History Main / UpperClassTwit

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', most of the nobles and every member of the World Nobles. The difference is that the World Nobles really don't have any contribution to society, but no one really cares because, due to their lineage, [[TheGovernment the World Government]] makes them completely above the law and lets them do whatever the hell they want. Anyone who opposes them risks either being shot or having an ''admiral'' on their ass. The only thing people find them useful for is taking advantage of their influence for noble (and not-so-noble) causes.

-->''If excessive ambition was the fault most commonly attributed to the middle class, failure to provide a suitable example and to care properly for their subordinates were the most common complaints against the rich. The aristocracy was widely seen as preoccupied with duels, London, adultery, foreign fashions, fox hunts, and gambling.''
-->Kristen Olsen [[GreenwoodPress Daily Life in Eighteenth Century England]]

** Polonius in ''Hamlet'', a sort of hybridization of this, OldMaster, EvilGenius and KnightTemplarParent.

* GilbertAndSullivan examples:

As every child can tell,\\
The House of Peers, throughout the war,\\
Did nothing in particular,\\
And did it very well.''

* NathanBarley's eponymous protagonist. The character was created by Charlie Brooker and first appeared in his TVGoHome book, which revealed Barley lived off cheques from his parents and spent his days working out "which job to pretend to do next". In the series he spends his parents' money on an office full of video editing equipment and gives himself the job title "self-facilitating media node".

* In the Pokemon series, the Rich Boy, Arsitocrat, Gentlemen, and Lady Trainer Classes can fall into this. Also, the Kalos region in it's entirety

* In the story "Heart of the Lion" from ''Literature/TheWulfArchives'', an Upper-Class Twit by the name of Lord Heatham leads a White Empire campaign into the Veldt Lands [[HomeByChristmas expecting a "quick campaign" against the Sholanti]]. The expedition fails miserably, due in large part to Heatham's poor tactics and his arrogant underestimation of the people he wanted to conquer and enslave, and he and those of the company who actually make it to the battlefield are slaughtered to a man, with the protagonist being the only survivor.

On the off chance that the Upper Class Twit has a job, it will be a sinecure with no apparent duties. A Twit in a position authority may become a PointyHairedBoss, but that is less common than one might expect: A PointyHairedBoss has responsibilities which he bungles, while a true Twit has no responsibilities at all.

A SubTrope of IdleRich.

** By Vorrutyer is a more extreme version both in the degree to which he takes his "twitiness"(Ivan's image is no worse then a [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob lazy]] and [[ChivalrousPervert oversexed]] but reasonably likeable courtier; By attends orgies well supplied with drugs and alchohol), and in the goal of his perceived "twitiness"(Ivan just wants to make sure he looks to stupid for someone to tag him as a front for deadly court intrigue, By is an undercover agent purposely trying to smoke out intriguers).

** Considering that Miles picks Ivan as an assistant when doing an Imperial Audit on Imp Sec of all places, one would guess that he wasn't really fooled as much as he pretended to be.

** Captain Michael Oversteegan, of the same series, is a subversion. He is deliberately given just about ''every'' possible trait of an Upper-Class Twit from his culture (many of them affected, some still genuine) except for actually ''being'' a twit. He's as competent as he is irritating.

Interestingly, there is a heroic variation called StiffUpperLip in which a character acts like an Upper-Class Twit in stressful situations to display composure and provide a sort of BadassBoast. The difference is that an Upper-Class Twit is annoying though sometimes forgivable in a character you otherwise like, whereas a StiffUpperLip has the potential to make a CMOA. The same character can be both, of course.

A SubTrope of IdleRich.

* Malory from ''Archer''.

* London Tipton from ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' is a good example of the heiress subtype (a hotel heiress named after a European capital... hmm). If she was bit crueler and considerably smarter she might qualify as the RichBitch, but her self-absorption seems to stem more from being [[TheDitz one of the stupidest characters on television]] than any intentional meanness. Well, [[LonelyRichKid her father, Mr. Tipton]] is never shown on screen and will frequently be busy with business dealings instead of spending Christmas or other special occasions with her daughter. The fact that London also seems to have a MissingMom does not help matters.

* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': Hillary . All the Banks children could qualify. Not their parents Phillip and Vivian though, as both of them came from common origins and [[SelfMadeMan achieved success by dint of hard work]]. Interestingly enough, Will started out as being the streetwise guy who was totally unlike the rest of the family... but the show hinted in at least one episode that Will became more like the Banks's after living with them for a while. Will's reaction when this dawns on him can only be described as hilarious.

