Some themes no longer fly in our day and age! For this list, we’ll be looking at infamous moments when funny programs from 2010 or earlier touched on sensitive subjects or mishandled topics that wouldn’t sit well with modern audiences.
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00:00 We were wondering if you would be our surrogate.
00:02 Oh my god! You want me to carry your child?
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 sitcom storylines that would never happen today.
00:13 You know what? This is a color-free zone here.
00:16 Stanley, I don't look at you as another race.
00:19 For this list, we're looking at infamous moments when funny programs from 2010 or earlier
00:24 touched on sensitive subjects or mishandled topics that wouldn't sit well with modern audiences.
00:29 Can you think of any other storylines that you wouldn't see today? Let us know below.
00:33 It's not every storyline that causes an entire country so much offense that they publicly condemn it
00:52 and blame it for faltering their tourism income.
00:55 But that is what happened with The Simpsons episode "Blame It On Lisa".
00:58 The family goes to Brazil to track down Lisa's sponsored child, Ronaldo,
01:02 and the country wasn't shown in the best light, especially with misguided stereotypes.
01:07 The family was robbed by children, Homer was kidnapped for ransom by a taxi driver,
01:11 and Bart was eaten by a snake.
01:13 The backlash from the South American country was bad enough that they threatened a lawsuit against The Simpsons.
01:18 The animated sitcom's creators issued a public apology for the disaster.
01:23 Says here we can get anywhere we want by taking a conga line.
01:27 Number 19 - Showdown - Cheers
01:29 Do you know what bothers me? There are women upon whom this works,
01:34 and they're allowed to vote and drive cars.
01:36 At the time, the "will they, won't they" dynamic between Sam and Diane in Cheers was thrilling.
01:42 One moment they were at each other's throats, the next they were flirting and getting steamy.
01:47 But nowadays, it's seen as pretty toxic.
01:50 Take the multiple part episode "Showdown" in the first season.
01:53 In part two, with Diane leaving, the star-crossed lovers get into a massive argument at the bar.
01:59 Sam mentioned that being attracted to her makes him sick. Yikes.
02:02 They throw one insult after another at each other.
02:05 Eventually, Sam lost it and told Diane he wanted to bounce her against every wall of the office.
02:10 Double yikes.
02:12 Instead of running for the hills, Diane stayed,
02:14 uttered more insults, then the two passionately kissed. Triple yikes.
02:19 Are you as turned on as I am?
02:20 More.
02:21 Number 18 - The Bracket - How I Met Your Mother
02:29 Oh, Barney, you're never gonna figure out which of these is the mystery woman.
02:34 All of these women have a right to hate you.
02:36 Looking back at How I Met Your Mother, Barney's shenanigans, which many people found endearing
02:40 at the time, wouldn't go down well today. Take the episode "The Bracket" for a prime example.
02:45 With a mysterious woman hindering his adulting ability, Barney created a list of women he's
02:50 dated that would hate him enough to seek revenge and made it into a creepy tournament of suspects.
02:55 While there is a thinly-veiled theme of redemption and not objectifying women,
02:59 most of Barney's friends support his devious antics, especially Lily.
03:03 But to make it worse, when Barney began his apology speech,
03:06 he mentioned he might have sold a woman in the past, and no one called him out on it.
03:10 At one point, I'm pretty sure I sold a woman. I didn't speak the language, but I shook a guy's
03:17 hand, he gave me the keys to a Mercedes, and I left her there.
03:20 Number 17 - Steevel - Family Matters
03:23 When a holiday comes around, sitcoms like to do a special episode to capitalize on the excitement.
03:39 So, Family Matters went with Steevel for Halloween. And it was bonkers.
03:44 After lightning struck Steve Urkel's lookalike ventriloquist puppet and brought it to life,
03:48 dubbing itself Steevel, the story seemingly parodies Chucky from Child's Play,
03:52 as the toy hunted down its former master as well as the rest of the family.
03:57 With all of the Winslows taken out one by one and in disturbing fashion,
04:01 Steevel got its wooden mitts on Urkel and choked him. But then, it turned out it was all a nightmare.
04:06 So that makes it okay that we watched a beloved family get destroyed by a talking puppet, right?
04:10 Number 16 - Elephant Issues - Tiny Toon Adventures
04:19 Teaching kids about the dangers of alcohol and drunk driving is an important message.
