The show was so sexist towards men - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

kevinmarco · 01-11-2011, 02:48 AM

The Cosby Show is a great sitcom, but does anyone else think that in the later seasons, the show started being more sexist towards men?

Ok, I could give many examples, but let me just stick to a major one; In the episode Just Thinking About It, in which Pam is pressured to have sex with her boyfriend Slide, negative things are said about guys and guys are portrayed in a negative light. In one instance, after Slide says hi and bye to a girl, Pam says, "You men are all the same...you just don't care do you? You just let your hormones run loose." Slide responds to her question by asking "Well what are we (men) suppose to do?" Later on in the episode, Pam is reading a book and jumps to the conclusion that all men are worms after reading a passage.

I could go on and on (such as when Clair told Rudy that boys are just dumb, or Theo cheating on Justine), but has anyone else noticed this sexism? I know it's a TV show (for those who think I cannot tell the difference between reality and fiction), but even for a great sitcom such a The Cosby Show, does this sexism ever bug anyone?

ThomasE · 01-16-2011, 04:13 PM

No, I think the show is just fine the way it is. Sorry about that. LOL.

Welcome to the boards. I'm Tom, one of the moderators and veteran members. Good to hear from you. Keep posting.

kevinmarco · 01-17-2011, 04:07 PM

Well, even though it doesn't bother you, have you ever noticed this sexism?

USATVFAN · 01-17-2011, 05:34 PM

I agree with ThomasE, I don't ever think the show was Sexism towards mens. It was the great the way it was. I would not change a thing, It was all for fun and comedy.

Marvo301 · 01-17-2011, 05:57 PM

I always found that the Cosby Show treated men and women as equals. And that's as it should be.

gidgetgrape · 01-17-2011, 06:15 PM

I think those episodes are intended to be "battles of the sexes" or "men vs. women" critiques.

kevinmarco · 01-19-2011, 10:04 AM

What about the episode where Clair's sister was about to get married? Clair and her mom took her (the sister) in the kitchen to mainly give her a view of men, and they made them (men) look like monsters. Even Rudy got caught up in the male bashing. Just watch her interaction with Kenny. "You got to earn my love!" What does a child know about earning love?

kramer · 05-07-2011, 05:27 PM

I feel sorry for Cliff sometimes. Even Theo says, "Your wife won't let you have any fun." She is always on him about what he eats, for the love of god let the man have some junk food. Even when she is away she is calling and checking on what he is eating.

cleverfun3000 · 05-07-2011, 10:23 PM

I am most definitely aware of what the original poster is saying and he is more right than most people here are admitting to. The men on the Cosby show would back off at the tiniest inclination of a (verbal) confrontation with their women. I remember the episode where Cosby instructed Elvin to back off from Sandra by literally backing away from her and putting his hands up in "surrender" whenever she (Sandra) wanted to have her way; whether she was right or wrong. This was the way he had always been with Claire so he passed the sage advice along to his son-in-law. It's like the message to men was, "if you want to get along with your woman, back off and let her do or say whatever she wanted to who ever she wanted without injecting your opinion."

HHorseman · 05-27-2011, 04:20 PM

They were sexist towards men look at the way Elvin got treated by the oldest daughter.Denise wasnt sexist though I really liked her.

magellan333 · 05-29-2011, 03:23 PM

I recall a few times where that seemed the case. I remember there was a guy trying to learn basketball and he could not shoot a lick. Enter his wife who is a pro. Husbands of pregnant wives were always bumbling fools, seldom collected and cool. Elvin was a bumbling husband to the polished and collected Sandra, Cliff the same with Claire and all of Theo's pals were knuckleheads. The only two males that seemed to have it together were Olivia's dad, his name escapes me, and Dabnis. Dabnis seemed like a good character that should have been used more.

Reverend Jim · 07-07-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinmarco

What about the episode where Clair's sister was about to get married? Clair and her mom took her (the sister) in the kitchen to mainly give her a view of men, and they made them (men) look like monsters. Even Rudy got caught up in the male bashing. Just watch her interaction with Kenny. "You got to earn my love!" What does a child know about earning love?

Bronson · 07-15-2011, 08:20 AM

Yes there were episodes where they were anti male. After awhile it got on my nerves and stopped watching it. The man being pregnant was disgusting.

MasterEdward · 10-22-2011, 12:06 AM

The show being sexist towards men is just one of it's problems I think. I started out liking but by the end of it (season 8 or so) I wasn't watching it or liking it much anymore. What stood out to me was the show was very "preachy" on a lot of subjects. I've seen reruns occasionally the last decade or so and I can see it was preachy about something in nearly every episode. That's a real turn off to me.

Ed.

Furienna · 03-17-2012, 12:34 PM

I'm a woman, but I totally agree with the OP. There were also many other sitcoms, which had episodes like that, but "The Cosby show" had a lot of them. I mean, when Elvin was first introduced, Sondra couldn't stop nagging about what a "chauvinist pig" he was. And don't get me started on how Claire could treat Cliff, or how the women just had to beat the men in basketball in one episode. And yes, even Rudy often got involved in the male bashing, whether Kenny deserved it or not. If I'm not mistaken, Vanessa was the sister, who was the least "feminazi".

