The word ‘ timeless ‘ gets thrown around a lot these days. Ironic, considering how seldom the statement holds true.
We live in an increasing PC world and the fact of the matter is that many of the TV shows that launched the careers of our favorite actors wouldn’t stand a chance of being made today.
Take a look and check out these beloved shows from the ’80s that are now being called sexist .
*Happy Days*
The Fonz may have been the King of Cool in his heyday, but in hindsight, his actions were creepy to the core.
What’s worse is that Fonzy is clearly a bad influence, poisoning young men’s minds for an entire generation.
*Star Trek: The Next Generation*
In fairness, Star Trek: The Next Generation corrected a number of mistakes made by its predecessor. But sadly, it also managed to make entirely new ones.
Have you ever noticed that Deanna Troi was the only member of Star Fleet with a low-cut top? Why do you think that was?
*Three’s Company*
You could argue that sexism is part of the satire of Three’s Company , but without question, at times it’s taken too far.
Jack can’t help but crack ‘blonde-jokes’ and his best friend Larry should be slapped with a restraining order.
*Wheel of Fortune*
If Vanna and Pat are true equals, why is it that it took over 37 years for Vanna to get an opportunity to host Wheel of Fortune on her own?
That doesn’t seem very ‘equal’ to me. And it only happened because Pat was on medical leave.
*Too Close For Comfort*
Too Close For Comfort openly mocked transgenderism as well as perpetuated outdated stereotypes toward women.
There’s also the episode titled “For Every Man, There’s Two Women,” wherein the plot revolves around two overweight ladies who kidnap Monroe only to sexually assault him in their van for a laugh.
*Bosom Buddies*
No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you — that really is Tom Hanks dressed in drag.
In the show, Kip and Henry have to pretend to be women in order to move into an all-female building complex with cheaper rent. As you might imagine, this has not aged well.
*Who’s The Boss?*
Just the name itself Who’s The Boss is a rather biting indictment of the times. Its on-the-surface attempts to defy traditional gender roles only further reinforces them.
It boasts about gender equality, but through a patriarchal lens.
*Knight Rider*
Admittedly, Knight Rider isn’t as egregious as some of its contemporaries, but by no means is it without fault.
Every single female character is scantily clad and overly objectified. These women are little more than props or damsels in distress.
*The A-Team*
The A-Team is a monument to toxic masculinity. This series absolutely oozed testosterone from top to bottom and never let up for a moment.
The female team members in the first two seasons were little more than glorified sidekicks and were abandoned entirely in season 3.
*Miami Vice*
For one thing, Miami Vice never denied themselves the opportunity to show needless footage of beautiful women in skimpy bikinis.
Thomas Tubbs was a complete and total dog, and as if all that wasn’t enough there was once a character called ‘Big Booty’ Trudy.
*Cheers*
Have you ever wondered why the women on Cheers are some of the most unlikable characters in TV history?
Working-class Carla is crass and rude. Diane is a stuck-up elitist. Lilith, the lone professional woman in the bunch, is portrayed as a cold and calculated robot.
I’m not even going to mention Norm’s hatred for his wife.
*Unhappily Ever After*
Tiffany Malloy (Nikki Cox) was constantly paraded about in tight, revealing outfits. She was ridiculed for her promiscuity and degraded for her lack of intelligence.
How this show ever got made in the first place is beyond me.
*The Dukes Of Hazzard*
There’s a reason why tight-fitting jean booty-shorts are referred to as ‘Daisy Duke’s.’
I’m not saying that Daisy didn’t have her shining moments, but for the time she was little more than clicker-bait to get young pubescent boys to tune-in.
*ALF*
The cuddly alien lifeform known as ALF was problematic both on and off-screen, as you can clearly see from this behind-the-scenes video .
Not only does ALF makes sexually suggestive jokes, but he also uses racial slurs profusely. It’s a shocking look back to a dark chapter of TV history.
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*Married…With Children*
Al and Peg Bundy were like Archie and Edith Bunker on crack-cocaine.
They had an incredibly destructive marital relationship, and Peg was all too often made to be the butt of one of Al’s incredibly sexist jokes.
*Baywatch*
For the majority of male viewers in the ’80s and ’90s — there were only two reasons to tune into Baywatch .
This show’s claim to fame is objectifying its predominantly female cast through a slow-motion lens. It’s racy and totally lacks substance.
*Saved By The Bell*
Can we talk for a moment about the blatant sexualization of teenage girls that persists throughout Saved By The Bell ?
Also, how is it that a complete sociopath like Zack Morris could wind up with a woman like Kelly Kapowski?
*M.A.S.H.*
M.A.S.H. is one of the worst offenders on this list. Not only does the show blur the lines of sexual consent on a regular basis, but they also used Cpl. Klinger as a way to mock transgenderism.
I rewatched an old episode recently and it was painful.
*Seinfeld*
Jerry Seinfeld treats the women in his life like second-class citizens and has a severe male superiority complex.
No matter how beautiful the woman he’s dating is, Jerry will always find some minute physical fault to justify his abhorrent behavior.
*Magnum P.I.*
Magnum P.I. has a lot in common with Miami Vice . Both series rely heavily on machismo and relegate the female characters to either sex objects or damsels in distress.
I don’t know why anyone felt remaking this show was a good idea.
*Family Matters*
Family Matters teaches young men that when a woman says “no,” what she’s really saying is “no — not yet.”
Steve Urkel is a creep, plain and simple, and Family Matters is borderline creepy. Just look at how Steve’s looking at Laura in the GIF above.
*T.J. Hooker*
What do you think that Heather was thinking while she was being forced to subject herself to this ridiculous dance sequence done for seemingly no other reason other than to flaunt so skin?
The hurdles that women have had to overcome just to be taken seriously as actors are astounding.
*Three’s A Crowd*
There’s a good reason why Three’s A Crowd was so short-lived: it’s because it borrowed all of the worst elements of its predecessor Three’s Company and attempted to repackage the same tired and sexist humor to a new audience.
Sorry, Jack but we’re not buying it!
