User blog comment:Asylum117/Why I don't like Lori Loud/@comment-31022739-20170726162428

Lori Loud is literally (See what I did there?) my favorite character in the show. She's someone who does a lot to subvert the generic "eldest sister/phoneholic" stereotype without completely straying away from the beats, making a blend of familiarity and surprises.

Her choleric disposition is off-putting to a lot of people, yes, but I think it makes her interesting and a real treat to watch. I mean, come on, somebody's got to react to having such a large family in a not-so positive way from time to time and Lori is someone who I think fits that role perfectly. Sure, some people may find that she's abusive but there are episodes that give credence to Lori's iron fist mentality, which adds layers to her adherence to her dracoian methods beyond "I'm the oldest and what I say goes".

As the eldest sister, she has to assume a lot of responsibility and keep her younger siblings in check (i.e. "No Guts, No Glori). Is she always the nicest when she does it? No, but quite honestly, I don't get the obsession that people have with "nice" characters. That's not to say that nice characters are bad but it shouldn't be the be-all, end-all of how a character's worth is determined. Luan, for instance, is "nice" and she's my least favorite Loud sister because of how one-note she is and how she needs to play off of other people to make her presence interesting. In short, I'd rather have an interesting, mean character than one that's nice but boring one.

Plus, there is some character development for her that I think makes her all the more endearing. "Driving Miss Hazy", for instance, is where he see Lori at probably her lowest point; she admits she's insecure and there's the fact that her actions could've caused not just Leni but other people plenty of harm. But the thing is, Lori's need to be relied on clouds her judgment and makes her do a rash decision. It's nice seeing character motivation behind what people do and while that still may no excuse what she does for some people, that's just fine by me because I don't need validation, I want a story and one that makes me appreciate the characters involved. So, if that means making someone, Lori in this case, not Miss. Goody-Two Shoes, than so be it. I don't count a characters "sins" against them if it means the writersmake an effort for me to understand them and if there's something that the show always does, it's to try and make us understand Lori.

And to be honest, whenever she's a jerk, most of the time, it's done with a sarcastic quip or comment, which honestly, I think is hilarious. It's just the type of humor that I dig and Lori supplies it in spades. And when she's not dishing out snark, she has over-the-top emotional outbursts, which I usually find to be pretty entertaining.

The only time where Lori really bothered me was in "Study Muffin", where she shamelessly flirts around with Hugh behind Bobby's back. Other than that, I enjoy her for the humor she brings to the table as she reacts to the world around her in her usual disposition and to the genuinely heartwarming moments she inspires when she's not such a curmudgeon. With so much going for her, her having her own unique "talent" is window dressing rather than an urgent, substantial fixture that HAS to be added onto her. She doesn't need a quirk to be interesting because her personality is already engaing enough for me to find both entertaining to watch and fascinating enough for me to dissect and make my own spin on her motivations with headcanon and fanfictions (i.e. "Babysitter From Heaven).