Classic TV Shows That Probably Wouldn’t Be Made Today

Michael Scott is a character who never thought before he spoke, was slightly judgmental of women, and always unintentionally stereotyped people. The staff would become uncomfortable hearing his remarks, but nothing would change. The entire dynamic of the show was different after Michael left for Colorado.

The writers for “South Park” were able to get away with their subject matter when it first came out because nobody was off limits to make fun of. They were able to call out different stereotypes and shed light on how silly they were. The show teaches viewers a lot about how to view the world and become more accepting. The message is good, but the way it’s delivered wouldn’t be suitable for a debut in today’s climate.

“All in the Family” was groundbreaking given the time it was released, addressing social, political, and gender issues during the 1970s. But the way they went about it included many different insensitive words and phrases that viewers couldn’t stomach these days. The misogynistic way women were treated in the show would be tough for actors to pull off. Regardless, this show did help bring society forward.

This show would have a tough time breaking through if it wasn’t already on the air. Almost every character in the show is flawed, which causes them to say and do things that aren’t acceptable in today’s culture. The cutaway jokes that are typically included revolve around race or gender, although “Family Guy” doesn’t focus on one gender or race when it comes to jokes. Nobody is off limits, giving them a leg to stand on, but the show has changed a lot recently to keep up with the times.

The show followed the cousins Bo and Luke Duke and their cousin Daisy as they caused trouble in Hazzard County. The way Daisy Duke was hyper-sexualized would need to be tamed. She was a huge reason why a lot of younger men watched. Let’s not forget the fact that the Confederate Flag was waved around in every episode as well as being the overall theme of the Duke’s car – the General Lee.

When “Toddlers & Tiaras” first premiered, it showcased the way many of these children are exploited by their parents. Letting kids be kids is a common goal parents strive for and this show defeated that notion entirely.

One of the most popular shows during TLC’s run of exploitive children’s programs was a spinoff of “Toddlers & Tiaras” called “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” Unlike a lot of kids on the show, Honey Boo Boo enjoyed pageant life and wanted to be there but her mom was involved with a sex offender, which caused Honey Boo Boo to move in with her sister.

“The Jeffersons” broke down countless barriers for the African-American community when it first premiered, a show that followed an established African-American family trying to find their way in an upscale community. Even though the show was groundbreaking, there were still countless racial jokes and incorrect stereotypes portrayed, and although the show helped people gain insight they might not have otherwise gained during this time, today’s culture would find these jokes uneasy and unsettling.

Watching Tyra Banks yell at models to lose weight to make it in the modeling world when they were already thin was met with less resistance when the show was airing. Today, Banks still gets blasted with comments from people talking about the toxic way she treated the contestants. Social media platforms gave the traumatized contestants a place to come forward with their stories of what happened.

The Bundy family took center stage when “Married… With Children” first premiered. The show was considered a hit at the time because of its humor, but fans failed to recognize how sexist and harmful the stereotypes and jokes were.

“The Honeymooners” was revered for the humor it brought to television, much of which revolved around Ralph Kramden threatening his wife, Alice, for comedic effect. Society today doesn’t tolerate jokes where anyone is threatened, whether it’s physical or emotional.

This reality show followed a gay man as he was looking for love. James Getzlaff was the main prize, and a group of fifteen other men tried to match with him but after time spent dating around, Getzlaff was told that some of the men were straight. If Getzlaff picked a gay man to love as the winner, he would win $25,000 along with his potential husband. If the man he picked was straight, the contestant would win the $25,000 and Getzlaff would be left with nothing.

“Baywatch” was incredibly successful during its run, and a huge reason the show ran as long as it did was because it objectified women. This wasn’t seen as a problem then, but these days it would cause major issues among feminist and women’s rights groups. It didn’t help that a lot of the beachside running scenes were slowed down to add more of a sense of objectification to the characters.

All Kenny Powers cares about is getting drunk and hooking up with women but the show had crude humor and was sexist and demeaning. Everyone can cheer for someone to get a second chance, but watching someone throw their chances away disgustingly is hard to watch.

“That 70s Show” when viewed now, illustrates the clear sexism and objectification of women that takes place in nearly every episode. While it’s on par with how society was in the 70s, there are much better methods of conveying that outdated mentality in ways the characters wouldn’t agree with. The use of drugs and alcohol among teenagers as a comedic tool is another reason the show wouldn’t have any leg to stand on today. The show incorporated different races of characters, but that diversity wouldn’t be enough to carry it in today’s society.

“Home Improvement” starred Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, an old-school guy who could fix anything he needed. He worked an honest job and enjoyed his family but acted out in demeaning ways toward his wife and continually flexed a superiority complex. A large portion of the show’s comedy was rooted in traditional marriage values. These are ideologies that have flown out the window in recent years.

There’s a fine line that “Gossip Girl” was teetering when it first aired, especially the scene featuring Chuck and Jenny where he forced himself. This, and a multitude of other issues like teenage dependency on drugs, alcohol, and hooking up in the high school age range is a message that shouldn’t be delivered. With the rise in social media, the idea of an anonymous person posting about the lives of their classmates would cause everyone to feel judged and critiqued everywhere they went.

One of the most toxic daytime programs in history is “The Jerry Springer Show.” Each episode had fights, brawls, and dramatic tears shed for other people’s entertainment. The worst part of all is that the brawls and fights were scripted because Springer wanted people to cause mayhem for viewership purposes. The show revealed a side of Americans that shouldn’t be celebrated. Despite the fact the show was toxic, people couldn’t help but tune in.

“How I Met Your Mother” relied heavily upon jokes that touched on gender and sexism and today, Barney would be harshly judged and criticized for his behavior in nearly every episode. His lack of respect for women wasn’t fully frowned upon back then. While other characters talked to him about it, nobody truly ever did enough to make him stop. These old-school ideas and plots the show aimed to take on would have audiences cringing all the time.

One of the most critically acclaimed shows in television history is “M*A*S*H,” a war show that aired during the Vietnam and Cold War eras and captivated audiences. However, the show failed to truly talk about the serious mental health problems soldiers routinely return with after battle and often made it a joke. Additionally, the awful things that go on during wars were also made into jokes.

The medical field has grown tremendously over the last 14 years, which is how long “Scrubs” has been off the air but when it aired, the characters would make jokes and remarks about specific medical conditions they saw daily. There were also dozens of examples where the medical staff would do unethical and immoral things to the patients they saw, even though they knew it was wrong.

Rather than making fun of someone for being a nerd or geek, intelligent people should be celebrated. This wasn’t the case in “The Big Bang Theory.” The main characters struggled because they dealt with the most basic and mainstream stereotypes that nerds are perceived to have. In today’s society, “nerdy” individuals wouldn’t be made fun of in a show like this. Instead, they’d be honored and accepted for being themselves. The constant struggle to fit in isn’t something to be mocked in today’s culture. Click here to read more about classic TV shows no one remembers.