Buzz
TV is often said to mirror society, but sometimes it feels like it's merely reflecting the viewpoints of network executives.
Certain TV executives seem fixated on promoting diversity, equality, and the planet's future.
Which is undoubtedly a positive thing. However, there are times when these executives only embrace these causes because they're in vogue, thinking they can increase ratings. And, well, that’s somewhat acceptable, we suppose.
Rather than launching new shows to dive deep into these crucial themes, they force current TV series to awkwardly incorporate them, even when it doesn't quite work. The screenwriters, who have to follow the orders, don’t appear to invest much effort in it either. It’s almost as if they couldn't care less.
Here are 10 ways someone’s brilliant idea ruined popular TV shows.
10. Transgenderism is the New Trend, Let’s Jump on That Bandwagon
Transgenderism is a highly debated topic. Everyone has their thoughts on it. So, why not feature a transgender character in every show? It’s a great way to show that transgender people are just like us, deserving of dignity and respect. Perfect.
But hold on. What if we have a show where no one treats anyone with dignity or respect? Take Shameless, for instance. It’s a story about an alcoholic father and his struggling family, infamous for its lack of political correctness. Even the show’s gay characters find concepts like bisexuality hard to digest.
Forget that. We can have the transgender character explain transgenderism to the gay character in a nightclub, while he's fondling a prosthetic penis. That should really drive home the message of dignity and respect.
If you’re puzzled about gender pronouns and want some clarity, check out the video above. It might help... or maybe it won’t.
9. Diversity is important, here’s a Lesbian character
When TV characters suddenly switch their sexual orientation, it can leave viewers a little uncomfortable. Sure, Ellen DeGeneres did it on her show, but that was a sitcom inspired by her life, and she came out in real life around the same time, which made sense (even though her show was canceled a season later).
But with Veep, the reasoning seems harder to grasp. Sure, being the daughter of a Vice President isn’t easy. Dating could be a challenge. Maybe that’s the reason.
Or maybe, there’s just not much humor to be found in a straight relationship.
I know, let’s make her a lesbian.
Sarah Sutherland’s character abruptly switches from being engaged to a man to dating her mother’s female bodyguard, with no character development in between. And without missing a beat, the affair is conveniently used to advance her mother’s political agenda.
It almost feels like the writers had some great gay jokes ready to go and just needed a gay character to deliver them.
Surely that’s not the case?
8. If stupidity is funny, then surely even more stupidity must be even funnier, right?
You create a character with a unique quirk, and it’s funny. Take Ned Flanders, for example – he’s a nice, somewhat holier-than-thou neighbor, so let’s turn him into a zealous Bible-thumper. But it’s not just The Simpsons that have been guilty of over-exaggerating their characters like this.
Consider Kramer from Seinfeld. Kramer is eccentric, and you can tell by his wild hair. In fact, his hair seems to get funnier every year. Or at least it gets higher. And his behavior shifts from eccentric to outright bizarre.
Does that make him funnier? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s more likely that some uninspired writers confused a single quirk for an entire personality and milked it for all it was worth.
7. I know, let’s dive into politics. We all agree on that, right?
Some shows are inherently political, while others have politics forced upon them. When your show features a buddy sitcom with a dull, straight Jewish interior designer and her WASPy, gay, and obsessive lawyer roommate, the politics aren’t immediately clear. Will and Grace, a lifestyle comedy set in ‘90s New York, was clever, funny, and successful for 8 seasons.
Then they brought it back. For just one night, Will and Grace dipped into politics. Prior to that, the show was, if anything, anti-political. The characters were too self-absorbed to care about politics, although they occasionally pretended to.
The awkward 10-minute Will and Grace special assumed that its audience consisted entirely of progressive Democrats, proudly taking an anti-Trump stance. A bit of a stretch. While earlier shows had occasionally poked fun at conservative politics, this reboot was an overtly political broadcast.
Although the reboot was just a special and not a regular episode, no one seemed at ease. The humor, where it appeared, felt forced, and even the canned laughter sounded strained. Unfortunately, this special marked the start of a Will and Grace reboot that tried but failed to tone down the politics for two seasons (with a third on the way). Not surprisingly, the total viewership for this politicized version was less than a third of what it had been for the original ‘90s series.
6. Hooray, We Reached Our Goal, Now Let’s Pretend We Didn’t
Some TV shows have an open-ended premise, while others have a clearly defined goal. Take Prison Break, for example. The first season is about two brothers attempting to escape from prison. The concept is right there in the title. So when they finally break out at the end of season 1, the mission is complete.
Turn off the lights and head home.
But the show was a hit, and when a show is successful, it doesn’t end after just one season. So, what do the writers do next?
They give us a season where Lincoln and Michael are on the run, and then, in season 3, they throw them right back into prison.
At that point, the audience tuned out in large numbers.
Prison Break isn’t the only show that made this mistake. The premise of The Mentalist was that Patrick Jane, played by Simon Baker, assists the police with their investigations, all while using them to track down the man who brutally murdered his wife and child. Every few episodes, he reminds the team that catching that man is his sole reason for being there.
