10 Worst Parents On Television

We've all got issues with our parents. Sure, the current generation of young adults boasts a closer relationship with their parents than in generations past (probably because we're still living in their houses), but come on, even Jesus didn't get along with his dad 24/7. If you try to say that there's zero conflict between you and dear old Mumsy and Popsicle, well...you're lying. That said, all it takes is a few hours in front of the television for us to realize exactly how good we have it. Television has never been shy about depicting truly awful family situations, and with good reason -- we eat it up. Good parenting is nice and sweet and everything, but it's also boring. It's actually gotten to the point where, when we watch wholesome family shows from the 1950s like Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best, we're actually inventing subtextual drama because we can't handle the idea of such a sickeningly nice group of people. The people on this list are the exact opposite of that. They're the ones who are just the worst at parenting, and can't help but do some serious psychological damage to their kids.

10. Julie And Jimmy Cooper - The OC

Let's not mince words, here: Julie Cooper is a tiger. She's a wealthy Newport mom who uses intimidation to cover up her insecurities about being from the wrong side of the tracks, and terrifies pretty much everyone she comes into contact with. She takes a hard line on everything, forcing her clearly troubled daughter Marissa into situations that aren't in her best interest, under the guise of "concerned parenting". And then there was that time when she had an affair with Marissa's teenage ex-boyfriend Luke. There's so much wrong with that it's difficult to know where to begin, and we can't blame Marissa for wanting nothing to do with her. But then there's Jimmy and well...he's not much better. We could forgive him for mismanaging his finances, because people make mistakes and you stick by your family. But everything that happens after that, he just always wants to take the easy way out, rather than dealing with the consequences of his actions. He decides to move out while Marissa is away in Tijuana, pretty much just because he doesn't want to handle the pain of telling her face to face. He's a loving father, but in a lot of ways he's a child, and not exactly the most dependable person to have in your life.