When Three’s Company Even Took Its Gay Panic to the Opening Credits

[TMC]

https://popculturereferences.com/whe...ening-credits/

In a look at pop culture moments that we wish we could forget, Brian looks at how Three's Company even took its gay panic to the opening credits of the series.



Today, we look at how Three’s Company even took its gay panic to the opening credits of the show.

In Remember to Forget, we spotlight pop culture stories that I wish I could forget, but I can’t, so I instead share them with you all, so you’re stuck in the same boat as me!

One of the central plot points on Three’s Company was that John Ritter’s Jack Tripper was only allowed to share an apartment with Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt’s characters, Chrissy Snow and Janet Wood, because the landlord of the building, Mr. Roper (Norman Fell) believed that Jack was gay. When Mr. Furley (Don Knotts) took over as the building manager in Season 4 (his brother bought the building from the Ropers), he continued to only allow Jack to keep up his living arrangements because he thought Jack was gay.

Roper and Furley would continually make gay jokes about Jack. In the case of Roper, this was less of a problem because he was generally shown to be a negative character to begin with, but it was a bigger deal with Furley, who was meant to be a more sympathetic character. Eventually, the gay jokes would subside a bit as the series went on and Furley became a more loveable character.

In any event, one of the recurring bits on the series would be gay panic, like when Jack is trying to get rid of Furley in the Season 5 premiere, he acts like he is coming on to him so that Furley freaks out and lets Jack leave.

It’s all super hacky stuff, but what was ESPECIALLY bad was that the opening credits in Seasons 4 and 5 specifically included a gay panic gag as the way to introduce one of the characters on the show. Richard Kline’s Larry, Jack’s slimy best friend, is introduced trying to pick up a woman at the amusement park (where the opening credits are set, all except for Joyce DeWitt’s intro, which is on a boat for some reason) by getting into her bumper car and is shocked to discover that it is actually a guy with long hair…



It’s SUCH a bad bit, especially when you consider how dumb it was to begin with that Larry was climbing into the bumper car of a woman he doesn’t know. 1970s and 1980s slimy best friends would do the creepiest stuff and the show would always just laugh it off. “Oh, that’s just (fill in the name of the slimy character).”

It’s especially bad since they obviously filmed an alternate introduction bit for Kline that went with the syndicated version of the theme…



Dumb stuff.

[BestTVever]

I never saw Larry's opening as gay panic. I saw it as Larry hits on every girl he sees and fell into a trap which was comedy. But I can see how others see otherwise.
I never realized how they edited out the opening with Larry in syndication. I will watch more closely now because I swear I still see the original opening in some syndication channels.
I do agree the gay jokes got so tacky and went on far too long. I always found the gay theme inconsistent even for the liberal 70s. A conservative landlord will not allow a man to rent a separate bedroom with women in the same apartment but would allow an openly gay man. What goes on in Jack's bedroom does not bother him yet nothing going on in the apartment with women bothers him? I get it that its the joke but found it inconsistent.
I was in elementary school when Threes Company became a big hit. I do remember the show really promoted gay bullying and teasing in the schools. It was the biggest joke on the biggest show and kids imitate what they see with adult humor.

[Lyverbe]

Originally Posted by TMC

especially when you consider how dumb it was to begin with that Larry was climbing into the bumper car of a woman he doesn’t know.

I never thought about that but it's so true

[Mace Dolex]

I totally forgot about that alternate Larry intro, I believe Pluto TV airs the original intro with Larry getting into the bumper car, not sure about Antenna TV though.

Regarding the gay jokes the syndicated episodes would cleverly edit a few of them, what's funny is in the series finale when the kids are all packed ready to go Mr. Furley let's his guard down and gives Jack a farewell hug proudly saying "what the hell, you're cured". I'm surprised that's been left in.

[Mace Dolex]

Been watching reruns of TC on Pluto TV and have been noticing the alternate Larry intro appears more on the episodes that now have Jenilee Harrison in them.

