For those who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, television was fearless. Shows tackled hard issues, made jokes that today would spark outrage, and reflected a society that hadn’t yet been neutered by hypersensitivity. Today, people break down over “offensive” words, demand safe spaces, and label comedy as hate speech. What happened to us?
The Shows That Wouldn’t Survive Today
Looking back, it’s shocking to realize how many once-mainstream shows would be impossible to air in our hypersensitive culture today.
1970s
- All in the Family — Archie Bunker’s politically incorrect humor would have him canceled by the first commercial break.
- Maude — openly addressed abortion, women’s rights, and religion in ways that would set social media on fire today.
- Sanford and Son — full of raw racial jokes and insult-driven humor.
- Three’s Company — constant innuendo and comedy built around sexuality misunderstandings.
- Good Times — beloved but controversial in how it used poverty and racial stereotypes for laughs.
1980s
- Married… with Children — Al Bundy’s blunt chauvinism, fat jokes, and crude humor wouldn’t survive the pilot.
- Diff’rent Strokes — racial and class differences played for comedy would be attacked as insensitive.
- Silver Spoons — a spoiled rich kid in a toy-filled mansion? The word “privilege” alone would cancel it.
- Cheers — bar culture, innuendo, and workplace flirtation would draw nonstop HR think pieces.
- The Dukes of Hazzard — the Confederate flag on the General Lee would doom the show before episode one.
Early 1990s
- Home Improvement / Tool Time — Tim Allen’s “man’s man” humor and gender role jokes are now called offensive.
- Friends — jokes about weight, sexuality, and gender identity would never get past the sensitivity police.
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — beloved, but early race and class humor would be heavily criticized.
- Seinfeld — “Soup Nazi,” fat jokes, and irreverent storylines would be shredded on social media.
These weren’t fringe programs. They were prime-time hits. Families gathered around them nightly. They made us laugh at ourselves, our differences, and our imperfections, and the world didn’t end.
From Resilient to Fragile
The problem isn’t that those shows existed, it’s that we no longer have the backbone to handle them. Our culture has become fragile. Words now wound deeper than actions. Disagreement is equated with hate. Masculinity is demonized, while weakness is celebrated as virtue.
We’ve raised a generation to believe that feelings are supreme. If something makes you uncomfortable, it must be destroyed. If someone challenges you, they must be silenced. The result? Men who can’t lead, women who can’t respect, and children who can’t cope.
The Bible warned of this drift: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3)
The Feminization of Men
This softness isn’t accidental, it’s cultural engineering. Masculinity is constantly portrayed as “toxic.” Men are told to suppress strength, downplay leadership, and apologize for being men. Instead of teaching boys to be tough, disciplined, and accountable, we teach them to be passive, compliant, and fragile.
Society once honored the father who provided, the soldier who fought, the man who protected. Now it mocks them. The sitcom dad of the past, strong, imperfect, but respected, has been replaced by the bumbling fool who can’t change a light bulb without mom swooping in to save him. And it’s no accident.
Yet scripture calls men to the opposite: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) Masculinity, rooted in faith, strength, and courage, is not toxic. It is biblical.
What We’ve Lost
- Resilience: Past generations survived wars, economic crashes, and hardship. We fall apart over microaggressions.
- Humor: We used to laugh at ourselves. Now we demand apologies for jokes.
- Strength: Masculinity was once a virtue. Now it’s treated like a disease.
- Truth: Comfort has replaced reality. We’d rather feel good than face facts.
Joshua 1:9 reminds us: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God calls us to courage, not fragility.
The Way Back
The solution isn’t complicated, it’s courage. Courage to speak the truth, even when it offends. Courage to embrace masculinity as God designed it: protective, strong, servant-hearted, and bold. Courage to raise children who can handle adversity instead of folding under it.
If a television joke can undo you, life will break you. If masculinity offends you, weakness will enslave you. And if truth is too hard to handle, lies will define your future.
Our culture doesn’t need more softness. It needs backbone. It needs leaders who aren’t afraid to be men, women who embrace respect, and communities that value resilience over fragility.
We don’t need to make shows like the 70s and 80s again. But we desperately need to recover the toughness, humor, and grit that those shows reflected, a toughness this generation has all but lost.
Troy P Zehnder 