Bosses We Love to Hate
As a general rule, people like to complain. We say we don't, but we do. We watch scary movies even though we're covering our eyes half the time screaming about how dumb the characters are. We can't stop listening to talk radio even though we're dismayed at what the pundits say. We go to bars even though we insist we'll never meet anyone worth our time.
We also can't resist horrible bosses. Real or fictitious, bad bosses are the car wrecks that make us rubberneck, disgusted by what we see but in awe of their grotesqueness. They allow us to think up great kiss-off speeches that we'll never say in real life ... but, man, it feels great to think about it anyway.
Here are a few bad bosses who never fail to raise your ire:
Donald Trump
Trump is a polarizing figure you either admire or revile. None of that matters, of course, because he loves himself more than anyone else can -- and that's part of the fun. The man knows how to self-promote, whether through his own TV show, feuds with other celebrities or his real-estate business. As much as you say you dislike him, you can't stop paying attention to the man whose image is as flashy as his namesake skyscrapers.
Ebenezer Scrooge
Every holiday season you can't go a few minutes without encountering some form of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Theaters, movies and TV shows have put their own spins on the tale of the miser who learns that friends and family are more important than money. Although we despise him in the beginning, we know he'll eventually come around to appreciate Bob Cratchit and give us a warm, fuzzy feeling all over. Plus, we like to think that even the meanest of bosses has the potential to grow a heart after all.
Jack Donaghy
Alec Baldwin's role as corporate head honcho Jack Donaghy on "30 Rock" is angering, frightening and hilarious. He's angering because he's thinking with his checkbook when everybody else is thinking with their heads; frightening because he reminds us that his real-life counterparts do use their business power to influence our entertainment and politics; and hilarious because his demanding ways turn Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) into an endearing, neurotic mess.
Leona Helmsley
I know you're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but in the case of this real estate billionaire, I think we've found the exception. Notorious for being less than amiable toward humans, Helmsley was equally infamous for loving her pets. Even now, a year after her death, she's making headlines for bequeathing $12 million to her beloved dog, Trouble, and leaving somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 billion to $8 billion to the "care and welfare of dogs." While no one begrudges her charity to animals, her noticeable disinterest in human welfare -- both in her life and afterlife -- is too much to comprehend. Just when we think we've seen all she has to offer, she keeps enraging us.
Mark Cuban
The techie billionaire and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team has gained a reputation as a rebel among his starched-shirt peers. He cheers courtside in a Mavericks jersey during games, and rants and raves about the final score at press conferences and on his personal blog. While he sometimes makes you wish he'd sit in the skybox and keep his mouth closed instead of stealing the spotlight from his team, you can't help but admire his enthusiasm and the way he makes the normally reserved establishment squirm.
Miranda Priestly
As we watched "The Devil Wears Prada," we spent the entire time wondering why anybody would put up with the rude demands of fashionista Miranda Priestly, played by a chilly Meryl Streep. We wanted to shake Anne Hathaway's Andy and tell her that no job is worth that much stress. Of course, we kept watching just to see how demanding Miranda would get and how long people would put up with her antics.
Nina Garcia
The magazine editor's stint on "Project Runway" has earned her a reputation as the judge whose critiques are harsh but ultimately spot on. So while we cringe when she makes our favorite designers weep on the runway, we also find ourselves nodding in agreement that, yes, that dress is as boring as she said.