# Hot characters who are nonetheless too odd (or outright nuts) to date. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248 "2010-11-02T20:28:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/121 "2010-11-04T17:39:06Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Spike - Underneath all that smouldering, manly, virile, rebellious posturing, he’s really a big girly wuss who watches “Dawson’s Creek.” No, no. Spike watched “Passions”. When Giles was unemployed, he got so bored he watched it, too. “Let us never speak of it again.” ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/122 "2010-11-04T17:48:44Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > No, no. Spike watched “Passions”. When Giles was unemployed, he got so bored he watched it, too. “Let us never speak of it again.” He was seen shouting at Pacey Witter on his tv screen too, just once, I think. ETA - Season 5, episode 4, ‘Out of my Mind’ ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/123 "2010-11-04T18:11:58Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > The Human Centipede. 😕:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/124 "2010-11-04T19:43:46Z")
Quoth **Anaamika** : > [@](#): > > I understand the prostitute=liar thing, but it’s more like “courtesan” equals liar. I mean, her whole living is convincing men she finds them attractive, sexy, and that they didn’t pay for her, not really, it just happened to be a financial transaction but she would have fucked them anyway. > > That would bother me, too. How do I know she is ever telling the truth? Yeah, that’s pretty much it (though it’s true to some extent of all prostitutes, not just the classy ones). I’m sure that most (though not all) of her clients know it’s a lie, and fine for them, but I just find it distasteful. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/125 "2010-11-04T20:27:30Z")
Speaking for myself, I avoid tasting prostitutes. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/126 "2010-11-04T21:21:56Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Kathleen Turner in _Body Heat_, _Prizzi’s Honor_, or _The War of the Roses_. Not to mention _ **The Man With Two Brains** _ ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/127 "2010-11-04T21:34:33Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I understand the prostitute=liar thing, but it’s more like “courtesan” equals liar. I mean, her whole living is convincing men she finds them attractive, sexy, and that they didn’t pay for her, not really, it just happened to be a financial transaction but she would have fucked them anyway. > > That would bother me, too. How do I know she is ever telling the truth? I don’t see how any of that applies to Inara. She doesn’t sit around hotel bars trying to persuade men to buy her a cocktail, flattering them into telling her about their lives, and when they invite her to to join them in their rooms, suddenly quote an hourly rate. Her clients know what she does for a living going into it; hell, they seek HER out for the pleasure of her company, which is as much her charm and wit as her bazongas and wheels. I don’t think they think she’s attracted to them for their own sakes, in general. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/128 "2010-11-04T22:13:16Z")
Consciously, yes, they know that she’s just working for hire. But the human subconscious is very strong in general, and especially when it comes to sex. Just look at all of the clients she gets who want to sweep her away and take her from all that, _and expect that she’ll agree_. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/129 "2010-11-04T22:22:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Consciously, yes, they know that she’s just working for hire. But the human subconscious is very strong in general, and especially when it comes to sex. Just look at all of the clients she gets who want to sweep her away and take her from all that, _and expect that she’ll agree_. In the first place, we only know of one of Inara’s clients who proposed marriage. (I haven’t read the comic books and refuse to, for reasons I have not yet made up but will if anyone insists.) And I don’t think he wanted her for anything other than a pretty trophy and skillful – well, you know. In the second place, so what if their subconscious leads them astray? That is not her doing if she is honest with them, and I can think of no evidence that she’s been anything but honest with any man other than Mal Reynolds. And her lie to him was the reverse of what you suggest: she claimed to care much less than she obviously did. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/130 "2010-11-04T22:48:28Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > OK, datable/undatable for the women of Whedon. > > Buffy: Totally undateable. Mopey, angsty, died a couple times. Unless you’re, you know, an undead corpse that has clawed its way out of the grave to feast on the blood of the living. Then go nuts. > > Faith: Need I mention the Xander-choking incident? Undateable. > > Dawn: Dude, she’s like, 15! What’s wrong with you? > > Anya: Vengeance Demons are by definition undateable. A female who spends 1000 years punishing men for their mistreatment of women, and you’re going to date her. > > Tara: Datable. Unless you’ve got a penis. > > Cordelia: She’s either a teenage harpy, or being driven insane by visions, or impregnated with various demonspawns. Undateable. > > Fred: Mmmmm. Oh, yeah. Datable. > > Lilah: Evil may taste good, but don’t date the evil. > > Do I really have to add that all the female vampires, from Drusilla to Darla to Harmony are totally undatable? > > Willow: She just needs the right man. Oh, my sweet Willow, I forgive you for turning evil and trying to destroy the world, 'cause you’re just that cute. I’ll be…well, you know. Anya was totally datable! I can live with the brutal honesty. