Jackie Burkhart, played by Mila Kunis, is perhaps one of the most interesting and dynamic characters on That 70’s Show. Jackie’s character starts of as being the typical mean girl and head cheerleader we see in all high school dramas. She is selfish, sarcastic, extremely vain, and super materialistic.
However, as the show progresses, Jackie’s character seems to grow with every season, and she turns into a much more thoughtful and considerate person by the series finale. She even deals with a ton of heartbreak and cheating through the course of the show.
Felt Bad: Kelso’s Cheating Spree
Jackie may have been selfish when it came to friendships, but she took her romantic relationships quite seriously. Even though her boyfriend Kelso, played by Ashton Kutcher, is known for his notorious and womanizing personality, she sticks by him faithfully.
However, Kelso has absolutely no control over his urges and constantly cheats on Jackie. We felt horrible for Jackie when Kelso cheats on her with Eric’s older sister for months, two-timing his longterm girlfriend the entire time. Jackie definitely doesn’t deserve infidelity; she deserves a faithful and loving boyfriend.
Hated Her: Jackie’s Bossy Attitude
Jackie may have been the youngest and shortest member of the friends group, but she definitely wanted to be in control the entire time. She did not like being ignored and only wanted things to go her way.
This need for control derives from her selfish persona, where her needs are always more important to her than others. This often causes her to boss her friends and boyfriend around to get whatever she wants.
Felt Bad: Kelso’s Bad Mouthing
In the earlier seasons Jackie isn’t liked by any of the other characters, but Kelso. She has a hard time breaking into her boyfriend’s friend group because everyone finds her annoying. However, she sticks around and tries to be a part of them for Kelso.
On the other hand, Kelso constantly critics Jackie behind her back and complains to his friends about her. Regardless of her selfish and bossy attitude. This leads the audience to feel bad for Jackie, whose only ally in the group, her boyfriend, is constantly bad-mouthing her behind her back.
Hated Her: Jackie’s Body-Shaming
Much like other typical high school cheerleaders showcased on television, Jackie is incredibly into her looks and is super vain in That 70s Show. She constantly picks on other people’s bodies and exaggerates on their imperfections. She is always criticizing her best friend, Donna, for her height and athletic frame.
Even though her vain personality adds to the show’s humor, her body-shaming comedy would never fly in 2020, and definitely puts her character in a bad light.
Felt Bad: Kelso Taking Her For Granted
In season 4 when Jackie’s rich dad gives her an ultimatum and asks her to choose between Kelso and her money, Jackie chooses Kelso. Even though her materialistic personality is evident through the show, she chooses love over comfort.
She even begins to work in a cheese shop to start earning herself when Kelso is unable to get a job. With all the effort she puts in, Kelso still takes her for granted and even asks her to use her salary to buy him something!
Hated Her: Dating Hyde
Before the start of season 5, Jackie and Hyde begin secretly dating. Yes, Hyde and Jackie definitely made one of the best couples in That 70s Show, and yes, she only starts seeing him after Kelso runs away for the summer.
However, regardless of the chemistry between her and Hyde, dating your ex-boyfriend’s best friend is a little cold, especially when you hang out with your new fling in front of your ex all day.
Felt Bad: Jackie’s Father Gets Arrested
In season 5 of That 70s Show, Jackie’s father gets sent to prison for bribery and embezzlement. Not only does this leave Jackie heartbroken, but also homeless when her mother decides to go spend the next few months drinking in Mexico rather than taking care of her daughter.
This particular time period is incredibly hard for Jackie and definitely causes the audience to feel for her since a huge chunk of her confidence in the show comes from her dad’s job and money. She ends up losing her family, house, and wealth.
Hated Her: Treating Kelso Like An Experiment
Jackie’s bossiness often also reflected in her relationship with Kelso on the show. Even though she loved him and unlike him was always faithful, she often bossed Kelso around and often treated him like an experiment.
For example, in episode 18 of season 3, before getting back together with Kelso, Jackie secretly puts him through a series of experiments to judge if he deserves to get back with her. Even though her doubts about Kelso are justified, it’s never right to treat a human being as an experiment.
Felt Bad: Kelso Ruins Her Party
In episode 15 of season 2, Jackie throws her first formal dinner party at her house. In her usual vain attitude, she tells her boyfriend Kelso that she only wants a limited elite group of friends to be invited. However, Kelso, as usual ignores his girlfriend’s feelings and opinion, and invites a number of friends who aren’t on the list to Jackie’s party.
This results in chaos, drunk kids, a heartbroken Jackie, and eventually ends up with her house burning down.
Hated Her: Jackie Ends Up With Fez
Even though Kelso takes her for granted, Jackie keeps going back to him, making fans hope that their story finally gets a happy ending. However, she leaves him for his best friend Hyde, then goes back to Kelso, and then yet again starts dating another one of his best friends after separating with Kelso for the last time.
Jackie also starts to date Fez in the later seasons of the show, which to many viewers didn’t seem to make a lot of sense, and is not justified, even after Kelso cheats on her. She definitely should have dumped him but then sought out future prospects for dating outside of his best friend group.
