THE seasonal ailments (fever, flu, cold), as much as they are a nuisance, staying warm under the covers, drinking hot herbal teas and taking the right medicines, in a handful of days, they go away. Harder to eliminate from your lives are the sick in the flesh, the cunning manipulators, the emotionally unavailable who send mixed signals, the devious, the selfish and… the list goes on and on.
Often, these negative characteristics coincide with television characters who, precisely because of their complexity, are intriguing and interestingespecially if this package goes hand in hand with the charm or ability, in the right doses, to also appear good, profound and empathetic or show off a turbulent past to justify their questionable current behaviors.
For those who suffer from Red Cross syndrome, ailments are as attractive as the light of a street lamp for moths and the directors of our favorite TV series seem to have grasped this aspect perfectly, influencing, rewriting and distorting real perceptions about love .
Here are some of the most famous ailments and why they deserve to be included in the category.
Chuck Bass by Gossip Girl
Yes, the story between him and Blair kept us in suspense and entertained us, but Chuck is a malaise par excellence and no, not only because he is full of himself and justifies his every action with the superb phrase: «I am Chuck Bass” or because for him to say “I love you” first means losing a challenge of supremacy.
Let’s not forget that, in the first seasons, he attempted to rape both Serena and Jenny, calling him unwell and not a criminal is already a compliment.
Back in Blair, he sold her to his slimy uncle in exchange for a hotel. He became furious when she went to tell him that she was expecting another man’s baby: with her fist she broke the glass and a splinter injured Blair’s face. He tried to stop her wedding, and when it was his turn to marry Blair, he did so quickly, before being arrested. In short, it’s incredible that they managed to pass off the personified devil as a romantic hero and we even bought it for a while.
Mr. Big by Sex & The City
Mr. Big was nicknamed so probably in reference to his enormous ego. The king of emotionally unavailable types who aren’t ready for a serious relationship with you but then, five minutes after the end of your very long relationship, they get married to someone else (to make life hell for her too).
The master of all those ailments that, as soon as they see that you are regaining your sanity, stability, happiness and love life without them, then promptly return to the attack. Worse than those who leave without warning, there are the Mr. Bigs who, after all, never really leave and, if they are there, they are never completely there. Not even one step away from the altar can you feel calm.
Nate Jacobs by Euphoria
Toxic masculinity incarnate: Nate Jacobs is misogynistic and violent, insecure and calculating. The catcallingverbal and physical violence, threats, betrayals and contradictory behaviors are his daily bread. Sure, his wasn’t an easy childhood, but it’s not worth using your personal traumas to traumatize others.
Nino Sarratore de The Brilliant Friend
A self-absorbed pathological narcissist who pretends to fight for gender equality but, in reality, only wants to serve his own interests. A fake progressive who then, in practice, fears the intelligence of the women around him and implements manipulative and psychologically violent behavior to control the situation. A puppeteer of feelings capable of “taking away the will to live” as confessed by Lila. Sneaky and traitor, Nino Sarratore believes he is a romantic and revolutionary hero of literature but, in reality, he is a mediocre and petty man. He distanced himself from his father for his deplorable behavior and then, in a certain sense, followed in his footsteps and sowed hatred, albeit hiding behind a gentle manner, an intellectual aura and his big glasses. What’s worse than an illness that pretends not to be?
Ross Geller by Friends
The paleontologist, compared to the previously mentioned characters, turns out to be almost an angel. Yet…he too had questionable behaviors that took a backseat, thanks to his hilarious facial expressions and funny jokes. The story between him and Rachel, while at times romantic and iconic, is mostly toxic.
Let’s not forget the list of pros and cons in which he listed his partner’s defects, all the occasions in which he belittled her work in fashion considering it frivolous, that time he showed up at the office to “mark his territory” because he was jealous of a Rachel’s colleague.
And, again, the relationship with another woman which occurred just after the decision to take a short pause for reflection which, Rachel, experienced as a betrayal, while he always justified and exonerated himself like this: “We were on a break”.
As Rachel couldn’t decide on the best outfit to show off at her partner’s important work event, Ross, frustrated, snatched her shoes from her hand and threw them on the floor. He mispronounced Rachel’s name at the altar while getting married to Emily. Even as a friend, at times, he sinned big time: remember the kiss exchanged with Chandler’s mother?
Derek Shepherd by Grey’s Anatomy
His nicknames are absolutely spot on: McDreamy in the original and, in Italian, Doctor Strangelove. Yes, because his charisma and those blue eyes make you dream but… he is definitely strange in love. First of all, the one with Meredith was born as an extramarital affair, to the detriment of the wife, first and foremost, but also of the lover, who was unaware that he was one. When he decides to return to his wife, he doesn’t like it when Meredith also turns over a new leaf and falls into the trap slut shaming and in hypocrisy. When, after a series of demonstrations of jealousy and possession, he returns to Meredith, he often enters into competition with her, trying to belittle her abilities, not giving her due credit and trying to impose his decisions on the couple.
Joe Goldberg in You
Of course, I know what you’re thinking, it’s reductive to call it malaise when, before everyone’s eyes, he’s a stalker and serial killer.
Yet, many viewers seem to overlook it even when it seems impossible to do so.
The interpreter Penn Badgley has, in fact, repeatedly reprimanded his audience, saying not to be misled by his appearance or his voice but to focus exclusively on the actions of his character, harshly condemning Joe’s criminal conduct and deeming him undeserving of redemption. It seems he made sure on set, with the directors, not to give him a happy ending.
And you? Who would you add to the list of ailments?
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Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
