9 Awful TV Characters We're Supposed To Root For - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 04-06-2016, 04:21 PM

http://whatculture.com/tv/9-awful-tv...ed-to-root-for

Quote:

In most network television shows, we're explicitly told who we're supposed to root for. "This is the main protagonist," they say. "You like this person. Except when we tell you not to." They provide similar, blunt decrees about the rest of the characters, as well, right down to the supporting cast.

While most of us are willing to go along with the ride so long as the writers of the show are able to give justifiable reasons for doing so, every once in a while they emphatically hurl these supposedly heroic and/or appealing characters right into unlikable territory.

And then there are the characters who are so consistently unpleasant, ill-natured, and generally impossible to root for that it's a bit baffling to think about why we were ever supposed to get on board with them in the first place.

Unfortunately, despite everyone's best efforts, these characters had way more reasons to hate them than love them.

9. Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy

8. Dexter Morgan - Dexter

7. Fred Flintstone - The Flintstones

6. Michael Scott - The Office (US)

5. Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory

4. Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

3. Elliot Reid - Scrubs

2. Carl Grimes - The Walking Dead

1. Ross Gellar & Rachel Green - Friends

mets82 · 04-06-2016, 04:28 PM

Fred Flintstone and Ross and Rachel??? Really???

VillechaizeLove · 04-06-2016, 04:50 PM

I don't think Sheldon is that bad. Yeah, he's hard to put up with but... I know people with similar personalities to his, and they're actually pretty cool.

70s show watcher · 04-06-2016, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VillechaizeLove

I don't think Sheldon is that bad. Yeah, he's hard to put up with but... I know people with similar personalities to his, and they're actually pretty cool.

i agree sheldon really is a good person deep down but he really just does not now how to express his feelings

Dude111 · 11-05-2017, 06:04 AM

Why is Fred Flinstone on the list??

HE IS AWESOME!!

70s show watcher · 11-05-2017, 03:55 PM

sue ellien ewing from dallas should be on this list i know that jr is a major jerk most of the time but i cant count the number of time that i thought that sue ellien in her own way was a bigger jerk than jr ever was but yet some how we were supposed to root for her sometimes i did but alot of times jr was right about sue ellien jr was a jerk but she was no prize ether

king of comedy · 11-05-2017, 05:37 PM

You should have put both Bart and homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin and roger and Stan Smith.

Edward216 · 11-05-2017, 09:21 PM

I like Fred Flintstone and Elliot Reid. What is wrong with them for putting them on a list like this?!

I tried watching Grey's Anatomy a few times and I hated every single character. Never mind that I think the show is just really depressing.

Roseanne Connor should be on this list. If I'd been her husband I would've shot myself. But then I never would've married a b*tch like her in the first place. I never understood what Dan was supposed to see in her. One of the most hateful and unlikable characters ever, but then so is Roseanne Barr in real life.

Ed.

Torgo · 11-05-2017, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

http://whatculture.com/tv/9-awful-tv...ed-to-root-for

9. Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy

8. Dexter Morgan - Dexter

7. Fred Flintstone - The Flintstones

6. Michael Scott - The Office (US)

5. Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory

4. Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

3. Elliot Reid - Scrubs

2. Carl Grimes - The Walking Dead

1. Ross Gellar & Rachel Green - Friends

None of the names match up with who you linked them to.

Yong Fang · 11-05-2017, 11:19 PM

I thought if you meant awful, it was in the context of an awful person.

House on House M.D. was an awful person. I was only a casual watcher of the show, but House to me was an unlikable character. Rude, condescending, mean, even borderline sociopath. House did what House wanted to do and to hell with anyone else. What I did like about House MD was that the rest of the characters were "normal people" and not necessarily relatable or likeable also. In many shows, the show wants you to like/love the characters for obvious reasons.

The Mafia characters on The Sopranos. Tony Soprano obviously was an awful person. Basically a serial killer, adulterer, con man, thief, robber. One of my favorite characters from that show is Paulie. Paulie was hilarious at times, but we can see the horrid things that character did for money. Again, there weren't that many sympathetic characters except for maybe Bobby. One of my favorite scenes was when the gang was at a funeral for someone, and Tony looks up and sees AJ in the distance and gives a loving glance with a slight smile on his face. But still a horrible, evil man who became an iconic American character.

On a comedy level, Frank Burns from MASH. Burns was a pathetic, ignorant, uncaring, unsympathetic character who was hated and disliked by every person he has ever known since childhood (he alluded this when he said his only friend in school was the janitor, and the unhappy Mrs. Burns on her wedding day) except for his mother and Margaret, who left him for Penopscot (the handsome one or the Elvis version). Frank knew nobody liked him and openly asked why, never knowing he is the problem, but his psychology wouldn't let him change.

Michael Scott from the list is an awful character at times and did some awful things to comedic affect. Michael to me wasn't evil, just a dumb person with little common sense and a huge ego. He tries to hard to make friends and annoyingly sees the office staff as his family (and in real life, I would be annoyed to be made to go to the Dundies, Booze Cruise, the day at the lake, Christmas parties or any of that, I am like Stanley, do my time and go home). Michael was pathetic, however unlike Burns, the Office people didn't dislike him and even bonded with Michael a few times.

opus · 11-06-2017, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Why is Fred Flinstone on the list??

