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From stalkers disguised as romantic leads to manipulative bad boys with pretty faces, let's examine the problematic male characters that viewers can't help but love. Despite their toxic traits, these characters continue to captivate audiences through their charm, good looks, and tragic backstories.
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00:00Hello there. Who are you?
00:02Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most celebrated male characters in films and TV shows that were high-key problematic.
00:11Fair warning, there might be spoilers ahead that could burst your bubble about some of these hot shots.
00:17There we go.
00:18What? No!
00:2210. Derek Shepard, Grey's Anatomy
00:25I've been wondering to myself, why are you so hellbent on getting me to go out with you?
00:30You know you're my boss. You know it's against the rules. You know I keep saying no. It's the chase.
00:36Well, it's fun, isn't it?
00:37For years, McDreamy was considered the definition of an ideal man.
00:42However, as the show has continued, many fans have turned their backs on him.
00:46After all, the guy would be quite the nightmare to date in real life.
00:50You didn't tell me you were married.
00:52Okay, so now we're gonna have that fight again.
00:53You didn't tell me about your nurse.
00:55You wanna know why I'm not ready to build a house with you?
00:57This is why, because I cannot trust you.
01:00He goes back and forth between Addison and Meredith, cheating on both of them,
01:04but tends to be forgiven because we're fooled by his charisma.
01:07Just because he has the looks and charm of a Casanova doesn't mean he has to act like it.
01:12He's also endlessly condescending and self-important, often leaving Meredith questioning her value.
01:18No one needs that kind of toxicity in their lives.
01:21You believe that your career is more important than mine.
01:23At this moment in time, it is.
01:25No, not at this moment.
01:27Always.
01:27You will always be that hotshot surgeon, and I will always be that young intern who fell in love with you.
01:32That's how you see yourself.
01:33That's your problem.
01:33I can't do anything about that.
01:34That is not how I see myself.
01:35That is the issue here.
01:36Number 9, Anakin Skywalker, the Star Wars Franchise.
01:41I don't know you anymore.
01:45Anakin, you're breaking my heart.
01:49You're going down a path I can't follow.
01:52No one is denying that little Annie had a hard life.
01:55From spending his childhood as a slave to losing his mother and being consumed by the paralyzing fear of losing Padme,
02:02Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader is tragic.
02:05However, that does not excuse his behavior.
02:08Although he was manipulated by Palpatine, it was his thirst for vengeance that led him to annihilate countless innocent Tuskens after the death of his mother.
02:17They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals.
02:22I hate them.
02:24His massacre of the younglings was even worse, marking a point of no return.
02:28In essence, Anakin was teetering on the edge of the dark side long before he became one with it.
02:34His grandson, Ben Solo, or Kylo Ren, almost echoes his terrible fate, but thankfully manages to save himself.
02:42I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it.
02:45I know what I have to do.
02:54You do.
02:57Number 8. Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
03:00Nice work, love.
03:04Who are you?
03:05You find out on Saturday.
03:08Happens on Saturday.
03:09We blame James Marsders' blond hair and pretty eyes for this one.
03:15In the show's defense, Spike is hardly ever portrayed as a dream man.
03:20He is not just twisted in every way possible, but also violent and exploitative toward Buffy.
03:32Not even the cast was into their relationship, with Sarah Michelle Gellar admitting that
03:36Buffy's dynamic with Spike, particularly in Season 6, was wildly out of character.
03:42Still, the bad boy trope must have struck a chord with entranced fans who rallied behind
03:47Spuffy.
03:48To this day, the popularity of this couple remains untouched, rivaled only by Banjel, aka Buffy
03:54and Angel.
03:59This is another case of a tortured soul turning into a tormentor of unsuspecting women.
04:12Don Draper is idealized for his keen understanding of human nature, business acumen, unmatched
04:22charm and persuasive confidence.
04:24However, his existence is ultimately hollow as he grapples with his complicated past and
04:30a never-ending identity crisis.
04:32I don't know what it is you really believe in, but I do know what it feels like to be
04:38out of place, to be disconnected, to see the whole world laid out in front of you the way
04:46other people live it.
04:49There's something about you that tells me you know it too.
04:51His philandering way, substance use, narcissism and trust issues make him a menace to society.
04:58With the power of gaslighting and good looks on his side, he all but ruins the lives of
05:03several women.
05:04Although he is not entirely without remorse, he can hardly redeem himself.
05:09Well, I hope you're very happy.