In the middle of season 6, they finally catch him.
Great job.
Then Jane goes on a break and returns to work for another 27 episodes.
Why is that?
5. I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
Feminism has been around for a while, yet it still seems to baffle screenwriters.
Take Supergirl, for example. The show is already on shaky ground, given that she's called Supergirl instead of Superwoman (though we’ll give the comic book creators a pass on that one). Still, portraying Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin, as a strong, independent woman should be an easy task.
After all, she's a superhero (sorry, girl).
So why does everyone on the show feel the need to keep emphasizing her strength and independence? It's odd.
But it’s not just superhero shows that feel compelled to make their female characters tough. Being a feminist seems to always mean being strong. Male characters can be strong too, but they can be other things as well.
Women are simply allowed to be strong.
And they talk about it. A lot.
4. Just Say No, No, No.
Remember The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? That street-smart kid from Philly who moves in with his wealthy relatives in Bel-Air? Will Smith is streetwise, brought up in tough neighborhoods. He knows the world and its ways.
Then, three seasons in, he's tempted to take drugs—not for partying, but to help him study. Of course, he doesn’t actually take them because he’s Too Smart, but his cousin mistakenly swallows some, thinking they're vitamins, and 'almost dies'.
The episode is even titled 'Just Say Yo', clearly mocking Nancy Reagan’s oversimplified 'Just Say No' campaign, and it feels like it was penned by the same people behind her infamous slogans.
The Fresh Prince isn’t alone in this. Teen-targeted shows often feature characters contemplating drug use but ultimately deciding against it, while adult-targeted programs depict characters letting loose just once. They smoke some weed, laugh a lot, but eventually end up paranoid, sick, or locked up, and then proceed to lecture each other—and the audience—on the dangers of drugs.
None of this is particularly entertaining. Although Carlton dancing on amphetamines is.
3. I May Be Dead, But Boy, Am I Woke
Even zombie shows can’t escape Hollywood’s relentless need to push a message. Take 'The Walking Dead', for example. This post-apocalyptic zombie thriller seems to check all the boxes.
It features strong (sorry, Strong and Independent) women. It showcases a fiercely anti-capitalist narrative. It’s populated by a diverse cast, both living and dead. It includes a gay man and a lesbian. Even without counting the zombies, the show has a remarkably high number of disabled characters. It even boasts an Asian friend who is more than just a token character.
At last, a show that puts the story ahead of the message, right?
Well, perhaps not. A closer look at the deaths in 'The Walking Dead' reveals that, as the series progressed, the number of white middle-aged men being killed has dramatically increased, far outpacing their representation in the post-apocalyptic world.
Is this a cynical attempt at pushing a specific agenda? Probably.
Or perhaps it's just that the communist, feminist, LGBTQ+, and ethnic minorities are finally getting their long-overdue revenge?
Let’s hope that's the case.
2. I’m not racist, I have a friend who’s Indian/Asian/Middle Eastern
Diversity in TV is important, but the Token Asian Friend stereotype is not.
The Token ethnic Friend is always portrayed as the brainiac – often a computer programmer, math wizard, or astrophysicist. They tend to be quiet, reserved, and overly respectful toward people who are in no way their superiors. And, most notably, they never get the girl.
Take The Big Bang Theory, for example. Raj Koothrappali, played by Kunal Nayyar, struggles to speak to women for six entire seasons. He’s reduced to performing awkward miming whenever one walks into the room. He’s the last character to find a romantic partner, with even Sheldon—the ‘human robot’—pairing up before Koothrappali ever does.
Or consider Community, a sitcom set in a community college. Abed Nadir (played by Danny Pudi), a Middle Eastern film student, is known for referencing films instead of actually engaging with people. After all, he's too shy to have real conversations.
The Token non-white Friend rarely ever plays the role of Best Friend. They're just a 'friend.' Sometimes, they vanish for whole episodes, and no one seems to notice. They aren't the protagonist, nor the main character's closest ally. But hey, they check off that diversity box.
How about a change of pace? Why not create an Asian/Indian/Middle Eastern character who isn’t great at math, but has amazing people skills, tons of charm, and always wins over the ladies?
1. They’re Likely to Cancel the Show Before Any Real Answers Surface
Ah, Lost. That intriguing writing experiment where the creators decided they didn’t need to resolve any plotlines. Someone realized that when TV shows get canceled, nobody bothers to explain the ending.
Why not take full advantage of that opportunity?
Keep adding bizarre elements, like polar bears, mind-boggling time-travel issues, or an unclear, mysterious disease. Don’t worry, there’s no need to explain any of it.
How about tossing in a few random numbers too? That will definitely keep them on their toes.
Lost wasn’t the only show to use this approach, but they certainly did it with the most flair. For five seasons, they led fans to believe that all the oddities would eventually make sense, while they raked in the cash. Unfortunately for them, rather than canceling the show, the network announced one final season, intending to wrap up all those loose ends neatly and present a satisfying conclusion to the audience.
Oh, how unfortunate.