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/131 "2010-11-04T23:01:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think the only females on [the new Battlestar Galactica] I **would** really consider would be Callie, Athena, and Pres. Roslyn. CallieCarries a torch for the chief, even though he’s involved with Boomer and she knows it. Murders Boomer. Falls all over Tyrol when he breaks her jaw. Cheats on him and gets pregnant by another man. Marries the chief and has him raise someone else’s kid. Whiny, controlling, manipulative, and insanely jealous(while simultaneously being an adulteress). Instead of going the the authorities when she discovers her husband is a skinjob, she decides to kill herself AND the innocent child.Verdict: Undateable. AthenaPlanned and participated in the using of humans as breeding stock for the next generation of Cylons. Killed millions with the sneak attack on the colonies. Deliberately lied to and led Helo around on Caprica for months, never once told him the truth, even though she decided she loved him. Went nuts during and just after her pregnancy(somewhat justifiable, but slamming your head into the glass until you break it and slice your face all to hell is still nuts). Went nuts again after seeing visions of her daughter with other people, murdered the six who was the leader of the rebellion. Probably more, but I’ve only seen through season 4 of the show.Verdict: Undateable, and don’t even DREAM of having a kid with her. President RoslynSlept with the former President, perhaps to get her position in the cabinet. Has a ruthless streak a mile wide and isn’t above illegal/immoral activities when she feels they’re necessary. Drug addict/religious fanatic with hallucinations and delusions of grandeur. Kidnapper. Liar. Extortionist. Cold and emotionally unavailable. Willing to steal an election rather than let the people elect the “wrong” person.Verdict: Undateable. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/132 "2010-11-04T23:21:48Z")
Responses to **Mtgman** ’s spoilers: [spoiler]Callie: Double-check the timing. She got knocked up by Hotdog before she married the Chief. It’s still a mark against her, but not as much as you’re implying. Her reaction to learning about the Five was extreme, but first, she was under an awful lot of stress, and second, she didn’t actually go through with it. Athena: Yes, she was evil, past tense. It understandably took a while for her to prove herself trustworthy, but I think she did in the end. And I don’t see it as a vice for a parent to kill someone attempting to kidnap her child-- That’s how a parent _should_ react. Roslyn: I’ll grant that she was ruthless, but with the advantage of hindsight and our omniscient point of view, she was also right. And before you point out the apparent inconsistency, yes, it was reasonable for Roslyn to take Hera away, but it would also have been reasonable for Athena or Helo to have reacted violently had they known. Sometimes mortals, working with the best information available to them, still make wrong decisions. Also note, by the way, that I’m not saying that any of these women would be my first choice, or that I’d be likely to pursue a long-term relationship with any of them. I just said that I’d consider them.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/133 "2010-11-05T17:21:25Z")
This has to be boring for the non-Battlestar fans, but since the series is still doing well on Netflix and DVD, I’ll keep it spoilered.[spoiler] [QUOTE=Chronos] Callie: Double-check the timing. She got knocked up by Hotdog before she married the Chief. It’s still a mark against her, but not as much as you’re implying. Her reaction to learning about the Five was extreme, but first, she was under an awful lot of stress, and second, she didn’t actually go through with it. [/quote] The chief can do math. If he thought the kid was his, then it was clearly because he had been sleeping with her during the time the kid was conceived. They were about to get married when she found out she was pregnant. Figure six weeks, tops, from conception to awareness. I think they dated for more than six weeks before they decided to get married and go to new Caprica. This wasn’t a “Friends” style “We were on a break!” situation. Even then, nothing justifies lying to him about the kid being his. Not killing herself and the kid wasn’t exactly her doing. Tory stopped her. [QUOTE=Chronos] Athena: Yes, she was evil, past tense. It understandably took a while for her to prove herself trustworthy, but I think she did in the end. And I don’t see it as a vice for a parent to kill someone attempting to kidnap her child-- That’s how a parent _should_ react. [/quote] Genocide in the past tense is still genocide. And the child was not being kidnapped. She was having DREAMS about the child being kidnapped. She walked up to an unarmed person in the hallway, who was surrounded by armed marines(thus not in a position to kidnap anyone), and killed her in cold blood, because of her own paranoia. The