05:12And I hope she knows you only like the beginnings of things.
05:16I'm sorry.
05:17I don't know what else to say.
05:21Goodbye.
05:226.
05:24Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl
05:26The difference between a renegade heartbreaker and a total creep must have been lost on the
05:31writers' room.
05:32Chuck Bass is nowhere close to the dreamboat he is made out to be.
05:36Calling his brand of masculinity simply toxic would be an understatement too.
05:40You twisted, manipulative psychopath.
05:43How could you?
05:45You're going to have to be a tad more specific.
05:48It's been a busy few days.
05:50Throughout the show, he is constantly overstepping boundaries with the women around him.
05:55He excuses his disregard for their emotions by flashing his wealth.
05:59And we're supposed to swoon.
06:01I was in Paris, but only to get your favorite macaroons from Pierre Hermès.
06:11And Germany?
06:12To pick up your favorite false stock animals?
06:14You know how I adore them.
06:17There are moments where he's downright vile with Blair, but our girl is too enchanted to
06:22care about the red flags.
06:24At the end of the day, she definitely deserved better.
06:27You said you would stand by me through anything.
06:31This Blair is anything.
06:33I never thought that the worst thing you would ever do would be to me.
06:38Number 5.
06:39Nate Jacobs, Euphoria
06:41Can you imagine if I was sitting here with a gun, forcing you to accept my apology?
06:46This one's a tall glass of poison.
06:56Nate Jacobs is the poster child of destructive machismo that annihilates everything in its
07:02wake.
07:03From daddy issues to anger problems, violent tendencies that he often acts on, and a special
07:08talent for psychological manipulation, Nate's got the whole package.
07:13You see, I'm not crazy, right?
07:15Because he's always trying to gaslight me.
07:17I don't want to argue about this.
07:18You see, this is why I don't believe you when you make all these promises, and you're
07:21like, oh, let's get back together, you're the only person in the world I care about.
07:26He is unbelievably toxic with Maddie, shatters Cassie's self-worth, and blackmails Jules,
07:32all so he can maintain his illusion of control.
07:35Afraid to face his own insecurities, he puts on a smug facade that's way too easy to
07:40see through.
07:41However, for some reason, fans just can't get enough of him sometimes.
07:45You two shouldn't beat together, you're toxic.
07:47How would you know?
07:48Because she's my best friend and I'm in a relationship with you.
07:524.
07:53Tyler Durden, Fight Club
07:54We don't have to support an anti-hero to appreciate how they're written.
07:59Tyler Durden is an alter ego that the narrator develops in Fight Club out of a need to purge
08:04his unconscious desires.
08:06Why can't I get rid of you?
08:07You need me.
08:08No, I don't.
08:09I really don't anymore.
08:10Hey, you created me.
08:11I didn't create some loser alter ego to make myself feel better.
08:14Take some responsibility.
08:15He is presented as an icon of anti-capitalism and hyper-masculinity, which is what makes
08:20him seem charismatic to most.
08:22His defiant aura is hypnotizing until the character resorts to misogyny for the sake of rebellion
08:28and meaningless anarchy.
08:30We're a generation of men raised by women.
08:33I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.
08:37It is impossible to look away from him, but not only because Brad Pitt's just that dashing.
08:42Tyler's philosophy is a train wreck, and his descent into madness evokes a morbid kind
08:47of curiosity from the audience.
08:49Durden's undoubtedly a fantastic character, but he was never meant to be glamorized.
08:55He never wanted you.
08:58In all probability, he hates you.
08:59This is not the worst thing that can happen.
09:01Who is it?
09:02We don't need him.
09:033.
09:04Noah Calhoun, The Notebook
09:06This will ruffle some feathers.
09:08Noah is the epitome of the first and forever kind of love after all.
09:12However, he exhibited several concerning traits from the very beginning of his relationship
09:17with Ally.
09:18I'm gonna ask you one more time.
09:19Will you?
09:20Will you not go out with me?
09:23Goddamn, my head's slipping.
09:25The crowds are fire, you idiot!
09:27Not until she agrees!
09:28Given his grand declarations of affection, she hardly has the choice of saying no to
09:33his advances.
09:34The pair have little in common, although their chemistry is electric, which convinced us
09:39they were soulmates.
09:40However, we often overlook the fact he basically pressured her into returning to him by evoking
09:46his emotions like guilt rather than pure love.
09:49Go!
09:50I lost you once.
