Possible spoilers ahead!
Chuck Bass’ treatment of women on Gossip Girl:
“I have friends that genuinely believe that Chuck was ‘so romantic’ and the best choice for Blair. I find it so troubling that there are a bunch of young woman that could believe this was a good relationship, despite the fact that he nearly punched Blair in the face (while she was pregnant!) while shouting about how she ‘belongs to him.’ Not to mention all the other crap he pulled.”
—justarandomchicken
“Chuck attempting to rape both Serena and Jenny and everyone basically ignoring that.”
—rutabagaa
CW
The whole “Fat Monica” running gag on Friends:
“Ugh, definitely Monica’s “fat phase.” Every time I watch an episode featuring “Fat Monica” I always end up (sarcastically) screaming to anyone within earshot, “IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE SHE’S FAT! AND FAT PEOPLE DON’T DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE HUMAN BEINGS! THEY EXIST TO BE THE BUTT OF JOKES!” She seemed totally happy when she was “fat.” Well, she WAS until Chandler made a comment at Thanksgiving about her weight. And then she lost the weight! Because of what some guy had to say! Not because she wanted to!”
—lizziec42f802a51
NBC
Rory’s affair with Dean on Gilmore Girls:
“Rory sleeping with a married Dean and showing no remorse.”
—angiej4809c6f0b
WB
Annie’s hit-and-run on 90210:
“When Annie literally committed vehicular manslaughter while drunk driving (underage!) and got a slap on the wrist for it— only after dating the dead guy’s nephew for a while and driving him to try and commit suicide. What the literal hell?”
—cupcakekrystle
CW
Jess’ treatment of Rory on Gilmore Girls:
“I don’t understand why everybody loves Jess from Gilmore Girls. He flirted with Rory when she and Dean were together, he always got her in trouble, he literally would just disappear and not talk to her. He was a terrible boyfriend but everybody likes them together because they both liked books.”
—ravenk45e51ab9f
WB
The treatment of bisexuality on Sex and the City:
“There’s an episode in Sex and the City called “Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl” in which Carrie discovers the younger guy she’s dating is bi. Not only is Carrie uncomfortable with this, but there’s a full-on diner gab sesh with the girls in which every stereotypical cliche gets pulled out, from “Can’t they just pick a side?” to “I don’t even think they’re real!” Miranda, the no-nonsense friend, immediately tells Carrie to dump him, and Samantha writes the whole thing off as the younger generation being more experimental and “fluid” on the whole. In the end, Carrie’s bi boyfriend takes Carrie to a party where she’s pressured to have a bisexual interaction, and Carrie leaves with the notion that she’s too old-fashioned (read “mature”) for these young bi experimenters.”
—carlosmorenoh
HBO
Frank and Alice’s relationship on Friends:
“When Phoebe’s brother ‘fell in love’ with his teacher and then went on to MARRY her! Am I the only person who found this wildly inappropriate? Plus, the fact that everyone eventually condoned it still shocks me! If any other 18 year old decided to marry their MUCH OLDER teacher it would on the goddamn news, especially because it’s explicitly said that he was younger when the relationship started.” —keitumetsem
NBC
Ezra and Aria’s relationship on Pretty Little Liars:
“All of Pretty Little Liars. Mainly the fact that the show (which has a teenage audience) glamorized and romanticized a student-teacher relationship during which the teacher knew who the student was and how old she was before he met her because he was STALKING her and her underage friends to write a book about a ‘dead’ teenage girl who he ALSO dated. Ezra was a predator, but the show never ever depicted him as such and actually had Aria and Ezra end up together. Yuck. Stalking and statutory rape isn’t romantic.”
—sharvaris
“Pedo teacher Ezra Fitz preying on his student Aria and becoming her husband later. Like, we were supposed to be ok with this relationship. After it was revealed he KNEW of her and her age before they got together. Nah. No thanks.”
—starrynight88
Freeform
Spike and Buffy’s relationship on Buffy The Vampire Slayer:
“Spike’s attempted rape of Buffy being used as moral development of HIS character. Buffy was an after thought to her own assault.”
—rebeccaa4c0d73da6
WB
When J.D. told the story about Turk “groping a transsexual” on Scrubs:
“In Season 2, Episode 10 of Scrubs, J.D. brings up the fact that Turk once groped a transgender person on a plane. Turk then admits to it and is embarrassed, but not because he committed sexual assault. He’s embarrassed because the person he assaulted was trans, and somehow that reflects negatively on him more than the fact he touched someone without their consent. Scrubs was a groundbreaking show and I still really like it, but I was never able to look at either of those characters the same way after that.” —royaldutchess
ABC
Topanga changing her college plans for Cory on Boy Meets World:
“On Boy Meets World when Topanga decides not to go to an Ivy League college and goes to a less-regarded one because of Cory. She was seen as such a feminist but that’s a terrible message to send to girls. And then they get married at 18?? So unrealistic.”
—laurens4daa9adaf
ABC
When Spongebob and Mr. Krabs thought they were covering up a murder on Spongebob Squarepants:
“Spongebob Squarepants, a show mainly geared towards young kids, had one episode where Spongebob and Mr. Krabs attempt to cover up a grisly murder after thinking they were responsible for killing a man by poisoning him with a Krabby Patty. Again this is from Spongebob Squarepants, a show mainly geared towards young kids. Great message!