Six wasn’t doing ANYTHING inappropriate with Hera. A parent reacting with deadly force to someone trying to climb out their window with their child, ok, but the circumstances didn’t warrant deadly force. Plus, in her dream it was Caprica Six, not Natalie Faust, who took Hera. Would it be justifiable to kill all the Sixes because of her dreams? [QUOTE=Chronos] Roslyn: I’ll grant that she was ruthless, but with the advantage of hindsight and our omniscient point of view, she was also right. And before you point out the apparent inconsistency, yes, it was reasonable for Roslyn to take Hera away, but it would also have been reasonable for Athena or Helo to have reacted violently had they known. Sometimes mortals, working with the best information available to them, still make wrong decisions. [/quote] We’re way off here. The woman was a user, liar, and manipulator. She used the former president, betrayed her fellow teachers, went behind everyone’s backs, attempted to disenfranchise the remainder of humanity, was a religious zealot, and a drug addict on top of everything else. The metaphysics of BSG seem pretty confused, but unless some divine presence spoke to me and told me it had alternately been inflicting cancer/visions/cancer/visions on her, then I’d run like fun from the crazy bitch.[/spoiler] [QUOTE=Chronos] Also note, by the way, that I’m not saying that any of these women would be my first choice, or that I’d be likely to pursue a long-term relationship with any of them. I just said that I’d consider them. [/QUOTE] The way I interpreted the OP, they were asking which of characters were NOT LTR material. That’s how I parsed the meaning of “date.” Now, hang out with casually, possibly with minor romantic involvement, I can see maybe, but why do that if you know you wouldn’t want it to turn into more of a LTR? There are plenty of other hotties in the ocean. Given the advantage of hindsight and the omniscient point of view, I’d send any one of the ladies mentioned packing. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/134 "2010-11-05T17:37:30Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Anya was totally datable! I can live with the brutal honesty. “I dislike Anya, she is newly human and strangely literal.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/135 "2010-11-05T18:08:09Z")
_Mad Men_’s Don Draper. Quite handsome, but no way in hell I’d date him. Likewise, Betty is attractive (though not my style) but incapable of being in an adult relationship - or acting like an adult, generally. Actually, I would find pretty much any of the men on Mad Men undatable due to their outdated ideas of gender roles. Dennis, Dee, and Mac from _It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ are all attractive but off-the-charts crazy, with generous doses of sociopathy and downright meanness thrown in to boot. Nancy Botwin on _Weeds_. Mary Louise-Parker is incredibly hot, but Nancy (and her kids) are a big old bag of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/136 "2010-11-05T18:21:21Z")
> [@The\_Weird\_One](#): > > _Mad Men_’s Don Draper. Quite handsome, but no way in hell I’d date him. Likewise, Betty is attractive (though not my style) but incapable of being in an adult relationship - or acting like an adult, generally. Actually, I would find pretty much any of the men on Mad Men undatable due to their outdated ideas of gender roles. You just insulted Peggy Olsen. I’ll be needing you to take that back. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/137 "2010-11-05T18:47:11Z")
The obvious female examples would seem to be Anya/BTVS, Starbuck/BSG, Robin/HIMYM… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/138 "2010-11-05T18:49:24Z")
> [@](#): > > The way I interpreted the OP, they were asking which of characters were NOT LTR material. That’s how I parsed the meaning of “date.” Now, hang out with casually, possibly with minor romantic involvement, I can see maybe, but why do that if you know you wouldn’t want it to turn into more of a LTR? There are plenty of other hotties in the ocean. Given the advantage of hindsight and the omniscient point of view, I’d send any one of the ladies mentioned packing. The key word there was “consider”. If you ask me whether I’d want to have any involvement with, say, Boomer, or Ellen Tigh, I’d say “No way, Jose” before you even finished the sentence. Those three, I would consider. And then probably, after consideration, still decide against them, but I would consider them. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/139 "2010-11-05T18:52:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m surprised that it took so long to mention River Tam (and even then, not by name). River: “I can kill you with my brain.” Me: “Yes, honey. How’s dinner coming?” I’d make it work, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248/140 "2010-11-05T18:53:50Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > The obvious female examples would seem to be Anya/BTVS, Starbuck/BSG, Robin/HIMYM… I really don’t think inlcuding Anya here is fair, but then I never cared for the way she got treated. I watched “The Body” yesterday, for instance, and Willow’s unfair and unkind treatment of her was egregious. I’d give Will a pass because she was grieving if it were not for the way treats Anya overall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-characters-who-are-nonetheless-too-odd-or-outright-nuts-to-date/559248.md?page=8)