** Between the childhood flashback of Applejack's brief stint in Manehattan in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" and the portrayal of Canterlot society as a whole in episodes like "The Best Night Ever" and "Sweet and Elite" - all of which are filled to the brim with examples of this trope - ''Friendship is Magic'' is surprisingly harsh in its appraisal of high society for [[RousseauWasRight such an optimistic show]] ([[spoiler: though the latter episode features a welcome [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] in the form of [[GentlemanAndAScholar Fancy Pants]]]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Prince Blueblood is what happens when you combine this with PrinceCharmless. And {{Jerkass}}. If he was from "normal" royalty, that'd be bad enough. But Blueblood is the great-great-great-great-great-great(and so forth) nephew of [[GodEmperor Princess Celestia]], [[PhysicalGod Goddess of the Sun]].

TheDitz with a trust fund. The Upper Class Twit is either an [[BlueBlood aristocrat]] or a relative of someone in the upper echelons of society, and is automatically provided with [[InfiniteSupplies all of his living expenses]]. In other words, he was a SpoiledBrat as a child, and now he has no reason to contribute to society, which is just as well, since he doesn't have the skills to contribute anyway. More often than not, he leads a hedonistic lifestyle that embarrasses his family. Highly prone to ConspicuousConsumption.

Usually used as a foil for TheJeeves or some other more intelligent character. The male Upper Class Twit is often a prime target for {{Gold Digger}}s.

A popular subtype, and the female counterpart to the usually male Upper Class Twit, is the ''Airhead Heiress'' - a young, brainless, fashion slave party girl heiress. [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Any resemblance to Paris Hilton is purely coincidental]].

Interestingly, there is a heroic variation called StiffUpperLip in which a character acts like an Upper Class Twit in stressful situations to display composure and provide a sort of BadassBoast. The difference is that an Upper Class Twit is annoying though sometimes forgivable in a character you otherwise like, whereas a StiffUpperLip has the potential to make a CMOA. The same character can be both, of course.

* Kojiro Sasahara from ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' behaves in a fashion like this. He wears a frily ascot with his uniform, he always holds out his pinky when he drinks or even laughs. Despite these and a few {{Cloudcuckoolander}} traits, he's really more of an Upper Class Twit ''wannabe'', as he's revealed early to be the eldest son of a family of farmers.

** Captain Michael Oversteegan, of the same series, is a subversion. He is deliberately given just about ''every'' possible trait of an Upper Class Twit from his culture (many of them affected, some still genuine) except for actually ''being'' a twit. He's as competent as he is irritating.

** The various incarnations of Percy and George in the series. The latter played by the same actor as Bertie Wooster; Hugh Laurie tended to play characters of this type quite a lot when he was younger, which tends to shock American audiences who only know him in his ''Series/{{House}}'' incarnation. While those who were more used to his Upper Class Twit roles from before ''Series/{{House}}'' often took quite a while to stop expecting House to goggle mindlessly or burst into Upper Class Twit Speak ("I say, Jeeves, this fellow's looking jolly green about the gills, what?").
*** Incidentally, the portrayal of [[TheHouseOfHanover George IV]] as an Upper Class Twit is more or less spot-on; he was fond of partying, had no idea how to use money (he got into over the equivalent of £5,000,000 in debt before taking the throne ''two or three different times''), and is generally considered to have been a bad king (his [[SpareToTheThrone brother William]], who was almost as dissolute in his youth, is much better-regarded).
** In the first (medieval) series, Blackadder himself (the Creator/RowanAtkinson character) was an Upper Class Twit, and his servant Baldrick (better known as the BumblingSidekick he becomes) was a HypercompetentSidekick.

* Just about every character played by Penelope Keith is a likeable but dim upper class twitess.

** And ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' gives us Euram Barows, a textbook Upper Class Twit who's become the heir after his older brother was tragically assassinated. [[spoiler: No, he wasn't actually involved. And to be fair, he can get better...]] Technically he wasn't always like that. When his brother died he began acting like that to try and cheer up his mother.

[[folder: Web Original]]

* In the story "Heart of the Lion" from ''Literature/TheWulfArchives'', an Upper Class Twit by the name of Lord Heatham leads a White Empire campaign into the Veldt Lands [[HomeByChristmas expecting a "quick campaign" against the Sholanti]]. The expedition fails miserably, due in large part to Heatham's poor tactics and his arrogant underestimation of the people he wanted to conquer and enslave, and he and those of the company who actually make it to the battlefield are slaughtered to a man, with the protagonist being the only survivor.

** For half of her screen time in the first season, Euphemia is pretty ditzy, [[RebelliousPrincess but turns that around]] [[spoiler: snd then she dies ''horribly''.]]

