History Main / PointyHairedBoss

* Cave Johnson from ''VideoGame/Portal2'' combines this trope with MadScientist for a CrazyAwesome blend of gross fiscal mismanagement, InhumanResources, and revolutionary super-science wasted because he can't figure out what it might be actually good for (e.g. marketing gel that bounces with 100% elasticity as a dietary supplement).

* Mr. Kornada from ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' takes this trope UpToEleven: he was repeatedly KickedUpstairs despite his rampant incompetence in the vain hopes that another company might try to hire him. Not only does he follow the MeanBoss archetype in general, he makes it a ''point of pride'' not to know anything about his work, let alone anyone else's -- which nearly leads to the entire colony collapsing.

* ''Film/{{Ted}}'': Ted's boss at the Bay Colony grocery store. He hires Ted after he claims to have slept with his wife. When he finds Ted [[MakingLoveInAllTheWringPlaces having sex with his girlfriend on top of the produce]], his response is to ''promote'' him. Even Ted points out the guy has problems.

* ''Film/{{Ted}}'': Ted's boss at the Bay Colony grocery store. When he finds Ted [[MakingLoveInAllTheWringPlaces having sex with his girlfriend on top of the produce]], his response is to ''promote'' him. Even Ted points out how messed up that is.

* ''Film/NineToFive''. Franklin Hart: [[ArcWords sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot]], and the boss of the three main characters.

* ''Series/PieInTheSky'': Assistant Chief Constable Fisher has risen to his current rank by politicking and taking credit for the hard work of others, primarily Detective Inspector Crabbe. He is often seen trying to manipulate events to his own advantage, with a tendency for his manipulations to blow up in his face.

* Kenzou Momoi from ''Manga/ServantXService'' is more benevolent that the usual example, but no less incompetent. Appearing in the form of a remote-controlled stuffed rabbit, he is never seen doing any office work and is as prone to slacking off as the BrilliantButLazy Hasebe. He seems concerned about his subordinates' well-being, but usually expresses this by pestering them while they need to focus on their jobs and becoming their HeadPet. When he was accidentally kidnapped/sold by a kid who thought he was a normal stuffed animal, his subordinates agree that they're not missing anything in his absence. They only get him back out of obligation rather than any sort of urgency.

* [[SmallNameBigEgo Oscar's]] FatBastard boss, Sykes from ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale''.

** Adams draws just about ''every'' manager with pointy hair. A minimum of 99% of them are lesser reflections of the original. Interestingly the PHB was originally an unnamed balding manager who was more [[CharacterizationMarchesOn cruel than stupid]]. Then one day Adams accidentally drew the hair on the sides of his head slightly pointy and thought the resemblance to devil horns to be eerily appropriate. Then he started making him gradually more stupid while his hair kept getting pointier. And the rest is history. There's been the odd strip that actually ''sympathizes'' with the PHB and have him getting angry or frustrated for good reason. Presumably such instances come from the occasions when Adams solicits ideas from his readers, and a boss or manager was the one who got his attention.

* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'' revolves around one of these running a previously ordinary leisure center. Gordon Brittas can, through sheer tactlessness and incompetence, induce psychological breakdown in pretty much anyone who vists the center. He stops by groups of happy people to offer well-meant "words of encouragement" and they storm off crying. He insults visitors until they're willing to pull a gun over a dispute about a cup of coffee. He tries to settle a problem with an unruly child, and ends up getting the center attacked by a Roman Recreational Society complete with ''war-elephants''. His behavior did inspire many people to have the "I Spy Brittas" game where they have company outings to his center and score points every time they witness his various hand gestures and idiosyncratic tics and hear his various speeches. Bonus points if you get him to talk about ''The Dream''.

* Nobles in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' tend to be like this. For instance, nobles will periodically ban and unban the export of their favorite types of materials (like iron). So, if the noble has recently unbanned the export of iron, you might take the chance to sell some iron items to a caravan... only to have the noble re-ban iron ''after the caravan has packed up and is heading off'', but before they disappear off the edge of your settlement. Once that caravan disappears off the edge of your settlement, whoever helped export the iron will be punished. They will also mandate the production of goods according to their preferences, with zero respect for feasibility. Glass items will be mandated in locations with no sand to speak of, and occasionally you'll get mandates for things made of slade, which is incredibly rare and cannot be mined or worked. Nobles with inconvenient preferences thus tend to sufffer Unfortunate Accidents, like being given a room that turns out to be a drowning chamber.

