Even when compared to other reality series, the 90 Day Fiance franchise has a lot of bad behavior.
Some stars stand out from others, staging foul-mouthed meltdowns over fan criticism.
Angela Deem is only one polarizing figure among many in the franchise.
But a recent fan poll identified the chainsmoking grandmother as the most hated of them all.
To be clear, before we get into the poll itself and how Angela earned this title, she wasn’t alone in the running.
There were others who scored very highly on the poll.
Notably, Elizabeth Potthast’s sisters, Jenn and Becky, were included in the poll as a single item — and received a lot of votes.
(Honestly, I personally like them and think that they do a great job of being entertaining while causing trouble)
Another high score was also a dual entry of Asuelu’s mother, Lesina, and his sister, Tammy.
After their explosive conflict on the latest episode, it’s no shock to see fans express their contempt.
But neither of those voting categories, even though they combined stars (and may have had an edge because of that), won.
Angela did, as a single entry, not needing anyone else to get those hate-votes.
See the poll results from Reddit for yourself:
Conspicuously, there was one person — or arguably, one couple — oddly left out of the poll.
There were plenty of relatives like Becky, Jenn, Trish, Lesina, and Tammy on the list.
But where were Betty the pathological narcissist and Ron? Do they not get any credit for their relentless villainy?
Needless to say, it was not a scientific poll — nor was it intended to be.
Reddit is (thankfully) not a representative sampling of anything, and the poll options were off.
Also, clearly, it only includes stars of this season of Happily Ever After?, not the franchise as a whole.
However, you can see why Angela’s name so quickly rose to the top.
There is an active campaign by fans and viewers who want her fired from the franchise.
It’s not because she annoys them. It’s not because she makes mistakes. It’s because she’s a bad person.
The main issue with Angela is the way that she treats Michael.
Without exaggeration, literal war criminals should not be spoken to the way that she speaks to him.
He is her husband, and her treatment is both verbal and emotional abuse. Nothing about it is okay.
Angela will, at the slightest provocation (real or imagined), scream insults and obscenities at Michael.
She does this over the phone. She does this in person.
Angela mocks and belittles him, alone or in front of others, on camera or off camera.
Angela has actively worked to sabotage Michael’s social contacts.
She has demanded that he not see friends of his.
She has also screamed and yelled at him for entirely innocent conversations with women.
Angela keeps Michael walking on eggshells, afraid of "setting her off" by displeasing or questioning her.
There is a method to her madness, whether she knows it or not.
Like other abusers, Angela’s goal is to make Michael obedient, having him anticipate her needs and silence his own in order to keep her happy.
At times, fans have understandably questioned whether Angela fully understands that other people have their own thoughts and feelings.
She does not act like she is aware of this.
Either that or she knows but simply does not care about other people.
On top of her treatment of Michael, Angela is also an avid smoker.
That could be a personal choice, but it’s not — because she does not do it alone.
She smokes in cars, in hotel rooms, in the house with her grandchildren, and before that, in the house with her ailing (now late) mother.
Angela’s off-screen behavior has also raised alarms among those who keep up with her on social media.
Why, people wonder, would Angela party with a convicted child-molester, let alone allow the predator around her grandchildren?
Yes, Angela’s daughter Scottie (not Skyla) went to prison for sexually preying upon a minor boy. Does Angela even care?
Angela is not a good person and deserves the contempt of fans and the campaign to have her fired.
However, fans hoping that the Reddit poll speaks for the broader fandom may be in for a rude awakening.
Had the poll been conducted on a platform that skews much older (and often whiter), such as Facebook, the results might be very different.