My son was watching one of the Star Wars movies and I was reminded yet again how freakin’ irritating Yoda is. I totally can’t stand him. If I was watching the movie, I’d either fast forward or mute any scene he was in.
What characters do you hate that seem to be popular with other people?
I almost didn’t open this thread, because I thought it was going to be about characters in the Toni Morrison book…
Anyways, HAGRID, in the Harry Potter books. Can’t stand that guy. Each time a book has come out with the rumor that someone would die, I hope it’s going to be him. He’s such a moron, so incompetent, and has caused so much trouble and pain to the kids. Sure he’s pleasant enough, but I can’t understand why the kids are so loyal to him – just because he’s one of the first people they met?? Hate that guy.
Rincewind. Why the hell does everybody like Rincewind? He’s annoying and boring at the same time!
Turin Turambar. The first emo kid ever. Whiny and melodramatic, he could make a minor error into a gigantic, world-shattering calamity within half a page.
Rhett Butler. He stalks and ultimately buys Scarlett, forces her to have his child, keeps a prostitute as a mistress, works outside the law and still emerges as a hero.
Wolverine, from the X-men books. The sad part is that he has the potential to be an incredibly nuanced character if his backstory and experiences are drawn upon (see the slow, quiet, Kurosawa-esque first arc of the “Wolverine” book that was re-launched a few years ago), but 99% of writers use him as a one-note, one-dimensional violence magnet.
I’ve only seen one X-men movie and never read the books, but I didn’t like Wolverine just because of his stupid hair/sideburns. Heh. But then, I’m shallow.
Hmmm… Raymond?
I’ll probably get Pitted for this, but I could not stand the Barney Fife character. I had to deal with too many stupid people to think incompetence was funny. Ah, well…
I don’t mind his hair done up like Wolverine’s but if you don’t like it just put a bag over his head and focus on the rest of him.
Does hating entire genres of entertainment including all related characters count? Because I can’t stand Japanese animation (and have really loathed it ever since fans tried to upscale it by changing the name from “Japanimation” to “anime”) and by extension I loathe all of the various characters from it. The only one that doesn’t make me retch is Badtz Maru.
I also can’t stand anything to do with Harry Potter (except that Daniel Radcliffe has turned into a total hottie).
You are so right.
Lucille Ball in “I Love Lucy.”
I used to watch a lot of old TV shows, so I’m definitely not biased against the different comic sensibilities of the era, but I always hated this show. I didn’t find the premise funny and Lucy was just incredibly annoying. Unfortunately, my older sisters loved the show so I often couldn’t avoid it.
If they’d killed Gilligan, they’d’ve been off that island in a week, tops.
I recently started re-reading Catch-22, and it struck me: Rincewind is Yossarian. Except I love Yossarian, and can’t stand Rincewind. I think the problem is that Pratchett can’t really pull of the bitter cynicism necessary to sell a character like that.
Badtz Maru isn’t an anime character.
But then, anime isn’t a genre, either.
It isn’t as strong as “hate”, but my feelings toward the Mickey Mouse character have certainly reached “annoyed indifference”. Disney Rules seem to say the Mouse isn’t allowed to have any character flaws, and nothing bad can ever happen to him that isn’t immediately put right. This shouldn’t be interpretted to mean I’m anti-Disney, by the way - just that I was the one running around Disney World looking for anything Donald Duck-related 
Am I going to be condemned as unAmerican now? Or have I just got a better seat on the Bus to Heck? 
Must be why I can stand him.
Holly Golightly (the Breakfast at Tiffany’s character, not the singer) was delusional and a user, not sweet and innocent. Most people don’t really remember the movie or the character’s personality, just how pretty Audrey Hepburn was in the black dress with the gloves.
I also thought little Amelie from the movie of the same name was damaged goods; a bit creepy, stalkerish, and not all there.
If Kramer was my neighbor, I’d murder him.
I agree and I wondered whether that’s intentional. I think you can read it as evidence of an unreliable narrator. To the 10-year-old Harry, Hagrid was his first contact to the magic world and the greatest guy ever. As Harry grows up, he (and with him the narrator) realizes that Hagrid may be a nice guy but unfortunately he is an idiot. Although there are of course other more objective reasons I think it’s also no coincidence that Hermione is described as more and more attractive and feminine when Harry’s hormones kick in. In short I think all characterizations are as flawed as Harry’s understanding at that point. In the most recent books Hagrid’s portrayal is quite negative and I got the impression that the “friendship” is in part continued out of politeness.
No way is Rincewind Yossarian. Yossarian is awesome.
