fed up with Jafar's abuse, abandons him as he drops the black lamp into a nearby well. "I am not seven years old anymore, Aunt Trunchbull!"

- Jennifer Honey, standing up to Agatha Trunchbull, revealing that Miss Trunchbull is her aunt. "Ms. Harperstein, you can't treat Edward badly or killing his parents for revenge. (Tabitha Harperstein, with evil glee: I ruined his life once. I can ruin yours, Katherine.) (Mrs. Leary, fed up with Tabitha's abuse furiously stands up to her.) I am not a child anymore, Tabitha!"

- Mrs. Katherine Leary, standing up to Tabitha Harperstein for lying to Edward for the murder of his parents, which reveals that Tabitha was her babysitter in her childhood in front of her children. "Now just a minute! That's goin too far!"

- Baloo putting the foot down with Mowgli, while reluctantly having to take him back to the Man Village. "Madame LaBouche, you cannot go through with this. It's obvious you really don't love Chas or Chuckie. (Coco LaBouche: Which is which again?) (Kira gasps) I can no longer stand by, and watch you destroy their lives. Im' going to tell Chas the truth, and there is not a thing you can do to stop me."

- Kira Watanabe, standing up to Coco LaBocuhe for deceiving Chas Finster. "Why are you so cruel? You don't understand it, I've tried to be kind to you. (Tremaine: You? Kind to Me?) Yes. And no one deserves to be treated the way you've treated me!"

- Ella confronting Lady Tremaine. "I've just about had enough of you! Go that way! You'll be malfunctioning within a day, You Near-Sighted Scrap Pile! And don't let me catch you following me begging for help, Because you won't get it!"

- C-3PO putting the foot down with R2-D2. "Young lady, you are most definitely not accompanying us. And that is FINAL!"

- Basil of Baker Street, refusing to take Olivia Flaversham on a dangerous mission "(Cruella: When can the puppies leave their mother? Two weeks? Three weeks?) Never. (Cruella, shocked: What?) We're not s-selling the...the puppies. N-n-not a single one. Do you understand? (Cruella: Anita, is he serious? I really don't know Roger.) (Anita: Well, Cruella, he...) (Cruella: Oh, surely he must be joking.) No, no, I mean it. You're not getting one. N-N-Not one. A-And that--that's...final. (Pongo nods in agreement)"

- Roger Radcliff, refusing to sell Pongo and Perdita's puppies to Cruella De Vil "(Aladdin: Provisos? Y'mean, Limitations, on wishes? Some all-powerful Genie, He cant even bring people back from the dead. I dunno, Abu. He probably can't even get us out of this cave. Looks like we're gonna have to find a way outta here.) (Genie stomps his foot to stop the duo.) Excuse me! Are you lookin at me? Did you rub my lamp? Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here? And all of a sudden You're walkin out on me? I don't think so! Not right now! YOU'RE GETTIN YOUR WISHES, SO SIT DOWN!!!"

- Genie putting the foot down with Aladdin after Al doubts that he can get him and Abu out of the Cave of Wonders. "ALVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!''"

- Dave Seville (constantly) putting his foot down at Alvin's recklessness. "Have you lost your mind? (Mowgli: You said you wouldn't get mad) Did you listen to anything Akela taught you? There's no place in the jungle for these tricks. You want to do this, you do this in the man village."

- Bagheera putting the foot down, that Mowgli did tricks in the jungle. "Dames! What dames? Jessica's the only one to me! You'll see. We'll rise above this pickling peccadillo! We're going to be happy again. You got that? Capital H-A-P-P-I!"

- Roger Rabbit, yells at Eddie Valiant about him and Jessica going to be happy. "It’s huge! We're homeless! Our friends wanna kill us! Before we can even stay in the same room with you I need to know what was going through your mind when you didn't listen to me and dumped that silo in the lake!"

- Marge putting the down with Homer disobeying Grandpa and Marge "Oh, don't even mention that horrible place. I was so embarrassed and frightened. (Tramp: Oh, now, now, now. Who could ever harm a cute little trick like you?) Trick? Trick? That reminds me. Who is Trixie? (Tramp: Trixie?) and Lulu? And Fifi? And Rosita Chiquita whatever her name is? (Tramp: Ch-Chiquita, oh, oh, yes, well I) As far as I am concerned you needn't worry about your old heel. (Tramp: M-My heel?) I don't need you to shelter and protect me. (Tramp: Yes, but-but) If you grow careless, don't blame me. And I don't care if the Cossacks do pick you up. Goodbye! And take this with you."

- Lady putting her foot down, what Tramp did to her. "(Dash: We're dead! We're dead! We survived but we're dead!) Stop it! We are not gonna die! Now, both of you will get a grip. Or so help me, I will GROUND you for a month! Understand?!"

- Helen Parr, being firm at the panicking Violet and Dash Parr "You think you can do these things, But you just can't Nemo!"

- Marlin putting his fin down with Nemo. "(Anastasia gets really angry with Dimitri after he's been booted out of the Dowager Empress Marie's private box at the Russian Ballet) It was all a lie, wasn't it? (Dimitri: No. No.) You used me? I was just part of your con to get her money? (She begins to leave, but Dimitri follows her.) (Dimitri: No. No, no, no. Look, it may have started out that way, but everything's different now, because you really are Anastasia. You are.) Stop it! (Anastasia pokes Dimitri in the chest) From the very beginning, you lied! And I not only believed you, I actually--(She groans in frustration and leaves, but Dimitri tries to follow her again and stops her.) (Dimitri: Anya, please! When you spoke of the hidden door of the wall opening, and the little boy...Listen to me. That was--) (The conversation is cut short as she refuses to listen.) NO! I don't wanna hear about anything that I said or remembered. You just LEAVE ME ALONE! (When Dimitri grabs her arm, Anya powerfully slaps Dimitri's face, and then storms off.) (Dimitri: Anya, please. YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH!) (Dimitri tries to follow her again, but fails and gets caught in the crowd.)"

- Anastasia, realizing she's been conned by Dimitri.