Popularsitcomsdraw in millions of viewers with their constant laughs and relatable characters. But, with millions of viewers, come millions of opinions, and not everyone can resonate with everybody. Some characters are designed to be universally beloved, others are created as antagonists or just unlikable, and from both groups come figures that became so controversial that it brought down their shows in one way or another.
Whether they’re written out, given a redemption arc, or further villainized,these characters created major debates and discourse among fans of the shows they appeared on. From main characters to recurring guest stars, there is a host of fictional personas who have the ability to push viewers' buttons. Bad behavior and an unpleasant personality can be dealbreakers in real life, but when it’s a fictional character, controversy brings with it a captivated audience.
10Susan Bunch
Played By Jessica Hecht –Friends
Asone of the most popular sitcoms of all time, it’s safe to sayFriendshas its fair share of fans. Syndicated on many channels across the world, a staple on streaming platforms, and still a coveted box set for collectors, it’s been seen by people of all ages, probably multiple times.
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With that, there is bound to be a difference of opinion on a lot of the characters. Some people love Chandler, others find his sarcasm annoying. To some, Phoebe is amazing; others might not enjoy her quirky vibe. Then there’s Ross. Often acting as the villain of the show, he gets a lot of heat, but there is actually a character who has done much worse.
Friends
Cast
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
Susan was part of his wife’s infidelity, yet she still paints him as the villainof their story. For this reason, his dislike for her at the beginning is valid, yet instead of trying to build a relationship with him, she constantly belittles and undermines him. She becomes a difficult character to root for, at least before her and Ross' relationship improves in later seasons.
9Charlie Harper
Played By Charlie Sheen – Two And A Half Men
Charlie Sheen’s off-screen controversies were closely intertwined with his TV character ofTwo and a Half Men. While the idea was to portray a fictionalized version of his press persona and make him endearing and likable, this did not work a lot of the time.He treats the majority of women he encounters very badly, and those he actually dates are lied to and discarded with ease. This isn’t looked upon favorably by the characters in the show, but Charlie also fails to show any character growth or remorse.
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men follows the Harper family: Charlie (Charlie Sheen), a womanizing, hedonistic jingle writer who enjoys his lazy lifestyle from the comfort of his large beach house; Alan (Jon Cryer), Charlie’s neurotic, far less successful brother; and Jake (Angus T. Jones), Alan’s impressionable son. When Alan’s marriage falls apart, he moves in with Charlie, much to the older brother’s dismay. After bonding with his nephew, Charlie reluctantly embraces Alan’s presence, paving the way for one of television’s most dysfunctional family environments.
Charlie’s behavior is dismissed as just him being set in his bachelor ways, buthe is setting a bad example for his young nephewas well as his viewers. With his alcoholism and gambling shown to be funny character traits, there seems to be no accountability for all his vices. A lot of the time, it is glamorized as though he is simply enjoying himself, which is fine unless it hurts others around him — and it often did.
8Robert California
Played By James Spader – The Office
Replacing Michael Scott was never going to be easy. Steve Carell is a tough act to follow, and the show was centered around him for a long time. So, when his permanent replacement was announced, there were a lot of divided opinions. As the glue that held the cast as well as the story together, Carell brought a lot of heart that made his cringe-worthy antics palatable.
James Spader brought with him a serious intensity that viewers were not used to seeing from this lighthearted show.
Instead of promoting from within or going in a similar direction of a wacky yet lovable manager,The Officewent with an entirely different approach. Long gone were the days when they shunned stunt casting, and the new boss was the embodiment of that.James Spader brought with him a serious intensitythat viewers were not used to seeing from this lighthearted show.
The Office
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
It was a bold choice to embrace this uncomfortable energy, buthis creepy presence and lack of any redeeming qualitiesmade Robert California hard to watch. While there are those who feel similarly negative about Andy, Karen, or Ryan, it’s Robert California who caused the biggest uproar among avid viewers.
7Barney Stinson
Played by Neil Patrick Harris –How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother’sBarney Stinson was intentionally problematic, and the comedy was meant to come from other characters' reactions to all his outlandish schemes. While Robin, Marshall, et al. don’t condone most of his behavior, they still allow it and never really speak up about it.
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They often blame the women he was tricking for being gullible, intoxicated, or loose, instead of calling out Barney for deliberately misleading them so that he can sleep with them. There is even an episode where he wants to live closer to the bar so that these women will not pass out before he has time to get them home.
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is a television series that follows a father telling his children about his past. Released in 2005, it explores his experiences and adventures with four close friends, leading up to meeting their mother, as depicted through a series of flashbacks.
The problem was thatNeil Patrick Harris was extremely charismaticand endearing, so audiences were drawn to this character despite his reprehensible behavior. Ted is often cited as a villain as well, and there is a grain of truth in that. WhileBarney is unapologetic for his terrible morals and misgivings, Ted frequently does similar things and still calls himself a good guy.
6Gina Linetti
Played By Chelsea Peretti – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nineis one of the very few sitcoms that has a universally beloved cast, with fans mostly arguing over whom they like more. Captain Holt’s dry wit and wisdom were a huge hit with many viewers, and there are legions of Rosa Diaz fans who even sing the catchy song Doug Judy wrote for her in the streets.
Gina, however, is slightly more divisive. While there are plenty of fans of her nonchalant attitude and unlimited confidence,it’s difficult to escape the fact that, simply put, she’s very rude. It doesn’t matter how high someone ranks, how much older they are, or if they’re her closest friend, Gina will be disrespectful to them.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD’s fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
The fact thatHolt tolerates her ineptitude at work, and Terry tolerates her many inappropriate advances is meant to be explained by her being a good friend when the time is right. Yet a person should not actively put down people who are meant to be closest to them just for the fun of it.
