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Friday, March 29, 2024

Let’s stop pretending ‘90s sitcoms aren’t problematic

“Nostalgia binging” is something many of us have grown to love. For some, it’s comforting to watch Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer do absolutely nothing on “Seinfeld.” For others, watching Fran Fine and Mr. Sheffield fall for each other makes them believe, at least for 30 minutes, that love is real. Personally, I’m guilty of watching every episode of “Friends” at least ten times — and in case you’re wondering, I’m definitely a Monica.

We love to watch television with simple plots that remind us of a seemingly less complicated world. Even if we aren’t old enough to fully remember the ‘90s in all of its glory, most of us are nostalgic for the denim-filled, braless era. To an extent, we’re obsessed with it, and ‘90s sitcoms have become a quintessential component of this ever-growing infatuation.

Unfortunately, like most guilty pleasures, our fascination with ‘90s TV does not come without its flaws. Although ostensibly harmless, exposing ourselves to some of the themes presented in these shows can quickly become problematic. A lot of our favorite old-school shows actually perpetuate ideas like sexism, misogyny, homophobia and racism.

In “Friends,” Ross has a conniption when Rachel hires a male nanny. Fran Fine is consistently patronized for wearing short skirts on “The Nanny.” Kelly Kapowski’s life goal on “Saved by the Bell” was to be either a housewife or an actress. In “That ‘70s Show,” Jackie told Donna that being athletic would be a “turnoff” to her boyfriend, Eric, after she beat him in basketball.

Oh, and let’s not forget, all of these shows almost exclusively star people who are thin and white.

Can we really consider ourselves progressive and accepting of diversity if we continue to watch and support media that shames members of the LGBTQ+ community or propagates gender roles?

While I do believe it’s possible to ingest these shows with a clear conscious, I also think our viewings should include an addendum.

The main issue I see with keeping these shows in circulation is that along with lovable characters and laughable storylines, antiquated ideas also remain in circulation. Because of this, we need to watch these shows armed with the knowledge and understanding that we shouldn’t carry over the presented ideas or actions into the real world. We must remain cognizant of the fact that humans are inevitably influenced by media every day and as such, we must fight that influence.

In other words, we can continue to love these shows, but we can’t pretend they aren’t problematic. We have to be sure to check in with ourselves and our own values and ensure our worldviews are not changing based on a show written 30 years ago.

These scripts were written in a different time for a different audience, living in a different society. We can’t view the characters as role models, or aspire to live a life parallel to theirs. It’s important to keep in mind that, despite our love for them, these shows have serious issues.

Abigail Miller is a UF journalism and political science senior. Her column appears on Fridays.

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