Canny Jerk

I write quite often about the canny dope, the apparently clueless character who nevertheless occasionally says insightful, wise things. Kyle Anderson from Last Man Standing is a good example.

A variation on the canny dope is the canny jerk. The canny jerk is the character who other characters dislike or disrespect or avoid or barely tolerate. He or she is often quite smart but also rude, valueless, mean, whiny, self-pitying, etc.

Rimmer from Red Dwarf is a great example.

My example here is Herb Tarlek from WKRP in Cincinnati. Herb isn't mean but he is all of the above as well as lazy, defensive, a blamer, selfish, thoughtless, tactless, licentious . . .

He is also fundamentally sweet, as Jennifer recognizes. And he often addresses things as they are. My favorite example is when Jennifer loses the rich, old dude who squired her about town. Everyone else hmms and haws and gets uncomfortable. They don't know what to say. Herb walks right in and says:

Herb: Hey, Jenny, I didn't get a chance to tell you how sorry I am that that Colonel guy bought the farm. Hey, he had a long life, a lot of dough, he got to go out with you, caught the big bus while he was eating in the best joint in town. Not bad, if you ask me!