* Nobles in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' tend to be like this. For instance, nobles will periodically ban and unban the export of their favorite types of materials (like iron). So, if the noble has recently unbanned the export of iron, you might take the chance to sell some iron items to a caravan... only to have the noble re-ban iron ''after the caravan has packed up and is heading off'', but before they disappear off the edge of your settlement. Once that caravan disappears off the edge of your settlement, whoever helped export the iron will be punished.

** ''Literature/NightWatch'' gives us two examples in the past version of the title organization. The first is Captain Tilden, a decent enough man who was a competent military leader, but is woefully unqualified to run a police organization. The (largely [[CorruptCop corrupt]]) Watch runs rings around him. Later on he is replaced with the future Lord Rust, a GeneralFailure who is a far more dangerous sort of stupid. Vimes winds up laying him out with a single punch and effectively taking command himself (which he was arguably doing anyway under Tilden).

[[TropeNamer Though not unheard of]], this trope [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant has nothing to do with]] actual, [[ShonenHair pointy-haired]] bosses or {{Boss Battle}}s.

** Michael Scott is a classic illustration of ThePeterPrinciple: he was (and is) a genuinely superb salesman, which got him promoted to the post of Regional Manager -- a job he is absolutely unqualified for. Though he can be selfish and petty, his employees are generally competent and sometimes back him when it's important enough. His evil tendencies fade over time, but his general inability to manage remains. His branch is always one of the top performers within the company.
** Andy Bernard is (along with Pam) the weakest paper salesman, but he gets promoted to regional manager. He terminates a major account on a technicality and the office works better during the three months he's not there.

** ''Any'' commanding officer other than [[AFatherToHisMen Colonel Potter]] usually got portrayed this way. Major Winchester would abuse the position to wallow in perks and creature comforts which he felt were his due.

[[TropeNamer Though not unheard of]], this trope [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant has nothing to do with actual]] [[ShonenHair pointy-haired]] [[BossBattle bosses]].

All too often this is TruthInTelevision. Compare with the military's GeneralFailure. Shares a lot of overlap with a CluelessBoss.

* Hamnpork, leader of the Clan in ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'', didn't take the shift to sentience particularly well, being fairly old at the time. By the time the book rolls around, Hamnpork is reduced to being a figurehead for Peaches and Darktan. However, unlike most pointy-haired bosses, Hamnpork is well aware that his leadership qualifications are from a different time, and while he is clearly unhappy about it, he is willing to let Darktan and Peaches call the shots and quietly groom Darktan as his successor. Also, while Hamnpork isn't much of a peacetime leader, he ''is'' a highly competent scrapper and solid, if unimaginative, small-unit tactician (he managed to gain and hold authority well into his old age, at a time when AsskickingEqualsAuthority was in full effect) and puts those skills to good use when called upon to do so.

** ''Discworld/NightWatch'' gives us two examples in the past version of the title organization. The first is Captain Tilden, a decent enough man who was a competent military leader, but is woefully unqualified to run a police organization. The (largely [[CorruptCop corrupt]]) Watch runs rings around him. Later on he is replaced with the future Lord Rust, a GeneralFailure who is a far more dangerous sort of stupid. Vimes winds up laying him out with a single punch and effectively taking command himself (which he was arguably doing anyway under Tilden).
** Many books involving Vimes have him involved with pointy-haired bosses somehow, usually in the form of the Ankh-Morpork aristocracy or Military figures. He usually tends to tell them what they want to hear and ends up doing what he was going to do anyway by deliberately misinterpreting orders. (And while Vetinari ''isn't'' a PHB, [[Discworld/{{Jingo}} he knows enough about how Vimes usually acts]] that he gives orders that [[BatmanGambit work better when Vimes reacts this way]].)

** Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake exhibited signs of this, as he was a good doctor but an almost criminally incompetent administrator (though not quite as dim as in [[{{Film/Mash}} the movie]]). Radar practically ran the unit, only requiring Blake to sign off on documents. One time he got Blake to sign ''blank'' pieces of paper even as Blake railed about not knowing what he's signing. That said, Blake was never malicious and generally did try to do the right thing even if he didn't know exactly ''how'' to do it.

* Heavily lampshaded with Randy Marsh in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode, "A Nightmare on Facetime".

While ThePeterPrinciple states that all managers are incompetent by definition, TheDilbertPrinciple claims that the most incompetent and irrational workers will be KickedUpstairs where they can no longer disturb the productive flow (at least in theory). This is the origin of the Pointy Haired Boss.