01-11-2011, 02:48 AM	#1
kevinmarco Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 11, 2011 Posts: 9	The show was so sexist towards men The Cosby Show is a great sitcom, but does anyone else think that in the later seasons, the show started being more sexist towards men? Ok, I could give many examples, but let me just stick to a major one; In the episode Just Thinking About It, in which Pam is pressured to have sex with her boyfriend Slide, negative things are said about guys and guys are portrayed in a negative light. In one instance, after Slide says hi and bye to a girl, Pam says, "You men are all the same...you just don't care do you? You just let your hormones run loose." Slide responds to her question by asking "Well what are we (men) suppose to do?" Later on in the episode, Pam is reading a book and jumps to the conclusion that all men are worms after reading a passage. I could go on and on (such as when Clair told Rudy that boys are just dumb, or Theo cheating on Justine), but has anyone else noticed this sexism? I know it's a TV show (for those who think I cannot tell the difference between reality and fiction), but even for a great sitcom such a The Cosby Show, does this sexism ever bug anyone?

01-16-2011, 04:13 PM	#2
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	No, I think the show is just fine the way it is. Sorry about that. LOL. Welcome to the boards. I'm Tom, one of the moderators and veteran members. Good to hear from you. Keep posting.
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01-17-2011, 05:34 PM	#4
USATVFAN Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 31, 2007 Location: Kalispell, USA Posts: 1,742	I agree with ThomasE, I don't ever think the show was Sexism towards mens. It was the great the way it was. I would not change a thing, It was all for fun and comedy.
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01-17-2011, 05:57 PM	#5
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	I always found that the Cosby Show treated men and women as equals. And that's as it should be.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

05-07-2011, 05:27 PM	#8
kramer Re-gifter Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 15, 2003 Posts: 255	I feel sorry for Cliff sometimes. Even Theo says, "Your wife won't let you have any fun." She is always on him about what he eats, for the love of god let the man have some junk food. Even when she is away she is calling and checking on what he is eating.
	__________________ Man: Is this going to be in competent hands? Curly: Certainly! We're all incompetent

01-17-2011, 04:07 PM	#3
kevinmarco Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 11, 2011 Posts: 9	Well, even though it doesn't bother you, have you ever noticed this sexism?

01-17-2011, 06:15 PM	#6
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	I think those episodes are intended to be "battles of the sexes" or "men vs. women" critiques.

01-19-2011, 10:04 AM	#7
kevinmarco Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 11, 2011 Posts: 9	What about the episode where Clair's sister was about to get married? Clair and her mom took her (the sister) in the kitchen to mainly give her a view of men, and they made them (men) look like monsters. Even Rudy got caught up in the male bashing. Just watch her interaction with Kenny. "You got to earn my love!" What does a child know about earning love?

05-07-2011, 10:23 PM	#9
cleverfun3000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 18, 2008 Location: Manhattan Posts: 1,685	I am most definitely aware of what the original poster is saying and he is more right than most people here are admitting to. The men on the Cosby show would back off at the tiniest inclination of a (verbal) confrontation with their women. I remember the episode where Cosby instructed Elvin to back off from Sandra by literally backing away from her and putting his hands up in "surrender" whenever she (Sandra) wanted to have her way; whether she was right or wrong. This was the way he had always been with Claire so he passed the sage advice along to his son-in-law. It's like the message to men was, "if you want to get along with your woman, back off and let her do or say whatever she wanted to who ever she wanted without injecting your opinion."

05-27-2011, 04:20 PM	#10
HHorseman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 23, 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 218	They were sexist towards men look at the way Elvin got treated by the oldest daughter.Denise wasnt sexist though I really liked her.
	Last edited by HHorseman; 05-27-2011 at 04:35 PM.

05-29-2011, 03:23 PM	#11
magellan333 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 26, 2003 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 822	I recall a few times where that seemed the case. I remember there was a guy trying to learn basketball and he could not shoot a lick. Enter his wife who is a pro. Husbands of pregnant wives were always bumbling fools, seldom collected and cool. Elvin was a bumbling husband to the polished and collected Sandra, Cliff the same with Claire and all of Theo's pals were knuckleheads. The only two males that seemed to have it together were Olivia's dad, his name escapes me, and Dabnis. Dabnis seemed like a good character that should have been used more.

07-15-2011, 08:20 AM	#13
Bronson Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 27, 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 274	Yes there were episodes where they were anti male. After awhile it got on my nerves and stopped watching it. The man being pregnant was disgusting.

10-22-2011, 12:06 AM	#14
MasterEdward Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 18, 2011 Posts: 37	The show being sexist towards men is just one of it's problems I think. I started out liking but by the end of it (season 8 or so) I wasn't watching it or liking it much anymore. What stood out to me was the show was very "preachy" on a lot of subjects. I've seen reruns occasionally the last decade or so and I can see it was preachy about something in nearly every episode. That's a real turn off to me. Ed.

03-17-2012, 12:34 PM	#15
Furienna Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 22, 2006 Location: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Posts: 6,277	I'm a woman, but I totally agree with the OP. There were also many other sitcoms, which had episodes like that, but "The Cosby show" had a lot of them. I mean, when Elvin was first introduced, Sondra couldn't stop nagging about what a "chauvinist pig" he was. And don't get me started on how Claire could treat Cliff, or how the women just had to beat the men in basketball in one episode. And yes, even Rudy often got involved in the male bashing, whether Kenny deserved it or not. If I'm not mistaken, Vanessa was the sister, who was the least "feminazi".