Bullies are not only confined to the school playground but tend to show up in the most unlikely places. Obviously, the popular culture is quick enough to bombard unsuspecting teens with new fads. It is then no surprise that pop culture has also tried addressing the bullying phenomenon and has projected this culture on the big cinema screens. Here’s a list of some famous bullies in movies/pop culture.

Nelson Muntz (The Simpsons):

Young Nelson is the main bully and antagonist of the series. He is the ring leader of the bullies at Springfield Elementary School where he studies in the fourth grade. The most amazing thing is that he is the youngest among his bully peers but is usually independent of the larger group. Nelson also has the privilege of being Bart Simpson’s arch-enemy and later becomes friends with him.

Johnny Lawrence (The Karate Kid):

Johnny is an upper-middle/upper class high school senior at West Valley High School and is an exceptional martial artist. He learned karate from sensei John Kreese, a sadistic Vietnam veteran with anger management issues, who teaches a ruthless style of karate with the mottos of “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy”, “Mercy is for the weak” and “The enemy deserves no mercy”. Imagine how his students must have turned out. So Johnny follows the footsteps of his master and manages to become a seasoned bully with the help of some deadly moves.

Biff Tannen (Back to the Future):

He was not very bright as a student and only got through high school by bullying George McFly to do his homework for him. He also took immense pleasure in verbally attacking McFly by calling him an “Irish bug”. He was feared by his classmates and also managed to form a gang of bullies.

Simon Cowell:

You don’t have to see far in order to notice the bully inside Simon Cowell because you only have to watch some back episodes of the famous singing competition American Idol and X Factor. The British music executive is considered to be an insulting judge who snaps at contestants and spews poison from his mouth. His behavior has been defined as malicious and health-endangering, yet he remains unscathed by all the criticism.

Gordon Ramsey:

He is a celebrity chef and has been running his own cooking show named ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. He shouts and swears at budding young chefs to the point where they break down completely. Celebrities figures humiliating junior staff is all the rage on TV nowadays and encourages young bullies to follow in their example to achieve success. So, how to prevent bullying when the media is airing programs that promote the idea?

Nurse Mildred Ratched (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest):

She is the primary antagonist of the famous book and the movie. She is head nurse at a mental institution where she works and is one of the top five villains/bullies of all time. Her sadistic outlook towards life and passive-aggressive tyranny form her personality. When things don’t go according to her plans, she exerts her authority over the ward inmates and her henchmen.

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