For example, there was an episode where one of Sam's friends and her doctor dad were visiting the house. As the dad is chatting with Tony about baseball, he discovers that Tony has an autographed baseball by the 1962 New York Mets. Tony refuses to sell it to the dad, who then offers to trade the baseball for a triple bypass.

The point that I'm trying to get across is that do you agree that a joke like that isn't very funny now considering that medical care (https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/080615/6-reasons-healthcare-so-expensive-us.asp) is so (https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/2018/08/07/weve-seen-wave-stories-outrageous-health-care-bills-what-s-next) outrageous (https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/11/it-is-time-to-get-mad-about-the-outrageous-cost-of-health-care/index.htm) that people have to sell (https://www.elderneedslaw.com/blog/can-i-sell-my-home-and-become-medicaid-eligible) treasured possessions all the time to pay for it?

I never thought of this till now, but I'm assuming Angela didn't have a healthcare plan for her housekeeper!

I think one thing that didn't age well and wouldn't fly today -- the running gag was that Tony was a sex symbol of the neighbourhood which made sense given his boxing/athletic background.

But every so often there would be a really young girl (Jonathan's age) swooning over him, talking about his muscles and being sooooo attracted to him. I never noticed this when I was a kid watching the show, but re-watching as an adult, it made me a bit uneasy seeing that! It just feels so awkward because Tony (the actor himself) seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with the joke too.

Having just watched several episodes on Antenna TV, one thing that jumped-out at me is the way the females consistently twirled to show-off how they looked in their dresses. It was normal for the time (okay, perhaps a bit old-fashioned), but it's downright antiquated and would be considered sexist now (especially by the woke crowd).

Having just watched several episodes on Antenna TV, one thing that jumped-out at me is the way the females consistently twirled to show-off how they looked in their dresses. It was normal for the time (okay, perhaps a bit old-fashioned), but it's downright antiquated and would be considered sexist now (especially by the woke crowd).

That's interesting because I completely forgot about that, it was on every show ... girl/woman walks down the stairs all dolled up, they twirl and the audience goes "oooooooo" or "wooooo"!

You really don't see that anymore, I didn't realise until I read your comment!

That's interesting because I completely forgot about that, it was on every show ... girl/woman walks down the stairs all dolled up, they twirl and the audience goes "oooooooo" or "wooooo"!

You really don't see that anymore, I didn't realise until I read your comment!

Good point! I forgot that it almost always occurred after one of the ladies had descended the stairs. It was typically a "grand entrance" of sorts.

Good point! I forgot that it almost always occurred after one of the ladies had descended the stairs. It was typically a "grand entrance" of sorts.

I can't remember who said this, but I thought it was such an interesting point.

When people talk to a young girl, they say things like "Ohhh how pretty your dress is, spin and show everyone how pretty your dress is" (or something similar). If it's a boy, people typically say things "So what do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut? Or maybe a fireman?"

I can't remember who said this, but I thought it was such an interesting point.

When people talk to a young girl, they say things like "Ohhh how pretty your dress is, spin and show everyone how pretty your dress is" (or something similar). If it's a boy, people typically say things "So what do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut? Or maybe a fireman?"

True, true. That's been a very typical way in which we engage with culture (and it engages with us). Seeing it always makes me think of how very powerful cultural gender norms are in our lives. Like it or not, what gender we are at birth has an enormous impact on who and what we become. Amazing what one little chromosome does, eh?

True, true. That's been a very typical way in which we engage with culture (and it engages with us). Seeing it always makes me think of how very powerful cultural gender norms are in our lives. Like it or not, what gender we are at birth has an enormous impact on who and what we become. Amazing what one little chromosome does, eh?

Oh totally, the chances of you being a power lifter is likely much higher if you're born a male... but the idea that a female is treated like "ok spin, show us the dress, sit, roll over! good girl, here's a treat" vs. "wow look at this strong boy, what do you want to be, an explorer or hero (astronaut or fireman)?" says a lot about how we have built in ideas of what someone can/can't be.

Like how teachers constantly report that girls typically do well in math and sciences until highschool, unless they're in an all girls school. Very strange world we live in :)

Oh totally, the chances of you being a power lifter is likely much higher if you're born a male... but the idea that a female is treated like "ok spin, show us the dress, sit, roll over! good girl, here's a treat" vs. "wow look at this strong boy, what do you want to be, an explorer or hero (astronaut or fireman)?" says a lot about how we have built in ideas of what someone can/can't be.

Like how teachers constantly report that girls typically do well in math and sciences until highschool, unless they're in an all girls school. Very strange world we live in :)

Yes, you're right. Society can certainly limit possibilities in those ways. Well put Novera, well put.

