# Television episodes that wouldn’t fly today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2017, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312 "2017-02-20T12:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/81 "2017-02-23T06:52:20Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Girls in their mid-teens dating men a decade older was actually not that uncommon when I was that age. No, the families generally didn’t approve, and the relationships almost always ended very badly. However, it generally wasn’t illegal. Still isn’t. The age of consent in most states is 16, with California being a notable exception. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/82 "2017-02-23T07:15:12Z")
There was an episode of Captain Planet called “If It’s Doomsday This Must Be Belfast” where the Planeteers go to the then late 80’s political hotsports of Northern Ireland, the West Bank, and Apartheid South Africa and convince everyone involved through peace and understanding their conflicts could be solved. If a show attempted that story-line now it would be ripped apart for being so clueless in dealing with it. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/83 "2017-02-23T11:40:45Z")
> [@TYphoonSignal8](#): > > _Hogan’s Heroes_. Fun and goofy Nazis! Laid back POW camp! 1965. > > The weirdest thing about it, as often noted, is that all of the German characters were in fact Jews (one of whom had been beaten by the Gestapo) and that the actor playing LeBeau, the token Frenchman, had in fact spent time in a POW camp. The UK had a comedy show called **Dad’s Army** concerning the Home Guard. During the second world war the Home Guard consisted of men unsuitable for the regular army (usually too old hence the Dad’s Army nickname) who were ready to fight any German invasion of mainland Britain. Although ultimately a success there were concerns, in 1968 when the show first went out, it was too insulting to the real Home Guard. Similar concerns still existed in 1982 when the comedy **Allo, Allo** concerning the French Resistance went out. All the characters, including Nazis, were portrayed comically. It has been reported that a plan for a remake of **Allo, Allo** was abandoned last year (2016) because of ‘political correctness’ and a general fear of the basic premise offending people. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/84 "2017-02-23T12:03:24Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > There are a fair few old sitcoms in the UK, very popular in their day, where the jokes revolved around all sorts of stereotypes, that are cited today as examples of exactly how not to do it. And that’s not to mention the Black and White Minstrel Show that ran until 1978. Vast chunks of what were prime time family light entertainment in the 1970s Britain are - even if it is only unofficially - banned today. Comedy racism such as **Love Thy Neighbour** , socio-political commentary racism with **Til Death Us Do Part** and the well meaning social inclusiveness comedy of **Mind Your Language**. Then there was the Apartheid episode of **The Goodies**. However a special mention must go to **The Professionals**. A TV show about a pair of tough guys, something between police officers and secret agents, solving various crimes. Although the general sexism is breathtakingly crass these days the show once tackled racism head on with a 1977 episode called The Klansmen. A home grown version of the Ku Klux Klan is operating in Britain. In the episode the Klan are defeated but not before, initially, one of the Professionals is portrayed as casually racist himself - before his colleagues set him straight. However the episode proved so controversial, even in 1977, it was never broadcast at the time. In fact various Internet sources suggest it has never been properly broadcast on a main channel in the UK. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/85 "2017-02-23T12:19:42Z")
For literally decades from the 1960s the most important TV show for pop music on British TV was the weekly **Top of the Pops**. Hit songs of the day would be ‘performed’ (mimed) in the studio, or played over some female dancers or promotional videos would be shown. Old episodes are regularly shown as repeats these days however there is an unfortunately increasing amount of episodes which are now taboo since the show format had BBC radio disc jockeys as hosts introducing the songs and several of them (notably **Jimmy Saville** ) have since been outed as sex offenders. Plus some of the acts themselves have been outed as sex offenders. Prolific hit maker **Gary Glitter** alone eliminated most of the shows from the first half of the 1970s. It appears no one has the will to edit the shows to eliminate the bad people. Instead more and more episodes just disappear. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/86 "2019-01-12T01:00:09Z")
