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{{quote|''Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces''
''while handicapped people make handicapped faces.''
''I'm an asshole!''
''I'm an asshole!''|'''[[Denis Leary]]'''|''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}UrgpZ0fUixs Asshole]''}}
 
A '''Jerkass''' (a portmanteau of "jerk" and "jackass") is a character who is sodefined completelyby obnoxiousbeing thatcompletely itunkind, isintolerant, unbelievablesmug anyoneand wouldhaving willinglyno interactregard withfor him; letanyone's facewell-being, itopinions or else. Technically, thisthey characterrelish isin schadenfreude incarnate.
 
Jerkasses come in many shapes and sizes: some don't even bother trying to conceal how reprehensible they are - often times, these types are portrayed as outwardly sanctimonious, bigoted and intolerant of anyone who does things they don't like and tend to be crass, foul-mouthed and unapproachable in general. Others hide their rotten true colors behind a false front of good manners and charm, while indulging in their true behavior more covertly.
There can be numerous types of Jerkasses - some are polite, intelligent, charming, handsome and/or brave, but still give off a basic air of arrogant, snobby, sneering, leering prickery that makes them such a nasty little punk that you wonder why nobody's shanked them or busted a cap in their skull yet. Others are more obvious assholes who may be racist, stupid, or just basically unpleasant. Either way, it's usually their status on the team of "good guy" that results in them never being called out on it. After all, if they were an asshole on team "bad guy", they'd just be a villain.
 
When something bad happens to these kinds of characters, the likelihood of it eliciting sympathy for them is very slim. More often than not, it'll be seen as well-deserved [[Laser-Guided Karma]] if the character makes no effort in trying to correct their behavior. This makes them being on the receiving end of the [[Humiliation Conga]] or being an [[Asshole Victim]] all the more cathartic.
What makes him or her entertaining is the fact that you don't have to deal with them yourself in real life. Usually, the [[Rule of Funny]] enables the people around the person to be able to live under the same roof as them without, y'know, blowing their brains out. Sometimes, the Jerkass is the [[Plucky Comic Relief]] who's stepped off the beam and become [[The Scrappy]], in which case the [[Rule of Funny]] fades away; they may be okay in the other characters' eyes, but the audience would still love to punch them in the face. Because of this, it's hard to feel sorry for them when something bad does happen to them, and it is often seen as comeuppance.
 
Another defining trait of the Jerkass is their complete lack of self-awareness and a deliberate ignorance to what other people really think of them. Most of the time, they genuinely believe that only they're right and have an immense stubbornness about admitting their flaws, unless doing so would make them look better than others. More often than not, these characters are [[Lack of Empathy|mostly, or entirely devoid of compassion]].
This is especially disconcerting in any series following a team that needs to be coordinated and would realistically not put up with this kind of behavior. This can also happen with a hardass or [[Grumpy Bear|grouchy]] character who becomes an obstacle to others rather than [[Commander Contrarian|providing pragmatic, but perhaps unpopular, advice]]. In films, they often get their comeuppance in the end, which will be applauded by the audience.
 
If they're ever called out, expect them to [[Jerk Justifications|reject it and trivialize it before continuing to do their thing]]. When exaggerated, this kind of behavior can devolve into [[The Sociopath|sociopathy]].
The single factor that pushes a merely annoying character over the line into full-time Jerkass status is their absolute obliviousness to other people's perceptions of them. [[Moral Myopia|Nothing they do ever strikes them]] as [[Disproportionate Retribution|out of proportion]]; they never realize that anything they are doing might ''ever'' be considered inappropriate, excessive, or cruel; in fact, they believe [[It's All About Me|they are actually right and everyone around them is in the wrong]]. If anyone ever does call them out on their Jerkassery, expect them to [[Jerk Justifications|just rationalize it or shrug the accusation off]]. If the writers don't put it in check and just keep trying to one-up the character's assholishness, it can deterioate into [[The Sociopath]].
 
