Monday, August 16, 2010
#23 -- WARREN "POTSIE" WEBBER: The AV Club lists 22 "showblockers," "characters so grating—sometimes intentionally so—that even fans of the show heave a heavy sigh when they appear onscreen." The first one on the list, properly, is a douchetastic New Yorker on a Monday night sitcom with the middle name of Evelyn.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Dallas
ReplyDeleteExcellent list. It is rare that I agree so completely with these things, but they managed to remember Lauren from Alias and Dawn from Buffy, along with the obvious Ted and Dawson, so I am pretty happy. My only addition would be Jane from Coupling. She started funny, but she became a characture of a single, desperate woman and it became quite grating.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Jon Seda on Homicide. Michael Michele on ER *and* Homicide.
ReplyDeleteLike the Dexter writers, they forgot the real reason Dexter chose Rita: because of her past as a rape and abuse survivor, Dexter thought she was just as damaged as he was and therefore wouldn't be ready for the emotional or physical intimacy that Dexter couldn't provide anyway. She would think he was just being understanding and patient, while from the outside the relationship would look normal. Unfortunately, as soon as Rita got to the point where she was ready for a physical relationship, the show dropped all the rest of that context and turned her into an utterly unremarkable needy girlfriend/wife. It was disappointing. I kept hoping they'd veer back around to a darker side for Rita, but they didn't.
ReplyDeleteSo she's the perfect choice for this list, from a show with a lot of annoying secondary characters. Although I love Deb. LOVE.
Emma Pilsbury gets a pass because of her wardrobe. Lea Michele sings, Jayma Mays wears the hell out of the fabulously prim candy-colored clothes they put her in.
Yes, I'd argue the correct choice from Glee is probably Terri Schuster rather than Emma Pillsbury. Yes, Emma's giant ball of nerves is annoying at times, but she's at least interesting and gets solid one-liners (e.g., her remark about how not having a gag reflex "could come to be a benefit later in life").
ReplyDeleteAnd an argument can be made that many of the supporting characters from The Office could make the list when overused (in particular, Angela, who can very easily become an uninteresting shrill harpy).
Oh, and Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl (as well as sometimes her brother and Vanessa). Shut up and let me go back to watching Blair and Chuck snipe at each other.
ReplyDeleteOkay, good, they didn't go with Kennedy from Buffy, a character I persist in defending (I seriously think a lot of the criticism of her character can boil quiite easily down to "She's not Tara!").
ReplyDeleteBut then we get to Romo. Seriously? Romo, for me, was (even more than Chief) the everyman of the fleet; he was the window into how the civilians (not just outside of the military but outside of the politics) were damaged good, doing the best they could in a universe slowly driving them insane with fear and worry.
And another that came to mind--Dr. Remy "13" Hadley on House. She is not nearly as interesting as the writers seem to think she is, particularly in any plotline relating to her personal life. Less 13, more Cuddy and Wilson please!
ReplyDeleteMary, the former judge on SYTYCD, made that show completely unwatchable for me.
ReplyDeleteLinda Holmes defends Ted.
ReplyDeleteShamelessly threadjacking to wish a very happy 40th birthday to my very favorite man from outer space. Many many happy returns, isaac!
ReplyDeleteWest Wing. Donna Moss was the most annoying character for me. Less Donna/Josh, more Josh/Joey
ReplyDeleteLost. Jack and his damn tattooes
Friends. Mildly amusing show became unwatchable when it focused on Ross and Rachel
SYTYCD. Anyone not dancing and not Cat Deeley. With bonus points to nappytabs
Star Trek: Next Generation. not for nothing was there the usenet group alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die
Sorry, but how can you be annoyed by Ross and Rachel when they're standing in the same room as Phoebe? She makes me want to gouge my ears out.
ReplyDeleteIn a world that contains Dr. Pulaski, Wesley Crusher is nowhere near this list.
ReplyDeleteI call blasphemy on the "less Donna/Josh" part.....but totally agree with everything else you said!
ReplyDeleteAndy Griffith Show: Howard Sprague or perhaps Goober.
ReplyDeleteAlso, given what Wil Wheaton has done since, I will forgive a lot of Wesley Crusher's sins.
ReplyDeleteQuoted from the comments:
ReplyDeleteScrappy fucking Doo. That is all.
I love this defense. I also love Ted, despite all his faults. Possibly related: I have dated many douchebags.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Isaac!
ReplyDeleteI definitely second the Michael Michele nomination. That character was putrid on ER. Or is there any word worse than putrid?
ReplyDeletePhoebe really was best in small doses. But then, that's true about most characters.
ReplyDeleteYeah, her defense is a wonderful read, and she might have swayed me, but I guess I never hated Ted to start with. And maybe because apparently Maret and I shop at the same dating pool.
ReplyDeleteWhich Monday night sitcom has the middle name Evelyn?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't annoyed by Ross and Rachel, I hated Ross and Rachel.
ReplyDeleteOkay, fine, preposition and/or comma fail. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteI've been rewatching seasons 1 - 3 of Buffy, and while Dawn was certainly annoying, the character who makes me sigh, and eventually fast-forward through her scenes, is Drusilla.
ReplyDeleteOMG I love Drusilla... she's just so... ridiculous, I guess is the word. So over the top. Dawn on the other hand, is shrieky, selfish, and her storyline in the comics is DUMB.
ReplyDeleteWow, I never thought that being forced to watch Venture Bros by Mr Liekl would ever cross reference with this blog, but here we are! While I definitely agree with the Sargent Hatred shout out, the Moppets (Kevin and Tim-Tom) are about a thousand times worse. The inclusion of these three characters is what made th last season so unbearable. And the rumor is that the writers intentionally put these characters in there because the fans hate them, which I don't understand.
ReplyDeleteMy addition to this list would be Nikki/Jessica on Heroes.
I think you can make a case for anyone on Heroes at some point or another (much as I want to excuse Grunberg from this).
ReplyDeleteI heart you, sconstant.
ReplyDeleteI'd put Guinan above either Crusher or Pulaski.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading clips of interview, Taylor Momsen might actually be worse in real life than Jenny Humphrey is as a character.
ReplyDeleteI kept wanting Dr. Pulaski to fall down a space shaft.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was Barney Fife.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with Ted. He's the least interesting of the group, but that's fine by me.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could write like Linda Holmes. "I tend to take out my own stupid mistakes and fondle them all the time." Brilliant.
Many happy returns, Isaac!
ReplyDelete