I’m resurrecting this thread to mention _Cheers_, season 1, episode 16, “The Boys in the Bar.” I’ve been rewatching the series and it’s mostly as funny as I remember; but this episode - hoo boy. Sam’s old friend and Red Sox teammate Tom has a book release party/press conference at the bar. In the book, he has come out as gay. But of course, Sam hasn’t read the book. When he publicly finds out Tom is gay, he is shocked and upset and storms out of the room. Diane convinces him that his friend is the same person he always was, and needs his support now more than ever. Sam goes back out, apologizes to Tom, and they embrace, as reporters’ flashbulbs pop. This was all fine. Trouble is, it took up only about the first 7 minutes or so. Everything that happened after it was cringeworthy. Norm, Cliff, and the other regulars are convinced that this incident is sure to turn Cheers into a gay bar. Sure enough, the next day some guys who look somewhat stereotypically gay come in, and everybody FREAKS OUT. Norm and Cliff throw around terms such as “Tinkerbell” and “patty cake.” Carla is worried she will lose her job, because Sam will have to hire “male waitresses.” The regulars demand that Sam throw the offending parties out or they will take their business elsewhere. Sam agrees, but to his credit, he doesn’t go through with it. But then Norm cooks up a plan to trick the guys into thinking the bar is closed. They leave, and the day is saved! Then comes the punchline to the whole episode. It turns out those guys weren’t gay! These two other guys that look straight are the gay ones! Ha ha ha!!! The end. Like I said, cringeworthy. I was surprised to find out that this episode actually won an award from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). I guess this is what passed for forward-thinking in 1983. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/87 "2019-01-12T04:44:51Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I was surprised to find out that this episode actually won an award from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). I guess this is what passed for forward-thinking in 1983. I think comedy tends to show it’s age much sooner than other forms of entertainment and when looking at media from the past it’s important to place it within the context of the time it was produced. This was 1983 and you had a character from a prime time sitcom refuse to treat gay people with dignity and respect. Sam Malone: “Hey, listen. Those guys are staying. If anyone else wants to leave, that’s fine.” Norm Peterson: “OK, Sammy, you know what kind of bar this is going to turn into.” Sam Malone: “It’s not going to turn into the kind of bar that I have to throw people out of.” Sam was willing to put his livelihood at risk by refusing to give in to the demands of his regular customers who insisted he throw the gay couple out. I’m not surprised GLAAD recognized that episode. “Homer’s Phobia” from 1997 is an episode of _The Simpsons_ that hasn’t aged well in some circles. It too received a GLAAD media award but there are many who now find the episode cringe worthy. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/88 "2019-01-12T06:16:01Z")
Any episode of _Three’s Company_ with Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley’s homophobia, Jack having to play gay and his constant leering and remarks at anything in a skirt. I’ve heard on these forums that _Battle of the Network Stars_ made a comeback, but I can’t imagine how it could ever beat the see-through T&A of the original. Ahh…I guess I did live in some good times! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/89 "2019-01-12T07:59:40Z")
That Cheers ep seems cringey even for 1983. Didn’t All in the Family (or maybe it was the Bar Follow-up) do a similar ep but handled better? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/90 "2019-01-12T08:03:36Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I think comedy tends to show it’s age much sooner than other forms of entertainment and when looking at media from the past it’s important to place it within the context of the time it was produced. This was 1983 and you had a character from a prime time sitcom refuse to treat gay people with dignity and respect. > > Sam Malone: “Hey, listen. Those guys are staying. If anyone else wants to leave, that’s fine.” > > Norm Peterson: “OK, Sammy, you know what kind of bar this is going to turn into.” > > Sam Malone: “It’s not going to turn into the kind of bar that I have to throw people out of.” > > Sam was willing to put his livelihood at risk by refusing to give in to the demands of his regular customers who insisted he throw the gay couple out. I’m not surprised GLAAD recognized that episode. True. As you said, this was 1983 and even though the 70s had seen a number of socially groundbreaking sitcoms by the likes of Norman Lear, that era was quickly receding into the past. Reagan’s election in 1980 resulted in the country becoming a lot more conservative and the networks panicked at the possibility that Jerry Falwell or some other leader of the religious right would lead a massive boycott of their shows’ sponsors at any mere hint of any pro-gay sentiments. I suspect “Cheers” only got away with it then because it was a low-rated show at the time and NBC figured the bible thumpers were all watching something else. ---
**Author:** ![Catsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@Catsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catsie)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/91 "2019-01-12T08:14:51Z")
_Laugh-In._ Just about everything they did. LOL. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/92 "2019-01-12T08:22:27Z")
> [@Catsie](#): > > _Laugh-In._ Just about everything they did. LOL. “Sock it to me baby!” REEEEE Problematic. Domestic abuse isn’t funny! Also, I’d LOVE to see AV Club reviews for Hee-Haw. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/93 "2019-01-12T08:33:30Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > A couple of mentions of WKRP made me think of a particular episode that would at least draw ire nowadays: > > The ep. has Andy, Mr. Carlson, and Herb going out of town to make a presentation to a prospective client (someone who they want to buy ad time on the station). While at the hotel, Herb encounters a woman who clearly recognizes him – even though he can’t seem to place her. > > Later in the ep., Herb is making out with the woman - who reveals that (in her words): “I used to be a man!” and then it dawns on Herb that this was an old classmate of his whom he knew as a ‘boy.’ Not only would it fly today, it was very similar to an ep. of NCIS. Tony, undercover, makes out with a woman who mysteriously orders a LOT of specialty skin cream through the mail. Yep, she’s trans–and a KILLER! Tony gets ribbed for it afterwards, a LOT. Okay, maybe it flew 15 years ago. THE CLOSER had two episodes about trans issues. One featured Beau Bridges as a trans woman who had been a tough-as-nails LA detective a few years earlier, and needed to butch it up as a dude to credibly testify in court against a murderer. It was mostly played for laughs. Much later, a very young trans girl was found murdered. The investigation centered on the immediate family. Dad was the initial suspect, but it turned out that the older brother killed her and Mom helped bury the body in a park. The child’s growing demands for puberty blockers and new clothes were bankrupting the family and no end was in sight. The older brother confessed at the end, closing his confession to his father with the line “He sure didn’t run like a girl.” The episode was sensitive to, but not uncritical of, TG issues. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/94 "2019-01-12T11:12:59Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > I am fairly certain that a lot of transgender activists would take exception to the depiction, because 1) the character’s line about “used to be a man” (transgender people assert that they’ve always known they were the ‘opposite’ sex and don’t see it as “used to be a man”) and, more importantly, 2) it perpetuates the nasty stereotype that transgenders are always out to ‘fool’ people – that they hide their “true nature” until after they’ve had sex in order to get one over on the ‘normal’ people. Slight hijack but there were a lot of rap / r&b songs in the 90s that described the situation of going home with a sexy woman only to find…yeah it’s a transgender woman, who has opted to keep the penis, and spring it as a surprise on straight men because reasons. Even as an immature teenager I can remember doubting that this is a thing that happens. (And of course the serious side is that in many parts of the world homosexuality and transgender are treated the same as witchcraft: they’re hiding in plain sight, plotting to do wicked things to straight men and children, so you have to proactively attack them) ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/95 "2019-01-12T13:25:14Z")
The Honeymooners has always bothered me. I never understood why threatening domestic violence was considered funny. (“One of these days Alice-right in the kisser!”) I would hope that wouldn’t be acceptable today. ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/96 "2019-01-12T13:29:39Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Wasn’t there an episode of _I Love Lucy_ where Ricky spanked Lucy? I seem to remember a John Wayne movie (possibly McLintock) where he spanked his estranged wife played by Maureen O’Hara. And of course there is almost everything about Gone with the Wind. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/97 "2019-01-12T13:53:17Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > That Cheers ep seems cringey even for 1983. Didn’t All in the Family (or maybe it was the Bar Follow-up) do a similar ep but handled better? Yes - in fact, it was done quite early in the All in the Family series - in the fifth episode, Archie assumes that Mike’s friend is gay, but in fact, Archie’s friend, the former professional football player is gay (as I recall, the bartender at Archie’s bar tells Mike that he (the bartender) is concerned about the people that Archie and Mike have brought to the bar - but Kelsy means the football player, not Mike’s friend). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/98 "2019-01-12T15:03:31Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > The Honeymooners has always bothered me. I never understood why threatening domestic violence was considered funny. (“One of these days Alice-right in the kisser!”) I would hope that wouldn’t be acceptable today. I’d hope so too, but I always felt that the Honeymooners were kind of progressive for it’s time, in that it’s very clear to the viewers that Alice was the one in charge of that relationship. Were there any other 50s shows where the wife was the “boss”? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/99 "2019-01-12T15:12:32Z")
An episode of Room 222 where a male student is suspected of being gay (but he isn’t). The principal asks "Are we dealing with one or two problems here? Is the student homosexual of not?) Referring to being gay as a “problem” would NOT fly today. ETA: When I caught that episode in reruns in the early 2000’s, that line was cut. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312/100 "2019-01-12T16:02:48Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > The Honeymooners has always bothered me. I never understood why threatening domestic violence was considered funny. (“One of these days Alice-right in the kisser!”) I would hope that wouldn’t be acceptable today. But Ralph never did hit Alice, and more importantly, Alice _knows_ he’s not going to hit her. I think it stays funny for that reason. I’ve been watching some old Dick van Dyke episodes, and some of those have not aged well either. Don’t remember the particular episode, but there was one where Rob and Laura were having an argument. Buddy advises Rob to “slap her around a little.” Toward the end of the episode, after Laura has gotten the better of him, Rob turns to Buddy and says, “I should have slapped her around.” Big laugh from the audience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-wouldn-t-fly-today/780312.md?page=6)