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.
"Ms. Blaub."
"Uh yeah, I'm sorry.
Your name was partially obscured by some errant flesh."
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.
"Two, four, six, eight, don't make fun of our weight."
Married… with Children would often place plus-sized women in embarrassing and unflattering
situations.
"Let's go someplace where they treat us with respect."
"I'd try the moon.
You'll weigh less there."
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.
"It's a birthday gag.
One of you is supposed to jump out of a cake but you ate it on the way over, right?"
"Bundy, we are activists."
Married... with Children ventured into some troublesome territory in the season seven
episode "Tis Time to Smell the Roses."
About midway through the episode, Peggy tells her husband Al:
"Why, every day, more illegal immigrants, some of whom speak English, are out there
flooding the job market."
She then goes on to impersonate one of those imagined immigrants:
"'Please sir, I will gladly serve you a Slushie.
Thank you for not killing me.'"
The way the episode depicts minorities is especially problematic.
The story involves Al taking a job at Home Plate Athletic Shoes, where he's soon introduced
to three new co-workers:
"I like to call 'em 'The three Habibs.'"
"That's management for you — they're all alike."
"You just call us Habib and point to the one you wish to speak to.
That's what we do."
Shortly after that exchange, Al really crosses the line with an offensive joke.
To express how long he's been working at his profession, he says:
"I was selling shoes when you guys were just a gleam in a New York taxi driver's eyes."
In other words?
Yikes.
Married… with Children wasn't exactly known for its strong feminist slant.
The dialogue can even make the most important meal of the day sound… sleazy.
"That Jiggly Room serves a good breakfast."
"Yeah, the melons, the muffins, the sticky buns."
"And the food wasn't bad either."
Marcy D'Arcy's idea of feminism certainly wouldn't have a place in today's TV landscape.
In the season six episode "If Al Had a Hammer," she even creates a women's group called W.O.M.B.
"... which stands for Women Owe Men Bubkes."
Throughout the series, she constantly berates Al and other male characters.
"Go pick your hiney.
Women are talking."
"Let me give you something.
Ten fingers of death!
I hate you, I hate you!"
In the end, Marcy comes off as a lazily-written stereotype — and bottomless fodder for Al's
groan-worthy one-liners.
"Marcy, come here.
Look…
There's a woman."
Amanda Bearse, who played Marcy D'Arcy, doesn't mince words when it comes to Married… with
Children.
In 2018, she told News Corp Australia:
"It was a mean-spirited and misogynist show.
It was just so completely inappropriate.
Today I don't think the show would be produced because it's so globally offensive."
There was definitely a double standard in the way siblings Bud and Kelly Bundy were
depicted.
For example: In the season ten episode "Al Goes To The Dogs," the audience cheers for
Bud when he goes off with an unknown woman wearing a skimpy outfit.
But in the same episode, Bud mocks Kelly's new look by saying:
"You no longer look like a North American s---.
Now you look like a South American s---."
In other words, Bud's sexual adventures are literally applauded, whereas Kelly's sexual
appetite is a subject of ridicule.
Would Bud's habitual shaming of his sister ever fly on TV today?
"G-N-O spells no!"
Married… with Children was generally targeted to a male audience — and it often objectified
women.
Whenever that happened, the live studio audience totally ate it up… to often ridiculous effect.
In fact, whenever Kelly reveals a little skin, or bends over, the crowd goes completely bananas.
"Whoopsie."
A lot of female characters are treated that way.
In a season three episode that's worryingly titled "Her Cups Runneth Over," the audience
falls to pieces after seeing a young woman in lingerie.
"If you were my boyfriend, would you like this?"
It's hard to imagine any of these antics airing on television today — but to be fair, this
particular episode also objectifies men, so… there's that?
"Well, I gotta go.
Bar exam tomorrow."
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