It's hard to tell who the hero of a story might actually be. Sure, the author might center in on a specific character's arc, hoping we'll feel something for this person they've obviously invested a lot of time into. And, sure, we might leave the movie or finish the book thinking that character was heroic. With the passage of time, however, it becomes a little more obvious the individuall we were supposed to be rooting for was a horrific monster the entire time.
Reddit user, u/darkp25, wanted to hear who we should actually hate when they asked:
Who's wrongly portrayed as a hero?
Itsa Me, A VILLAIN.
GiphyMario. Lets Yoshi die to save himself, plays around with other women, kills thousands of Mushroom Kingdom citizens that have been turned into blocks, is a complete ahole towards his brother, etc. etc.
Cigars Can't Hide Actions Behind The Senes
Winston Churchill
The monster, the mass murderer is still portrayed as a hero in western countries.
Winston Churchill committed some atrocities to the Scottish people, but so has every other U.K. government since, so we're kind of used to it now.
To Be Fair, EVERYONE From "Watchmen" Is An Awful Human, And That's The Point.
[Rorschach] from WATCHMEN.
He's basically a realistic Batman but he's a complete sexist and homophobic a--hole. He claims to be fair but when a former ally of his said that her mom got raped by another hero called the comedian, Roarshac just shrugs it off by saying that the comedian served his country and that her mom was a whore anyways.
Heard He Was A Big Party Boy, Too
Andrew Jackson.
Violates the constitution. Defies the supreme court. Massacres the native american populace by relocating them via the trail of tears.
Gets put on the $20 bill.
This One Has Probably Been Talked To Death Online
Severus Snape. The movies watered this character down extremely. In the books, basically the only positive thing about him is that he's actually a "good" guy. He literally threatens to poison his students in book 4 to test their antidotes, and he fed a potion made by Neville to Trevor, expecting it to kill the frog and when it doesn't he punishes Hermione for helping Neville. He treated Harry horribly right from the get go simply because of his father.
He literally created a spell to make a person bleed out. He may've been on the side of the good guys but he was certainly no tragic hero like the movies made him out to be. He was a self-righteous, pompous, insufferable, arrogant prick.
It's Not Just The MCU. It's ALL Incarnations Of Odin.
If you think about it Odin from the MCU is a dick. He has covered up everything and raised Hela to be a cold-hearted killer and banished her for doing what he wanted. He also lied to Loki about being Asgardian. He made Loki think he could be king. He also got overconfident with Malekith. He also treats people who are not Asgardians like sh!t. He also stole and killed many many people. He raised Thor to be a spoiled brat and got mad at him for it and banished him. He also died when Thor and Loki needed him to help them fight Hela. He's not a hero at all.
Breaking The Law, No Matter How Funny It Is
Robin Williams' character in Mrs. Doubtfire. As a kid, I was mad at Sally Fields for ruining everyone's fun, but as an adult, holy sh-t, Robin Williams' character is the WORST. He sabotages his own career, destroys his house with zoo animals (going behind his wife's back to do so, after specifically being told not to have a crazy party), and literally tries to murder the new guy his ex-wife is dating (Pierce Brosnan's character) by serving him food he's allergic to.
Not to mention the basic plot of the movie, which is establishing a new identity to get closer to his kids whom he's not allowed to be around.
No Update Can Fix That Odor
GiphySteve Jobs. Despite being worth a tremendous amount of money, he had to be sued for child support. Choosing to not provide for your family makes you a dirt bag.
Apparently he was a smelly dirt bag. Dude never washed because he believed being a fruititarian meant he had no body odour, his coworkers very much disagreed. He was known for being a visionary, but I guess not a smellanary.
From My Point Of View...
The Jedi.
Some ancient cult that kidnapped babies to turn them in to magical wizards with laser swords. The whole order were labeled as peace keepers but just turned into war generals serving a corrupt senate run by a f-cking Sith Lord
And Just To Add Insult To Injury
Stop me if you've heard this before.
Luke Skywalker.
He joins the rebellion and blows up the Death Star. Although we see it as awesome because he's the "hero", that action would have crippled the galactic economy and sent the government into a frenzy after the death of several important political figures. The Death Star took almost 20 years to build and would've been ludicrously expensive. It's like the 9/11 attacks but on a galactic scale.
