SantaFilter: The Naughty List of the Film, TV,

November 8, 2009 3:09 PM

SantaFilter: I'm trying to make a list of the worst of the worst kids from film and TV, etc., that would end up on Santa's naughty list, year after year. Any suggestions come to mind?

Names that immediately come to mind: Adrian Mole, Lucy (of Peanuts fame), Scut Farcus from "A Christmas Story." Bullies and other kids whose purpose on life seems to be making the lives of other kids miserable.

Bonus points for any links to articles about actual real life naughty kids.

(I'm casting a wide net, but mainly looking for kids whose awfulness, however dark, inspires laughter... perhaps in fellow naughty listers).

posted by Unsomnambulist to society & culture (48 answers total)

Sid, the kid that lived next door to Andy in Toy Story.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:11 PM on November 8, 2009

Eric Cartman from South Park.
posted by shazzam at 3:15 PM on November 8, 2009

All of the boys on Malcolm in the Middle. Nelly Olsen from Little House on the Prairie.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:16 PM on November 8, 2009

Perhaps Darlene from Roseanne.
posted by jgirl at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2009

Veruca Salt.
posted by mynameisluka at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

- The fish-killing little girl with braces in Finding Nemo.
- The kid from Problem Child
- Damien Thorn from The Omen movies
posted by mrbarrett.com at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2009

Well, Damien from the Omen would have to pretty much top the list, as he is the anti-Christ.
posted by philip-random at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2009

Bart Simpson.
posted by WPW at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

Eddie Haskell (Leave it to Beaver).
posted by trip and a half at 3:22 PM on November 8, 2009

Dudley Dursley, Draco Malfoy
posted by pintapicasso at 3:23 PM on November 8, 2009

Not Bart, but maybe Nelson Muntz, and probably Dolph, Jimbo and Kearney.
posted by box at 3:24 PM on November 8, 2009

Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. Pyro in X2. Baby Chev Chelios in Crank 2: High Voltage.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:24 PM on November 8, 2009

Clark Peters and Stuart Dooley (King of the Hill).
posted by box at 3:25 PM on November 8, 2009

Angelica Pickles from Rugrats
posted by CarolynG at 3:28 PM on November 8, 2009

Nellie Olson, Little House on the Prarie
posted by kimdog at 3:28 PM on November 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

What about the Artful Dodger from Oliver ?

Dennis the Menace, mainly a cartoon strip character though he has been on TV also.

Also Beavis and Butthead are still at school.
posted by selton at 3:28 PM on November 8, 2009

or Prairie, even
posted by kimdog at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2009

Veruca Salt

And the rest of those little brats too, though our Veruca really does outdo the rest of them.
posted by The Michael The at 3:32 PM on November 8, 2009

Lizzie Borden and her sister.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:35 PM on November 8, 2009

Buzz (the older brother) from Home Alone was the first to come to mind. Then I saw it could be a real person, and I thought of the Australian kid whose house party got so out of hand the cops brought a helicopter. The article led me to find this youtube interview, which mentions Risky Business which leads me to think of Ferris Bueller.
posted by knile at 3:37 PM on November 8, 2009

Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka.
posted by HotToddy at 3:44 PM on November 8, 2009

What about the Artful Dodger from Oliver ?

Ah, come on. He's not awful; just a street kid trying to survive.
posted by philip-random at 3:48 PM on November 8, 2009

Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes. Also Moe the Bully.
posted by some idealist at 3:54 PM on November 8, 2009

All the kids from Willy Wonka (add Charlie because he's a wimp...) Most of the boys and the twin girls from the Simpsons. Eric from South Park.

Stewie Griffin? At least when he doesn't make a deal with the Fat Man.

The kid from Hudson Hawk, who is beating her elephant against the column in the Vatican.

Lock Shock and Barrel from Nightmare before Christmas!

Nellie AND Willie Oleson! (They were both naughty in the books!)

Jane Eyre's cousins.

Helga from Hey Arnold.

The stupid kid in the Paperboy game who keeps knocking me down!

Montana Max from Tiny Toons.
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 3:58 PM on November 8, 2009

Old school Nickelodeon naughty kids, inspired by CarolynG's Angelica Pickles:

~ Ferguson W. Darling from Clarissa Explains It All
~ Roger Klotz from Doug
~ Endless Mike from Pete & Pete
posted by shaun uh at 3:59 PM on November 8, 2009

Buddy Hinton.
posted by Ike_Arumba at 4:01 PM on November 8, 2009

Rhoda from The Bad Seed.
posted by la petite marie at 4:39 PM on November 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

To me, the absolute best worst is Bill Mumy in the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life." But if you use him of course he might put you in THE CORNFIELD.
And runner up: the Bad Seed, 1956.
posted by keener_sounds at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2009

Posted before I saw that last!
posted by keener_sounds at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2009

Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales is full of bad, wicked children, who get their just deserts.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2009

Ahem. Cautionary Tales.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2009

The paperboy from Better Off Dead who really wants his two dollars.
posted by scody at 4:52 PM on November 8, 2009

Marmalade Atkins!
posted by Joh at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2009

In the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas" there are three kids who go kidnap Santa Claus and hold him prisoner. Surely they wouldn't be on his "good kids" list.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2009

Wednesday from the movie versions of the Addams Family
Stewie Griffin from Family Guy
posted by drlith at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2009

Scott Fargas and his little toady, Grover Dill, from A Christmas Story.
posted by doh ray mii at 5:42 PM on November 8, 2009

Edmund Pevensie from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I know he turns out all right in the end, but he's still a little snot for most of the book.
posted by castlebravo at 6:01 PM on November 8, 2009

Macaulay Culkin's characer from The Good Son
posted by swbarrett at 6:03 PM on November 8, 2009

Bernard and Bonzo from Ender's Game. Achilles from Ender's Shadow.
posted by casualinference at 6:15 PM on November 8, 2009

Instantly thought of that bitch Mary from The Children's Hour. You have to watch the whole thing to really understand how awful she is, but this scene gives a nice indication of her charms.
posted by Beardman at 6:56 PM on November 8, 2009

Eustace Scrubb before he finds the dragon's treasure in Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Susan and Scooter from Beverly Cleary's Ramona and Henry books.
posted by brujita at 7:38 PM on November 8, 2009

Max and Moritz, two 19th century Germans comic characters who end up getting thrown into a flour mill by an annoyed adult. previously on the blue
posted by ropeladder at 7:44 PM on November 8, 2009

I want to say Danny Partridge, but I suspect he was more of a smartass than an actually bad kid. Maybe someone with firmer memories of the early 70s can elaborate.
posted by Rumple at 11:21 PM on November 8, 2009

Carmelita Spats from A Series of Unfortunate Events.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:08 AM on November 9, 2009

Adrian Mole? Really? He's not a bad kid.

Barry Kent, who bullies him, is a good one for your list though.
posted by Ziggy500 at 6:38 AM on November 9, 2009

Many, many good selections here, although I only "best answered" a few. Thanks to everyone!
posted by Unsomnambulist at 3:26 PM on November 9, 2009

Eddie Haskell from Leave It to Beaver.
posted by tamitang at 6:35 PM on November 9, 2009

Wendy in Blubber.
posted by brujita at 10:24 PM on November 15, 2009