5George Costanza
Played By Jason Alexander – Seinfeld
The hugely popular ’90s sitcom served as a vehicle to showcase Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up skills. It was a clever concept, as it highlighted his stage persona while seeing him interact with his quirky friends.None of the characters are supposed to be particularly likable, and the show fully embraces the sarcastic humor of the decade. There are, unfortunately, a lot of low jokes at people’s expense, plenty of body-shaming, and casual racism.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is a television sitcom that follows stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his three eccentric friends, George, Elaine, and Kramer, as they navigate everyday life in New York City during the 1990s. Premiering in 1989, the series humorously explores the mundane and often trivial aspects of social interactions.
Kramer certainly saw his share of controversy, but it was George who would often enrage viewers the most.With an overly inflated ego, he is actually just a very mediocre manwho has a very high opinion of himself. His constant complaints about his love life often lay the blame on women being shallow or gold diggers, but in truth, it’s his personality that is usually the root of the problem. He is rude, negative, and genuinely not very interesting.
4Kimmy Gibler
Played By Andrea Barber — Full House
The wholesome 1990s stapleFull Houseintroduced the world to one of the most beloved families in TV history. Seeing three young girls being raised by three single men in their 20s and 30s was a great source of laughs, with just the right amount of heart. As the dad and uncles navigate an unfamiliar world, and the girls adapt to their new normal, they create a beautiful family unit that viewers resonate with.
Full House (US)
Full House (1987) is a family sitcom centered on Danny Tanner, a widowed father, who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse and best friend Joey to help raise his three young daughters in San Francisco. The series features themes of family, friendship, and humor, showcasing the everyday challenges and heartwarming moments as they navigate life together. Full House starred Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier.
This family unit is often disrupted by their next-door neighbor and DJ’s friend, Kimmy Gibler.This brash, loud, and intrusive character often shows up unannounced at the most inopportune moments. She has no boundaries and becomes a bit of a caricature of a teenage girl, shown as vacuous and ditzy. While her annoying traits were meant to be the source of comedic conflict, they often ended up just being annoying.
3Bulldog Briscoe
Played By Dan Butler – Frasier
Having the very prim and proper radio psychiatrist ofFrasierinteracting with the brash and loud sports pundit wasquite fun to watch. However, his scenes with Roz, or any other female employee of KACL, were much less so. Roz is an incredibly strong and capable woman, but she often has to resort to physical violence against Bulldog to fend off his bold advances. His stories are often lewd and bordering on abusive, andhe seems to have no respect for womenor anyone with feminine qualities.
Frasier
Fraiser is a comedy-drama sitcom that stars Kelsey Grammer as a psychiatrist who takes up the role of a radio show host in Seattle after his life in Boston is upheaved. A spin-off of the series Cheers, Fraiser follows the titular character adjusting to the single life while caring for his father (a retired police officer,) his brother, and other eccentric co-workers.
Bulldog constantly belittles Frasier, Niles, and Gil for their love of the opera and other finer things, and his overtly macho persona does not subside too often to make him redeemable in any way. There are many instances where his violent outbursts are laughed off, but in truth, he could have done with anger management therapy.
2Pierce Hawthorne
Played By Chevy Chase – Community
Pierce Hawthorne served to highlight the generational divide inCommunity. His outdated views often clash with his classmates, and his comments are as uncomfortable for them as they are for viewers. That aside,Pierce is rude, sexist, racist, and elitist; he would constantly make blatant racist remarks to Troy and Abed, sexist remarks to Britta and Annie, and a combination of both directed toward Shirley. And, according to various cast members, this was not limited to the on-screen character.
Community
Community is a comedic television series that chronicles the lives of diverse students at Greendale Community College, a fictional and notoriously underperforming educational institution in Colorado. Released in 2009, the show explores the quirky interactions and relationships among the eclectic group navigating their academic and personal challenges.
Pierce uses his wealth to fund his competitive endeavors as he tries desperately to get into Jeff’s good graces, despite not treating him very well either.This is a good example of a character designed to irritateand who does it a little too well. It’s important to start these uncomfortable conversations, but seeing someone thrive in their own ignorance and hatefulness can be jarring, and is ultimately unhelpful.
1Archie Bunker
Played By Carroll O’Connor – All In The Family
One of the templates for the out-of-touch, irritated older person, Archie Bunker is both those things and more. His character’s beliefs are meant to highlight the progressiveness of the new decade, as he clashes with his children, who represent a new generation.He is openly homophobic, racist, and sexist, using a variety of slurs aimed at most minorities.
The intention behind having such a bigoted character as the star of a highly successful sitcom was to create discourse, and that it did.
The intention behind having such a bigoted character as the star of a highly successful sitcom was to create discourse, and that it did. Many viewers were able to express their own opinions on the matter, with some seeing him as a satirical representation of an outdated mindset.
All In The Family
This sitcom centers on Archie Bunker, a working-class man with strong prejudices, as he frequently clashes with his family over contemporary social and political issues. The series examines generational and ideological conflicts within the household, reflecting the evolving societal landscape of the era.
However, others saw him as a hero who gave validation to their own intolerance. Though other characters call him out,Archie does not grow or change, and his behavior is constantly laughed off. It was this disparity in perception that made him one of the most controversial sitcom characters of all time.
