Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, homophobia, sexism, misogyny, eating disorders, fat-shaming, and child abuse.

While some hilarious comedy the best sitcoms of all time feature 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, but it’s worth noting that they are a product of their time and why they no longer hold up in the present day.

Naturally, older titles are more likely to age worse than recent ones. Several 2000s 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.

10 How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

9 Seasons

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Anyone who has ever seen How I Met Your Mother will understand that, despite its overall charm, the show has aged relatively poorly. Even though the show only finished airing in 2014, there are plenty of harsh realities of How I Met Your Mother. Regardless of Barney Stinson’s character redemption in the later seasons, it is hard to ignore his 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 Mother features several gags about others’ weight, sexuality, mental health, and general personality traits.

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 for Ted and Robin’s relationship in How I Met Your Mother borders on uncomfortable, and it is a shame the show relies on things like this so much for laughs.

9 The Monkees (1966-1968)

2 Seasons

While one of the most notable 1960s sitcoms, The Monkees, is groundbreaking in certain ways, it has aged poorly by today’s standards. The Monkees focuses 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 with The Monkees is 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.

8 Friends (1994-2004)

10 Seasons

Friends is 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 in Friends is painful to watch, and it’s ridiculously unfair how he treats his on-off girlfriend.

There is a lack of character diversity, even in ing 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 ing roles, and jokes that don’t fly today, like fat-shaming towards a younger Monica and comments about Carol being a lesbian. Friends is also quite transphobic at times. This is mainly through Chandler’s father, Charles, or under the drag name Helena Handbasket.

What’s frustrating about this is that Friends never 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. While it’s possible to still rewatch Friends despite its harsh realities and enjoy it, it’s hard to ignore the glaringly obvious issues with the show.

7 Two And A Half Men (2003-2015)

12 Seasons

Two and a Half Men is another sitcom that happily excuses a womanizing character’s misogynistic and sexist ways. However, this still continues even after Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two 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 depicts every woman Charlie dates in Two and a Half Men as 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 on without 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, but Two and a Half Men treats 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.

6 Home Improvement (1991-1999)

8 Seasons

While reviews of Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears are relatively mixed, the sitcom legend’s new show definitely holds up better than his most famous title, Home Improvement. The hit ‘90s sitcom heavily relies on stereotypical depictions of characters for the sake of jokes.

Home Improvement constantly 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 that Patricia Richardson left Home Improvement after season 8 because of a pay gap issue with Allen. While there are still several comical and endearing parts of Home Improvement, it has mostly aged poorly.

5 Growing Pains (1985-1992)

7 Seasons

There are multiple moments in Growing Pains that are now difficult to watch back, which alters viewers’ overall outlook on the sitcom. Even though Growing Pains focuses 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.

Although Growing Pains is 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 which fat 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 that Growing Pains’ writing is the reason behind her drastic change in appearance.

4 Gimme A Break! (1981-1987)

6 Seasons

​​​​​​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 with Gimme a Break! is that Dolph 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, but Gimme 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 from Gimme a Break!

3 The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

12 Seasons

While there are plenty of rewatchable qualities of The Big Bang Theory, this doesn’t mean it hasn’t aged badly. The original appeal of nerd 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 Theory relies 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 Sheldon provides a more realistic depiction. Howard is another problem character and is rather sexist and stereotypical in the earlier seasons of The 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 Theory relies far too much on stereotypes for laughs, and even though it’s not as direct as some other shows, it still gets boring quickly.

2 That '70s Show (1998-2006)

8 Seasons

Although there are several things about That ‘70s Show that are still entertaining, there are unfortunately a lot of issues with the show, both on and off-screen. Eric and Donna’s relationship in That ‘70s Show is 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.

Jackie’s relationships are disappointing too, and the character mainly serves as the girlfriend of different group . 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 in That '70s Show, was Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote letters to 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 the harsh realities of That ‘70s Show are from behind-the-scenes, too, and it’s strange to rewatch the show knowing the controversies between the cast at the time.

1 Glee (2009-2015)

6 Seasons

Glee has always been problematic, even during its initial broadcast, but time has proven that it hasn’t aged well. This is apparent from the pilot, with Mr. Schuester planting drugs in Finn’s locker to 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 of Glee, the show becomes less satirical and more judgmental, but it just comes across as dated now.

Glee tries 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 the horrifying things that the adults do. For example, Sue’s bigoted comments about her students, or Schue’s treatment of Emma at times. Unfortunately, Glee is a TV sitcom that has aged poorly, regardless of its forward-thinking attitude and positive representation.