MovieChat Forums > Vinyl (2016) Discussion > Why do people hate Richie so much?

Why do people hate Richie so much?

posted 9 years ago by ellissmith8
15 replies | jump to latest

I've seen a lot of people say that they despise Richie and that he's completely unlikeable.
I dont understand the hate - yes he's an *beep* to almost everyone - but he's passionate isn't he? He could have made a fortune easily by selling ACR in the first ep but he sticks his middle finger up to the corporate/sellout way and believes in the music. Surely that's at least one (and very big) redeeming factor for him in the fact that he cares about what he's doing, rather than making a quick buck.
Thats my thoughts anyway, anyone else feel this way?

[–] death-to-neds 9 years ago

He certainly has a lot of *beep* moments but I don't find him that unlikeable. Bobby Cannanvale is excellent. Made me a fan of him. The facial expressions he makes in the first episode during the new york dolls show were priceless.

[–] ellissmith8 9 years ago

I agree, I dont think Richie could have been cast better

[–] StarryEyes1 9 years ago

Love Bobby. Excellent actor and so handsome. Rose Byrne is a lucky lady.

[–] clogan8307 9 years ago

He's perfect for the role (for any role he plays) because he's that great of an actor. But his character isn't very likable unless you enjoy being around drug addicts who'll gamble away $100,000 and then protect himself by allowing his friend to take the blame for it. He is a man of very little discipline and self control, sober or not. Kind of reminds me of the father on Shameless. With that said, Cannavale is doing a great job playing him.

[–] MongoLloyd 9 years ago

he's passionate isn't he

About f( )cking up, yes. I'm not a big fan of films that feature a protagonist who is just constantly f( )cking up, like non stop. He could still be drawn into all the drama and it could still be compelling without him being a total loser also.

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[–] austin_vindiesellvr_2000 9 years ago

The character Ritchie is a junkie,whoring, selfish, lying, murdering, backstabbing jerk. There are anti heroes and then you got this dude. Smh. I will still watch the show though.

[–] DreamsAgain 9 years ago

Austin-V,
Yup, Richie is all those things you said.
(PS: Cannavale is a good actor to have to play such an out of control person,btw).
Anyhow, like you, I am going to keep watching this tv show until the bitter end.
I've invested my time into the characters and sub-plots (etc), and plus, this show is actually growing on me now. (And I like all the Music, here and there & everywhere).
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[–] eadverts 9 years ago

I'm not gay but Bobby Cannavale is sexy as fyyck in this role. And he is not a complete douche all the time. just most of the time. but it's because he's troubled not because he wants to be a douche. being douche y is his out for his emotional crippled-ness

Who took my toast?

[–] WonderBurstAnger 9 years ago

Because he is so nice.

[–] tenant13 9 years ago

He's been a train wreck ruining his life and everyone's around him. Despite all the declaration to the contrary. Each episode shows him getting deeper and deeper into trouble so It's easy to get tired with a character like that. But at the same time it's clear that he cares about music more than anything else. And that's what I think makes him likable after all. HBO always builds their characters slowly. First seasons are pretty much set ups for what's about to come.

[–] PseudoFilmCritic 9 years ago

Buck Rogers was far more unlikable, a true monster of his own making. The singer for Nasty Bits isn't that bad either.

Jerry at the Movies
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[–] nologozone 9 years ago

I think we are supposed to hate him. He is a very unlikeable character. In a 2 hour movie, that kind of character usually redeems himself in the end, and as an audience, we sort of expect that to happen, so we cut an unlikeable character some slack and wait for the redemption.

In a TV series, we can't sustain an unlikeable character week after week after week. I think that's why so many people hate him. Richie never seems to change or improve. There is no character arc. He's just an a-hole all the time.

[–] drakescake333 9 years ago

He does a lot of despicable things but for some reason, I still sort of like him. It's almost like he's so blinded by his own tunnel vision that many times he THINKS he's doing a good thing but then someone else ends up suffering because of it. He does all the drugs to dull his own pain and whatever guilt he feels. There were times he could've turned his back on certain people but in the end, he stayed kind of loyal. He's someone you love to hate but hate to love. Which makes his character so compelling - and a big reason I kept watching. Like, what was this guy going to do NEXT? Lots of OMG and WTF moments! LOL!

The government is in cold storage at Roswell. Aliens are running Washington.

[–] pappa-b-bear 9 years ago

I don't want writers to write for an audience, including me. I want them to tell the story they want to tell. If I don't like it, I can watch something else.

[–] MileHighBlueberryPie 9 years ago

He's guilt ridden, trying to whiteknuckle through his addictions, but failing due to not having necessary coping skills which leads to relapses and intense drug abuse. Someone who's never been there (or educated themselves on tales of those who were) usually wouldn't understand the how's and why's and just take the addict's actions at face value, hence judging them.