Was "3's Company" anti-gay? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TJAMES03 · 04-23-2007, 07:17 AM

Before you fall out of your chair after reading the title of this thread, think about. Even as a straight man, I find some of the remarks about gays to be very offensive and stereotypical (I have some gay friends and they do not act like 'fairies'). I KNOW that it is just a TV show and I know that at the time it was made, it was a very different world, but geez, it just seems to reinforce some of the silly labels (I would hope that young people who watch the reruns won't have a Stanley Roper or Ralph Furley mindset, but you never know).

Ironically, me gay friends just laugh it off. I was just wondering what everyone else thought. Am I weird for thinking this way?

sunshinefizzy · 04-23-2007, 07:35 AM

No, you are not weird for thinking that way. I don't really find them offensive but that is just my opinion. Idk, I always make jokes about gay people and there is a guy that works at my father's store and he doesn't mind the gay jokes and he is gay. So I guess it all depends on the person

??

mariah10carey88 · 05-01-2007, 11:57 PM

It is kind of offensive. But you're right, it was a different world back then.

Will and Grace Fanatic · 05-02-2007, 01:48 PM

yeah they were offensive bu like you said it was the 70's and times were different and most people were not tolerant.

Karen64 · 05-02-2007, 09:40 PM

Jack did tend to turn on the cheesy, in-your-face "gay act" around the landlords quite a bit, so no wonder Furley and Roper fired back with the insults. Your'e right, the 70's were a different time. I don't think you could get away with making a show like that in this day and age.

dave insinga · 05-03-2007, 05:31 AM

true this was the 70S and 80sit was a different time period but even in todays world there are ropers and furleys .ther will always be this type of people.i think that THREES COMPANY was mild copared to ALL IN THE FAMILY
it would indeed be very hard to make shows like these in todays world.

JT · 06-05-2007, 11:45 PM

TC was homophobic in the same way that AITF was racist: they weren't. Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley, like Archie Bunker, weren't to be taken seriously and I think we were written in a tongue-in-cheek way by the writers. They knew that these characters were spouting a bunch of bull, but that's what added to their character.

CM1124 · 06-06-2007, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JT

TC was homophobic in the same way that AITF was racist: they weren't. Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley, like Archie Bunker, weren't to be taken seriously and I think we were written in a tongue-in-cheek way by the writers. They knew that these characters were spouting a bunch of bull, but that's what added to their character.

I totally agree with this. I always felt that Jack and the girls (and by extension the audience) were basically laughing at Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley (not with them) for their ignorance and out of touch views on gay people.

TJAMES03 · 06-06-2007, 05:02 AM

Well, as I said, I do hope that Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley are not taken too seriously by the new generation of viewers! Ugh!

buggsrabbit · 06-06-2007, 10:50 AM

I never really considered TC to be anti-gay. I've always thought the show simply reflected the times it was born in. Today, it would be considered quite offensive I think, and would probably not make it on network tv.

chopperguy · 06-09-2007, 12:28 AM

Tjames, you're not weird for anything. Many people here hit the nail on the head when they say it was a different period of time, the laughs were AT Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley for their phobia. If anything, the show brought to attention how dumb it was to be so silly, but they did it in a way to make people laugh at it.

When John Ritter (as Jack) put on the act for Roper, he did it in a way that only Roper and his kind could relate to. It was sooo funny. I didn't think it was offensive then or now. Sometimes people need not take life so seriously.

Three's Company is one of the best sitcoms of all time. Like All in the Family, they had the guts to take on some issues and have fun at the same time. Making people look in the mirror isn't bad at all.

Mr. Television · 06-09-2007, 11:52 AM

I think people today are just to sensitive. Three's Company was not a show to be taken seriously. It was more slapstick. You just watched it to have a good time.

Already Gone · 06-09-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

I think people today are just to sensitive. Three's Company was not a show to be taken seriously. It was more slapstick. You just watched it to have a good time.

Exactly! Can't say that about most of today's shows. Everything has got to be PC these days.

I never thought of Three's Company as anti-gay or offensive.