Here's another one in the same vein as well as for this list: the "Mona Gets Pinned" episode. Now there's a subject that was old-fashioned then (when it was filmed in 1984) and likely incomprehensible to many viewers now.

By the way, "sit, roll over!" You're too funny!

Mona in the series finale mentioning Johnny Carson's impending retirement from The Tonight Show (when she cracked about how she'll miss him more than she'll miss Tony) more clearly makes the episode of its time (spring of 1992).

If it's a boy, people typically say things "So what do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut? Or maybe a fireman?"

Not to mention the fact that that question is completely limiting to any child that is asked that. Nowadays people don't grow up to become one working thing all their life. It's much more common to change jobs/careers, do different things. And I like that way of thinking: Who says you have to grow up to be just one thing? :)

There was an episode from Season 5 called "A Jack Story" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5WKS-lCsuE) where Angela describes her co-worker Jack (played by David Paymer) as being cute in a "Woody Allen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Allen_sexual_abuse_allegation#:~:text=In%20August%201992%2C%20American%20filmmaker,has%20repeatedly%20denied%20the%20allegation.) sort of way"!

That's interesting because I completely forgot about that, it was on every show ... girl/woman walks down the stairs all dolled up, they twirl and the audience goes "oooooooo" or "wooooo"!

You really don't see that anymore, I didn't realise until I read your comment!

Not only that, but oftentimes the men too, if they entered wearing a dashing tuxedo. They usually wouldn't twirl, but would "present themselves" as something grand, lol.

Just about any time that James Coco showed up as Tony's father-in-law Nick could count. There was that episode where Nick made Tony believe that he was dying because he couldn't tell him right away that he was really going to prison.

That plot really isn't that funny considering that James Coco in real life didn't have much longer to live. As a matter of fact, he literally died the day after what would become his final guest appearance on Who's the Boss? was first aired.

And there was I believe his second appearance where Sam becomes angry at Nick when she finds out about his incarceration. Sam at one point, says that she doesn't have a grandfather and that she doesn't want to see Nick again. After James Coco died in real life, the whole "I don't have a grandfather!" stuff that Sam said really became harsher in hindsight.

Tony making a quip about the George H. W. Bush vomiting incident (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush_vomiting_incident#:~:text=On%208%20January%201992%2C%20about,a%20case%20of%20acute%20gastroenteritis.) in the second part of the "Better Off Wed" episode. It's a Murphy Brown type of joke in that unless you're of a certain age when said incident happened, you'll completely not understand the joke's context.

Angela's attempts a being "sexy" and "hip" in the "Older Than Springtime" (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/older-than-springtime/id1528039547?i=1000514333643) episode. This is a tale-tell sign that Who's the Boss? was a show that was made in the '80s (https://web.archive.org/web/20140402224837/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/2874131-whos-the-boss/page-14#entry16321101) because Judith Light is styled in this outrageous silver and spandex short layered dress and giant-shouldered jacket. It in hindsight, kind of looks like a cartoonishly futuristic/Jetsons inspired prom dress. And this is complete with Angela's huge Aqua-Netted out hair.

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/older-than-springtime-airdate-march-3-1987-katherine-helmondjudith-picture-id110474224

sDM13-9XFZM

And then Angela causally mentions to Sam that she saw the latest Mr. Mister (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Mister) video on MTV. Mr. Mister ultimately disbanded in 1990, about three years after "Older Than Springtime" first aired.

Even so, had that episode been produced today, then I'm quite sure that Angela would've told Sam that she saw the video on YouTube since MTV of course, doesn't air music videos anymore.

Just about any time that James Coco showed up as Tony's father-in-law Nick could count. There was that episode where Nick made Tony believe that he was dying because he couldn't tell him right away that he was really going to prison.

That plot really isn't that funny considering that James Coco in real life didn't have much longer to live. As a matter of fact, he literally died the day after what would become his final guest appearance on Who's the Boss? was first aired.

And there was I believe his second appearance where Sam becomes angry at Nick when she finds out about his incarceration. Sam at one point, says that she doesn't have a grandfather and that she doesn't want to see Nick again. After James Coco died in real life, the whole "I don't have a grandfather!" stuff that Sam said really became harsher in hindsight.

In James Coco's final appearance on Who's the Boss? (in the "Diet in Cell Block II" episode from Season 3), his character Nick asks Mona if he should go on either Johnny Carson's show (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Johnny_Carson) or Joan Rivers' show (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late_Show_(1986_talk_show)) because he doesn't want either of them (https://www.biography.com/news/joan-rivers-johnny-carson-feud) to be mad at him. This is another of those "you had to have been there" to completely get and understand the context (https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/johnny-carson-joan-rivers-inside-rumored-love-hate-relationship-included-rumored-one-night-bounce.html/) behind the joke.