Full House Glosses Over the Dangers of Anorexia
In one 30-minute episode of Full House, the family attempts to deal with D.J.’s anorexia when trying to lose weight for an upcoming pool party.
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But the way they dealt with this very serious mental health issue was completely inappropriate, and belittled the reality of what living with an eating disorder is like for many people.
Three’s Company & Bad Innuendos
Known for its borderline regrettable innuendos, one episode of Three’s Company went way over the line. Essentially, Jack ends up in a “compromising” position with a male client when he misunderstands a job application.
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The episode is full of judgmental stereotypes and bad innuendos that are certainly offensive to a wide variety of people.
The Golden Girls Use Blackface to Get Laughs
In one episode of the famous show, a “joke” went very wrong when two friends of the Golden Girls arrived at their home in blackface, apparently due to a problematic skincare product.
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Of course, it was intended as a hilarious misunderstanding, but in reality, it was extremely racially insensitive and would never be allowed on television today.
Mork & Mindy: The Very Transphobic Kiss
In one particular scene in Mork & Mindy, which was meant to elicit big belly laughs, Mork accidentally kissed a transgender woman who he believed to be Mindy.
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The scene shows Mork in a chaotic panic when he realizes the woman he kissed has undergone gender affirmation surgery and makes completely inappropriate and transphobic jokes that would upset any modern viewer.
Saved by the Bell Turns Addiction Into a Punchline
Jessie becomes addicted to caffeine pills in the infamous episode “Jessie’s Song.” And while the show attempts to show the dangers of drug use and addiction, it really just turns the serious issue into a punchline.
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Watching Jessie shout, “I’m so excited!” while on the pills got a lot more laughs than it should have, and definitely more than it would today.