* In ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'', Nozaki's former supervising editor Maeno is one. He is [[ItsAllAboutMe more concerned with himself]] than with his job, and he doesn't seem to realize how much trouble he causes for everyone. Moreover, his incompetency caused several cases of embarrassing misprints (including TyopOnTheCover), and it was implied that he never actually read Nozaki's manuscript at all.

** According to Scott Adams's 1996 book ''The Dilbert Principle'', the truly Pointy-Haired Boss is a reflection of the ''abandonment'' of the aforementioned Peter Principle. In the past, competent people were promoted until they reached a position just barely overreaching their talents; now, however, the ''absolutely'' incompetent are ''immediately'' KickedUpstairs -- where, kept out of contact with the customer base and daily work load, they will do the least harm.
** Adams draws just about ''every'' manager with pointy hair. A minimum of 99% of them are lesser reflections of the original. Interestingly the PHB was originally a unnamed balding manager who was more [[CharacterizationMarchesOn cruel than stupid]]. Then one day Adams accidentally drew the hair on the sides of his head slightly pointy and thought the resemblance to devil horns to be eerily appropriate. Then he started making him gradually more stupid while his hair kept getting pointier. And the rest is history. There's been the odd strip that actually ''sympathizes'' with the PHB and have him getting angry or frustrated for good reason. Presumably such instances come from the occasions when Adams solicits ideas from his readers, and a boss or manager was the one who got his attention.
** Most strips actually are reasonably sympathetic to the PHB, inasmuch as it's not ''his'' fault he's woefully incompetent. Catbert is more explicitly antagonistic; the PHB is just trying to be a manager and failing horribly at it. Then there's the CEO of the company - the guy who the Pointy-Haired Boss reports to - who's just as incompetent as he is, if not more so. In strips where the PHB has to deal with one of his engineers ''and'' people from other departments or companies he is often cast as the OnlySaneMan, since none of them have any social skills whatsoever.

** Adams himself, when running a restaurant, realized that he was becoming a Pointy Haired Boss himself.

* Preben, the owner of the titular radio station in the Norwegian comic strip ''Radio Gaga'', has never had to work a single shift his entire life, partly thanks to his filthy rich father, and partly because that's what his staff's there to save him from. He is usually already [[TheAlcoholic drunk]] by the time he arrives in the morning, a [[HandsomeLech shallow and incorrigible skirt chaser]] who has no problem whatsoever with {{Gold Digger}}s even while he's on the clock, and is so massively out-of-touch with the life of the everyman that he's not even aware of the fact that cars need refuelling. He just buys a new car every time his old one runs out of gas, and assumes everyone else can put up with those kinds of outrageous expenses. Heck, he's barely even aware of what a ''radio'' is, let alone that he's the supposed owner of a radio station.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Fudge is definitely there by the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix fifth book]], though Hagrid's remarks about him in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]] suggest that he was never a particularly effective leader. Even before he [[TookALevelInJerkass takes his level in jerkass]], he is willing to send Hagrid to Azkaban on the mere suspicion of having opened the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]] just so that the Ministry appears to be taking action, and considering the nature of Azkaban, that's not a very nice thing to do.

* In ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', much of the senior staff at Grace Brothers could fit this category. Mr. Rumbold is the most blatant example, but a recurring theme is that ''everyone'' in a position of authority at the store is incompetent in one way or another; Captain Peacock is a blowhard, Mrs. Slocombe is far too self-absorbed to be much help to anything [[DoubleEntendre except for her pussy]], Mr. Grainger is worn-out and well past the point when he should have retired, and Young Mr. Grace is virtually senile. Only [[TheBarnum Mr Humphries]] can handle additional responsibilities while escaping mostly unscathed.

* Captain Brass comes off very much as an incompetent and biased boss in the first episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', but it may just be that his promotion put him in over his head -- when he is demoted to Homicide in the second episode, he becomes every bit the equal to the crime lab folks in professional competence. His demotion to a position of competence is actually a ''violation'' of ThePeterPrinciple; something that is even more rare in real life than it is in fictional entertainment.

* ISO Administrator Mike Goss in ''Series/DefyingGravity''. He grinds subordinates faces in their mistakes while refusing to admit to or back away from his own.

