Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, homophobia, sexism, misogyny, eating disorders, fat-shaming, and child abuse.
While some hilarious comedyTV showsare timeless, there are some sitcomsthat have aged poorly. Of course, allthe best sitcoms of all timefeature moments that are a bit out-of-touch nowadays. However, some stand out aging-wise more than others. There’s nothing wrong with still enjoying these shows, butit’s worth noting that they are a product of their timeand why they no longer hold up in the present day.
Naturally, older titles are more likely to age worse than recent ones. Several2000s sitcoms have aged surprisingly well, although this isn’t an exclusive rule, either. Shows that are considered to have aged badly typically feature jokes about topics that are harsh or bigoted towards certain people, especially gags about racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism. Even though not every single part of these sitcoms is controversial, in general, they’ve aged poorly.
How I Met Your Mother
Cast
How I Met Your Mother is a television series that follows a father telling his children about his past. Released in 2005, it explores his experiences and adventures with four close friends, leading up to meeting their mother, as depicted through a series of flashbacks.
Anyone who has ever seenHow I Met Your Motherwill understand that, despite its overall charm, the show has aged relatively poorly. Even though the show only finished airing in 2014, there are plenty ofharsh realities ofHow I Met Your Mother. Regardless of Barney Stinson’s character redemption in the later seasons, it is hard to ignorehis disrespectful attitude towards women,and his Playbook is rather creepy.
It isn’t just Barney, however. The depiction of characters like the Slutty Pumpkin also shame women, too. There are plenty of jokes that poke fun at groups of people for no good reason.How I Met Your Motherfeatures several gags about others’ weight, sexuality, mental health, and general personality traits.
25 How I Met Your Mother Plays In The Barney Playbook Explained
Barney Stinson’s Playbook contained all the ways he found women in How I Met Your Mother, and each ridiculous play is more outrageous than the last.
While these jokes might have landed during their original broadcast, time has proven that they aren’t as funny as they initially seemed.While Barney is terrible with consent, so is Ted. The constant push forTed and Robin’s relationship inHow I Met Your Motherborders on uncomfortable, and it is a shame the show relies on things like this so much for laughs.
The Monkees
The Monkees follows Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy, four young musicians in 1960s Los Angeles, as they navigate the challenges of their struggling country-folk-rock band. Their story involves whimsical encounters with a vibrant cast of characters, all while being aware of their role in a weekly television series.
While one ofthe most notable 1960s sitcoms,The Monkees,is groundbreaking in certain ways, it has aged poorly by today’s standards.The Monkeesfocuses on the titular rock n’ roll band trying to make it big in LA, and while some elements of the show are ahead of its time, others are now painful to watch.The biggest issue withThe Monkeesis the racist jokes,however. Several episode titles use slurs and stereotypical language, for example.
On top of this, the episode “The Case of the Missing Monkee” features the villain-of-the-week in yellowface. In fact, there are a few occurrences in which white actors portray a character of a different race. Other than these examples, however, the show casually drops racially stereotypical jokes on the regular. Although it can be argued that the show is a product of its time, it doesn’t mean that it is okay nowadays.
Friends
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
Friendsis always going to be an audience favorite, and it’s a standout and defining title in the sitcom genre, but many things have aged badly.Ross, for instance, is hugely problematic. He constantly shames others for his problems, is a terrible romantic partner, and has a serious anger problem.Ross and Rachel’s relationship inFriendsis painful to watch, and it’s ridiculously unfair how he treats his on-off girlfriend.
There is a lack of character diversity, even in supporting roles, and jokes that don’t fly today, like fat-shaming towards a younger Monica and comments about Carol being a lesbian.
There is a lack of character diversity, even in supporting roles, andjokes that don’t fly today, likefat-shaming towards a younger Monicaand comments about Carol being a lesbian.Friendsis also quite transphobic at times. This is mainly through Chandler’s father, Charles, or under the drag name Helena Handbasket.
Friends Guest Star On Whether She’d Play Chandler’s Trans Parent Today
Friends guest star Kathleen Turner addresses her portrayal of Chandler’s trans parent Helena and whether she would accept the role today.
What’s frustrating about this is thatFriendsnever establishes that Chandler’s father is actually transgender, and it was only confirmed by creator Marta Kauffan years later. The show only depicts Charles Bing as a drag queen, yet still makes transphobic jokes, but regardless of this, it’s still distasteful. Whileit’s possible to still rewatchFriendsdespite its harsh realitiesand enjoy it, it’s hard to ignore the glaringly obvious issues with the show.
