The decade of the 1980s was king of so many things and it was a kind of golden era for entertainment. Whether it was ’80s big hair bands, the huge list of TV shows, or some of the iconic movies of the decade, needless to say, it was a time when a lot of good content was produced for the small and large screens. I was a child in the 1980s and I remember all too well the TV shows that were popular during that time. The fact is, as time goes on, we can look back at some of the entertainment of the past and acknowledge that perhaps some of these shows and movies were slightly unacceptable.
In some cases, they were downright completely unacceptable. The fact is, this can go both ways. Sexism isn’t just damaging to women, although women suffer from this more than men do typically. It’s damaging to our society as a whole and the people who were the products of more sexist eras carry this baggage around with them. Most of us grow and change with the times, and for sure I can tell you that I’m light years away from the young nerdy kid I was in the 1980s. Some of the things that make me uncomfortable now didn’t even move my radar back then. We all grow and learn.
I remember an old Episode of Married With Children where Pat Morita guest starred as a man who did exactly that. He was trying to buy the mighty Dodge! pic.twitter.com/eh01IHtSeN
— 🈁🎞 Spartan Flash Sentry 🎞🈁 (@SentrySpartan) March 12, 2021
Let’s look at some of the TV shows from the 1980s that are now being called sexist.
Happy Days
The Fonz was a creepy guy if you think about it. He was also a bad influence on other young men. And we won’t even go into those gender stereotypes from that show. Of course, the show represented the 1950s. Need we say more?
Star Trek: The Next Generation
One example from this show is that Deanna Troi was the only Star Fleet member who wore low-cut tops. Why do you think that’s the case?
Three’s Company
The blonde jokes alone are over the top, and Larry the creepy friend who was always trying to hook up with Janet and Chrissy needed a restraining order. Also, it’s not appropriate that so many gay jokes were made.
Wheel of Fortune
Were Vanna and Pat equals? If that’s the case, why exactly did it take more than 37 years for Vanna to get to host the show? And then it was only because Pat went on medical leave.
Too Close for Comfort
This show mocked transgender people and had tons of outdated stereotypes about women. Also, a man gets sexually assaulted by two women for a laugh.
Bosom Buddies
Two friends (one of them is Tom Hanks) dress in drag so that they can move into an all-female apartment complex. Nice.
Bosom Buddies had Billy Joel's My Life…I think we have a clear winner (for probably the worst sitcom idea ever). pic.twitter.com/weaNggXkag
— NapoleonXII (@CrashingBore_) March 13, 2021
Who’s the Boss?
The show tried to re-define gender roles, but through a lens that was largely patriarchal.
Knight Rider
Why were all of the female characters so scantily clad? The women in this show were basically either damsels in distress or props.
The A-Team
Some people have called this show a monument to the horrible thing that is toxic masculinity.
Miami Vice
There was a character called “Big Booty Trudy.” Enough said.
Cheers
The women on Cheers were unlikeable characters. Why is that?
Unhappily Ever After
The Tiffany Malloy character was paraded around in nothing but tight and revealing outfits and degraded for her lack of intelligence.
The Dukes of Hazzard
Remember Daisy Dukes?
ALF
Alf made countless sexually suggestive jokes and used racial slurs to boot.
Married…With Children
This show featured a toxic relationship and Peg was often the butt of her husband’s sexist jokes.
Baywatch
Most people believe there were only two reasons to tune into Baywatch and they were both women in swimsuits.
Saved By the Bell
This show blatantly sexualized teenage girls.
M.A.S.H.
Another show that made fun of transgenderism.
Seinfeld
Jerry found subtle flaws with every woman he ever dated.
Magnum P.I.
To be fair, Tom Selleck wore cringe-worthy short shorts as well, but the show was based on just pure machismo.
Happy Magnum, P.I. Day everybody pic.twitter.com/aPLlrqxyPe
— Brian Wecht (@bwecht) March 14, 2021
Family Matters
This show taught young men that when a girl says “no,” she actually means “no, not yet.” Urkel was a total creep.
T.J. Hooker
The show just flaunted women’s skin as much as possible.
Three’s a Crowd
Take the worst of Three’s Company and you’ve got this horrible spin-off.
