They might’ve appeared with good hair and a perfectly timed entrance, but when you have a second look at these characters, a lot of them seem much less admirable.
The hallway shortcut
One of the reasons we loved Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell was the fact that he could talk his way out of almost anything. But that was also a problem. He often needed to lie because he was up to no good, and that wasn’t exactly the best message to tell kids.
Take the episode ‘Model Students,’ for example. Zack sent Screech to photograph Kelly, Jessie, and Lisa at swim practice, then sold a ‘Girls of Bayside’ calendar featuring them, without their permission. That kind of storyline would never fly today. It’s almost unbelievable that we ever thought this sort of behavior was acceptable.
Friday night on the couch
Al Bundy’s favorite position in Married… with Children was usually on the couch, with one hand tucked into his waistband. He’d complain about the life everyone else had supposedly ruined. That gave him a lot of funny lines, sure, but actually living with him wouldn’t have been so funny.
He insulted customers at the shoe store and mocked Peggy. He was pretty nasty to his children, too, and refused to show them a lot of affection. Al formed the club NO MA’AM so that men had a space to gather and complain about women. That’s hardly a model father.
Payback with car keys
Al wasn’t the only problem in the show, though. Kelly Bundy was also an issue, especially with the way that she would take revenge against men who had wronged her. She stole a man’s car in the episode ‘T-R-A Something, Something Spells Tramp’ because he ditched her on the highway after their date.Â
She gave Bud a lesson in how to exploit men’s egos, too, as though that’s something to be proud of. There’s no doubt that Kelly could handle herself. But the thing is, the show turned her strength into manipulation or payback against men.
Trouble behind the sideburns
One of the main reasons we admired Dylan McKay from Beverly Hills, 90210, was his flashy Porsche. His sideburns also helped, too. The show presented him as being way more thoughtful and mature than the other students. That much is true.
But he also cheated on Brenda with her best friend, Kelly, and also suffered problems like addiction and relapses. He had a car crash after taking drugs. It’s clear that Dylan had serious issues and lots of pain, but we probably shouldn’t have supported his choices that dragged other people into the wreckage.
Persistence in suspenders
Laura turned down Steve Urkel in Family Matters again and again, but he kept treating her ‘no’ as a challenge. The show tried to make it seem like his pursuit of her was sweet. You know, because Steve was awkward and clever. He seemed generally kind.
But think about it this way, Laura spent years saying she wasn’t interested. Yet he kept appearing at her house and trying again. That sort of behavior wasn’t too far away from stalking, and it’s wrong to present repeated rejection as an invitation to continue.
The lack of help
Elaine Benes in Seinfeld sure could hold a grudge. Just look at the episode where she stood with Jerry, George, and Kramer as they watched a man being carjacked. They made jokes at his expense.
Apparently, the offer of help wasn’t on the table. The show did look at the consequences of their actions during the finale, as all four of them landed in court, but still. Elaine’s delight in getting even and being selfish wasn’t something to celebrate.
A tab that kept growing
Sam Malone was quite an unusual television hero in Cheers. He ran a bar while being sober, for one, but there was also the fact that he pursued women constantly. It didn’t matter whether they were customers or employees.Â
Diane and Rebecca both worked in the same bar that he owned. The show treated his advances as part of his easy charm, and it was only near the end that it finally addressed his behavior as something negative. We can’t believe we ever idolized someone like this.
Money as a personality
Blair was one of the most popular characters in The Facts of Life. She’d walk through Eastland in another perfect outfit and act as though being rich was a personal achievement. A lot of younger viewers envied her. She was beautiful and fashionable, after all, while also being full of confidence.Â
But what made her less attractive was how often she judged people who didn’t have the same opportunities as her. Yes, she’d treat people with less money and family connections as being beneath her. It wasn’t their fault. But the show often treated her spoiled nature and self-importance as being part of the package.
Leaning wasn’t enough
All Jordan Catalano needed to do in My So-Called Life was lean against a locker. That was enough to make him irresistible, and characters like Angela seemed to agree. But his mysterious silence helped cover up some of his nastier behavior.
For example, he pressured Angela to sleep with him and tried to get her to keep their relationship secret. He took revenge on Angela by sleeping with her best friend, Rayanne, in his car. It was a rather selfish way to behave, and honestly, we can’t believe we ever thought he was cool.
The apartment door kept swinging
There’s no denying that Martin and Gina could be hilarious together in Martin. They could turn a minor disagreement into something less serious, usually after Martin ordered Gina to leave. Martin’s confidence seemed so funny at the time.
Then his ego took over, and it was a different story. He got annoyed that Gina earned more. He let his mother insult her, and he embarrassed her on the radio, too. In other words, he would constantly put her down, and it’s hard to believe that we used to accept that sort of behavior.
Banter over boundaries
Moonlighting featured the character of Maddie Hayes, a woman who owned the detective agency, but David Addison behaved like it was a negotiable detail. He would get openly jealous when she dated astronaut Sam Crawford, and he actually fought Sam in a parking garage.
He’d also pressure Maddie into doing what he wanted. For example, he pushed her into keeping the failing detective agency open because he wanted to continue working there. He’d be called a toxic boyfriend and business partner today, so that’s why we’ve stopped idolizing him.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
10 TV shows from the 1960s that no one remembers. Do you remember even five of these shows?
Lots of people remember famous 1960s shows thanks to reruns, but then there were those little TV show experiments that we all seem to have forgotten.
10 TV shows from the 1960s that no one remembers. Do you remember even five of these shows?