HE IS AWESOME!!

He was abusive to animals.

icecream · 11-06-2017, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward216

Roseanne Connor should be on this list. One of the most hateful and unlikable characters ever, but then so is Roseanne Barr in real life.

Amen. Can't stand her!

RetroGuy2000 · 11-06-2017, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mets82

Fred Flintstone and Ross and Rachel??? Really???

That was my reaction, too.

If they wanted an awful animated character, Roger or the dad from American Dad, or Peter Griffin from Family Guy would work. Peter's treatment of Meg alone should get him on the list.

But not Fred Flintstone.

Ross and Rachel could be a little self-absorbed at times (each in their own way), but neither was an awful person. In fact, I was rooting for them the whole time to get back together. Had one or both of them actually been awful, I wouldn't have cared.

I tried clicking on the links to figure out their rationale, but the link for Ross and Rachel was non-functional.

Dude111 · 11-06-2017, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

None of the names match up with who you linked them to.

Ah man!!

king of comedy · 11-06-2017, 07:02 PM

Claire Huxtable: smug, arrogant witch

04-06-2016, 04:28 PM	#2
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	Fred Flintstone and Ross and Rachel??? Really???
	__________________ http://www.superbowlgreatness.blogspot.com/ Please check out my blog. I vent on all things. TV, sports etc. you name it. Its also a work in progress. Check out and see what you think.

04-06-2016, 04:50 PM	#3
VillechaizeLove Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 21, 2014 Posts: 40	I don't think Sheldon is that bad. Yeah, he's hard to put up with but... I know people with similar personalities to his, and they're actually pretty cool.

11-05-2017, 06:04 AM	#5
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 36,451	Why is Fred Flinstone on the list?? HE IS AWESOME!!

11-05-2017, 03:55 PM	#6
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	sue ellien ewing from dallas should be on this list i know that jr is a major jerk most of the time but i cant count the number of time that i thought that sue ellien in her own way was a bigger jerk than jr ever was but yet some how we were supposed to root for her sometimes i did but alot of times jr was right about sue ellien jr was a jerk but she was no prize ether

11-05-2017, 05:37 PM	#7
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	You should have put both Bart and homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin and roger and Stan Smith.

11-05-2017, 09:21 PM	#8
Edward216 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 18, 2014 Location: Central Time Zone Posts: 4,648	I like Fred Flintstone and Elliot Reid. What is wrong with them for putting them on a list like this?! I tried watching Grey's Anatomy a few times and I hated every single character. Never mind that I think the show is just really depressing. Roseanne Connor should be on this list. If I'd been her husband I would've shot myself. But then I never would've married a b*tch like her in the first place. I never understood what Dan was supposed to see in her. One of the most hateful and unlikable characters ever, but then so is Roseanne Barr in real life. Ed.

11-05-2017, 11:19 PM	#10
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I thought if you meant awful, it was in the context of an awful person. House on House M.D. was an awful person. I was only a casual watcher of the show, but House to me was an unlikable character. Rude, condescending, mean, even borderline sociopath. House did what House wanted to do and to hell with anyone else. What I did like about House MD was that the rest of the characters were "normal people" and not necessarily relatable or likeable also. In many shows, the show wants you to like/love the characters for obvious reasons. The Mafia characters on The Sopranos. Tony Soprano obviously was an awful person. Basically a serial killer, adulterer, con man, thief, robber. One of my favorite characters from that show is Paulie. Paulie was hilarious at times, but we can see the horrid things that character did for money. Again, there weren't that many sympathetic characters except for maybe Bobby. One of my favorite scenes was when the gang was at a funeral for someone, and Tony looks up and sees AJ in the distance and gives a loving glance with a slight smile on his face. But still a horrible, evil man who became an iconic American character. On a comedy level, Frank Burns from MASH. Burns was a pathetic, ignorant, uncaring, unsympathetic character who was hated and disliked by every person he has ever known since childhood (he alluded this when he said his only friend in school was the janitor, and the unhappy Mrs. Burns on her wedding day) except for his mother and Margaret, who left him for Penopscot (the handsome one or the Elvis version). Frank knew nobody liked him and openly asked why, never knowing he is the problem, but his psychology wouldn't let him change. Michael Scott from the list is an awful character at times and did some awful things to comedic affect. Michael to me wasn't evil, just a dumb person with little common sense and a huge ego. He tries to hard to make friends and annoyingly sees the office staff as his family (and in real life, I would be annoyed to be made to go to the Dundies, Booze Cruise, the day at the lake, Christmas parties or any of that, I am like Stanley, do my time and go home). Michael was pathetic, however unlike Burns, the Office people didn't dislike him and even bonded with Michael a few times.

11-06-2017, 07:02 PM	#15
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	Claire Huxtable: smug, arrogant witch