By Stacy Jenel Smith and Emily-Fortune Feimster

Really awful fathers have taken over the celebrity spotlight in recent months to an extent we can't remember ever happening before.

Right now, we have the ongoing spectacle of Joe Jackson attempting to squeeze more money out of his late son Michael -- who pointedly left him out of his will.

Although a Superior Court judge ruled that Jackson, Sr., had no standing to challenge that legal document, he's apparently not giving up the idea of getting an allowance out of the estate. He's saying he has living expenses of $20,000 a month and no income of his own, so of course, he needs the dough. Reports now have him planning to appeal the appointment of the estate's executors.

Meanwhile, he's eyeing Michael's children for their performing potential, noting that he's heard seven-year-old Blanket "can really dance." Another generation to exploit!

This is the man Michael once said made him feel sick to his stomach, just being in the same room with him.

This is the man who answered "I'm great," when asked how he was feeling at the BET Awards, three days after Michael's death -- and proceeded to use the occasion to tell press on the red carpet about his new record company.

This is the man shadowed by accusations of abusing Michael as a child -- who said once in a BBC interview, "I never beat him. I whipped him with a switch and a belt. I never beat him. You beat someone with a stick."

The train wreck that is Michael Lohan and daughter Lindsay's relationship goes from worse to worse -- even without those disturbing reports -- denied -- that he asked to see Lindsay look-alikes doing their thing in a strip joint.

He claims that he's so worried about Lindsay's partying and (he says) prescription pill abuse that he felt compelled to release tapes that would compel the young star to get help. The tapes disclosed her relationship with the late Heath Ledger and confirmed suspicions of her self-harm, and included Lindsay crying and sobbing that no one cares about her.

That he made the tapes without his family's knowledge and sold them says it all. Mother Dina (not averse to exploiting Lindsay herself) jumping in to point out that the tapes aren't current makes it worse. And, of course, now Michael is in hot water for violating a restraining order put out by his ex.

This is the man who served a four-year sentence in the 1980s for stock fraud and has been back behind bars on parole violation. This is the man who fought with former wife Dina throughout Lindsay's childhood, who has been accused by her of threats, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.

And he's the one who's going to help Lindsay?

Then, you have the ridiculous Levi Johnston, showing up here, there -- most anywhere -- to say a few disparaging words about Sarah Palin, the grandmother of his 11-month-old son, Tripp. Clearly, the 19-year-old amateur hockey player has a taste for the spotlight, including wanting to do a reality show -- of his own, especially! -- and showing off his nekkid body in Playgirl magazine. Pay's a lot better than training to become an electrician, which is what Levi was doing before fate and Bristol Palin's unplanned pregnancy took a hand.

That Grandma Sarah says he hasn't been around to see his baby much is no surprise. Not to be negative -- he's young, maybe he'll change -- but the forecast for this daddy to turn into a father of merit is pretty bleak.

On Oprah's show, Palin noted that he's taken to calling himself Rikki Hollywood, and that it's "a bit heartbreaking to see the road he's on right now."

This is the man so overworking his 15 minutes of fame that he's given Democrats and Republicans something they can agree on at long last: Levi Johnston is an embarrassment.

At least Levi only has one child, so far. Jon Gosselin of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" show, as the world knows all too well, has eight.

He's gone from being Mr. Extra-Marital Carouser to Mr. Litigation. Once he learned that TLC planned to do a new show: "Kate Plus 8" -- minus Jon -- he demanded through attorneys that the show cease production immediately or face criminal charges, and barred cameras from his/their property. The cable channel answered with its own breach of contract suit, then Jon answered that. Rumors of a sex tape and cocaine use surfaced. Jon brought up child labor practices in his ongoing fight with TLC.

And, even as the subpoenas flew, Jon's ex-girlfriend, Kate Major -- another Kate -- got into the act, reportedly planning her own suit, claiming violation of a contract they'd written up on a napkin, calling for the former Star reporter to become Jon's personal assistant.

Wonder if anyone is representing Cara, Madelyn, Alexis, Aaden, Collin, Leah, Hannah, and Joel Gosselin -- who are actual human beings, not 8 props, though their names are not that easy to find on the show's website or other media. They'll have a heck of a story to tell one day, of how mom and dad and an army of self-interested adults gave them their strange, stressful, turbulent childhoods.

But at least Jon says he's apologized to them for not being around more. Daddy's been busy.

Recent years have seen a veritable parade of bad show business dad moments:

Remember David Hasselhoff's tearful daughter videotaping him when he was so sloppy drunk?

How about Alec Baldwin cussing out his daughter on voice mail and calling her a pig?

Of course, there've been others through the years. Like Ryan O'Neal, who pulled a gun on his son Griffin and fired a "gentlemanly" warning shot. He knocked out Griffin's two front teeth. He also reportedly put Tatum on a "cocaine diet" to keep her slim and berated her for cutting the wrong way when she had a failed attempt at suicide.

Woody Allen went after Mia Farrow's daughter. Gross.

If you have a good dad, be sure to tell him you appreciate him.