And when Vader and Palpatine die, the government goes to complete anarchy after the death of their leaders. Despite the rebels being portrayed as "heroes", they're just a group of violent rebels pulling off a coup. So Luke, Leia, Han and all the rebels are violent criminals who overthrew a pretty stable government and crippled the galactic economy.
For Those In The Back: THE PUNISHER IS NOT A HERO
The Punisher.
Same probably as Rorschach from Watchmen. The Punisher is an intriguing character, but not that great of a person, and certainly not a hero. It certainly depends on the writer, Netflix Punisher for example, is a lot more sympathetic than the 2019 run of comics Punisher. I'm sure lots of people fantasize (and carry out) vigilante justice but it's just not sustainable. Add to that at times Frank seems overly sadistic and goes out of his way to torture criminals makes things a bit problematic.
Especially in the world of 2020. This was addressed last year when some cops in the comic had a little "club" with Punisher logos on their cars that supported him (ha like real life!) and the Punisher told them to f-ck off and if they wanted a role model try Captain America. Honestly IMO it might be time to retire the character, give him a noble send off and let it be. Besides, almost every Punisher story is written the same way and ends up getting stale (that's why I unsubscribed from the books).
The fact that a lot of military personnel and law enforcement still to this day wear Punisher logos is a bit disturbing when you think about who it represents.
Doesn't Matter How Many Musical Numbers There Are, Still An Awful Guy.
PT Barnum in the Greatest Showman. Dude was definitely not a nice guy and completely focused on exploiting anyone with strange features.
He touted an old black woman around as George Washington's 160 year old nurse and, when she died, had her autopsy performed live on stage for an audience.
Popular Books. Awful Person.
As a naive kid who didn't understand the concept of an unreliable narrator I thought Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid was pretty cool, as an adult he is a rotten little piece of sh-t.
Yeah. In real life, the way he is in the books, he would just be that one weird ahole that no one likes. Not even bullied, everyone would just hate being around him.
A Long Lineage Of Mistakes
Zeus.
Zeus is a horrible person if you look at the actual Greek myths. Hades is a pretty good dude though.
Definitely.
Zeus was disloyal to Hera and is a rapist and it's treated like a running joke. Hades was loyal to his wife and even the idea that he "kidnapped" Persephone has been mostly discredited in modern translations/interpretations. It's likely one of the most loving and consensual relationships in Greek mythology. All of the gods are flawed and jealous and everything but altogether, Hades (and Persephone) are some of the least so, while Zeus is one of the worst.
How Did We Never Notice This One Growing Up?
Jack from jack and the beanstalk
The guy literally sold his fathers cow for some beans, and then he'd break and enter into the giants home and then MURDER him
Seriously, How Can Anyone Still Idolize That Guy?
GiphyThomas Edison.
Dude was smart, but a total scumbag.
EDIT: I just felt the need to elaborate a little more on why Edison is trash. But first, some things to know:
Many people will want you to think he stole everything and invented nothing at all, but history is actually a little fuzzy on that. He was a smart man, but most of his influence stems from his vast marketing skill, and deep pockets of cash.
Many inventions that Edison is credited with, were not invented by him, but likely these things would not have been as popular, or widely used or influential without the cash and influence from Edison.
He deserves only trace amounts of credit for helping those good inventions along, because here are (a few) of the reasons Thomas A. Edison was human garbage:
- A popular technique of his was slander. Using his money and influence he destroyed many of his opponents (actual brilliant inventors and their ideas) because he cared more about money than the progression of science and technology.
- In experiments with X-rays, he resorted to irradiating his employees; thankfully he also irradiated himself and almost went blind. Bastard deserved it.
- He did indeed kill elephants, but on top of that, he killed dogs, cats, and other neighborhood pets. He's pay kids in the neighborhood to bring him animals so he could electrocute them to show just how dangerous his competitors' technology was.