Many villains, [[The Bully|bullies]] and [[Hate Sink]] characters tick every box for this trope.
Often the result of [[Flanderization]] or [[Madden Into Misanthropy]].
 
'''Common variations include:'''
On the off chance that something happens to [[Pygmalion Plot|nice-ify or remove]] the Jerkass, the other characters will be relieved at first, but will proclaim "[[We Want Our Jerk Back]]" by episode's end.
* [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]]: A character puts on a false front of politeness and sophistication to cover up their genuinely foul behavior.
* [[Hidden Heart of Gold]]: The Jerkass in question does have a caring side, albeit one that they don't want to be known.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: A [[Subversion]]. The character displays some, or most, of the key traits of the Jerkass, but the character mitigates them by actually being kind-hearted, self-aware and valiant in spite of their crotchety behavior.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Jerk]]: A [[Double Subversion]]. It turns out the character had ulterior motives for coming across as kind, and is actually just as bad as, if not worse than, initially assumed.
 
See also [[The Jerk Index]].▼
[[The Neidermeyer]] is a military-specific version of this character type. Similarly, the [[Unsatisfiable Customer]] is frequently this in a restaurant or retail scenario. [[Troll|Internet trolls]] can be a [[Real Life]] example, and rely on [[GIFT]] anonymity to get away with what they do.
 
{{noreallife| We do not wish to have any [[Flame War]]s erupting here about the matter and many Jerkass attitudes in [[Real Life]] tend to be rather subjective.}} Not to mention that some people that call out someone as a Jerkass [[Hypocrite|tend to do it in a Jerkass-like attitude themselves]], and that just makes our heads spin.▼
The [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk, being a basically nice person underneath despite a rough outside. When a character is intentionally pretending to be a Jerkass in order to keep people from getting close to him for whatever reason, he's putting up a [[Jerkass Facade]]. Keep in mind that pretty much everybody on a show acts like a jerk at some point, such as when the [[Butt Monkey]] gets pushed too far, but this does not make them a Jerkass.
 
{{examples on subpages}}
A [[Mary Sue]] with Jerkass traits is a [[Jerk Sue]]. If a character is a Jerkass hiding behind a nice person facade, it's a [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]].
 
Self-serving Jerkass who measures out "justified retribution" against their victim of the day for a perceived slight? They're either [[Karmic Tricksters]] or [[Chaotic Neutral]] and therefore made of at least 65% grade A Jerkass. The remainder are the good things which keep them from falling into [[Chaotic Evil]] territory though not by much given the rarity of their presence.
 
If you still root for them in spite of their apparent lack of redeeming qualities, it's [[Draco in Leather Pants]]. If it's clear they really are a jerk but nonetheless have redeeming qualities and a [[Dark and Troubled Past]], you've got a [[Jerkass Woobie]].
 
Often relies on [[Jerkass Dissonance]] for popularity, both in fiction and in [[Real Life]].
 
There is a certain level of subjectivity in this trope. One troper may find character X to be a total Jerkass wheras another troper may find character X to be the [[Only Sane Man]] in a [[Crapsack World]] using [[Deadpan Snarker|snarky complaining]] to keep his sanity. This can be boiled down to [[Values Dissonance|members of the audience having different values]] and thus judging the same character traits differently. As such, with all examples listed below, [[Your Mileage May Vary]].
 
▲See also [[The Jerk Index]].
 
▲{{noreallife| We do not wish to have any [[Flame War]]s erupting here about the matter and many Jerkass attitudes in [[Real Life]] tend to be rather subjective.}} Not to mention that some people that call out someone as a Jerkass [[Hypocrite|tend to do it in a Jerkass-like attitude themselves]], and that just makes our heads spin.
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:This Index Means Trouble]]
[[Category:Tropes of Legend]]
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[[Category:Character Flaw Index]]
[[Category:Truth in Television]]
[[Category:Ice Queen Characters]]
▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:The Jerk Index]]
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