04:33 But traumatizing them at the same time is probably not the way to go.
04:37 For the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Elephant Issues", one of the segments was one beer.
04:42 The story featured Hampton, Buster and Plucky drinking a bottle of the beverage and getting wasted.
04:46 After some drunken shenanigans, the trio massively escalated things when they stole a police car for a joyride.
04:52 After going up a mountain, they drive off it, seemingly ending it all when they fall into a graveyard,
04:58 and then appear at the Pearly Gates.
05:00 While the trio removed their costumes to show it was all staged, it still disturbed plenty of viewers.
05:06 In 1993, Austin Mesner set his home ablaze, which tragically cost his younger sister her life.
05:30 Mesner's mother claimed he was inspired to do this from an episode of Beavis and Butthead called "Comedians",
05:35 and it was intense.
05:37 After getting inspired by a stand-up, the duo goes to a comedy club to do a set, only to do really poorly.
05:43 Beavis decided to finish the performance by juggling flaming newspapers.
05:47 Instead, the club is set ablaze, and the duo watches and giggles among themselves with no repercussions.
05:53 Due to the controversy, MTV did its best to censure and hide the episode.
05:58 However, in 2008, Mesner stated he had no recollection of watching "Comedians" as the family didn't have cable.
06:24 The 80s and 90s sitcoms tended to involve funny scenarios that today we would find highly traumatic,
06:30 not a source of hilarity.
06:32 And for "Married... with Children", that episode was "I'll See You in Court".
06:35 Looking to spice up their marriage, Al and Peggy go to a hotel with an innuendo-laced name,
06:40 the Hop-On Inn.
06:41 However, the staff had secretly recorded couples getting intimate,
06:45 which infuriated Al and Peggy so much they took the hotel to court,
06:49 while their neighbors won a settlement.
06:51 The main couple didn't due to the jury not believing they actually did anything intimate.
06:55 It finished with Al hooking up with Peggy in the courtroom, which was recorded.
07:00 The controversial episode forced Fox to ban it from being aired.
07:03 "Well, Al, at least we still have each other."
07:07 "Everyone, I have something to say.
07:18 I've given this long and careful thought, and I've decided to carry Naomi and Dale's child for them."
07:23 "You what?"
07:24 "Family Guy" is known for pushing boundaries, but even so,
07:27 some sensitive topics discussed in a funny show can undercut the message.
07:31 For the episode "Partial Terms of Endearment",
07:33 Lois agreed to be a surrogate mother for Naomi Robinson,
07:36 her former college roommate, and her husband Dale.
07:39 However, the Robinsons were then in a fatal car accident.
07:43 While Lois sided with abortion,
07:45 Peter, after meeting pro-lifers, decided they should have the baby and convinced Lois to keep it.
07:49 After she spoke about the upcoming new Griffin,
07:52 Peter broke the fourth wall and announced they terminated the pregnancy just before the credits,
07:56 turning it into an inappropriate punchline.
07:58 "It's one more person to share the world with.
08:01 Another little voice in the back seat of the car.
08:04 One more Griffin to love and to love us in return."
08:07 Fox also banned the episode from airing, but it was released on DVD.
08:14 Considering Fez got his name from foreign exchange student,
08:27 his country of origin is never disclosed and used as a vehicle for racial jokes,
08:31 he's seen as a controversial figure in That '70s Show today.
08:34 And the racism went up a few notches in the episode "I'm Free".
08:38 Previously, after a run-in with the law,
08:40 Fez married Lori Foreman to halt deportation, causing Red to have a heart attack.
08:45 This episode had immigration checking on the situation.
08:48 Throughout, Red made thinly veiled threats about snitching on Fez,
08:52 making viewers pretty uncomfortable.
08:54 Plus, it doesn't help that the patriarch kept uttering racial insults,
08:57 while Fez doesn't look great since he shames Lori constantly.
09:21 In 2021, news came out that during a Comedy Central marathon of "The Office",
09:26 the episode "Diversity Day" was skipped.
09:28 And looking back at it, probably for a good reason.
09:31 After Michael's awkward Chris Rock impression,
09:33 everyone at the Scranton branch had to take part in a racial sensitivity seminar.
09:37 And there are plenty of uncomfortable moments featuring racial and misogynistic stereotyping.
09:42 But the most heinous was near the end when Michael mocked Kelly's Indian heritage
09:46 with a goofy accent and bizarre mannerisms, resulting in him getting slapped by her.
