In the 90s, before Two and a Half Men ended Friends‘ reign and dominated the sitcom space, there was Everybody Loves Raymond. Centred around the home life of sports columnist Ray Barone and his eccentric family, the show was known for its abrasive humour and over-the-top banter.
Sitcoms are a reflection of their times. The jokes that passed as acceptable on TV in the eighties could be downright blasphemous these days, and the same thing will happen with contemporary comedies in a decade or two. It’s inevitable. However, there’s a line between what’s okay and what isn’t – and that line has remained unchanged since the origins of television. In some cases, Everybody Loves Raymond crossed that line.
4. RAY AND DEBRA’S RELATIONSHIP
Why Everybody Loves Raymond Aged Badly
The relationship between Ray and Debra, intended to be the heartwarming core of the show, is shockingly toxic by today’s standards. The two constantly bicker, undermine and irritate one another in excessively mean ways all for some phony laughs. Worst of all is that Ray is usually the one to blame in most scenarios.
When you make the main characters unlikable, you have to make it so they’re unlikable to the rest of the characters in the series – not for the viewer. Again, that’s what Seinfeld does. Ray frequently lies to and manipulates Debra, at one point even taping over their wedding video just to record a Super Bowl match.
3. UNLOYAL TO THE END
Why Everybody Loves Raymond Aged Badly
Picture Homer Simpson: a bumbling fool who always manages to make the lives of everyone surrounding him all the more complicated. However, at the end of the day, Homer is also a dedicated family man who loves his family – and his wife – more than anything. These are “redeeming qualities,” also known as “things Ray Barone lacks.”
Ray was unfaithful to Debra on more than one occasion. Granted, he never outright cheated on her, but that wasn’t for lack of effort. He flirted with nearly every female guest star, leaving the pillars of his marriage in question. Raymond was a womanizer and of the worst kind, too.
As the “man of the house,” Ray expected Debra to fulfil his needs and whims. While this was mostly played for laughs, sometimes, it could be downright uncomfortable to watch. It certainly casts a different light on Raymond as a person and makes it all the more unlikely that “everybody” loves the guy.
2. FRANK BARONE IS THE WORST TV DAD (AND MARIE IS THE WORST MOM)
Why Everybody Loves Raymond Aged Badly
From misogynistic remarks to casual racism and everything in between, there’s no sin Frank Barone isn’t guilty of. An all-around curmudgeon, Frank’s unlikable character just makes the show feel all the more mean-spirited than usual. The worst part is that he, like his son, treats his wife like no more than an object.
Speaking of his wife, Marie Barone isn’t any sweeter than her husband. Naggy, nosy, and a nuisance to everyone around her, Marie is never seen as anything more than a mere joke for the show. While this might be a play on the whole idea that Raymond is just a live-action cartoon – see Married With Children – it does come off as a bit more mean-spirited than just that.
1. EVERYBODY HATES ROBERT
Why Everybody Loves Raymond Aged Badly
It’s a bit of a running joke that everyone is so infatuated with Raymond that they leave his brother, Robert, ignored. If there was a reason for us as an audience to sympathize with the characters in their indifference, maybe this could have been overlooked. Perhaps Robert is a bit mean to his family? Or is he a cheapskate? The reality, however, is that Robert’s most egregious fault is that he isn’t Raymond.
Robert is usually the butt of every joke in Everybody Loves Raymond. In fact, the show’s title comes from one of Robert’s early catchphrases, when he used to mumble “Everybody loves Raymond” under his breath – showing he was well aware of how much everyone loved his younger brother more than him.
