View Full Version : Was Sam too unlikable of a character to be the lead


TMC
09-22-2020, 03:57 AM
I've noticed this about Dan Schneider's shows. There's always that one female character, who is the nastiest and/or most sadistic (not just Sam, but Megan (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnfantTerrible) on Drake & Josh or Jade (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManipulativeBastard) on Victorious), but rarely ever have to answer (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/KarmaHoudini/LiveActionTV) for their "crimes". My main point is that a lead character in a sitcom should work only if they have some redeeming qualities. Sam Puckett (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/ICarly) to borrow from the Rowdy Reviewer, is essentially what you get when you mix Lucy Van Pelt with Ronda Rousey. Simply put, it not only makes it unrealistic that she has any friends, but she becomes TOTALLY unlikeable.

king of comedy
09-22-2020, 08:48 AM
I'm a gentleman but I'll make this an exception. If she came on to hit me, I'll punch her right back. That's self defense. She is unlikeable and the worst character ever created. Very unrealistic she can kick everybodys' butt.

TMC
09-25-2020, 02:52 AM
I'm a gentleman but I'll make this an exception. If she came on to hit me, I'll punch her right back. That's self defense. She is unlikeable and the worst character ever created. Very unrealistic she can kick everybodys' butt.

I wrote elsewhere that Sam & Cat is probably a clear-proof example of why it sometimes probably isn't the best idea to spin-off one-dimensional comic relief characters. With iCarly and Victorious, those shows had Carly and Tori as the "straight-women". Dan Schneider has been accused of making his lead female characters as "Mary Sues" (which is likely the case), but those shows that I mentioned, none-the-less still had a moral center so to speak. Without characters like Carly or Tori to keep things remotely grounded and relatable, the cruel and mean-spirited nature (another problem with Dan Schneider's shows) of a show like Sam & Cat becomes increasingly apparent.

TMC
11-10-2024, 01:10 AM
Somebody else just pointed out (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1gnd06l/i_will_never_understand_why_people_love_sam_from/) that Sam's entire existence is based around physically abusing and belittling one specific character for no reason other than pure bullying. And she always ends up getting off Scott free while we're expected to laugh at the victim ending up with the most unfair treatment. And yet, this is a character nevertheless, that you're expecting to successfully carry a spin-off (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1acnmye/what_character_just_couldnt_carry_a_spinoff/)?