- Speaking of electrocution, we have Edison to thank for the electric chair. Another smear campaign to harm a competitor. The first execution took 8 minutes, multiple attempts, and the prisons skin bled and burned. Smell was so bad it's noted in many accounts. According to Edison, 'all the excitement had caused some bungling'
Mid-World War I, Tesla was working on radar. A piece of technology that could've saved many lives, and improved allied military intelligence.(Tesla's theories and research for radar, and further development was rejected, not radar itself.) When presented to the US Navy's head of Research & Development (none other than the pile of trash we call Thomas Edison) prevented the further R&D of radar. Later on this research would be the backbone for the actual development of radar in the 30's.
I'm sure there are more stories, but these are the ones I am aware of. I hope history will one day look upon Edison in the way he deserves.
I think back to my third grade class where we learned how important his contributions were, and how he gave us the lightbulb! Hogwash. The man was scum, and glorifying him is a gross misrepresentation of his impact.
When visiting a foreign country, many people like to hide the fact that they are tourists, and make every effort to blend in with the locals.
Even so, most tourists can't help but do a few things that locals seldom or never do, such as taking selfies in front of historic monuments, buying cheesy hats and T-shirts, or going to notoriously crowded places.
If doing these things will more than likely make them stick out like a sore thumb, it also won't exactly put them in harm or danger, as most tourists at least have the good sense to read a blog or guidebook instructing them on how to stay safe while traveling.
The most savvy travelers know that the best place to get advice on what not to do when traveling abroad is not online or in a book, but directly from the locals.
Redditor PM_ME_UR_DOGS_FEET was eager to hear the opinions of people around the world as to what tourists should avoid doing when visiting their country, leading them to ask:
"What should people absolutely not do when visiting your country?"
Moo!
"If you are hiking through the Austrian mountains with a dog, put it on a leash."
"The cows will hurt you if they feel threatened."
"In general, don't disturb the cows and keep away from them."- annadaso
Cows Alps GIF by MeinMontafonGiphyNot All Creatures Are Cute And Cuddly...
"Approach wildlife, especially when they’re with their offspring."
"The amount of idiot tourists I’ve seen outside their cars within mauling distance of a bear or moose is mind boggling."-GingerMeTimberMate
"Do not touch the bison."
"I don’t care that they’re herbivores and look fluffy."
"They are incredibly strong and will kill you if they’re in a bad mood."- hartywhalers
Bison Yellowstone GIF by Nat Geo WildGiphyNo One Needs To Blend In That Much!
"I live in Barbados."
"Don't wear camouflage."
"It's illegal unless you're a part of the Defense Force."- durants
They Call It The Outback For A Reason
"Don't go for a drive in the outback without making sure you're properly prepared if you get stuck."
"There's a reason you see so many abandoned cars on the highways out there."- thethreekittycats
Back Of The Line!
"UK here."
"Always queue."
"Even if there isn’t a queue, just look around politely and ask whoever’s around if they’re queueing."
"I know this reads like a joke but it really isn’t."
"There’s always a queue, and tourists always ignore it, and that’s usually why tourists get a bad rap in the UK."-fearthe0cean
Literal Red Flag Alert!
"If you're not a strong swimmer, please don't wade out into our ocean expecting that you'll be okay."
"If you want to swim at our beaches, stay between the flags where there are lifeguards on duty."- nightlightened
The Beach Summer GIFThat Some People Would Actually Need A Warning...
"Don't do the Nazi greeting."
"In fact, just don't do it anywhere."
"But especially not in my country."
"Police will arrest you for it."- Mad_Moodin
Or Stand Still In Them For That Matter...
"Don't walk the bicycle lanes."- valthorgallifrey
Be Selective When Sight Seeing
"Don't go to Hollywood expecting something."
"Also, don't spend tons of money just to see famous people's homes on one of those bus tours."
"You should go to all the cool museums around LA though, those are pretty neat."
"And the beaches aren't too bad either."- jgeradsfdh
hollywood GIF by American IdolGiphyIt's Just Plain Rude
"Don't touch the King's guard."- EmperorOfNipples
Or Any Busy Street Anywhere...
"If you’re visiting Brazil, specially a big city, avoid using your smartphone while walking on the streets, as you become more prone to being robbed."- DistantLandscapes
Not the Most PC Name If You Really Think About It
"Order an ‘Irish Car Bomb’ shot."