[TVFactFan]

Im straight male and dont want to hug another male

stupid thread

[GentlemanJim]

Seems odd that the script frowns upon the idea of unmarried heterosexual co-habitation, but endorses homosexuality.

How many landlords I've had over the years that never even cared if my female roomate was legally betrothed to me, makes me suspect the script writers here were pushing a pro-homo agenda

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

makes me suspect the script writers here were pushing a pro-homo agenda

Pro homo agenda? LOL. There were zero episodes of anyone pushing anyone to engage in homosexuality.

[BestTVever]

Some of you guys are way off base. Good grief it was a comedy show. Does anyone remember the 1970s and the countless TV commercials that would show a man driving a convertible from the back and what appeared to be a girl with long red hair blowing next to him. As the camera got closer we were all fooled and it was a dog. We all laughed.
Same premise here. Larry who is always chasing girls gets into a bumper car with a long haired girl only to find out it was a man. Its funny. Its an innocent joke.
I cant believe people are making such statements proclaiming their sexuality or accusing TC of promoting gay stuff.
Everyone is so woke its crazy. It was a harmless and simple joke. We all laughed. Too bad some of you are so insecure with your sexuality that you cant laugh too.

[stevea]

It all started with that stupid click bait from the garbage website.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Some of you guys are way off base. Good grief it was a comedy show. Does anyone remember the 1970s and the countless TV commercials that would show a man driving a convertible from the back and what appeared to be a girl with long red hair blowing next to him. As the camera got closer we were all fooled and it was a dog. We all laughed.
Same premise here. Larry who is always chasing girls gets into a bumper car with a long haired girl only to find out it was a man. Its funny. Its an innocent joke.
I cant believe people are making such statements proclaiming their sexuality or accusing TC of promoting gay stuff.
Everyone is so woke its crazy. It was a harmless and simple joke. We all laughed. Too bad some of you are so insecure with your sexuality that you cant laugh too.

I guess Larry should have made out with the man to show no panic

[BestTVever]

For gay panic there would have to be someone gay. Larry was not gay and just because a guy had long hair does not mean he was gay. It just was a silly joke that I thought added comedy to the opening credits.
I wonder why they changed the opening. I always thought the guy with the long hair and mustache looked like John Ritter in a wig. It probably was not him but I wonder why the opening was changed. So many episodes of Threes Company had gay panic comedy scenes or openly mocking gay people and they never cut any of that out so I find it strange the opening changed.

[Yong Fang]

Larry Dallas is the most 1970's name of all time.

The whole Jack having to be gay to share an apartment with two girls was silly, even back in the 1970's, especially in Southern California. The landlord just wanted the rent every month and would not care about their personal lives outside of heavy drug use, criminal activities or really loud parties.

Surprised the mob hasnt tried to "cancel" Three's Company from being viewed now as "homophobic".

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Larry Dallas is the most 1970's name of all time.

The whole Jack having to be gay to share an apartment with two girls was silly, even back in the 1970's, especially in Southern California. The landlord just wanted the rent every month and would not care about their personal lives outside of heavy drug use, criminal activities or really loud parties.

Surprised the mob hasnt tried to "cancel" Three's Company from being viewed now as "homophobic".

yeah I cant see a landlord being that focused on one apt lol

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

yeah I cant see a landlord being that focused on one apt lol

That was the entire premise of the show which made it work. The kids lived above the landlord and got involved in their business especially when they could not afford to pay the rent.
Normal Fell changed the Stanley character. When it was pitched to him, Norman said the character of Stanley was a clumsy, old fashioned, nerdy guy. I think they wanted someone original to the UK version. Norman took the Stanley character out to orbit in changing the wardrobe and personality of the character. IMHO it definitely worked. The main reason The Ropers failed IMHO was because they had nothing to do in their townhouse. They were no longer butting into the young kid's lives above them.