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men follows the Harper family: Charlie (Charlie Sheen), a womanizing, hedonistic jingle writer who enjoys his lazy lifestyle from the comfort of his large beach house; Alan (Jon Cryer), Charlie’s neurotic, far less successful brother; and Jake (Angus T. Jones), Alan’s impressionable son. When Alan’s marriage falls apart, he moves in with Charlie, much to the older brother’s dismay. After bonding with his nephew, Charlie reluctantly embraces Alan’s presence, paving the way for one of television’s most dysfunctional family environments.
Two and a Half Menis another sitcom that happilyexcuses a womanizing character’s misogynistic and sexist ways. However, this still continues even afterCharlie Sheen’s departure fromTwo and a Half Men, too. Charlie Harper’s treatment of women is awful, and he sees them as objects or toys rather than actual people.
While there’s nothing wrong with casual sex, if that is what is agreed upon, the show often depictsevery woman Charlie dates inTwo and a Half Menas either too stupid to understand or too promiscuous to even care about how disrespectful he is. Although Alan typically rolls his eyes and criticizes Charlie’s actions, he is also complicit, and he doesn’t really do anything about it.
Alan allows Charlie to carry onwithout accepting any responsibility, all while a young Jake watches him, and so his parenting abilities are called into question. In fact, Jake is often dragged into their escapades, butTwo and a Half Mentreats this as if it’s normal. It’s no surprise that Jake actor Angus T. Jones is critical of the show for its storylines, especially in the later seasons, like Jake’s relationships with older women.
Home Improvement
Home Improvement is a television sitcom that follows the life of Tim Taylor, a handyman and TV show host. Set in 1991, the show explores Tim’s experiences raising three sons with his supportive co-host, assertive wife, and enigmatic neighbor.
Whilereviews of Tim Allen’sShifting Gearsare relatively mixed, the sitcom legend’s new show definitely holds up better than his most famous title,Home Improvement. The hit ‘90s sitcomheavily relies on stereotypical depictionsof characters for the sake of jokes.
Home Improvementconstantly pushes the narrative of the “standard” family dynamic, in which men need to be good with tools and the breadwinner of the home, while women’s appearances and ability to look after children are the only thing they are useful for. Allen’s character is relatively one-dimensional, and his stories mainly focus on his handyman TV show and little else.
The fictional “Tool Time” also features a “Tool Time girl,” whose only purpose is to stand there, look pretty, and introduce Tim and his co-host.Things weren’t much better behind-the-scenes, either, and it’s no surprise thatPatricia Richardson leftHome Improvementafter season 8because of a pay gap issue with Allen. While there are still several comical and endearing parts ofHome Improvement, it has mostly aged poorly.
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is a family sitcom that aired from 1985 to 1992, starring Alan Thicke as Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist who works from home, and Joanna Kerns as his wife Maggie, a journalist. The series explores the dynamics and humorous situations within the Seaver family, including their children Mike, Carol, and Ben, as they navigate through various life changes.
There are multiple moments inGrowing Painsthat are now difficult to watch back, which alters viewers’ overall outlook on the sitcom. Even thoughGrowing Painsfocuses on Alan Thicke’s Jason, a psychiatrist, and his family, the depiction of mental health is awful. For example, in season 1’s “A Christmas Story,” one of Jason’s patients turns up on the Seaver’s doorstep and threatens to commit suicide by jumping down their chimney.
AlthoughGrowing Painsis a sitcom and is generally light-hearted, the idea that Jason’s patient just needs a puppy is not an appropriate narrative response. There are many instances in whichfat jokes are made about Tracey Gold’s character, Carol,especially from Kirk Cameron’s Mike.
This is even harder to watch back, considering Gold’s openness with her anorexia, and even after the actress loses weight later on, these jokes are still prominent throughout. It’s heartbreaking to see Gold’s decline on-screen, especially knowing thatGrowing Pains’ writing is the reason behind her drastic change in appearance.
Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom that aired on NBC, starring Nell Carter as a housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters. The series ran for six seasons, beginning on July 14, 2025, and explored themes of family dynamics and personal growth within a comedic context.