09:51 Michael's behavior came across as particularly mean,
09:54 rather than the usual misinformed ways he'd become beloved for later.
10:18 South Park rarely shies away from creating controversial content.
10:21 But the episodes "200" and "201" pushed it too far,
10:25 with a storyline of Tom Cruise and other celebrities they had previously mocked
10:29 threatening a lawsuit unless he gets to meet the Prophet Muhammad.
10:32 However, depictions of the Prophet are prohibited.
10:35 As such, the South Park residents are worried about retaliation from extremists.
10:40 This translated to the real world as "201" was set to be aired.
10:44 After getting warned about potential repercussions,
10:46 Comedy Central heavily censored the episode by blurring any imagery of Muhammad
10:50 and bleeped out Kyle's entire end explanation speech, thus losing the moral.
10:55 In 2014, the uncensored version was leaked online.
10:59 That's right, friends. All you need to do is instill fear and be willing to hurt people,
11:05 and you can get whatever you want.
11:08 At one point, Graham Linehan was a trailblazer in the realm of sitcoms
11:23 by creating shows like "Father Ted" and "Black Books".
11:26 But then he became obsessed with criticizing the trans community,
11:29 severely damaging his reputation with fans and fellow creators.
11:33 And his grim views were clear in the episode "The Speech" from the IT crowd.
11:37 April confessed to Douglas, whom she was dating, that she was a trans woman,
11:41 only for him to be cool about it.
11:43 It turned out he thought she said she was from Iran. Yikes.
11:47 Later, when he dumped her, April became aggressive and punched Douglas,
11:51 leading to a fight in a laboratory.
11:53 Due to understandable complaints by viewers,
11:55 the episode was pulled from future airings by the UK's Channel 4.
11:59 This episode starts off simple enough.
12:12 The girls are going to a Halloween party,
12:14 where the prize is tickets for a sold-out Bruce Springsteen concert.
12:18 But then the "very special episode" card gets played with fists of ham.
12:22 "Yeah, this evening, on her way to her car, a man attacked her."
12:27 When Mrs. G tells the girls a woman in town has been sexually assaulted,
12:30 they're briefly phased.
12:32 But when Natalie is attacked by a stranger, it registers limited sympathy.
12:36 And instead, characters carry on with easy-to-reach jokes,
12:40 while complaining about how Natalie's trauma affects them.
12:43 "I've been up almost every night with Natalie this week."
12:46 "We've all been up with her. Those nightmares of hers are getting worse."
12:49 By the end of the episode, it's hard not to feel like the lesson
12:52 is that Natalie's at fault for not having protected herself.
12:55 The 80's answer? A self-defense course.
12:58 Well, it's that classic sitcom trope.
13:15 You know, the one where a newly-made friend invites you to a party on his yacht,
13:19 gets murdered and hilarity ensues.
13:21 It's basically a game of clue meets murder on the Orient Express,
13:25 with Benson, the show's resident definitely not a detective,
13:29 there to solve the whodunit.
13:31 This story was actually split over two episodes,
13:34 rather than just ending with someone making sure everyone was safe,
13:37 and then calling the Coast Guard or another such logical conclusion.
13:41 Instead, much of the story involves characters suspecting everyone else,
13:45 and Benson cracking this thing wide open.
13:48 Talk about a show taking on more than it can handle.
13:50 Number 6 - Urban Fear, "Punky Brewster"
13:54 "Henry is stalking me." "Who?"
13:56 "The North Side stalker."
13:57 A child copes with old trauma during a senseless killing spree.
14:01 Not exactly the standard plotline for a family sitcom.
14:04 We learn good and early that a killer is prowling the North Side of Chicago.
14:09 A killer who doesn't look anything like David Letterman.
14:12 "Why, he looks just like David Letterman."
14:15 Surrogate father figure Henry ignores the sensationalism to protect Punky,
14:20 but nonetheless she becomes obsessed with the possibility
14:23 that Henry will most definitely be murdered.
14:25 "He's gonna keep killing, isn't he?"
14:27 "Punky, I want you to stop thinking about him."
14:30 There are no wacky threats or zany misunderstandings fueling the story either.
14:35 It's just straight up unshakable fear on Punky's part,
14:38 which is resolved just in time for the credits by the vague notion of trust.
14:43 "Why, you take good care of yourself out there."
