Older TV shows and movies viewed through today's lens

[Stevicus]

MSN

I came across this article about the TV sitcom "Cheers."

10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Cheers, 41 Years Later​

I liked "Cheers," although I didn't consider it one of the best sitcoms.

• Cheers, while considered one of the best sitcoms, has aspects that don't hold up after decades, including toxic relationships and lack of diversity.
• Sam, the primary character, exemplified toxic masculinity and often crossed boundaries with women, masked by charming flirtation.
• The show lacked diversity in its cast and characters, with a predominantly Caucasian cast and no LGBTQ representation, despite being set in a bustling city.

I've seen similar criticisms leveled against some of the teen movies of this era, particularly Sixteen Candles and Revenge of the Nerds. Porky's was another one.

I suppose one could even cite Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H as similar to Sam Malone in crossing boundaries with women. Although in later seasons, Hawkeye got put in his place a few times and toned down his lecherous behavior.

I would partially agree with the point about the lack of diversity, although I also know that there were many voices speaking out against that phenomenon in Hollywood productions. I recall when Star Wars came out in 1977, there were many who complained about the lack of black actors in the production.

I suppose the question I'm asking here is, how should society reconcile itself with some of these older films and TV shows which may not be considered acceptable in today's political climate? Should they be banned or restricted from distribution? Should they be edited, like some of the old Bugs Bunny cartoons and Little Rascals shorts? Movies like Song of the South have fallen by the wayside already.

What do you think about this?

Also, I was wondering if anyone can think of other examples of movies or TV shows which wouldn't pass muster nowadays?

 

[libre]

How I Met Your Mother is not even 20 years old and I'd say it's aged pretty poorly.

One of the main character's running gags is deceiving women into sleeping with him (some of which is not seriously offensive, but some of which is assault territory,) all played off as gags.

 

[JustGeorge]

I was never into Cheers.

But I loved All In The Family.

It would be seen as highly inappropriate today, but it reflected the times, and often challenged some of the problematic ideas that were prevalent.

We live, we learn. I'm against banning the material of the past, lest we forget some lessons.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I suppose the question I'm asking here is, how should society reconcile itself with some of these older films and TV shows which may not be considered acceptable in today's political climate?

Social norms change and, hopefully, evolve in a more humane direction. While I'm sure that one could find signs of sexism is the original Star Trek series, but its diversity and obvious polemic against racism was remarkable. In my opinion, we were lucky to have shows such as

• Star Trek,
• All in the Family, and
• M.A.S.H.

BTW, I find early social protest songs more jarring. A simple example is Ed McCurdy's "Strangest Dream" recorded by Pete Seeger in the mid-50's. Its first verse is shown below ...

Last night I had the strangest dream​

I ever dreamed before​

I dreamed the world had all agreed​

To put an end to war​

I dreamed I saw a mighty room​

The room was filled with men​

And the paper they were signing said​

They'd never fight again​

Similarly, when the Weavers released "If I had a Hammer," the lyrics were

... love between all of my brothers​

and only later changed (by Seeger, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and others) to

... love between my brothers and my sisters​

 

[sun rise]

I'll add "The Prisoner" (1967) in spite of the outdated effects, Babylon 5 (not that old but still very good), Smothers Brothers (outside of the outdated topical references)

 

[Twilight Hue]

I still love Dukes of Hazzard, The General Lee, Cooter's tow truck, and of course Daisy Duke!

 

[Revoltingest]

TV shows.....
Seinfeld (1989-98) holds up really well.
Only the laugh track seems out of place.
Some other survivors....
Rocky & Bullwinkle (1957-64) <-- Titles vary
Police Squad (1982)
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (1981)
Pee Wee's Playhouse (1986-90)

So many more movies have aged well.
I'll limit this vast list to a few with Bernard Herrmann scores...
Psycho (1960)
Taxi Driver (1976)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Cape Fear (1962)
Vertigo (1958)

Now, for your listening pleasure....

 

[Shaul]

I think "Mister Ed" holds up well. "My Mother the Car", um, well, not so much. "Mr. Bean" is holding up. "El Chapulín Colorado" still works, but is dated. "Salvage 1" still sucks. "Star Trek" keeps going on like the Energizer Bunny of TV shows. "ALF" is anybody's guess.

 

[Stevicus]

I was never into Cheers.

But I loved All In The Family.

It would be seen as highly inappropriate today, but it reflected the times, and often challenged some of the problematic ideas that were prevalent.

We live, we learn. I'm against banning the material of the past, lest we forget some lessons.

The interesting thing about All in the Family was that, for its time, it was considered liberal and progressive - tackling issues which most other shows of the time didn't really address. When it was on TV, it was shown during the prime family viewing hour, but 20-30 years later, it had to be shown with a warning and viewer's advisory.