Clint Eastwood’s empty chair: We love your films Clint, but your politics are a mumbly mess. And your seriously odd RNC act, in which you pretended to be lecturing an imaginary Obama who was cursing at you, tainted your legacy and may have damaged Romney’s presidential aspirations.
Allen West: The Tea Party congressman didn’t just wear out his welcome with us, he also alienated voters in his own district despite spending $18 million on his re-election campaign. Apparently hurling insults at your fellow lawmakers and the president of the United States doesn’t pay off.
Kevin Clash: The puppeteer who helped turned Elmo into one of the most beloved children’s characters of all time was once a source of pride and admiration. But after at least four different men accused him of having sexual relationships with them when they were underage — a different image of Clash emerged. It cost him his career and our respect.
Rick Santorum: Believe it or not this ultra-conservative former senator was once a legit contender for the GOP nomination for president. But when you say “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them other people’s money,” it’s hard to take you seriously.
Nicki Minaj: Just a couple years ago, Nicki Minaj was one of the most exciting new acts in hip-hop. But then she started releasing variations of the same album over and over, and each one was more irritating than the last. Her antics have become more desperate than dynamic this year.
Artur Davis: The former Alabama congressman became a Republican this year — good for him — but why? His argument that somehow Obama governed more to the left than he anticipated just didn’t hold up to scrutiny and Davis came off more like an opportunist instead of sincere political player.
Mitt Romney: Speaking of insincerity, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney raised the bar for campaign honesty. From his ’47 percent’ gaffe to his post-election griping, no one is lamenting the loss of a Romney presidency now.
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon’s ‘relationship’: Are they former lovers, or are they brother and sister, or are they both? Consider us repulsed any which way you put it.
Donald Trump: We wished the reality TV real estate mogul would stay in 2011…but alas he continued to spend much of this year questioning the president’s citizenship and the legitimacy of his re-election. Put a sock in it Donald!
Stacey Dash: The former ‘Single Ladies’ star alienated much of her fanbase with her shallow and unnecessary endorsement of the Romney-Ryan ticket. Her promo video for a show called ‘Stacey Dash Is Normal’ didn’t do her any favors either.
Ted Nugent: This washed up ‘rocker’ started off the year by vaguely threatening the president’s life and ended it by calling his re-election a victory for ‘pimps, hos and welfare cheats.’ Stay classy Ted.
Butt Injectors: These purveyors of illegal and frequently dangerous butt enhancement surgeries made a lot of headlines this year. Their actions are beyond cynical, they’re sickening.
Katt Williams: It seemed like every week this troubled comedian was either hitting someone or getting in a high speed chase or just failing to show up in court for one of his many petty crimes. This is no longer a laughing matter.
Ann Coulter: This right wing pundit lives to provoke, but her latest book ‘Race’ was the last straw. Choosing to revise history (and overlook decades of policy, facts), she attempted to paint Republicans as the truly pro-civil rights party. Nice try.
Republicans on rape: First it started with GOP senatorial candidate Todd Akin, who claimed women could internally prevent a pregnancy after they were raped. Indiana’s Richard Mourdock appeared to go ever further, calling a woman’s rape “God’s plan.” Neither won in 2012, hopefully we won’t see their political resurrection anytime soon.
John Sununu: An old school GOP operative, Sununu was one of Mitt Romney’s most outspoken (and outrageous) surrogates. Sununu had no qualms about calling the president of the United States “lazy” and saying he didn’t know what it means to be an “American.” Shame on you Sununu.
Voula Papachristou: This Greek triple jumper blew her chance to win gold at the Olympic Games in London after she tweeted racist invective against African immigrants and aligned herself with her country’s extremist right wing party.
Chad Johnson: Forget the name change stupidity, it was the former NFL star’s embarrassing public spat with on-again, off-again girlfriend Evelyn Lozada that cost him dearly this year. He is still in search of a team willing to sign him.
Cornel West: The former Princeton professor’s disdain for President Barack Obama and anyone who appears to support him reached new, obnoxious heights this year. He lost us when he started calling Obama a “Republican in blackface.”
Chris Brown and Rihanna: Are they back together? Are they friends? Are they fighting? Are they just sleeping together? Who cares!
It’s that time of year folks — when we like to reflect on the triumphs and tragedies of the year as it comes to a close.
No will forget the icons we lost, the stories that shaped our world and the landmarks in politics, the arts and culture from 2012.
But of course, with almost every narrative there is a seedy underbelly. We must not forget the figures which made the past year most unpleasant, even though we’d like to.
So without further ado, please check out our slideshow of the famous faces we’d like a reprieve from seeing in the new year, although something tells us we won’t be so lucky.
