A lot has changed since the 1970's, from the fashion to the music to so much more. One of the most significant differences between the 1970's and present day is television, especially sitcoms. Humor is an ever evolving thing and it has evolved quite a lot in the last 40 to 50 years. But even TV shows that were once Emmy winning and topping the charts would never be allowed on the air now, due to changing standards and values.
Certain male characters who once upon time cracked up thousands of fans around the world would now have viewers taking to social media to get them off air for reasons both understandable and absurd. So without further delay, here are 10 male sitcom characters from the 70's that would never fly today:
Jack Tripper (Three's Company)
Three's Company was one of the most popular sitcoms of its time, airing from 1977 to 1984 with a total of eight seasons. Back then, fans thought it was comical that Jack had to pretend to be gay in order to have two female roommates. Nowadays, the whole plot wouldn't make sense as no one concerns themselves with who people live with or what their sexual orientation is.
Not only would Three's Company not in work in today's world, but Jack Tripper would be considered offensive for pretending to be gay and for his treatment of women in general. In the minds of viewers today, he would be crossing the line with most of his flirting antics.
Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch)
Even for those who were born 30 years after this iconic sitcom went off air, chances are pretty much everybody still knows about The Brady Bunch. The fan favorite series ran for five seasons from 1969 to 1974 and become one of the most well known sitcoms from the decade.
Mike Brady was a great dad and husband often offering compassionate and reliable advice to his children. But this ideal father and successful architect does have one flaw: He's an architect who couldn't add on to his house. He had six kids sharing one bathroom and they all had to share bedrooms too. Cramped quarters made by someone who designs buildings for a living isn't just a weird quirk, but a detriment to him as both a professional and a person.
George Jefferson (The Jeffersons)
The Jeffersons might have been a success in the 70's, but there is no way viewers would allow George Jefferson to be on the air today. The hit All in the Family spin off ran for eleven seasons from 1975 to 1985. While the show was groundbreaking at the time for featuring an interracial couple, George Jefferson was stuck back in time.
George never missed an opportunity to insult the interracial couple in his building and he was obsessed with showing off his wealth. In one episode he belittles a maid, Diane, and behavior like that would never be tolerated today. Luckily, his wife Louise was there to keep him in line.
Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son)
Sanford and Son was another sitcom that changed the culture as it mainly featured an African American cast. The series ran for six seasons from 1972 to 1977 and it paved the way for other African American sitcoms to become mainstream.
But even this groundbreaking series had a link to the past, thanks to Fred Sanford's prejudices. He never hesitated to use racial slurs and was at times downright awful to other people including, his own son. In the 70's, people cracked up at Fred's distasteful humor but 40 years later the same punchlines would no longer be considered funny.
Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
Similar to George Jefferson and Fred Sanford, Archie Bunker was another bigot from the 1970's. All in the Family was one of the most popular sitcoms in the 70's, running from 1971 to 1979 with a total of nine seasons. Fans loved the banter between Archie and the company he found himself in.
Archie believed every negative stereotype under the sun and he never thinks twice about letting people know it. He dislikes feminists, African Americans, Jews, and the list goes on. Nowadays, there is probably not a single Archie Bunker trait that would go over well with today's viewers.
Ralph Furley (Three's Company)
Mr. Furley was quite the colorful character in Three's Company, as he was often dressed rather flamboyantly and he naively believed he was a ladies man. Fans loved Mr.s Furley's kooky personality and his general dislike for Jack's supposed sexual orientation often making sure Jack wasn't hitting on him.
But in 2020, Mr. Furley would be considered homophobic and offensive. Neither of those are traits viewers want in their sitcom characters nowadays. Mr. Furley might have been beloved back in the 70's but today, he would be pushed right off the show.
Ted Baxter (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was groundbreaking for its time, as it centered around an unmarried career woman, but there were still a few dated aspects to the sitcom that aired from 1970 to 1977 for a total of seven seasons. Anchorman Ted Baxter is one of those dated aspects.
Ted was a ladies man who once encouraged his coworker, Murray, to cheat on his wife. In another episode, he had to use all of his self control when Mary came out in a revealing dress, but still managed to make her feel uncomfortable. But Ted had his redeeming qualities; he didn't buy into toxic masculinity as he shed quite a few tears on the show, like when Lou told him he wasn't getting a Teddy Award. At least he wasn't a total sleaze.
Mel Sharples (Alice)
Alice depicted the life of a widowed single mother who dreams of being a singer, but when her car breaks down in Arizona she is forced to get a job as a waitress at Mel's Diner. While the waitresses band together to offer each other support, one character at the diner isn't as compassionate.
Mel Sharples, the owner of the diner, is often looking for ways to cut costs to make more money while barking orders at and making fun of the waitresses. In the 70's he was considered a rough around the edges man with a good heart, but in 2020 he would just be considered a jerk.
Louie DePalma (Taxi)
Taxi was an Emmy winning series which aired from 1978 to 1983. It featured a group of misfit crab drivers who bonded over their dislike of their dispatcher, Louie DePalma. Louie, played by Danny DeVito, had fans crying from laughing so hard back in the 70's with his outrageous tantrums and crude comments.
Some of his remarks included making fun of people's weight, obnoxiously hitting on Elaine, and laughing at fellow cab drivers for trying to achieve their dreams. In today's world, Louie would be kicked off the air so fast for his behavior, but in the 70's he was simply a lovably wacky if uncouth character who had a good heart under his gruff exterior.
Darrin Stephens (Bewitched)
When Bewitched first aired no one believed it would be a hit, but the series proved its critic wrong by running for eight seasons from 1964 to 1972. In the 60's and 70's, people were charmed by the relationship between witch Samantha and her non-magical husband Darrin.
But in this modern world, a man's man telling his wife what she can and cannot do would never fly. Since Darrin has no powers of his own, he does not understand magic and makes Samantha promise to not use her supernatural abilities. If Bewitched were to air today, Darrin would fully support Samantha's magical abilities instead of holding her back just because he got a little insecure.