09:51I think I could do it again if I thought it's what you really wanted.
09:55But don't you take the easy way out.
09:57What easy way?
09:58There is no easy way.
09:59No matter what I do, somebody gets hurt.
10:01They do stay by each other's side until the end, but a romance like this would be called
10:06a complicated situationship at best by today's dating standards.
10:10What about the past couple of days?
10:12They happened, you know?
10:13I know that they happened and they were wonderful, but they were also very irresponsible.
10:182.
10:19Christian Grey – The Fifty Shades Trilogy
10:22Sometimes, you can't help but be drawn to things you know are bad for you.
10:27Christian Grey has all the hallmarks of a man you should stay away from at all costs.
10:32I have rules.
10:33If you follow them, I'll reward you.
10:36If you don't, I'll punish you.
10:39You punish me?
10:40Like you could use this stuff on me?
10:43Yes.
10:44What would I get out of this?
10:47Me.
10:52Somehow, he commands a mighty fanbase who swear he's the most magnetic man they've ever laid
10:58eyes on.
10:59His proclivity for alternative intimacy is not the problem, though.
11:03It is how he blurs the line between that and the abuse in his relationship with Anastasia
11:08that irks us.
11:09You shouldn't get drunk like that.
11:10I'm all for testing the limits, but you put yourself at risk last night.
11:14I know.
11:15If you were mine, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week.
11:24What?
11:25Christian is disturbingly controlling, obsessive, and jealous to a terrifying degree.
11:30He can hardly be called loyal or reliable, but that's somehow okay because he's a broken
11:35boy who doesn't know any better.
11:37Well, as a grown man, he should.
11:39Don't.
11:40Don't.
11:41Don't you dare come near me.
11:47Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:51Ferris Bueller.
11:52Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
11:54He's an entitled brat.
11:56And that's about it.
11:57No!
11:58Ferris!
11:59Forget it.
12:00You're just gonna have to think of something else.
12:01I'm putting my foot down.
12:02How about we run a nice Cadillac?
12:04My treat!
12:05We can call a limo!
12:06Hannibal Lecter
12:11Hannibal.
12:12We were so busy looking at Mads Mikkelsen that we forgot his character was a cannibal.
12:17No one can be fully aware of another human being unless we love them.
12:24By that love, we see potential in our beloved.
12:27Through that love, we allow our beloved to see their potential.
12:31The Phantom.
12:32The Phantom of the Opera.
12:33His selfish fixation with Christine led to some questionable choices mistaken for romance.
12:38Free her.
12:39Do what you like, only free her.
12:42Have you no pity?
12:43Your lover makes a passionate plea.
12:45Please roll, it's useless.
12:46Sebastian Valmont.
12:48Cruel Intentions.
12:49His little games of lies and seduction is not cute.
12:52Even though Ryan Phillippe is.
12:54Can you imagine what this will do for my reputation?
12:59Screwing the new headmaster's daughter before school starts.
13:02She'll be my greatest victory.
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13:20Number 1.
13:22Joe Goldberg.
13:23You.
13:24Complex villains are always fascinating.
13:27So, despite being a literal psychopath who stalks and slays in the name of love,
13:31Joe Goldberg had fans melting over his possessiveness.
13:35How did I not see this?
13:37If you see this place as a prison, that's all you're gonna be, a prisoner.
13:40If you see it as an opportunity for introspection and growth, voila, we have a future together.
13:46The fact that he was someone who tried and failed to change for the better weirdly endeared him to the audience even more.
13:53This misguided admiration got to the point that viewers started inserting themselves as Joe's victims in their imagination.
14:00I gotta hand it to Maddie.
14:02Her plan is working.
14:03My reputation's on the rebound.
14:06Still a long road to getting Henry back, but it's a start.
14:10The overwhelming desire to be chosen by someone like him could come from a place of wanting to be special.
14:16That tells you all you need to know about what's wrong with society.
14:19Maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe. It's you.
14:27If you must fawn over a toxic Penn Badgley character, go for the hypocritical holier-than-doubt Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl instead.
14:35Similar vibes, but a lower body count.
14:38But he schemed and lied and spread horrible stories.
14:41Flare, I think you're just mad because Dan was the one who was pulling the strings all along.
14:45This whole time, I had more power than you?
14:47Have you ever thought you could fix these toxic characters? Tell us in the comments below!
14:52I love you.
14:57No, you don't.
15:00But thanks for saying it.
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