* Hugh Laurie played a [[CrosscastRole female one]] in an ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie'' sketch, opposite StephenFry as the Duke of Northampton. And the [[BlackComedy very dark]] "Jack and Neddy/Teddy" sketches from the show, in which Fry manipulates him into acts like planting a bomb in a restaurant, have been described as what ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'' would have been like if Jeeves used his powers for evil.

TheDitz with a trust fund. The UpperClassTwit is either an [[BlueBlood aristocrat]] or a relative of someone in the upper echelons of society, and is automatically provided with [[InfiniteSupplies all of his living expenses]]. In other words, he was a SpoiledBrat as a child, and now he has no reason to contribute to society, which is just as well, since he doesn't have the skills to contribute anyway. More often than not, he leads a hedonistic lifestyle that embarrasses his family. Highly prone to ConspicuousConsumption.

Usually used as a foil for TheJeeves or some other more intelligent character. The male UpperClassTwit is often a prime target for {{Gold Digger}}s.

A popular subtype, and the female counterpart to the usually male UpperClassTwit, is the ''Airhead Heiress'' - a young, brainless, fashion slave party girl heiress. [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Any resemblance to Paris Hilton is purely coincidental]].

Interestingly, there is a heroic variation called StiffUpperLip in which a character acts like an UpperClassTwit in stressful situations to display composure and provide a sort of BadassBoast. The difference is that an UpperClassTwit is annoying though sometimes forgivable in a character you otherwise like, whereas a StiffUpperLip has the potential to make a CMOA. The same character can be both, of course.

* The princes Meleagros and Atalantes in ''Anime/HeroicAge'' are [[UpperClassTwit Upper-Class Twits]] who would have wiped out the entire human armada with their horrendously tenuous grasp of military tactics if it wasn't for the influence of the more intelligent and experienced Nilval Nephew. They almost certainly would never have been allowed anywhere near the bridge of a starship if it wasn't for their royal birth.

* Kojiro Sasahara from ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' behaves in a fashion like this. He wears a frily ascot with his uniform, he always holds out his pinky when he drinks or even laughs. Despite these and a few CloudCuckooLander traits, he's really more of an Upper Class Twit ''wannabe'', as he's revealed early to be the eldest son of a family of farmers.

** Captain Michael Oversteegan, of the same series, is a subversion. He is deliberately given just about ''every'' possible trait of an UpperClassTwit from his culture (many of them affected, some still genuine) except for actually ''being'' a twit. He's as competent as he is irritating.

** Named for the sketch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqObJtGrKaA "Upper Class Twit of the Year"]], where five Upper-Class Twits compete in events like "Kicking the Beggar" and "Taking the Bras Off the Debutantes", finishing with the winner being the first to shoot himself.

** The various incarnations of Percy and George in the series. The latter played by the same actor as Bertie Wooster; Hugh Laurie tended to play characters of this type quite a lot when he was younger, which tends to shock American audiences who only know him in his ''Series/{{House}}'' incarnation. While those who were more used to his UpperClassTwit roles from before ''Series/{{House}}'' often took quite a while to stop expecting House to goggle mindlessly or burst into UpperClassTwit Speak ("I say, Jeeves, this fellow's looking jolly green about the gills, what?").
*** Incidentally, the portrayal of [[TheHouseOfHanover George IV]] as an UpperClassTwit is more or less spot-on; he was fond of partying, had no idea how to use money (he got into over the equivalent of £5,000,000 in debt before taking the throne ''two or three different times''), and is generally considered to have been a bad king (his [[SpareToTheThrone brother William]], who was almost as dissolute in his youth, is much better-regarded).

** And ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' gives us Euram Barows, a textbook UpperClassTwit who's become the heir after his older brother was tragically assassinated. [[spoiler: No, he wasn't actually involved. And to be fair, he can get better...]] Technically he wasn't always like that. When his brother died he began acting like that to try and cheer up his mother.

* In the story "Heart of the Lion" from ''Literature/TheWulfArchives'', an UpperClassTwit by the name of Lord Heatham leads a White Empire campaign into the Veldt Lands [[HomeByChristmas expecting a "quick campaign" against the Sholanti]]. The expedition fails miserably, due in large part to Heatham's poor tactics and his arrogant underestimation of the people he wanted to conquer and enslave, and he and those of the company who actually make it to the battlefield are slaughtered to a man, with the protagonist being the only survivor.

* From ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', Jay Sherman's father Franklin can come across as an Upper-Class Twit, until he reveals himself as being a {{CloudcuckooLander}}.