That ’70s Show: 10 Things About Donna That Would Never Fly Today

In the cult TV sensation, That ’70s Show, Donna Pincioti is a fiery feminist that also identifies as the “girl next door” character, presumably because her primary love interest, Eric, literally lives next door. Throughout the show, she has moments of being a typical teenage girl and others where the audience can see the woman she will one day become. Donna’s nature was to have no strings and no one telling her what to do.

Sometimes, that led to actions and experiences that, if they happened today, definitely wouldn’t fly. She could be running away to California on a totally random van ride with Kelso or extorting her boss’s sexist demands to get what she wants at work. Either way, Donny fans might be surprised to learn that she’d have gotten into heaps of trouble had she tried these things in modern times.

10 She Hit People Whenever She Felt Like It, Including Eric When They First Met

Fans might remember the flashback scene where Donna and Eric met as children and she socked him just for looking at her in a way she didn’t like. In today’s anti-bullying culture, that wouldn’t go well for Donna or her parents.

Throughout the show, she slugs her male friends in the shoulder or otherwise pretty frequently and they let her. That “don’t hit girls just because they’re girls” mentality also wouldn’t fly today.

9 She Drove Off With Kelso In His Van To California

In the show, the trip is explained away by a heart-broken Donna going to live with her mother after being dumped by Casey Kelso and rejected by Eric. However, in today’s world, that would have required some court proceedings between parents, and Kelso could have even been charged with kidnapping since he was eighteen. Donna was a minor.

8 She Quit College To Be A D.J. And Stay With Eric in Point Place

Eric and Donna were supposed to move to Madison and then Red has a heart attack and Eric decides to stay behind to help his family. Instead of going to Madison and the college she wanted to attend, Donna stays behind and attends a junior college. For a few episodes, she talks about the education being sub-par, and then she just stops going and decides to be a D.J. full time. Even when Eric leaves her at the altar (a grave offense that she forgives almost immediately), she continues on that path and no one says a word to the contrary.

7 Dating Casey Kelso Would Be Illegal

There’s an entire season where Donna dates Michael Kelso’s older brother, Casey. He’s clearly over eighteen and the whole gang has reasons they object to the two together, especially Donna’s father Bob. Donna is caught drinking during the day by Eric and his mom and defies her father when he tries to ground her and keep her from seeing Kelso. Bob laments that he can’t do anything about it but in modern times he could have done plenty. The age difference, though small, would have constituted grounds for a restraining order against Casey, at the very least.

6 Donna’s Mother Left And Nothing Happened

She didn’t try to get her to come home, there were no custody hearings and no police involvement for a missing person. Donna makes a joke about pinning a note to her mother’s shirt when she leaves for good.

After that, they don’t really hear from her until Donna conveniently remembers that her mother lives in California after she needs a place to go.

5 Donna’s Story Paints Eric In A Terrible Light

After their breakup, Donna writes a short story that is published in the school paper. It isn’t long before people realize that the characters and plot are based on Donna and Eric’s relationship. Eric doesn’t come off too well and he experiences some serious teasing because of it. In modern times, he may have been able to sue Donna for libel or have the school paper print an apology.

4 The Jealousy Over Eric Dating Other People After They’re Broken Up

Donna has a lot of “independent woman’ vibes going on throughout the show but when she and Eric break up, it isn’t exactly her idea. She wants to be free of the promise that Eric’s promise ring suggests. Yet, when he starts dating other people, her jealousy is obvious. At this point, Donna is also dating Casey. This wouldn’t fly in today’s world and it’s likely her friends would be telling her to let it go over coffee at the local cafe.

3 Saying “Yes” To Eric’s Proposal

After everything they go through, Eric proposes to Donna in their senior year. They’re both still in high school and their friends tell them it’s a stupid move but they go ahead with it anyway. When the parents find out, they do everything in their power to discourage the couple from marrying but in the modern world, they would have gotten a lot more serious with this. It’s much more likely that the idea wouldn’t have even crossed Eric and Donna’s minds.

2 Donna Used Her Boss’s Sexist Nature For Her Own Gain

In Season 7, a new flirty office girl proposes the idea of posing in a bikini for a billboard. Donna refuses, then gets fired for doing so. Later on, the gang hatches a scheme to get the new girl fired, and then Donna extorts her boss’s sexist nature to get what she wants at work. In today’s world, she would have had to report the misconduct or face consequences herself.

1 Donna’s Man-Hating Feminist Ideal

The 1970s was a big deal for feminism. Donna was on the side of women being independent and thinking for themselves, but many of her feminist friends adopt the man-hating stereotype that gives feminism a bad name today. One big piece of evidence is the “Take Back The Night” Rally that Eric attends with Donna when she lets the feminists believe he’s attacking her. Another example is the first time for Eric and Donna. She makes a big deal about women being free to do whatever they want but is then embarrassed to let anyone know that she and Eric had sex. In today’s world, those kinds of snap judgments based on hate and shame wouldn’t go over well.

About The Author