Bad TV dads aren’t exactly a dime a dozen since a lot of them do have at least a couple of redeeming qualities, but they’re typically so few and far between that trying to find them is likely to be futile in some cases and too frustrating to continue in others. These dads aren’t always irredeemable, but a few of them do manage to do a few things that are, well, kind of messed up in a big way. Some of them were worse simply because they knew how to embarrass their kids and didn’t balk at the chance, while others were bad just because, well, they didn’t know any other way to be.
Here are 10 of the worst TV dads in history.
10. Red Forman – That 70’s Show
Red was the kind of guy that just wanted his kid to shape up and stop acting like a moron, but could barely bring himself to compliment Eric when he did something right. The reason he’s at the end of the list however is that he did his best to be a good dad and actually provide for his family. But think of having to deal with this guy for the entirety of your teens and then realize how much personal trauma some folks might go through just trying to move past his ‘teachings’.
9. Homer Simpson – The Simpsons
Homer’s not a bad guy really, but he has enough vices to make him something of a father that isn’t always the best provider or the best role model for his kids and definitely not the most attentive husband as he could be. Like I mentioned, not all of these dads are truly bad, but some of them are a bit clueless when it comes to being a father and tend to be a little too impulsive since to be fair, they’re not that bright or they’re just emotionally dead inside.
8. Walter White – Breaking Bad
Walter started out being a decent dad, though the evolution of his character took a seriously wicked turn since it wasn’t bound to go anywhere good. He pretty much tore his family apart in the effort to save them and as a result he lost them before he lost his life. The only other surrogate son that he felt responsible for, Jesse, couldn’t stand him after a while since the need to keep cooking and making money, and then keep going, brought them both to ruination.
7. Don Draper – Mad Men
He had kids, remember? He just didn’t spend a lot of time with them, which kind of made him an absentee father but not the worst in the world. Of course a lot of people would argue with this and rightly so since like it or not a kid needs their father, not a man that acts as Draper did. In the history of TV dads he’s likely one of the lousiest without having to do that much. That’s talent of a sort, but the kind of talent that a lot of people aren’t too proud of.
6. Tony Soprano – The Sopranos
When your dad is a mob boss there’s not a lot of ‘normal’ that goes on in your life as the feeling tends to be that he’s a dangerous man involved in a dangerous business that could spill over to his personal life in a heartbeat. Plus, Tony was never much of a calm and even-tempered individual, no matter that he tried to be. Some might say to lay off and cut him some slack, but given that there are a lot of bad dads out there, Tony still pushed the line in a big way.
5. Stannis Baratheon – Game of Thrones
The man BURNED his own daughter at the stake because he was told to in the interest of moving forward with his conquest. He allowed magic to be used to kill his younger brother because Renly wouldn’t recognize Stannis as the rightful heir to the throne, and he was just an all-around irritating individual since he had no give to him. His death wasn’t met with a lot of sadness to be fair since for one, it was Brienne that killed him finally, and two, he just needed to die.
4. Peter Griffin – Family Guy
Do I really need to say why he’s on this list? This guy has almost no redeeming qualities since he’s never sorry for a lot of the stuff he says and does, he’s selfish, he basically spearheads the abuse of his own daughter, and he’s just a flat out jerk a lot of the times. Yet people like him, so obviously he’s not going anywhere.
3. Tywin Lannister – Game of Thrones
This guy sentenced his own son to death and then renounced him as a son as one of his last dying breaths, right before Tyrion delivered his own brand of justice. Worse than that however is the fact that Shea, the woman that betrayed Tyrion, was in Tywin’s bedchamber when Tyrion killed her, which suggests that the elder Lannister was something of a hypocrite as well. He was definitely a despicable character to be certain.
2. Frank Gallagher – Shameless
Huh boy, this guy. Is there anything that even comes close to marking Frank as a guy that has any redeeming qualities? He does everything he can to buck the system, he’s been a destructive force in the lives of each one of his children, and he’s been a stone around their necks that they somehow stay loyal to throughout the years.
1. Frank Costanza – Seinfeld
When you can browbeat your son and think that you’re trying to do some good it indicates that you have no idea of the harm you’re doing or that you do and you’re simply too arrogant and possibly ignorant to think of what you’re doing.
You’ve got to have the good with the bad sometimes, and these bad dads take the cake.Tony
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