Fans\u00a0and collectors of pop culture memorabilia know: When it comes to fathers who miss the mark and mess up big time, our favorite genres have no shortage of examples.<\/p>\n
In fact, the challenge isn\u2019t finding less-than-ideal father figures to talk about – it\u2019s choosing which ones to talk about first!<\/span><\/p>\n Because we want to give you plenty to talk about over your Father\u2019s Day barbecue this year,, here are our nominations for the 5 worst dads in pop culture. (We only hope, after reading our selections, you won\u2019t want to strangle us with that necktie you bought for dear old Dad!) <\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start counting \u2018em down…<\/span><\/p>\n 5. MIKE BRADY<\/b><\/p>\n You see, kids, it\u2019s only natural for fathers to want to pass on whatever wisdom they (think they\u2019ve) learned in life to their children. But some dads only know how to do it in heavy-handed, patronizing, self-satisfied sound bites. Mike Brady is such a dad – convinced he possesses the level-headed wisdom of Solomon even as he is forever asking his wife where left his cowboy boots, and chuckling about how he\u2019s sure modern women can save everything except money.<\/span><\/p>\n Maybe that\u2019s why, before <\/span>he married Carol and they blended their families<\/span><\/a>, the Brady males were four men living all together who felt all alone: Dad was alienating his sons by pontificating every twenty-four minutes. Bet you never thought of it like that, did you?<\/span><\/p>\n 4. TONY STARK<\/b><\/p>\n We guess it\u2019s hard to speak <\/span>too<\/span><\/i> ill of this dead dad, considering he did save the universe from Thanos\u2019 genocidal hijinks by snapping his own gauntleted fingers. But let\u2019s not forget his fellow Avengers had to do some pretty hard arm-twisting to get Tony to <\/span>suit up as Iron Man<\/span><\/a> one more time. What was the source of his reluctance? His love for his daughter, Morgan, who was born to him and Pepper Potts in the five years after the Battle of Wakanda.<\/span><\/p>\n So let that sit for a bit. <\/span>Yes<\/span><\/i>, parents should love their kids. But should any dad really be able to choose his own daughter over half of all sentient life in the cosmos?<\/span><\/p>\n And even if it\u2019d be understandable for an ordinary father to do so, do we want to let a superheroic dad like <\/span>Iron Man<\/span><\/a> set a precedent for choosing his family\u2019s good over the greater good? We\u2019re just saying it\u2019s a slippery slope!<\/span><\/p>\n 3. JIM HOPPER<\/b><\/p>\n Hawkins, Indiana\u2019s top cop set the internet on fire with his \u201cdad bod\u201d dance moves. But are his <\/span>actual <\/span><\/i>parenting moves anything worth celebrating? Keeping <\/span>Eleven<\/span><\/a> secreted away in a cabin in the woods for 326 days, with nothing but bad \u201880s daytime TV for company most of the time, is morally ambiguous enough. But don\u2019t get upset and sic a <\/span>demo-dog<\/span><\/a> on us. We\u2019ll assume Hop really did have the telekinetic teen\u2019s best interests in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the real question: Did <\/span>Hopper<\/span><\/a> put that kid at risk of developing diabetes, feeding her his triple-decker Eggo extravaganzas? The calories in that thing probably pack more heat than any fireball Will the Wise could cast. Hopper has a lot of heart, but when it comes to planning breakfast menus, he could really stand some more coffee and contemplation.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. JOR-EL<\/b><\/p>\n This one\u2019s a no-brainer. right? All you have to do is watch <\/span>Marlon Brando<\/span><\/a>\u2019s performance in <\/span>Superman: The Movie<\/span><\/i> (1978) to see why Jor-El, brilliant scientist though he was, needed some remedial lessons in fatherhood. Does he tell Kal-El he saved him from his impending home planet\u2019s apocalypse so the last son of Krypton could have a shot at living a full and rich life? So that Kal-El would be spared pain and suffering as his homeworld tore itself apart? No! Jor-El jaws on and on about how his son is supposed to help some planet six galaxies away – which works out well for us humans, but is an awful lot of pressure to put on a baby!<\/span><\/p>\n Hot tip for dads out there: Don\u2019t give your kid a messiah complex. Sure, he or she might end up a caped wonder who stuns cities\u2026 but if your son or daughter ends up in therapy instead, guess who\u2019s gonna shoulder the blame?<\/span><\/p>\n 1. MUFASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t let James Earl Jones\u2019 glorious tones drown out the harsh truth about this king of the beasts. No good father tells his son \u201ceverything the light touches\u201d is destined to be his! \u201cRemember who you are\u201d – what kind of privileged nonsense is <\/span>that<\/span><\/i>\u00a0telling Simba his place at the top of the food chain is just the way things are supposed to be? Sure, <\/span>Mufasa<\/span><\/a> pays lip service to the \u201ccircle of life.\u201d But we\u2019re willing to bet his antelope subjects didn\u2019t find the thought their predator will one day become grass much comfort as his sharp claws and teeth ripped them apart. <\/span><\/p>\n Haunting your son from the clouds until he restores a suspect status quo? Sorry, Mufasa, but we can\u2019t just Hakuna Matata that away!<\/span><\/p>\n Okay, okay – obviously this Father\u2019s Day skewering of some of the most famous fathers on TV and in the movies is tongue-in-cheek. But what\u2019s no joke is that Entertainment Earth is your one-stop shop for all the pop culture merchandise any Pop in your life would be thrilled to receive on Dad\u2019s big day.<\/span><\/p>\n