Millennials Would Totally Cancel Shows for Using These TV Tropes Boomers Loved

TV studios must adapt to changing audiences. Tropes audiences enjoyed only a few years ago no longer fly. 

Here are familiar tropes of yesteryear that modern audiences wouldn’t watch. 

Game Show Kisses

A game show host holds a microphone up to a contestant.
Photo Credit: Frame Stock Footage via Shutterstock.com.

Game show hosts used to kiss female contestants on the lips, not even caring whether she wanted it or not. 

That wouldn’t go over well today. 

“Joking” About Spousal Abuse

Carroll O'Connor, the actor who played Archie Bunker, in Los Angeles, 2000.
Photo Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency via Shuttertock.com.

Archie Bunker notoriously joked about what he ought to do to Ethel, and audiences worldwide laughed knowingly. 

Today’s audiences don’t find spousal abuse quite as funny. 

Predatory Men for the Laughs

Creepy looking man wearing sunglasses on a red background.
Photo Credit: Grenar via Shutterstock.com.

Lots of sitcoms from the 70s portrayed sexually aggressive men as funny. They’d take making women uncomfortable to the extreme for the laughs. 

Outrageous Racial Stereotypes

A man and woman stand next to each other, both have their hands out, palms up as if to say "stop."
Photo Credit: Mix and Match Studio via Shutterstock.com.

Far too many shows relied on outlandish stereotypes for laughs. Though by the 70s and 80s, most avoided stereotypes surrounding black Americans, Asians were free game. Many shows had white folks acting as Chinese stereotypes in restaurants and laundry mats. 

Developing Female Characters

A woman sitting on the couch who looks like she's feeling sad, empty, and numb.
Photo Credit: My Ocean Production via Shutterstock.com.

Far too many shows rely on sexual assault for female character development. Soap operas are notorious for it, but you can see it even in modern shows like Game of Thrones

The “Very Special Episode”

A teenager comforting his sad friend.
Photo Credit: Motortion Films via Shutterstock.com.

Some shows made deals with governments to cover heavy topics like drug use or teenage pregnancy to send messages to their viewers. Modern viewers would roll their eyes at such pandering. 

Gay Jokes

A man wearing a loud patterned shirt and a pink feathered boa.
Photo Credit: Dean Drobot via Shutterstock.com.

Sitcoms in the 90s or early 2000s went two ways with gay jokes. They either had an overly flamboyant gay character (caricature) everyone could laugh at or a straight character with “gay qualities” (we’re looking at you, Chandler!) everyone could laugh at. 

Body Shaming 

A mean man points and laughs at his girlfriend.
Photo Credit: Camilo Torres via Shutterstock.com.

Al Bundy is the poster boy for fat jokes, but Married with Children isn’t the only show that relies on body-shaming humor. Home Improvement and even House employed the trope on occasion. 

The hit movie The Devil Wears Prada made fun of this trope by having Miranda constantly call the tiny Andy “fat.”

Clip Shows

pointing remote at large television screen with numerous on screen viewing options
Photo Credit: Proxima Studio via Shutterstock.com.

The clip show was an inexpensive way for the studio to pump out content. In today’s age of on-demand television, a clip show wouldn’t have the same impact. 

All White Cast

A diverse group of college students sitting around a table at a library.
Photo Credit: fizkes via Shutterstock.com.

Far too many shows set in major diverse cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles only featured white people. 

Friends and Seinfeld, both set in New York, had suspiciously few characters of color during their long runs. Modern audiences expect shows to be more inclusive. 

Boys Being Boys

A German bar featuring the Bro Code book created by Barney Stintson in How I Met Your Mother.
Photo Credit: frantic00 via Shutterstock.com.

Everyone loved Barney in How I Met Your Mother, but the character was awful. He constantly lied to women and tricked them into intimacy, but the show made it a gigantic joke. 

Howard’s creepiness in The Big Bang Theory was similar, but at least in that show, they generally acknowledged his behavior was creepy and wrong. 

Moronic Men

Man making a stupid face and pointing to his head as if to say "duh"
Photo Credit: Mix and Match Studio via Shutterstock.com.

Sitcom men are useless lugs. Raymond doesn’t do anything to help his overwhelmed wife, and Tim Allen can’t figure out how to wash the dishes when his wife is away. 

Modern audiences expect men to be better. 

12 Films Guaranteed to Freeze Your Blood: Are You Brave Enough?

Photo Credit: Artisan Entertainment.

Looking for movies that redefine the word horror? Sometimes, it’s not just about the spooky movies you’ve heard of, sometimes it’s the ones that delve deep into horror that have a greater impact.

Sit back, try to relax, and dive into these 12 films that are absolutely bone-chilling.

12 Films Guaranteed to Freeze Your Blood: Are You Brave Enough?

Beyond the Stars & Off the Radar: 25 Sci-Fi Series Begging for Your Binge

Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Like the kaleidoscopic worlds they’re frequently set in, the sci-fi genre is an almost bottomless ocean of books, comics, movies, and TV shows — many of which are worth seeing or reading for one reason or another.

Beyond the Stars & Off the Radar: 25 Sci-Fi Series Begging for Your Binge

80s Unearthed: The 24 Hidden Film Gems That Hollywood Forgot, But You Won’t

Image Credit: Tri-Star Pictures.

While some films from the 80s have become iconic, etching themselves into our collective memories, a treasure trove of lesser-known films has gradually faded into obscurity.

Not to worry, we’ve compiled a list of 25 gems, based on IMDb, that graced our screens with their offbeat charm, eccentric characters, and captivating narratives that defy convention.

80s Unearthed: The 24 Hidden Film Gems That Hollywood Forgot, But You Won’t

25 Movies You May Only Watch Once Because They’ll Destroy You

Image Credit: Trust Film Sales ApS.

Some movies can leave such a profound impact on us that we can’t bear watching them again. Ever. These films stay with us long after the credits roll, haunting our thoughts and leaving us emotionally shattered.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of 25 movies deemed one-time experiences by viewers on an online forum who have been through the emotional wringer.

25 Movies You May Only Watch Once Because They’ll Destroy You 

Source: Reddit

+ posts

The Partners in Fire editorial and staff writing teams join forces to bring you the latest and greatest trending topics in snackable bites. 

The team covers entertainment, wellness, current affairs, social issues, and other topics in easily digestible pieces, allowing readers to sample juicy tidbits without deep diving into the nuance of each topic. 

Grab your popcorn and get ready to snack!