14:45 "Don't worry, he will. He's a tough old bird."
14:48 Today, the idea of a non-trans actress playing the part of Helena would raise a few eyebrows.
15:04 But the way the character, Chandler's estranged parent,
15:07 is addressed would go well beyond eyebrow raising.
15:10 Helena and her son are estranged due to Chandler's embarrassment of her gender identity.
15:15 "You look up into the stands and there's your dad cheering you on,
15:18 dressed as Carmen Miranda.
15:19 He's wearing a headdress with real fruit
15:22 that he will later hand out to your friends as a healthy snack."
15:26 He grows to accept it, but the dialogue and framework of the episode
15:29 treats Helena as something more akin to a gay man or drag artist,
15:33 rather than a trans woman.
15:34 For bonus awkward points, Alexis Arquette,
15:37 who was Courtney Cox's in-law at the time,
15:40 and who herself later transitioned, cameos in these scenes.
15:44 "Yeah, I just ordered a beer."
15:45 "They're straight, I get it."
15:46 It's aged about as well as the one with the male nanny,
15:52 where Ross has a problem with Rachel hiring a male caretaker for Emma.
15:56 During class presentations on Ancestry,
16:08 we learn that Slater's great-grandfather was a matador.
16:12 Screech is a 1940s cartoon approximation of an Italian,
16:15 Lisa is the descendant of slaves,
16:18 and Jesse of slave traders.
16:20 But believe it or not, that is not the biggest misstep in this episode.
16:24 Zack finds an old picture of a Native American man,
16:27 and thus claims to be one himself,
16:29 using Screech as a canvas for war paint and stereotypes.
16:33 "I come from a long line of fierce warriors and great hunters."
16:37 "Hey, hey."
16:38 When his teacher calls him out on his lack of effort, research, and good taste,
16:44 Zack is forced to tutor with a genuine First Nations man,
16:48 Chief Henry, who himself is a canvas for a whole other set of stereotypes.
16:52 It's very nearly the perfect Seinfeld episode.
16:59 Except, leaving a Mets game early to beat traffic,
17:02 the gang's route is blocked by the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
17:05 When the cast splits up, various forms of mayhem follow.
17:08 But Kramer's is the most unfortunate.
17:11 Getting into the spirit of the day,
17:13 Kramer gets carried away and accidentally lights a Puerto Rican flag on fire with a sparkler.
17:18 "Hey, there's a guy burning the Puerto Rican flag!"
17:20 Misreading the situation, passers-by are livid,
17:24 and that outrage was shared by real-life Puerto Rican groups,
17:27 who were not at all amused by Kramer's takeaway from the riot,
17:31 nor the episode's portrayal of Puerto Rican people.
17:34 "Maybe we should estamp you, like you estamp the flag!"
17:38 Nowadays, we also doubt they produce an episode
17:41 where Jerry drugs his girlfriend to play with her vintage toys.
17:44 While the rest of her family is next door planning her surprise party,
17:55 Edith busies herself by baking her own birthday cake.
17:58 That, however, is the end of the silliness.
18:01 A man claiming to be a detective arrives to warn Edith about a criminal
18:05 who's committed sexual assault,
18:07 but it soon becomes apparent he's referring to himself,
18:10 and he keeps her terrified until her cake burns and gives her an out.
18:13 Rather than mining the situation somehow for humor,
18:29 the episode instead looks at the depression the attack leaves Edith with.
18:33 It's all handled with respect,
18:35 but it's unlikely a modern sitcom would ever dare to broach such subject matter.
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19:00 After doing some odd jobs for Mr. Horton, a bike shop proprietor,
19:13 Arnold and Dudley become friendly with the man,
19:16 who gives them ice cream and free bike radios.
19:18 But these visits lose their innocence pretty fast.
19:21 At a pizza and comics session, Horton slips a dirty magazine,
19:26 wine and nude photos of himself with boys into the mix.
19:29 Their final visit involves Boston cream pie, an adult cartoon and sedatives.
19:35 Fortunately, this party is crashed by the police.
19:39 It's among the most infamous Very Special episodes,
19:42 and one that disturbed cast member Todd Bridges,
19:45 who had reportedly experienced similar abuse in his youth.
19:48 Are you all right?
19:49 Yeah, I guess so.
19:50 But I'm kind of scared.
19:53 [MUSIC]
20:03 [MUSIC]