History Main / JerkAss

[-[[caption-width-right:300:This Jerkass [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''feed'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context... (Spoilers)]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Great, dipshit! You're done with the who goddamn page! Now get the fuck outta here and don't ever come back here again, loser!]]''

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See TheJerkIndex for variations on different types of Jerks. Contrast with InnocentlyInsensitive, who ''acts'' like a jerk because they don't know any better, but will be quick to correct their behavior once it is pointed out to them. The inversion is NiceGuy, obviously.

->''Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces''\\

''I'm an asshole!''

What makes them entertaining is the fact that you don't have to deal with them yourself in real life. Usually, the [[RuleOfFunny Rule of Funny]] enables the people around the person to be able to live under the same roof as them without, y'know, blowing their brains out. Sometimes, the Jerkass is the PluckyComicRelief who's stepped off the beam and become TheScrappy, in which case the [[RuleOfFunny Rule of Funny]] fades away; they may be okay in the other characters' eyes, but the audience would still love to punch them in the face. Because of this, it's hard to feel sorry for them when something bad does happen to them, and it is often seen as comeuppance.

->'''Dio:''' What's a three letter word for... "total dick"?\\
'''Jonathan:''' [[SayMyName DIOOOOOOOO!!!]]\\
'''Dio:''' Hey, that works.
-->-- ''WebVideo/JoJosBizarreAdventureAbridged''

->''Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces''\\
''while handicapped people make handicapped faces.''\\
''I'm an asshole!''
-->-- '''Creator/DenisLeary''', ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs Asshole]]''

A Jerkass is a character who is so completely obnoxious that it is unbelievable anyone would willingly interact with him. He may have fans, but in most cases the appeal of his character is that he is walking schadenfreude -- you know it'll eventually end badly for him, and you can't wait to see it.

What makes him or her entertaining is the fact that you don't have to deal with them yourself in real life. Usually, the [[RuleOfFunny Rule of Funny]] enables the people around the person to be able to live under the same roof as them without, y'know, blowing their brains out. Sometimes, the Jerkass is the PluckyComicRelief who's stepped off the beam and become TheScrappy, in which case the [[RuleOfFunny Rule of Funny]] fades away; they may be okay in the other characters' eyes, but the audience would still love to punch them in the face. Because of this, it's hard to feel sorry for them when something bad does happen to them, and it is often seen as comeuppance.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context... (Spoilers)]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context... (Spoiler)]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[sopiler:MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

Characters can be Jerkasses in many ways -- some are polite, intelligent, charming, handsome and/or brave, but still give off a basic air of arrogant, snobby, sneering, leering prickery that makes them such a nasty little punk that you wonder why nobody's beat the crap out of them, shanked them or busted a cap in their skull yet. Others are more obvious assholes who may be racist, stupid, or just basically unpleasant. Either way, it's usually their status on the team of "good guy" that results in them never being called out on it. After all, if they were an asshole on team "bad guy", they'd just be another villain.

Characters can be Jerkasses in many ways -- some are polite, intelligent, charming, handsome and/or brave, but still give off a basic air of arrogant, snobby, sneering, leering prickery that makes them such a nasty little punk that you wonder why nobody's shanked them or busted a cap in their skull yet. Others are more obvious assholes who may be racist, stupid, or just basically unpleasant. Either way, it's usually their status on the team of "good guy" that results in them never being called out on it. After all, if they were an asshole on team "bad guy", they'd just be another villain.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[MostTriumphantExample This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]]]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[TropeCodifier This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon Cartman fed Scott Tenorman his own parents.]]]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

See TheJerkIndex for variations on different types of Jerks. Contrast with InnocentlyInsensitive, who ''acts'' like a jerk because they don't know any better, but will be quick to correct their behavior once it is pointed out to them.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[TropeCodifier This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]][[labelnote:For context...]][[spoiler:"Ha ha! You ate your parents!"]][[/labelnote]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[TropeCodifier This Jerkass]] [[LiteralMetaphor will literally]] ''[[UpToEleven feed]]'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming off your misery.]]]]-]

A Jerkass is a character who is so completely obnoxious that it is unbelievable anyone would willingly interact with him; let's face it, this character is schadenfreude incarnate.

There can be numerous types of Jerkasses - some are polite, intelligent, charming, handsome and/or brave, but still give off a basic air of arrogant, snobby, sneering, leering prickery that makes them such a nasty little punk that you wonder why nobody's shanked them or busted a cap in their skull yet. Others are more obvious assholes who may be racist, stupid, or just basically unpleasant. Either way, it's usually their status on the team of "good guy" that results in them never being called out on it. After all, if they were an asshole on team "bad guy", they'd just be another villain.

-->-- '''DenisLeary''', ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs Asshole]]''

* Jerkass/{{Other}}

->''"[[WhatTheHellHero OH MY GOD! YOU LEFT A SEARCH FOR A LOST CHILD TO]] [[YourCheatingHeart FUCK THE MAIL-LADY]]!? First, the sandwiches; then the [[EvilLaugh evil laughter]]; now, abandoning a child to get laid! [...] I can't take this guy, I really can't. He isn't just an asshole, he's like, a compilation of assholes to make the world's biggest asshole! The [[Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan Six-Million Dollar Asshole]]!"''
-->-- '''WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaCritic''', ''TheTommyknockers'' review

->''Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces''\\
''while handicapped people make handicapped faces.''\\
''I'm an asshole!''
-->-- '''DenisLeary''', ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs Asshole]]''

The single factor that pushes a merely annoying character over the line into full-time Jerkass status is their absolute obliviousness to other people's perceptions of them. [[MoralMyopia Nothing they do ever strikes them]] as [[DisproportionateRetribution out of proportion]]; they never realize that anything they are doing might ''ever'' be considered inappropriate, excessive, or cruel; in fact, they believe [[ItsAllAboutMe they are actually right and everyone around them is in the wrong]]. If anyone ever does call them out on their Jerkassery, expect them to [[JerkJustifications just rationalize it or shrug the accusation off]]. If the writers don't put it in check and just keep trying to one-up the character's assholishness, it can deterioate into TheSociopath.

There can be numerous types of Jerkasses - some are polite, intelligent, charming, handsome and/or brave, but still give off a basic air of arrogant, snobby, sneering, leering prickery that makes them such a nasty little punk that you wonder why nobody's shanked them or busted a cap in their skull yet. Others are more obvious assholes who may be racist, stupid, or just basically unpleasant. Either way, it's usually their status on the team of "good guy" that results in them never being called out on it. After all, if they were an asshole on team "bad guy", they'd just be a villain.