Top 10 ANNOYING TV Characters You Just Want to SLAP
#10: Pete Campbell
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“Mad Men” (2007-15) When you come from a well-connected family and a wealth of privilege, a sense of entitlement isn’t too surprising. But Pete Campbell takes it to a whole other level. The overzealous account executive routinely demonstrates poor judgment and selfishness as he strives to be at the top of the firm. He resorts to blackmail to advance his goal and cheats on his wife, pointing to a serious lapse in morals for the young professional. Not to mention, Pete has jealous tendencies, abuses his power, and treats women horrifically. Acting more like a self-centered child who thinks he’s God’s gift to the world, Pete is about as smug as they come.
#9: Terry Silver
“Cobra Kai” (2018-) Like Pete, Terry comes from money. But the sensei’s background as a U.S. Army vet turned him into someone who’s as combative as he is pretentious. He’s antagonistic in “The Karate Kid Part III,” and somehow manages to be even more so when he makes his return in “Cobra Kai.” With a luxurious lifestyle and fierce karate skills, Terry is constantly flexing on people whom he deems inferior—which is pretty much everyone. He’s always instigating fights, cheating to get ahead, and trying to ruin everyone’s lives. He even sets Mike’s business on fire in the name of making Cobra Kai the ultimate global dojo. Though Daniel gives him an adequate beating, we’d still like to slap him around.
#8: Piper Chapman
“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19) Before becoming an inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary, Piper enjoyed life as a former debutante and business owner with wealthy relatives. This cushy background might explain why she exhibits rather privileged and whiny behaviors in prison. As if her frequent complaining isn’t annoying enough, her lack of self-awareness is evidenced on multiple occasions. She stresses over her business while others worry about feeding their kids, she rats out Alex and leaves her for Stella, and even gets Maria’s sentence extended. Worst of all, she accidentally creates a white power group of inmates. Piper does have periods of growth throughout the series, but insufferable relapses always seem to follow.
#7: Jeremy Jamm
“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15; 2020) Simply uttering his catchphrase, “You just got Jammed” is enough to make us want to slap Jamm. But signature saying aside, there are plenty of other reasons to dislike the self-involved orthodontist and city councilman. He’s primarily concerned with getting ahead in both of his careers no matter what it takes, whether it be via corrupt behavior, political favors, or most commonly, blocking every attempt of Leslie Knope’s to improve Pawnee. On top of that, Jamm is a blatant misogynist and speaks down to his peers on a regular basis. With an obvious inferiority complex and disregard for anyone other than himself, Jamm could certainly use some humbling.
#6: Sebastian Milton
“The Walking Dead” (2010-) We would think a zombie apocalypse might lower one’s expectations, but Sebastian expects things to go his way regardless of the situation. As the son of his community’s governor, he resides in the Commonwealth and lives a much easier life than other survivors in the series. As a result of his lifestyle both before and during the apocalypse, Sebastian is basically a demanding spoiled brat who uses his family’s power to threaten others. He’s so consumed with himself that he even forces people to risk their lives just so he can retrieve money. Even more concerning is his emotionless reaction to hearing that his demand resulted in people dying. Needless to say, the seemingly sociopathic jerk needs a reality check.
#5: Rachel Berry
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“Glee” (2009-15) As soon as we meet Rachel, it’s evident that she’s an overambitious performer who craves being the center of attention. She immediately believes she’s the best member of the glee club and is almost always unwilling to share the spotlight with her equally talented peers. In addition to being severely annoying with her judgmental and neurotic tendencies, she’s also incredibly self-centered at times, like when she throws a tantrum after not getting a solo. She undoubtedly has special talent, but it’s gone to her head. For much of the series, Rachel is the glee club know-it-all who has the makings of a star, but not a team player. Instead of a slap, she deserves a slushie!
#4: Dawson Leery
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“Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003) Dawson may view himself as the nice guy, but fans of the show see right through that persona. While the titular character does go out of his way to be kind to others, he goes even further to make sure everyone knows it. His peers reinforce the whole “nice guy” shtick, essentially feeding Dawson’s ego and sense of moral superiority. But Dawson regularly shows his pretentious true colors, especially when it comes to his treatment of women and belief that he is worthy of any woman’s affection. Luckily, Natasha FINALLY says what we were all thinking during the series’ final season. This sentiment, and the much-memed crying face of the lead, pretty much sum up the drama, moodiness, and entitlement that is Dawson Leery.
#3: Dan Humphrey
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“Gossip Girl” (2007-12) Dan is the kind “Lonely Boy” who isn’t as innocent as we’re initially led to believe. One of the central characters who isn’t as rich as his classmates, Dan finds his outlet in writing. But what seems like a passion is actually an exploitative ploy to expose the Upper East Siders that surround him. Exhibiting extremely judgemental and arrogant behavior behind the facade of “Gossip Girl,” Dan reveals very personal secrets about many of those closest to him, including the girl he loves and his sister. He keeps the front up for years and doesn’t seem so apologetic for using his family and friends as sources for his writing. With that said, Blair has the right idea with this one.
#2: Serena Joy Waterford
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“The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017-) To call Gilead’s influential wife pretentious would be an understatement. More than that, Serena is pretty horrible. The childless, aspiring mother uses her powerful status to treat her handmaid Offred as her slave, forcing her to try to conceive with her husband. She cares about nothing other than having a baby and is willing to abuse anyone to get it. She’s also a vehement antifeminist who treats her fellow women as complete dirt. Her role in creating a society where humans are treated so poorly is enough for us to want to slap some sense into her. But the cutthroat and vile behaviors she routinely exhibits make her not only self-serving but borderline evil.
#1: Joffrey Baratheon
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“Game of Thrones” (2011-19) Arguably the most pretentious character to grace our TV screens is Joffrey, the epitome of entitlement and pure sadism. The bastard son who inherits the Iron Throne is all things spoiled and amoral, frequently demonstrating cruelty through his unreasonably extreme punishments and disgusting treatment of everyone around him. He gets off on tormenting and inflicting pain on others without batting an eye at the fatalities he causes. Even in the midst of the intense power struggle of Westeros, Joffrey can’t see past his own selfish agenda and impulsivity. So in the severely unlikeable case of Joffrey Baratheon, much more than a slap is warranted. And boy does he get it.