Gimme a Break!has aged poorly in several ways. The show’s comedy typically relies on the differences in culture, specifically through black housekeeper Nell and the white Kanisky family. However, the most obvious and biggest problem withGimme a Break!is thatDolph Sweet’s Carl frequently and openly hits his daughters.
This first happens in the pilot when Katie is caught shoplifting, and when the teen gives a snide remark about her dead mother being unable to discipline her, Carl physically slaps her. Carl continues to abuse his daughters throughout the show, butGimme a Break!treats this as humorous and completely normal.
While Grandpapa Stanley later grows as a person, he is initially rather bigoted, treats his wife with no respect, and makes fat jokes about Eddie. Nell is often subjected to remarks about her weight too, and several characters are “Flanderized,” like Katie’s dwindling intelligence. Considering the times in which the show includes things like black-face and many racist jokes, it makes sense that Nell Carter distanced herself fromGimme a Break!
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.
While there are plenty ofrewatchable qualities ofThe Big Bang Theory, this doesn’t mean it hasn’t aged badly. The original appeal ofnerd culture being odd and unpopular isn’t that funny anymore, and while it wasn’t really true at the time of airing either, it definitely isn’t relevant now.
Raj’s selective mutism is mocked, Penny is perceived as stupid and just eye candy, and Sheldon’s quirks and particularness is constantly implied as undiagnosed neurodivergency. While there is no doubt that Sheldon is a difficult character at times, his behavior is made to be so over-the-top simply for laughs.
The Big Bang Theoryrelies far too much on stereotypes for laughs, and even though it’s not as direct as some other shows, it still gets boring quickly.
If anything,Young Sheldonprovides a more realistic depiction. Howard is another problem character and is rather sexist and stereotypical in the earlierseasons ofThe Big Bang Theory, but thankfully, the introduction of Bernie helps him. However, it’s a shame that Howard needs a love interest in order to sort himself out.The Big Bang Theoryrelies far too much on stereotypes for laughs,and even though it’s not as direct as some other shows, it still gets boring quickly.
That ’70s Show
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
Although there are several things aboutThat ‘70s Showthat are still entertaining, there are unfortunately a lot of issues with the show, both on and off-screen.Eric and Donna’s relationship inThat ‘70s Showis quite controversial at times, for example. Donna gives up on her dreams multiple times for Eric, and he also shames her for not committing early on in their romance, despite the fact they’re highschoolers.
How Old That ’70s Show’s Cast Was When The Show First Released In 1998
Even though That ’70s Show largely followed teenage characters, the main cast was a variety of ages when it premiered and only some were real teens.
Jackie’s relationships are disappointing too, and the character mainly serves as the girlfriend of different group members.Fez is often the butt of the joke, although most of the time, these gags are aimed at the fact he isn’t from America.
In addition to the controversy surrounding the TV show itself, actor Danny Masterson, who played Steven Hyde inThat ’70s Show, wassentenced to 30 years to life in prisonin 2023.Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote lettersto represent their view of Masterson to the judge.
The later reveal that Fez stands for “Foreign Exchange Student” is inventive, but it’s also ignorant of the guys to call him that just because they can’t understand his name.Many of theharsh realities ofThat ‘70s Showare from behind-the-scenes, too, and it’s strange to rewatch the show knowing the controversies between the cast at the time.
Glee
In order to escape the stressful reality of high school, a group of misfits decides to join William McKinley’s glee club. Fox’sGleewas created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk,and Ryan Murphy, with Leah Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison leading the cast. The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015 and won six Primetime Emmys.
Gleehas always been problematic, even during its initial broadcast, but time has proven that it hasn’t aged well. This is apparent from the pilot, withMr. Schuester planting drugs in Finn’s lockerto blackmail him, and later puts on an overly sexualized performance of Salt-N-Peppa’s “Push It” in front of the whole school.
Glee’s Artie controversy, storylines about complex taboos that are handled badly, and strange character choices all play a part in the show’s poor aging. In later seasons ofGlee, the show becomes less satirical and more judgmental, but it just comes across as dated now.
Gleetries to justify certain lines of dialogue and plotlines because the characters are teenagers trying to find their way in the world, but this doesn’t justify some of thehorrifying things that the adults do. For example, Sue’s bigoted comments about her students, or Schue’s treatment of Emma at times. Unfortunately,Gleeis aTVsitcom that has aged poorly, regardless of its forward-thinking attitude and positive representation.
