Close your eyes and think about some of your favorite book and film characters, Pandas. What are they? Heroes, villains, antiheroes… or something else entirely? The beauty of enjoying entertainment through reading, art, and visual media is that you delight in the story from your own unique perspective. No one else sees and feels the story and characters quite like you do. The words and visuals resonate with you in a distinctive way.
However, some people firmly believe that there is an overwhelmingly ‘right way’ to interpret popular stories and characters. The crowd over on r/AskReddit feels that people generally tend to idolize way too many fictional characters without ‘getting’ the entire ‘point’ of their stories. From The Joker to Light Yagami and beyond, these redditors think that these characters deserve no sympathy at all.
Scroll down to see which fictional characters they singled out and why they believe nobody should idolize them. Do you agree or disagree with their opinions, Pandas? Let us know in the comments! And if you feel like opening up to all the other readers, why not tell us who you look up to for inspiration in media and why?
#1
Not a character, but as a South American, it is disgusting how drug lords are being venerated due to some media about them that have come out in recent times, especially the series Narcos.
There are people tattooing the image of Pablo Escobar! A genocina son of a b***h who is responsible for the murder of thousands of people, created a civil war for pure economic interest and only now is Colombia resurrecting the s**t that this man did. It’s like getting a tattoo of Hitler.
Image source: DELAIZ, wikipedia
#2
Your man Grey from the Fifty Shades books.
**Disclaimer** My flatmate had all 3 books and I read them as a method of procrastination from uni work. I also cleaned out all the kitchen cupboards, so that shows the frame of mind I was in.
Why is he seen as a wonderful, sexy, man of your dreams? He’s a narcissistic misogynistic d******d. He targeted a young naive girl and groomed her for his own enjoyment.
Image source: MadWifeUK, Sebaso
#3
Scrolled for ages and couldn’t see anyone saying Ross and Rachel from Friends, although I guess maybe it’s fair to say that the “point” of their story wasn’t that they were absolutely toxic for each other. I remember a time in the late nineties to mid noughties when every dating profile and every MySpace page had some variation of “I’m just a Rachel Green looking for her Ross Geller”. Despite the fact that Ross was a gas-lighting, possessive, jealous wanker and Rachel was a needy, stuck-up, indecisive user of people and the only one who had the balls to tell her so was Hugh Laurie in a cameo. And she clearly didn’t listen because she just kept getting worse and worse after that.
#4
Joker. And all those cringe posts on Facebook that’s just pictures of him saying s**t like “I got your back in the darkest times” my dude he doesn’t have anyone’s back that’s the f*****g joker
Image source: Unknown_Captain, Warner Bros
#5
Jerry from Tom and Jerry. He’s a f****r, Tom is just defending his house
Image source: PapuMsterioso, momokacma
#6
Romeo and Juliet
Image source: Why_So_Slow, -JvL-
#7
Joker & Harley are still idolized as an example of crazy passionate love despite it being clearly established as an abusive relationship. It’s a shame the movies had to cut out most of the really bad Joker abuse because then maybe the point will be driven home
Image source: TwoHeadedBoyTwo
#8
Peter Pan, he flies into kids windows and kidnaps them.
Image source: B00dle, Edward Mason Eggleston
#9
Archie Bunker – I hear boomers admiring that he didn’t care if he offended people as if that’s a good thing. In reality, the character was specifically written as a satire of the small-minded middle class bigots who think they’re so clever when they know so little.
Image source: ststeveg
#10
Walter White. You’re not supposed to root for the murderous, ruthless, self-centred, ego maniac drug lord by the end of the series. People do.
Image source: NDStars, Tim SnellSony Pictures Television
#11
I’m ready for the downvotes, but my honest opinion is Snape. Dude was a jealous, racist, and condescending a*****e. Dude was straight up bullied and we get his perspective so we feel sympathy for him, but the dude was straight up in the wizarding world’s kkk. Somehow he’s loved because he loved Harry’s mom, switched sides, and was a double agent. I get the whole redemption arc but he was still acting selfishly and I don’t get why people think he’s such a hero. He’s a complete a*s to Harry for no reason other than ‘your father was an a*s to me so f**k you.’
The guy literally walked over his unrequited love’s HUSBANDS dead body to sob over her death. Could you imagine if you knew a guy in high school who joined the kkk, had the most incel crush on you, and was so obsessed with you that he cradled your dead body after walking over your husband’s dead body?
Image source: frustrated_pen
#12
Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye. He wasn’t being refreshingly rebellious, he was crying out for help. He was probably mentally ill, and definitely emotionally scarred by his brother’s death and the unhealthy way his parents handled that tragedy.
Image source: GoingOn2Perfection, Heather Salter and Keith Dromm
#13
Scarface. So many wannabe gangstas and rappers with Scarface shirts and posters.
