# Utterly odd sitcom moments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021 "2001-10-02T18:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/1 "2001-10-02T18:52:29Z")
I’m not looking for odd moments that are a part of the plot of an episode. I’m looking for things which you saw or heard and thought “what were they thinking” or “didn’t they realize what that looks like?” Example: An episode of Designing Women has Charlene’s cousin in an abusive marriage. The cousin leaves the husband and meets Charlene at a talent show where the designers are performing. Charlene sees her come in, the msuic swells in the background and everyone tears up. The problem is, the music they’re performing to is “Ain’t no Mountain High Enough” by the Supremes, which includes the lyrics “Ain’t no mountain high enough, and no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough to keep me from you.” This is music to play in a scene celebrating a woman escaping from an abusive husband?!? What were they thinking? ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/2 "2001-10-02T20:42:46Z")
A few come to mind… In an episode of _Alf_\*, the Tanner’s grandfather comes to town, so they hide Alf in the backyad in a little tent so as to keep away from controversy. The grandfather peeks into the tent, sees Alf, then **has a heart attack and dies** leaving Alf feeling guilty for killing the Tanner’s grandfather. Oh, how this weaked havoc on my young mind at the time. Then there was that whole song-and-dance hobo act that Marsha and Mrs. Brady perform together on _The Brady Bunch_\*. WTF was that??? I’m still having nightmares!!! ---
**Author:** ![blackmonday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/53a042/32.png) [@blackmonday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackmonday)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/3 "2001-10-03T02:19:04Z")
I wonder why Heard it thru the Grapevine is supposed to be good for selling grapes. It’s about a breakup, after all, not a party or a fun date. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/4 "2001-10-03T05:30:57Z")
I don’t know if this counts, but I was watching a re-run of Drew Carey, the one where Kate leaves Oswald at the alter. Then, at the commercial break they have an ad for a bridal shop! :eek: Needless to say, someone was asleep at the switch. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/5 "2001-10-03T05:41:51Z")
George going after his cousin, and she’s into it! Ummmm, ok. You know who I’m talking about right? ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/6 "2001-10-03T07:59:27Z")
Any time the actors in a show done in front of a studio audience actually acknowlege the audience on camera. I’ve seen this in Welcome Back Kotter and a few others. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/7 "2001-10-03T11:32:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Any time the actors in a show done in front of a studio audience actually acknowlege the audience on camera. I’ve seen this in Welcome Back Kotter and a few others. “Breaking the fourth wall”. Moonlighting used to do this, and I didn’t like it. Blew my suspension of disbelief right out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/8 "2001-10-03T12:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blackmonday \* > \*\*I wonder why Heard it thru the Grapevine is supposed to be good for selling grapes. It’s about a breakup, after all, not a party or a fun date. \*\* It’s actually used to sell raisins, not grapes, which makes more sense. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/9 "2001-10-03T13:03:32Z")
I may be hallucinating this, but I seem to recall an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold has a run-in with a child pornographer/molester. I wish I were making this up. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/10 "2001-10-03T13:17:42Z")
That happened on Facts of Life. Tootie was doing some modeling and the photographer asked her to take her clothes off. Needless to say, Mrs. Garrett stepped in and saved the day. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/11 "2001-10-03T13:18:43Z")
Not, saying it didn’t happen on Diffrent Strokes, too, BTW. Just saying that it ain’t so unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/12 "2001-10-03T13:23:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*Not, saying it didn’t happen on Diffrent Strokes, too, BTW. Just saying that it ain’t so unbelievable. \*\* Both actually. The Tootie scene you mentioned. But in DS, Arnold escaped, but poor, pitiful Dudley got the business from Gordon Jump. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/13 "2001-10-03T14:27:23Z")
Dear God! Man, that Dudley sure was a hard luck case. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/14 "2001-10-03T15:45:25Z")
Oh, good. I didn’t cook that up in a fever dream. “Okay, Alex, I’d like to take ‘Episodes That Won’t Be Showing On Nick-at-Nite’ for $1000…” ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/15 "2001-10-03T17:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*I may be hallucinating this, but I seem to recall an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold has a run-in with a child pornographer/molester. I wish I were making this up. :eek: \*\* I remember it too. Arnold went over to this guys house and they were watching cartoons and oops! The mouse’s pants fell down. I think he also got Arnold to take off his shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/16 "2001-10-03T20:19:42Z")
_Dudley_, we love you. The only reason we’d ever touch you is to hug you! Thanks a lot, **slortar** …I’ll be forced to repeat that line ad infinitum today. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/17 "2001-10-03T22:30:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by watsonwil \* > \*\*Arnold escaped, but poor, pitiful Dudley got the business from Gordon Jump. \*\* Lordy, if I were a sig-using woman, this would be my new sig. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/18 "2001-10-04T00:01:09Z")
…got the business from Gordon Jump. i am laughing so hard i just wet my pants! ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/19 "2001-10-04T00:07:16Z")
It’s amazing how that Different Strokes episode comes rushing back … wow, what were they thinking? I just saw an episode of Laverne and Shirley on Nick at Night that preyed on my mind. Laverne thinks she might be pregnant. She confides in Shirley that she went off with some guy at a staff party at the brewery, and _she doesn’t remember whether or not they had sex, because she was so drunk._ Of course, neither Laverne nor Shirley comes out and says “had sex,” but they exchange a lot of meaningful glances, and besides, how else do you get pregnant? The details of getting drunk, going behind the beer vats with some guy, and Laverne’s not knowing whether or not she actually had sex with him are repeated several times, and there’s a laugh track. It was a false alarm, btw. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021/20 "2001-10-04T06:35:57Z")
One episode of Married With Children, Al was having a dream that some babe was in his bed with him - except the babe unintentionally happened to be a dead-ringer for Christina Applegate. Whooooops! The audience sure got the wrong end of the stick, just as I did. Major cock-up there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utterly-odd-sitcom-moments/85021.md?page=2)