** Detective Gharty is incompetent both as a beat cop ''and'' as the head of IAD, but turns out to be proficient when he finally lands as a homicide detective. When he is finally re-promoted to head the homicide division in the finale movie, he loses some of his competence again, becoming a shill for the department brass. It is noted that he's not entirely incompetent in the role, but in Giardello has some pretty big shoes to fill -- and many of the other detectives note that "he ain't no Gee." Gharty is treated as a rather sympathetic case. While he is intelligent and capable, it has been shown on multiple occasions that he really isn't suited for the rough life of a Baltimore police officer and should have retired years ago (he has earned two citations for Bravery in the past). Gharty also seems painfully aware of how unsuited he is but still helps the main characters and tries to protect them from Gaffney.
** Averted cynically with Roger Gaffney. He is shown as an incompetent detective, especially when compared to the main characters and is rerouted to a dead-end department, but sleazes his way to a high end position and gets the Captain's spot Gee had earned. Given the show's cynical view of the bosses, Gaffney fits in perfectly among men with even less moral standing than himself and who happily abuse power for their own ends.

* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'' has Elite Agent French Fries, who made several incredibly poor choices that had disastrous consequences. Of note are his decision to expose the previously top secret campaign in Antarctica (at first seeming like a good idea, only to accidentally cause massive riots and escalate the already mounting tension between the idealist and realist sides of the team into a whole new level of violence). Later on he attempted to perform a court martial against George and Rotor with conflicting charges, implement a "brilliant" idea that involved everyone walking very slowly toward a horde of mutant dinosaurs, and finally got beaten up by several different people for his trouble.

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', Mages Guild Archmage Trebonius Artorius is a shining example. He actually is an incredibly talented [[MagicKnight Battlemage]], which helped him to rise through the ranks of the Guild. However, he quickly proved hopelessly incompetent at managing Guild affairs. His mainland superiors responded by promoting him further (in the KickedUpstairs fashion) and putting him in charge of the Guild branch in [[ReassignedToAntarctica the most backwater district in the Empire]] where he could cause the least amount of trouble. He let in a [[TheMole badly disguised spy]] (whose credentials even had High Chancellor Ocato's ''signature'' [[YouMakeMeSic spelled wrong]]), spends his time giving his underlings {{Impossible Task}}s and sending them on {{Snipe Hunt}}s, all while generally acting petty and immature to those who offend him. When the PlayerCharacter comes to him for assignments, he sends you on a task to [[RiddleForTheAges learn about the disappearance of the]] [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer]], and is shocked when you actually manage to find a plausible answer. Then he sends you on a mission to [[SuicideMission kill all of the Telvanni councilors]]. While there is a peaceful way to deal with him, it leaves you as the ''co''-head of the Guild with Trebonious, which is obviously less desirable. You can instead [[ChallengingTheChief challenge him in a duel to the death for his position]], receiving it as a KlingonPromotion if you win. However, need we remind you that he ''is'', despite his other flaws, a very talented Battlemage? (Ironically for this trope, he is also completely bald.)

* Lord Stanley the Tool from ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}''. He is not only is a Pointy-Haired Boss, he's a ''BadBoss'' who threatens to kill Parson for simply noting that Stanley is [[TheNapoleon short]], and an EvilOverlord. And to top it all off? He believes that he is ''holy'', and on a MissionFromGod (though in his defense, there's a good chance that he ''is''). However, this may fall under the "promoted beyond his capabilities" aspect of the trope, as he's a pretty savvy tactician and capable warrior. Although, as the story progresses he seems to be going through CharacterDevelopment to be less of a BadBoss, as he actually is putting effort into trying to be nicer to his subordinates, and he has shown several moments of competence, such as negotiating an alliance with the Juggle Elf tribe all on his own.

* Dr. Venture from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' considers super-science to be a more productive use for the future. After becoming the CEO of JJ's company, Rusty immediately fired the entire board of directors, ignoring of how much more [[MundaneUtility profitable and easier]] JJ's setup was, causing the company's stocks to plummet. There's a reason why nearly everyone calls him the world's dumbest scientist.

** Fry becomes a literal one of these when... [[NoNameGiven That '80s Guy]] bought out Planet Express and promotes Fry to the position of Vice Chairman simply on the fact that they were both from the '80s.

* Pumpers from ''WesternAnimation/{{Breadwinners}}'' due to [[FakeUltimateHero thinking as himsef as]] TheAce and for having a [[SmallNameBigEgo massive ego]].
* Stan Pines in ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', a shady grifter and cheap skate who runs a tourist trap called the MYSTERY (S)HACK, and uses every trick in the book to make a quick buck, Dipper even marks him as mediocre boss. However Stan has a very [[DarkAndTroubledPast deep and dark past]] which explains how and why he got to be who he is.