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The Pop Culture Matriarchs That We Love To Hate

Livia Soprano

[Photo Credit: HBO]

Violet Weston

[Photo Credit: Smokehouse Pictures]

Violet Crawley

[Photo Credit: PBS]

Mags Bennett

[Photo Credit: FX]

Gemma Teller-Morrow

[Photo Credit: FX]

Lucille Bluth

[Photo Credit: Fox]

Mabel 'Madea' Simmons

[Photo Credit: Lionsgate Films]

Alice Ward

[Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures]

Olivia Foxworth

[Photo Credit: Lifetime]

Constance Langdon

[Photo Credit: FX]

During this awards season, Meryl Streep has been getting accolades for her role in August: Osage County. The formidable actress stars as Violet Weston, a pill-popping dame whose snide remarks have obviously led to estranged relationships with her children. We love to think of the elder women in our families as wise and comforting, but when it comes to TV and film, we've seen female characters whose conniving ways have reverberated through different generations.

Sure, there have been quite a few bad moms on the screen (Mommie Dearest, anyone?), but what happens when the older women who lead large broods are really only in it for themselves? Who hasn't only alienated their adult children, but possibly damaged their kids so much they fail at decent relationships?

Take a look through our gallery of maternal madness gone amok, and let us know which character you love to hate the most.

[Photo Credit: PBS/Smokehouse Pictures/HBO]