# The worst parents in TV history **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192 "2011-10-10T16:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/1 "2011-10-10T16:24:20Z")
Nancy Botwin of _Weeds_ comes to mind immediately, with her drug dealing and involvement with criminals, for starters. Then there are Sean and Julia MacNamara, Dr. Troy, and Matt MacNamara of _Nip/Tuck_—where does one begin? Absentee parenting, self-involvement, crime, adultery, having the nanny fill in most of the time, multiple partners in and out of the homes, etc. Name some other crappy TV parents and let’s see how long we can make the list. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/2 "2011-10-10T16:28:14Z")
Can’t recall what he did to her (probably was a mean drunk), but Jerry Orbach’s Lenny on _Law and Order_ went through a period where his daughter broke off relations. And your quote reminded me of two irritating as hell parents - the Costanza’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/3 "2011-10-10T16:29:21Z")
I’ve only seen a few episodes of The Simpsons, but I’d have to assume that due to sheer quantity and zaniness of material that they’ve probably done _almost_ every bad thing you can do to your child at some point. Of course, if you include Twin Peaks then… Leland Palmer is probably the winner, until you include people who played a bit part, “villain of the week”, sort of character on a show ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/4 "2011-10-10T16:31:04Z")
Mr and Mrs Soprano? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/5 "2011-10-10T16:34:30Z")
Betty Draper is pretty far up there. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/6 "2011-10-10T16:34:52Z")
Al & Peggy Bundy ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/7 "2011-10-10T16:42:25Z")
Jonny Quest’s dad. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/8 "2011-10-10T16:42:40Z")
Peter and Lois Griffin. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/9 "2011-10-10T16:45:41Z")
Wayne and Dahlia Malloy ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/10 "2011-10-10T16:47:07Z")
Mr. and Mrs. Pontipine. I swear, they lose their kids every week. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/11 "2011-10-10T16:47:29Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Betty Draper is pretty far up there. I think the thread is more interesting if you exclude bizarrely-bad parents, e.g., the Simpsons with various Halloween episode homicides, or soap operas with parents killing children. With these exclusions, limiting the thread to parents who are run-of-the-mill lousy, Betty Draper gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/12 "2011-10-10T17:01:11Z")
The Lost in Space parents. That poor little boy is doomed to either be celibate, get molested by Dr. Smith, settle for boinking his sister or his mother, bumping uglies with a robot, or engaging in buggery with Paw. Sick, sick parents I tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/13 "2011-10-10T17:03:26Z")
Was it Family Guy that had this take on \* Lost in Space\*? “OK, gang, new planet. Let’s split up and explore. Major West, you’re with my nubile young daughter. And Will, you go with the robot and this mincing pedophile.” Dr. Thaddeus Venture is pretty bad, given the number of times he’s had to clone Hank and Dean. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/14 "2011-10-10T17:23:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Mr and Mrs Soprano? As parents they weren’t that out of the ordinary, aside from Tony occasionally smacking AJ. Although Tony was a multiple murderer, his business dealings didn’t have much direct impact on the kids, and Carmela studiously avoided knowing anything about them. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/15 "2011-10-10T17:31:42Z")
Butters’ parents in South Park. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/16 "2011-10-10T17:40:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > As parents they weren’t that out of the ordinary, aside from Tony occasionally smacking AJ. Although Tony was a multiple murderer, his business dealings didn’t have much direct impact on the kids, and Carmela studiously avoided knowing anything about them. And I’m only up to season 3 or 4, but Meadow seems pretty normal and is going to Columbia University… hell, she even made it there a virgin! :eek: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/17 "2011-10-10T17:42:56Z")
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Barone. They had three kids that they apparently locked in the attic all the time, because except for once or twice a season, you never saw them. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/18 "2011-10-10T17:47:23Z")
Malory Archer and whoever Sterling’s dad turns out to be. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/19 "2011-10-10T17:48:23Z")
Since Star Wars has been on TV, I nominate Darth Vader as Worst Father. But I do have a find memory of Homer Simpson asking Bart to reach under a jammed lawnmower and pull out something that was blocking the blade. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192/20 "2011-10-10T17:52:02Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Mr. and Mrs. Ray Barone. > > They had three kids that they apparently locked in the attic all the time, because except for once or twice a season, you never saw them. The Cunninghams in Happy Days managed to totally lose a son. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-parents-in-tv-history/599192.md?page=2)