"Doesn’t exist here, and the name has roots in The Troubles, a dark time in our history that people north and south of the border who are still alive lost people to."- TheIrishninjas
Irish Cream Beer GIF by DrSquatchSoapCoGiphyNot All Canadians Are So Friendly...
"If you come across Canada, don't ever dare touching our geese, thanks."- ClickWorthy69420
Many tourists enjoy going off the beaten path and veering from the most famous and heavily visited places.
But before straying from the path, it couldn't hurt to get advice from a local on just how far to stray.
CW: Death and miscarriages.
It's always sad when a couple doesn't make it all the way.
Especially when a promise was made.
Isn't that what an engagement is?
A very expensive promise.
Diamonds ain't cheap.
Redditor mimi_nivi wanted to hear about the reasons why finally getting to "I DO" was impossible, so they asked:
"People who were engaged at one point but never got married, what happened?"
I've never been engaged.
And I thank God everyday.
My laundry list of exes is full of stains.
Not in Bed?
Season 5 What GIF by The OfficeGiphy"Came home for lunch one day to surprise her. Surprise was on me as she was in the middle of doing her co-worker on my couch. I loved that couch."
Siguldg
3 Months Before
"He wasn't participating in the wedding planning at all and I realized he didn't actually want to get married. There was a lot of pressure from his family and admittedly, me as well. I just wanted a family and to be married and hadn't really paid attention to his reluctance up until that point."
"It was 3 months before the wedding and I sat down and reviewed our relationship. We were incompatible at several crucial points, even though we loved each other a lot. So I called off the wedding and ended it and while we were both sad, we were also relieved."
"This was more than a decade ago and whenever we run into each other we catch up and there are no hard feelings at all. He's married and a father now and I couldn't be happier for him."
Midnight_Muse
Back in 2012
"She died due to seizures. 3 am: she was home alone. She woke up and had a seizure and unfortunately hit her head against a wall… 7 am: she was supposed to show up at her parent's house to drop off the dog before work. She didn’t. 9 a.m.: her parents went to check on her, the dog was fine, but she was unresponsive. 9:30 am she was declared deceased at the scene. 10 am: I was at work and I got a call from her father… I lost it right there. It was back in 2012 but still, I’m not over it yet."
Fragrant-Snake
Cruel
"We had like 6 miscarriages."
"At the end of the relationship, he said something to me like 'It’s just so hard… I look at your face and I feel like I SEE nothing but 6 dead babies.'"
"Can’t really come back from that one. I mean some people can. We couldn’t."
"It’s crazy in hindsight but everything just kind of worked out. I have two beautiful daughters and a stepdaughter I love and a great life!"
relentpersist
Whoops
"Turns out she liked vagina as much as I did."
wayneo88
Sometimes too many of the same interests are NOT a good thing.
Lesson learned.
Thank You
Preach Amy Poehler GIF by SistersGiphy"He cheated before we got married and I found out. I thank the stars every f**king day I didn’t marry him."
fatfemmebish
Old Friends
"She started hanging out with an old group of high school friends and just changed. She became extremely nasty over wedding plans, telling me we had to have the exact same number of guests on both sides. If I had one more guest than she did, she made me remove someone from my side. I knew if I moved forward it would have ended in divorce, so I just ended it before it got to that."
Wastoponcene
True Colors
"The longer we lived together leading up to the wedding, the more he showed his true colors. One day while I was cooking dinner for us he started screaming at me, like an inch from my face, and called me a (see you next Tuesday.) Something about it snapped some sense into me. I walked out and never went back."
gamergirl007
Technicalities
"We’re still technically engaged, but we never wanted a wedding. We met way late in life (I’m 50, she’s in her mid-40s), no kids, and if we get legally married the gov’t f**ks with her disability assistance so she is my spouse, my partner, and my soul mate. But we don’t feel the need to get married. But I do have a living will just in case. We will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary early next year."
lovedontfalter
Holy Mary
like a virgin madonna GIFGiphy"The Holy Spirit came to him in a dream and told him that he couldn’t marry me because I wasn’t a virgin."
hitlersd**k69420
Well, sometimes it's just not meant to work out.
And that sounds like a blessing.