From the stories I've heard Opie failed at both.

And being funny.

Yeah.

This whole blowup has been pretty educational for me since I have an acquaintance that I really feel I relate to in the same way Ant relates to Opie. A guy who's just over the years turned into a complete drainer of any joy or enjoyment in the room and who I've only been friendly with partly out of feeling bad that everyone else gave up on him and partly because, like Ant, I am a conflict-shy pussy.

I've come to understand that this kind of thing only leads to unconsciously acting shittily to this supposed 'friend' like Ant has occasionally and ultimately to the kind of blowup we're seeing now. I've always felt bad about making flimsy excuses when I couldn't bear a night of sitting with the guy while he lists all the ways people are being mean to him in his life or ducking out early on him to go meet up with people who I actually enjoy being around.

Still, as I do with Opie when I've heard his passive aggressive whining about not being invited to Ant's parties or crying that Ant doesn't want to come to his house, I occasionally just want to shout, 'Try to have a little fucking self reflection and notice that nobody wants to hang out with you because you drain the fucking energy from the room! Just stop being such a fucking self absorbed, fragile downer and you might get invited on more nights out!' It really is hard to do though, sadly it seems it's necessary if you want to avoid this kind of thing.

It would make a great case study for psychology textbooks. Here we have a narcisist and a passive guy who avoids conflict because of a childhood filled with spaghetti on the walls. Ant reminds me of myself a lot. I'm a shitty friend in a lot of aspects. I don't show up to things I should but it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate a friendship or care about the person. I'm just distant and disconnected...and neurotic.

sometimes when you work together daily, you need to keep your relationship businesslike/impersonal to avoid hating one another. that's what penn and teller said anyway. i think anthony understood this, but opie is a woman and wants an off-air relationship

True. I think he should have been honest and open, and simply say he would rather not hang out, as opposed to dodging him.

It's shitty and I think they both look bad. It's like dad announced to the whole family that mom was a lousy fuck, and mom started whining that daddy can't pay the bills. It humanizes them both in a negative way. Ah well, there's still old clips of O&A to listen to.

It's fair to say Ant didn't want to be a friend with Op because Op wasn't fun to be around.

;_;

Yeah I've worked with egotistical narcissists like Opie. It's torture. The only solution is to limit their power.

Good summation OP, almost poetic.

Simple as that

Things would have probably been better if Opie failed Ant as a friend and Ant failed Opie as a business partner.

you are wrong - ant is just being ant

what opie wanted is to have ant as friend but to modify him according to his likeness (classic chick move - when wife loves a guy but try to change him)

You either accept a guy for what he is (with his good and bad sides) or you separate

They separated as friends - but they could not separate as bussines partners - the fact that he can not change/control Ant was driving Opie mad because he has issues

He is extremely controlling person and he does not want to accept it

Well said, and I tend to agree. I have to say, I really don't get the Opie hate on this sub. Back in the day, I loved the episodes when Ant was out "sick". Those shows were so much more fun than when Ant and Jim took over on one of Opie's days off.

Beneath both of their angry guy personas, I always felt that Opie was the only one with a heart, and so I like the guy more. Anthony is funny, but also infuriatingly stuck in his racist neocon ways... If he weren't such a sad drunk, I wonder if he'd control his urges a little better.

I agree and I'll one up you by saying I also like the shows where it was just Jim and Anthony. It was a fun change of pace.

I don't know what Opie really expected from Ant once he moved to LI? Millions or no, traffic from LI to NYC is horrible. There's no way I'd be coming in early to have breakfast every once in awhile with Opie.

I heard Ant invite Opie over his house for parties on air many times through the years. Opie never went. That would have been the perfect time to grab that beer he keeps mentioning.

As for Ant, it's obvious he just wanted to take the money and do the show, he didn't care that they were in Opie's mind worth a little bit more. As long as his check was 7 digits he didn't give a fuck and that's why he wasn't there to fight with Opie for the contracts. He just didn't give a fuck. He was getting paid extremely well for an extremely easy job and that was enough for him.