—danielb12
Nickelodeon
When Tyra and Landry killed a guy on Friday Night Lights:
“Friday Night Lights when Tyra and Landry killed that guy … that was the most random plot ever.”
—gwendyt
NBC
When Zack and Lisa got together on Saved By The Bell:
“It’s so dramatic because everyone, including his so called BFF Zack, knows that Screech has been in love with Lisa since FOREVER and Zack randomly notices her as more than a friend and swoops in like the sexy fucker that he is… and it causes a very intense fight between Zack and Screech. But realizing that he shouldn’t get in the way of “true love,” Screech steps aside to let Lisa be happy with Zack. It’s a very important episode that sends a very important message to awkward high school geeks everywhere — that no matter how hard you try and no matter how pure your love for someone truly is, the hot, popular, slacker asshole that treats people like shit unless they are equally hot, always gets the girl!” —vanessaiacona1202
When Ross wanted to sleep with his cousin on Friends…
“Friends, the episode where Ross is attracted to his cousin. The part when he was trying to convince himself that it wouldn’t be wrong if they slept together, I was shook.”
—marisafaith97
NBC
…and when we found out Ross was Monica’s first kiss:
“A lot of stuff on Friends is problematic now, but didn’t seem so bad at the time. My biggest issue has always been that Ross and Monica made out when she passed out on his bed in college. Creeped me out when it first aired and still creeps me out.”
—laurenz4
“Monica discovering that she accidentally made out with Ross. If one of the writers was competing to see if they could make the audience the most uncomfortable, they definitely won.”
—kcas15
NBC
The “Naked Man” episode of How I Met Your Mother:
“The “Naked Man” episode in How I Met Your Mother is basically what Harvey Weinstein does sans the power play.”
—ashleytec
CBS
Barney’s sexist jokes on How I Met Your Mother:
“A lot of Barney’s sexist jokes on How I Met Your Mother. They haven’t aged well. His playbook has a lot of sexual harassment signs in it. Upon rewatch a lot of that stuff isn’t very funny.” —sharvaris
CBS
The treatment of Daphne’s weight gain on Frasier:
“Man, when Daphne gains weight after getting together with Niles (in order to cover up the actress’ pregnancy). The fat jokes were constant and horrifying, and the idea that three grown men were constantly deriding their girlfriend/friend/roommate/caretaker when she wasn’t in the room is just very creepy. What’s worse: She gets shipped off to a fat camp to lose weight and figure out why she was fat. The diagnosis: She was so worried about pleasing Niles that she sabotaged herself.” —austenw
NBC
When Dan was redeemed as a character on One Tree Hill after he murdered his own brother:
“When Dan shot his BROTHER Keith on One Tree Hill and was the enemy, but they tried to make an evil nanny the enemy instead to redeem him because all the good characters were leaving. NO. NO. NO. He is the devil!”
—juliak43ca3f3f8
WB
When Maeby convinces Steve Holt her mom is trans on Arrested Development:
“The episode of Arrested Development when Maeby convinces Steve Holt that her mom is trans. I love the show in general, but dang has this episode not aged well. I rewatched the show recently, and I maybe made it 5 minutes into this episode. So freaking cringe-worthy. The Shemale shirt coming back in Season 4 is pretty awful, too.” —rachelc43
FOX
Steve Urkel’s stalker behavior on Family Matters:
“Steve Urkel. Sure, he was the “sweet guy” who eventually got the girl he pined for his entire life, but when it comes down to it, he was a legitimate STALKER. No respect for anyone else’s rules or boundaries. I remember one time he strolled into the Winslows’ house and the father said, “I could have sworn I locked that door,” and Steve said, “You did, but I took the liberty of making my own key.” THAT IS NOT OKAY.”
—theannelis
ABC
Fez’s character in the later seasons of That ’70s Show:
“Fez being downright disgusting in the later seasons of That ’70s Show —he both watches people sleep and hides in people’s showers.”
—wlindsayloop
FOX
When Brittany released a sex tape of her and Santana on Glee:
“It was played off like it was funny, and Brittany was even lauded as romantic by the end of the episode because she was just trying to help Santana achieve her dream of becoming famous. If someone in real life released a sex tape without their partner’s permission, it would be a huge deal. This is one of the main reasons I’m so disgusted that so many young LGBT girls look up to this couple.
—snixxxy
FOX
When Ryder admitted he was sexually assaulted on Glee and his friends laughed it off:
“In a season 4 episode of Glee, Ryder (a boy) admits to his friends (other boys) that he was sexually assaulted by his (female) babysitter when he was 11. He was clearly hurting and upset by this fact, but his two friends start patting him on the back and telling him that he “lived out a fantasy.” They couldn’t comprehend why their fellow bro would be upset by a girl sexually assaulting him. They just laughed and had a good time at his expense. It was never mentioned again, there was no PSA at the end of the episode. It was infuriating.”
—midnxghtblue
FOX
Mary asking Matt (her brother) to teach her how to kiss on 7th Heaven:
“Mary tried to get her brother Matt to teach her how to kiss, and he’s totally down to do it. When the pastor dad catches them, he just blows it off. I’m pretty sure this happened in the PILOT which is kind of incredible. Ya know, just your wholesome family show.”
—shendel
WB
And finally, the ending of How I Met Your Mother:
“I’m still not over the fact that they created this entire tv show of Ted telling the story how he met his dream wife just to have her be in one season and killed off in the finale just so he can go back to Robin.” —alinah4519ccf7b
CBS