Dr. Thong · 06-09-2007, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Summer Breeze

Exactly! Can't say that about most of today's shows. Everything has got to be PC these days.

I'm glad that I grew up primarily on '70s and '80s TV for that reason alone. You had shows that tackled issues or were just plain fun and being PC to everyone and everything was not the goal.

Skywalker · 06-09-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

I think people today are just to sensitive. Three's Company was not a show to be taken seriously. It was more slapstick. You just watched it to have a good time.

I agree. If anyone is offended by Mr. Roper or Mr. Furley, then they've got some problems.

04-23-2007, 07:17 AM	#1
TJAMES03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 193	Was "3's Company" anti-gay? Before you fall out of your chair after reading the title of this thread, think about. Even as a straight man, I find some of the remarks about gays to be very offensive and stereotypical (I have some gay friends and they do not act like 'fairies'). I KNOW that it is just a TV show and I know that at the time it was made, it was a very different world, but geez, it just seems to reinforce some of the silly labels (I would hope that young people who watch the reruns won't have a Stanley Roper or Ralph Furley mindset, but you never know). Ironically, me gay friends just laugh it off. I was just wondering what everyone else thought. Am I weird for thinking this way?

05-02-2007, 01:48 PM	#4
Will and Grace Fanatic be happy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 15, 2002 Location: seattle, washington Posts: 2,746	yeah they were offensive bu like you said it was the 70's and times were different and most people were not tolerant.
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05-02-2007, 09:40 PM	#5
Karen64 Comedy Fan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 24, 2001 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,412	Jack did tend to turn on the cheesy, in-your-face "gay act" around the landlords quite a bit, so no wonder Furley and Roper fired back with the insults. Your'e right, the 70's were a different time. I don't think you could get away with making a show like that in this day and age.
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05-03-2007, 05:31 AM	#6
dave insinga Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 19, 2005 Posts: 590	unfortunatley there are still people like this true this was the 70S and 80sit was a different time period but even in todays world there are ropers and furleys .ther will always be this type of people.i think that THREES COMPANY was mild copared to ALL IN THE FAMILY it would indeed be very hard to make shows like these in todays world.

06-05-2007, 11:45 PM	#7
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	TC was homophobic in the same way that AITF was racist: they weren't. Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley, like Archie Bunker, weren't to be taken seriously and I think we were written in a tongue-in-cheek way by the writers. They knew that these characters were spouting a bunch of bull, but that's what added to their character.
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04-23-2007, 07:35 AM	#2
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	No, you are not weird for thinking that way. I don't really find them offensive but that is just my opinion. Idk, I always make jokes about gay people and there is a guy that works at my father's store and he doesn't mind the gay jokes and he is gay. So I guess it all depends on the person ??

05-01-2007, 11:57 PM	#3
mariah10carey88 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 27, 2004 Posts: 36	It is kind of offensive. But you're right, it was a different world back then.

06-06-2007, 05:02 AM	#9
TJAMES03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 193	Well, as I said, I do hope that Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley are not taken too seriously by the new generation of viewers! Ugh!

06-06-2007, 10:50 AM	#10
buggsrabbit Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 51	I never really considered TC to be anti-gay. I've always thought the show simply reflected the times it was born in. Today, it would be considered quite offensive I think, and would probably not make it on network tv.

06-09-2007, 12:28 AM	#11
chopperguy Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 06, 2007 Location: Mid-Atlantic Posts: 38	Tjames, you're not weird for anything. Many people here hit the nail on the head when they say it was a different period of time, the laughs were AT Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley for their phobia. If anything, the show brought to attention how dumb it was to be so silly, but they did it in a way to make people laugh at it. When John Ritter (as Jack) put on the act for Roper, he did it in a way that only Roper and his kind could relate to. It was sooo funny. I didn't think it was offensive then or now. Sometimes people need not take life so seriously. Three's Company is one of the best sitcoms of all time. Like All in the Family, they had the guts to take on some issues and have fun at the same time. Making people look in the mirror isn't bad at all.

06-09-2007, 11:52 AM	#12
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	I think people today are just to sensitive. Three's Company was not a show to be taken seriously. It was more slapstick. You just watched it to have a good time.
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