8 television shows that haven't aged well

While "Friends" ended in 2004, the sitcom has remained one of the top-watched shows in the US. As a younger audience sees the series for the first time, some are highlighting its problematic plotlines.

Throughout the series, critics have pointed out, there are homophobic storylines, including the episode where Chandler is obsessed with finding out why people think he is gay. His father, a drag queen, is often a punchline. In another episode, Ross struggles with the fact that his son, Ben, wants to play with a doll.

The show has also been criticized for lacking diversity and only showing attractive, white people.

Kelsey Miller wrote for Vox in 2019: "It would have been a significant change for Friends to start integrating more people of color into its guest roles and even extras. [...] If any series had the power to break that barrier, it was Friends. Instead, it took nine years for a black woman (with a full name! and an actual arc!) to appear on the show, when Aisha Tyler guest-starred as Charlie Wheeler."

The issues don't end there: Monica is often teased for being overweight when she was younger, which we see in flashback episodes. With today's body-positive movement underway, this storyline can leave many feeling uncomfortable.

"The 'fat Monica' and 'gay Chandler' 'jokes' feel very out of place now," Twitter user Christine Carr wrote about the show. "Was Joey always that creepy? Disappointing."

Since its finale in 2014, "How I Met Your Mother" has been criticized for its sexist characters, especially Barney who was played by Neil Patrick Harris. Barney was billed as a womanizing, charming character, but as the years wore on, he became increasingly problematic. At times, his actions were even on par with sexual assault.

Likewise, Ted has also been called a misogynist despite being the show's romantic lead. In the series, he pursues women who have rejected him, and he openly lies to women if it's in his best interest.

"I love this show but the whole attitude towards women in general really angers me. Barney has absolutely no respect for women, constantly belittles them, lies to them and pits them against one another," one reader told Buzzfeed.

During most of its 12 seasons, "Two and a Half Men" was TV's most-watched sitcom. It follows a bachelor — played by Charlie Sheen — who deals with his brother and nephew moving into his house. While some enjoyed the show, others saw problems with the plots. In fact, Salon called the series "TV's grossest show."

"'Two and a Half Men' portrayed sex as a constant war between men and women, all of whom were out to trick one another into sleeping together and all of whom spoke frankly to the point of vulgarity," Daniel D'Addario at Salon wrote about the show.

The show made headlines in 2014 when heterosexual characters Walden — played by Ashton Kutcher — and Alan pretended to be gay to get married so that one of them could adopt a child.

"We hope the show will acknowledge not only the progress made in acceptance of gay and lesbian couples but also the fact that — in many areas of the country — same-sex couples are often under greater scrutiny or still barred from adoption options that straight couples have," Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, told Entertainment Weekly at the time.

"Home Improvement" starring Tim Allen aired from 1991 to 1999, and during that time, it was one of the top-rated sitcoms on TV. Allen's character — also named Tim — idolized masculinity and often showed his power through tools, while the dumb-husband-and-nagging-wife stereotype was on full show.

"When it originally aired in the '90s, you could've flipped past it on TV and assumed it was a show about Tim Allen fixing things, working with his hands, and generally exuding a masculine joy in all things dumb and dudely — engines, beer, football, grunting, busty ladies," Vulture wrote about the show in 2018. "He has catchphrases, which include 'More power!' (in reference to power tools), and a guttural 'arrooo?' sound that, okay, is less catchphrase than it is musical motif."

Beyond Tim's obvious love of all-things masculine, the series featured close-minded plotlines. For instance, in one episode, Tim wants to take his sons to a basketball game instead of allowing them to learn ballet with their mother.

Airing between 1965 and 1970, "I Dream of Jeannie" was a show about an astronaut who found a bottle with a genie inside. While the comedy was originally perceived as lighthearted and funny, today it's viewed as anything but.

In the show, Jeannie is submissive to the male character. She grants him his every wish and even calls him "Master."

In one of the earlier episodes, Jeannie — played by Barbara Eden — was interested in feminism, but her thought was instantly dismissed.

"Though disappointing, this is not particularly surprising considering the fact that there was an almost universally condescending reaction to feminism from even the most progressive men of the time, let alone television scriptwriters," Syfy wrote about the show in 2019.

Eden herself has dismissed the characterization, saying in 2016, "I never thought 'Jeannie' was sexist. Never, ever. She was a genie!"

From 1987 to 1997, "Married... with Children" followed the vulgar, candid Al Bundy and his comedic family.

"Al Bundy, the maladjusted father of the brilliantly vulgar sitcom 'Married... With Children,' is working-class America with all of its ignorance, misogyny, and resentment," The New York Times wrote in 2003. "His wife doesn't love him, his children don't respect him, the neighbors would celebrate his demise."

Years later, Katey Sagal, who played Bundy's wife, spoke about Bundy's attitude towards women.

"The women were portrayed completely exploited on that show. That was part of Al Bundy's thing — he liked hot women, and they showed them all the time," Sagal told AOL's Build Series in 2017. "[It wasn't] necessarily my belief system."

"Baywatch" premiered in 1989 and followed a group of lifeguards in Los Angeles. While it was a popular show until its end in 2001, the series has been criticized for sexualizing women. Some say the women in the show were exploited and objectified.

"A never-ending cast of beautiful women were shown running in slow motion down a beach in one-piece French cut swimsuits. The women were almost always seen in just their bathing suits, while the men around them were generally in full-length wind pants and jackets," Patrice A. Oppliger wrote in her book.

From 1979 to 1985, "The Dukes of Hazzard" followed two cousins as they caused mishap after mishap in their rural community. While it may seem like a show about adventure, the series had troubling aspects if you looked close enough.

The Dukes' car was named after the commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, General Lee. On the roof of the car, there was a giant Confederate flag.

"You can't feature the flag of Dixie and not be about the South and race, like it or not, even if only by passively feeding into the argument that the flag is only about family pride, good ol' boys and good ol' times," Time wrote about the show in 2015.

In 2015, in fact, reruns of the show were pulled from TV Land over the flag.