Image source: Leeser, Universal Pictures
#14
Homelander from The Boys comes to mind
What I am referring to is that there was an article that was published about some fans who genuinely thought Homelander, who is supposed to represent white supremacy ideology and toxic masculinity ideals, was actually a good guy in the show. It took them until the third season to find out that he was actually the bad guy and people were big mad about it. It blew my mind that they went through two seasons and thought Homelander was a good guy……
So that was who came to mind first with this prompt.
Image source: biochemnerd12, Fenixlord23
#15
Vito Corleone, and by extension, Michael.
Vito had to flee his home as a little boy to escape a mafia boss who wanted him dead. He gets to the US, but because of discrimination against Italians and another mafia boss stealing his job for his nephew, he’s forced into crime so he can take care of his family. He joins The Life, and he’s good at it.
But because of that life:
– Sonny is murdered
– Michael goes into exile
– Michael’s first wife is murdered
– Fredo has a breakdown
– Connie goes off the rails after her abusive husband is killed
– Michael’s second wife leaves him
– Fredo betrays Michael
– Michael has him killed
– Michael’s daughter is killed
– Michael’s son hates him
Even more tragic? MICHAEL ALMOST ESCAPED THAT LIFE.
EDIT: 90% of y’all are agreeing with me and the other 10% are proving my point.
Image source: fangirlandproudofit, Wikipedia
#16
Patrick Bateman.
The memes today are undermining how brutally narcissistic, inhuman and soulless he really is. The novel made me puke every few pages.
He himself admitted the only emotions he was left with was greed and disgust.
He is among the peak consumerist in a consumerism driven society.
Image source: rukthor, wikipedia
#17
Not actually fictional but- The Wolf of Wall Street
Image source: Infinite_Occasion, Paramount Pictures
#18
Ferris Bueller. Looking back he just seems like a lazy manipulative teenager who bullies his suicidal friend into riding and eventually crashing an expensive car, not to mention harassing his principal who was a jerk but was just trying to do his job.
Image source: LuvClue
#19
I teach high school computer science. My first year was the year Rick and Morty came out. Every one of my students was convinced that they were Rick. I’m so glad they’ve moved to all being weebs now. The Rick gang was insufferable
Image source: mofukkinbreadcrumbz, MEDIODESCOCIDO
#20
Light Yagami.
So many people forget that Death Note basically shredded whatever redeeming qualities he had for the sole purpose of spreading the message that power corrupts/absolute power corrupts absolutely. The only thing that anyone really seems to talk about regarding his character is that he’s awesome, handsome, and polite, and even the former was a facade.
Image source: More___Yogurt
#21
Alex from A Clockwork Orange.
The point of the book (to my reading) was that you can’t force natures hand. All the rehabilitation in the world couldn’t make Alex grow up, only Alex could. And he did. In the end, it was not a glorification of violence.
Image source: zCYNICALifornia, Dr Umm
#22
The Punisher
Image source: Nonsenseinabag, Netflix
#23
Greg heffley. Guys a little sh*thead.
Image source: Unable_Violinist3966, From Diary of a Wimpy Kid Wiki
#24
Phantom of the Opera. Rejection does not give a person a free pass to manipulate someone into loving him or her. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate him- in fact, I sympathize with him because no one likes rejection and abuse, of course. Boy, is the musical character a hero compared to his portrayal in the book, though, and the character is actually far darker than any adaptation may be able to portray accurately! (Not to knock on Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber, of course; I’m just stating that the Phantom is far darker than I think *anyone* would be able to capture completely.)
ETA: 1.5K karma??? Oh, boy, I had no idea Lord Webber’s work was *that* controversial as compared to the book, but I did know the real Phantom was a lot darker….
Image source: ENFJPLinguaphile
#25
Woody from toy story. Guy’s ego is larger than the moon
Image source: Torqyboi, Pixar Animation Studios
#26
Tyler Durden, hands down.
Image source: sazerrrac, wallpaperim.net
#27
Michael Scott? I mean, I know people don’t “idolize” him. But overall he’s so damn likeable that we all like him, and probably all think he’s actually a caring, loving boss.
But in reality he throws his people under the bus quite a bit and always puts himself first.
That said, I can’t help but love the guy.
Image source: NaughtSleeping, NBC
#28
Jay Gatsby.
Image source: anon12345678910112
#29
Love Quinn from You.
I can’t believe how many people worship her character. I have to tell myself that the people praising her actually KNOW she’s an insane, psychopathic, manipulative murderer, and their admiration of her is actually rooted in how well developed her character is and how refreshing it is to see a female villain instead of just another innocent victim. I have to tell myself that to sleep at night. Because there’s no way people actually admire HER, as in who her character was. There’s no way they can justify her actions or want to be anything like her. Right? Lol.
Image source: DirtStreet3135, Rothcolucifer
#30
Thomas Shelby Peaky Blinders.
Image source: Phillyfrom312, Terry Kearney
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