Would MWC not be as popular if it came out today

[TMC]

At the time, MWC was considered to be at the forefront for subversive, politically-incorrect, crude, cynical humor. But hasn't comedy writing evolved to more than just fat jokes? In other words, would much of MWC's brand of edgy, masculine humor be seen as outdated and considered lazy by today's standards?

[Superswiper]

Probably just as popular, if not, even more so. Look at how edgy some of the current sitcoms have gotten, like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

[TMC]

Another point to add is that even though MWC was obviously a satire (the Bundys were pretty much people you were supposed to laugh at instead of with), if it was on the air today (especially in the Twitter age), I wonder if most people simply wouldn't get it. In other words, they would instantly assume it was supporting every word and action the characters did.

[Heenan Fan]

"We're Bundy's. We hate cops." - so yeah. I think they would fit in just fine.

[TMC]

Another problem is that a single episode can be very funny. But then you start realizing that it's always the same episode where, after a while, you can see every joke coming from a mile away: Al making fun of overweight women, Peggy's lazy white trash family, Kelly's stupid blonde slut act, Bud being a proto-incel, Marcy being an emasculating shrew, etc.

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by TMC

At the time, MWC was considered to be at the forefront for subversive, politically-incorrect, crude, cynical humor. But hasn't comedy writing evolved to more than just fat jokes? In other words, would much of MWC's brand of edgy, masculine humor be seen as outdated and considered lazy by today's standards.

If MWC was allowed to get away with the politically incorrect humor, it would likely be more popular today. Just look at cartoons like Family Guy or South Park. They are extremely popular, for that exact reason.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by jets4life

If MWC was allowed to get away with the politically incorrect humor, it would likely be more popular today. Just look at cartoons like Family Guy or South Park. They are extremely popular, for that exact reason.

The Bundy family never fit the mold of a typical sitcom. In fact, that was basically the whole point of the show. But breaking boundaries also meant crossing some lines. Looking back, there are a whole lot of moments in Married... with Children that simply wouldn't fly today.

For one thing — and at the risk of stating the obvious — Al Bundy regularly fat-shamed women.

In fact, Al seems to have a fat joke at the ready for every occasion. Of course, the character was never meant to be a role model, but if the show aired today, his jabs would only be tolerated in small doses — if at all. What wouldn't be acceptable is how the show itself openly mocks curvy women.

Married… with Children would often place plus-sized women in embarrassing and unflattering situations.

In the season eleven episode "Crimes Against Obesity," several women enter Al's shoe store to confront him about his rude behavior — and two of them get stuck trying to walk through the door. That's a fat joke written into the show — not one of Al's fat-shaming remarks. Although the episode has plenty of those, too.

Fat-shaming | 0:15

Casual racism | 1:27

Not exactly a feminist show | 2:31

A sexist double standard | 3:51

Objectifying women | 4:33

[Heenan Fan]

It would not work on Network television today, but I can see doing well on a premium or streaming channel.

[TMC]

Married with Children is a show that strikes me as something that you can say "hit lightening in the bottle". It could admittedly, come across as a sleazy, mean-spirited, misogynistic/sexist, very dark, and pandering to the lowest common dominator type of show. Still, somehow unlike its clones like Unhappily Ever After, MWC still felt like a genuinely good show (a lot of what made the show work I think was the charisma and chemistry of Ed O'Neill and Katey Sagal) that had a lot of "weird" care put into it. Plus, the main characters actually kind of deserved the bad things happening to them sometimes.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

It would not work on Network television today, but I can see doing well on a premium or streaming channel.

A lot of what made MWC funny was like I said before, it was show that came about at the "right place and the right time". Sitcoms up until that point, were populated by saccharine shows about well-adjusted families (i.e. The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Who's the Boss, Full House), where the parents have nice jobs and are always right. MWC meanwhile, has a dad who gets no respect, is always getting screwed, and hates his lowly job as a shoe salesman, a mom who is a lazy, self-absorbed nag, and children who were perennial delinquents and under achievers. MWC was basically, the closest thing on prime time network TV that we had to a weirdly subversive, "anti-sitcom" at the time.

[jimpickens]

Would've done great on cable and NETFLIX.