This, he’s annoying but he complements the rest of the characters. Similar to Jar-Jar
Francis Crawford of Lymond in Dorothy Dunnett’s excellent Lymond Chronicles. It took me a while to get there, because he’s charismatic, dynamic, witty, passionate, and in many ways very likeable. But on my last re-read, I came to the realisation that he’s also a whiny, self-obsessed proto emo-kid whose obsession with his mother’s chastity crosses from devoted admiration to creepily unbalanced fetish.
Durwood didn’t know she was a witch when he married her; she didn’t tell him until the honeymoon – after he’d been teleported out of the honeymoon suite by his mother-in-law. (“You told me your mother was in India!”)
He responds that he loves her, but “we’re going to have a nice, normal, happy life together – and no more ::wiggles fingers::”
“Oh, no,” Samantha replies. “I promise.”
This doesn’t last long; he reminds her that she “broke your promise. You gave me your word.” She replies that it’s a little harder to break the habit than she thought, and then ends the episode by magically doing the dishes once he leaves the kitchen (and cue the pilot episode’s last line: “Maybe I can taper off…”)
Kirk on Gilmore Girls. It takes a special talent to stand out as the worst offender in a solid ensemble of throat-achingly irritating characters, but he manages. Ugh. He’s horrific.
I think I made it to chapter two before the prospect of reading several books of this whiny loser made me throw the book into the donation pile.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David. If I knew a person like this…I would have to strangle him.
Can’t believe I’m the first one to mention Scrappy-Doo. Too obvious?
Every last Eddings book has a sanctimonious, cheeky, “charmingly childish” female character. Also an overbearing motherly figure who knows what’s best, dear and rolls her eyes saying “Men !” a lot. Flute & Sephrenia, Ce’Nedra & Polgara, whatshername the cat goddess in Redemption of Althalus…
And yeah, they do grate.
But then he’s got characters like Silke, Kurik, Beldin or Ulath to make up for it.
Peggy Hill on King of the Hill. She’s like the Dunning–Kruger effect personified.
… and both types revert to toddler style temper tantrums when angry. Its not enough to ruin the work for me, but it does affect my enjoyment of it.
In general, I usually find I can tolerate characters with signficant flaws better when it seems like the author is aware that they are flawed.
Bernardette from The Big Bang Theory. I just can’t stand her voice. My wife pointed out that her voice was meant to be annoying, similar to Howard’s mother, and I understand that, but it’s like nails on the chalkboard of my soul.
The stupid character, as seen on nearly every sitcom ever made. Examples include Chrissy from Three’s Company, Joey from Friends, and Kelly from Married with Children.
Mika, I cannot be your second in a duel. That would imply I was allowing you to fight in a duel, which would mean I was allowing you to endanger your life, which of course is against policy. Should you find it necessary to engage in a duel I would naturally have to murder your opponent (and anyone who might avenge him) beforehand. Sorry.
I kind of like “Gilligan’s Island” in a childhood-nostalgia sort of way, but from the time I was a kid I could never stand Gilligan. I kept finding myself wishing they’d just send him out to sea on a raft or something, and then they’d have been rescued right away because he wouldn’t keep messing up their plans.
The mother Madeline on Burn Notice
But it is hard to read when all of the female characters are reduced to stereotypes. Actually at this point I don’t even read Eddings anymore. Redemption of Althalus was the last straw - the only good chapter was the first chapter, when his luck goes sour, and the rest of it was filled with sanctimonious women.
Skald, I don’t mean you as my second. I’ll take Mauvaise as my second. I meant for you to send killer bees in lieu of having to fight at all.
And oh yes, Thomas Covenant. I have a hard time understanding how anyone can read a book with a rapist protagonist.
For me it’s that guy who works with Sheldon who has the fake speech impediment. Annoying as hell.
Obviously the worst literary creation in the history of the universe, but Scooby Doo wasn’t a particularly good show, so I don’t feel like Scrappy ruined a good thing.
That’s going to get me tarred and feathered in this crowd, isn’t it?
Good one! I hate that guy.
Short Round and Kate Capshaw
Yeah, but every once in awhile they redeem her. She got the female workers at the Renaissance festival a fair shake. She stands up to Cotton when her husband won’t. She doesn’t see Nancy’s infidelity because as she put it, “Peggy kinda see’s the best in people”. She protects Luanne from her bitch mother, defends Bill from his wife. Does a good job raising Bobby erring on the side of caring over tough love which is what she grew up too. Most of her conflict on the show is with Minh and she deserves it.
They just need to stop hiring her to teach is all.