Soap Opera's Worst Characters: Victor Newman- Bad and Not in a Good Way

I think I've said it before, but it can't be said enough. I love the male characters on soap operas and they literally make my day. They can be mean but funny- like Todd Manning. They can be manipulative and dashing- like Adam Chandler.  They can be brilliant and hot- like the spectacular Dr. David Hayward. But when they're bad, they're really bad. And not in a good way.

There have been so many terrible male characters but, in all my forty something years of fandom, I don't think I've disliked a character more than Victor Newman. I hate him.  Really. No offense to the actor who I'm sure is a lovely human being and doing his job quite well. But I detest this guy. He's smug, arrogant, narcissistic, obnoxious, inarticulate, selfish, and, well, mean.  I just don't like him. That's all. I don't get why he's the center of so many stories on Y&R, but, then again, maybe that's why they have ratings that are circling the drain, like their "lesser" counterparts.  It's time, Kids, to send him to soap opera heaven.  Please, kill Victor Newman.

Now I admit that I am a Jack Abbot fan.  No bones about it. I loves me some Peter Bergman. I love the character, I love the actor, I just, well, love him completely.  As you all know, I was reared on AMC...that sounds bad, but you know what I mean. I grew up with that show and Cliff Warner was a huge part of that.  Yet I was never really a Cliff Warner fan. He was patented nice guy on AMC and that just never worked for me.  But, I have to admit, in a silly fangurl way, that I just love Peter Bergman. One of my favorite lines to say, ever, is "I'm not a whatever, but I play one on TV". It makes me giggle to this day and that goes to Bergman from his commercial in the '70's- or was it '80's?- no matter.

I have to admit, though, I got all schmoopy over Bergman hearing him wax poetic about AMC, though. I'm sure he loves Y&R but, man, I've never seen someone so raw about a job. Every time I heard him talk about it, he cried. It was so damn sweet I couldn't take it. I cried, too, because he was so fucking fabulous!! He loved AMC more than me and the people and the characters and damn it, he just kills me!!

So, as I've digressed beyond my topic for a change, maybe it's my affinity for Jack Abbott that makes me hate Victor. But I doubt it.  I find nothing redeeming about Victor. He's cold, one dimensional, mean-spirited, and generally unlikable. I don't get it, really, I don't.  When people talk about how great he is on the show, I scratch my head because I've never seen him be anything but selfish and cruel and self-absorbed.  I must say "the mind reels".

I can really go for cold, selfish, self-absorbed characters.  Hell, just look at my top three. But they had heart. They showed remorse and longing and love. They're misguided, for sure, but they tried to make it work for others. It wasn't always about them...just most of the time.   And they were sorry for things they've done. Todd, lunatic that he is, wears his heart on his sleeve. David oozes passion. And Adam, well, Adam is what I think many think Victor is. He's shrewd and family-oriented and calculating.  But he's a sweetie underneath. He had a childlike demeanor often and he showed remorse. He could also be vulnerable.

Maybe that's it.  This douchebag is never vulnerable. He's stoic. That's not hot. That's not cool. That's just dull. And that's death on a soap.

I've seen him supposedly go to jail for his old slag of an ex-wife, Nicki, the aging stripper.  I don't like her either, can you tell?  That was supposed to be selfless. But I didn't feel it. He was doing it, like he's doing Sharon- EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW- but I'm not sure why. I just get nothing from him. I feel nothing.  He's a good yeller but he mumbles so much, I find him unintelligible much of the time.

I hear Eric Braeden's "Q rating", meaning his recognizability factor to the general public, is second only to Lucci, another untalented, overrated character who I don't miss for one second.  So maybe that's why he's in so many stories. I don't know but being well known doesn't make for good soap operas, in my mind.  People can recognize him and still think he sucks.  "I know him enough to hate him" isn't a cliche.  It's fitting here.

I guess I could go on and on about this, but it's unnecessary.  I'm not a Newman family fan at all. I find Adam completely despicable- and, again, I love Todd Manning, so that says something.  "I know Todd Manning, and you, Sir, are no Todd Manning".  I know, that was about Kennedy but I read it somewhere and loved it, so if any of you were the ones who wrote it, I'm giving you credit! Adam's a pimp and a slug.  I don't get him either.

Nick?  Cute, that Josh Morrow is very cute.  Great smile.  Hot sex scenes with Sharon.  But his character is nauseating and a despicable man-child.  I did like him briefly but his behavior since Cassie's death is disgusting. He and Phyllis are in my top ten "worst couples ever" list.  He makes her so saccharine and mediocre, it's criminal.  At least he and Sharon were smokin' hot.  Really, like HOT. I'm not into soft core porn on my soap operas but, let me tell you, they had the romance and the sex thing going very well.  Other than that, he should smile and shut the hell up. He sucks as a character.

Nicki?  Forgetaboutit.  She's irritating, self-righteous, obnoxious, sleazy, and, well, I can't abide her.  She's perfect for Victor. Two vapid characters who should go to the rest home together and get the hell off my screen. And get Phyllis back to Jack, goddamn it!! At least get him away from Nicki.

Victoria?  I don't get her either.  The "Villy" thing escapes me, too. I love Billy Abbott. Loved him on AMC as evil Annie's more evil brother. But, I don't see anything appealing about her at all. Again, she's like her mother but not as slutty looking.  I guess she didn't have to strip, so she got herself more class, huh, Missy?  Didn't like the actress on AMC either.  SMH, for a change.  I don't get these Newmans at all.

But, maybe that's because I'm a Y&R novice. It's been less than a decade of watching for me and, in soap years, that's a minute.  I got there when John Abbott was dead already but I loved the ghost.  Now him, I could see loving, but, maybe that's why Y&R doesn't really do it for me. It's as one-dimensional as Victor and as cheap as Nicki.  Don't even start with me about Katherine....that's enough to give me a coronary.  I'll say this- Viki without the taste, class, or feeling. 'Nuff said.