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

The sitcom That ’70s Show ran from 1998 -2006. The show followed a group of friends living in Wisconsin and navigating life. Though the primary focus was on the children, some of the parents also had a considerable role.

One such parent is Red Forman, father of the main character Eric and his sister Laurie. This character is remembered for his one-liners and explosive attitude. But even though the show only went off of the air 14 years ago, there are many things about Red Forman that wouldn’t be as well-received were the show to air now. Here are 10 things about Red that would never fly today.

10 Threatening Physical Harm

One of Red’s iconic and most said lines are him threatening to put his foot up Eric’s ass. While many may have laughed along at this line, threatening to harm his child would not be as well-received today. Hitting children has become very controversial and kicking is considered child abuse. With this being such as hot-button and controversial topic, many would-be angered by Red’s constant menacing.

9 Basically An Alcoholic

Red is barely shown without a drink in his hand. He even makes trips to the bar with his son and his friends. In recent years, television shows have tried to become more careful with their portrayal of alcohol usage.

A character’s excessive drinking usually leads to negative consequences. Characters who drink regularly are often labeled as alcoholics and their struggle with addiction is highlighted. Having a character drinking regularly without acknowledging this as a problem just wouldn’t happen today.

8 Cursing At Eric

Despite all of Red’s negative behaviors, he is often portrayed to be a good father. His outbursts and explosions are seen as wise as he is shown to genuinely care for Eric at times. Eric’s poor decision skills often seem to warrant an extreme reaction, causing many to overlook the cruelty of what Red says and does.

However, as parenting trends have changed over the year, the language used with a child has changed drastically. A parent cursing at their child would receive shocked looks and an outcry from concerned parents. While not all parents on television are portrayed as perfect, the frequency of Red’s foul language would be jarring for many.

7 Calling Eric A Sissy

Red constantly asserts that Eric is not a man. He calls him a sissy and a failure because Eric doesn’t embody his idea of masculinity. Many of these insults also attack Eric’s physical appearance as he doesn’t believe he posses the physical strength men should have.

With the rise in positive body image campaigns and the numerous discussions surrounding toxic masculinity and redefining what it means to “be a man,” these comments would be viewed as incredibly problematic.

6 Treatment Of Kitty

Many people say one of Red’s strength is the positive treatment of his wife. While he does love his wife and show her more kindness than he shows his son, his treatment of her is not great. He regularly calls her crazy and overemotional.

Instead of taking her emotions seriously, he has a general air of divisiveness and even makes comments about menopause making her crazy. This portrayal of women as illogical, emotional, and crazy is tired and many are finally speaking up about this.

5 Bad Supervision

Red always seems to be home, and yet, it takes years before Red realizes that the teenagers have been doing drugs in the basement. With hookups, drug use, and alcohol consumption running rampant in his basement, Red’s lack of awareness about what goes on in his own house would certainly be questioned today.

4 Temper

Red is a hot-head. He has anger issues and lashes out. His outbursts are laughed off and they are generally portrayed as rational. His constant temper would cause problems for Red in the real world and should yield on-screen consequences as well.

Everyone is willing to bear his tyranny without faulting him for it or standing up to him would not be portrayed as a positive – especially on a show that is supposed to portray the typical average American family.

3 Treatment Of Fez

Fez is an immigrant stereotype who exists solely to be mocked by the others. Red’s treatment of this character is poor. His reasoning for disliking Fez is simply because Fez isn’t American. In Red’s mind, there is America and then the rest of the world.

While there are certainly people who subscribe to Red’s belief, with immigration and respect for all cultures being a hot-button topic, it would be surprising if the show was able to get away with hating Fez simply because of his origin.

2 Staunch Republican Views

Red makes it very clear that he is a Republican. He criticizes past presidents, refuses to admit that America lost the Vietnam war (calling it a tie), and says America can make no mistakes. When one of the kids makes a comment about the government tracking them, Red says “If the US sticks a tracking device up your ass you say thank you and God bless America.”

When the show was released, Red was seen as an over-the-top exaggeration of patriotism and Republican views. His viewpoints are no longer an exaggeration, with the alt-right having a huge platform. As politics have become more divisive, many shows have decided to stay away from politics altogether.

1 Does Nothing

While Red is portrayed as the “man of the house,” he does absolutely nothing to contribute. While Kitty continues to work as a nurse, Red is retired and spends his days lying around the house. In addition to working, Kitty cooks, cleans, and cares for the house. If Red isn’t drinking or yelling at the children, he is just lounging. With changing expectations in relationships, people wouldn’t take well to Red’s laziness.

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