get ready for a ride in the wayback
machine because we’re heading to the 90s
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
most controversial things on 90’s TV
for this list we’re looking at episodes
and moments from 90s television that
shocked us or caused public controversy
on a large cultural scale hot stuff
coming through dad why did you bring me
to a gay steel mill we’ll also be taking
into account the level of controversy
brought on by the vibe of a series as a
whole programs which by nature tended to
push the envelope for content or
controversy ard does not want Rivera in
the ring
throws him right out to the concrete
Madison Square Garden floor number 10
heroes beavis and butt-head whoa this
MTV animated series from creator Mike
judge was known for courting controversy
almost from the very beginning but this
second season episode proved
particularly troublesome for judge and
his crew hi there welcome to Bob’s fancy
ski you boys 18 uh no hmm
let me start again hey there you boys 18
in heroes our dim-witted metalhead
protagonists waltz into a gun store
easily pick up a couple of rifles and
decide to go skeet shooting this is cool
uh push/pull unfortunately their target
practice ends with the duo accidentally
shooting down an airplane that crash
lands in a field not far off
this little stunt naturally resulted in
beavis and butt-head receiving
complaints not only from anti-gun
activists but also from concerned
parents and got the episode banned
clapping half way left no pregnant women
on board how did that happen yeah number
nine the WWF during the Attitude Era
through some fifty years the World
Wrestling Federation has been an
entertainment mainstay here in North
America and all over the world one of
the reasons for that longevity is as the
times have changed so have we
Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling
Federation now known as World Wrestling
Entertainment underwent a sharp creative
makeover back in the late 90s shocking
those who grew up in the more innocent
times of cartoonish 80s rasslin flying
headscissors almost as he was up on his
shoulder couldn’t control away he hooked
the lake WWF during the Attitude Era as
it eventually came to be known was a
playground of realistically bloody
violence adult imagery and bizarre
storylines all of which fans ate up like
candy
parents weren’t as amused and often
complained to McMahon about the
program’s drastic shift to maturely
themed content
to join Stephanie Marie McMahon and the
unholy wedlock
crystal Lord of Darkness time and a lack
of serious competition would eventually
soften the WWE’s creative stance however
with today’s programming coming across
as decidedly more PG than extreme Sam is
number eight the puppy episode Ellen
site yeah yeah that’s how I feel with
you if there’s one thing I’m feeling
right now is comfortable where do we
start with this one perhaps with the
humorously misleading title of the puppy
episode I don’t date men Oh
why or maybe we can discuss how bold it
was for comedian Ellen DeGeneres to use
her ABC sitcom as a vehicle for her and
her characters coming-out party I’m 35
years old I’m so afraid to tell people I
mean I just Susan I’m gay it wasn’t
quite as easy back in 1997 for a
situation comedy to have a lesbian
leading character but that’s exactly the
trail DeGeneres was blazing with this
episode miss would you try one of our
new granola bars they’re the perfect
snack whether you’re on the go or in the
closet
ABC faced criticism and backlash from
both religious groups and advertisers
concerning the episode but the two-part
puppy nevertheless aired unedited and in
the process gained DeGeneres a whole new
audience of appreciative fans God’s sake
go enjoy your key
number seven home the x-files witnessing
Scully’s undiluted animal behavior
mankind absent its own creation of
civilization technology and information
regress to an almost prehistoric state
the subject of incest is never an easy
one to broach even on the most serious
of dramas never mind a science fiction
juggernaut like Chris Carter’s the
x-files reason breed their own stuff you
can get my beanie the controversial fan
favorite episode home shocked and
horrified viewers back in 96 with its
grim and bleak portrayal of the deformed
peacock family who’ve been burying
babies alive in the backyard of their
property this plot point alone would be
enough to earn the show its parental
discretion advised er II but home pushed
the boundaries that much further by
adding in the fact that the Peacocks
matriarch had been inbreeding with her
sons for years disturbing not only
Mulder and Scully but also audiences
around the world we’re gonna make sure
that you get home she already is huh
it’s mrs. peacock she’s their mother
number six homers phobia The Simpsons
listen up I want all of you to say hello
to the Simpsons it’s the whole world
gone insane The Simpsons has always been
known for its clever bits of social
commentary but this season 8 episode
stands as one of the strongest of the
entire series you’re a dick Oh be nice
noted exploitation filmmaker John Waters
voices the Simpson family’s new friend
John who’s revealed homosexuality comes
across as a threat to Homer listen
carefully
John is a ho mo right sexual
it wasn’t too often where we saw the
lovably dim-witted homer offering up
some sincere troubled pathos but the
writers here did a great job at juggling
a Father’s love for his family balanced
against his own recently discovered
prejudices I don’t want you calling him
a sissy
this guy’s a fruit enough no wait wait
wait queer queer queer that’s what you
like to be called right well that or job
number 5 ozz to go die today the
landscape of violence on cable
television has always been one of peaks
and valleys but oz managed to push the
creative envelope for what would be
displayed on the small screen
this original HBO series was set in a
maximum-security prison and displayed in
shocking detail all of the daily bits of
violence rape and intrigue that go on
behind bars inmates and guards alike
indulged in the carnage which ranged
from gang rape and murder to
scatological humiliation making oz a
program that can still manage to disturb
even today
number four politically incorrect the
real incriminating thing for Clinton is
that the Indians kept calling him by his
Indian name
Pocahontas there may not have been any
rampant sex or violence on politically
incorrect with Bill Maher but this
late-night talk show was never without
its fireworks they take a viable baby
from a mother all the way except at the
top of the head shove a scissors through
the base of its skull and suck out its
brains and you’re complaining about him
politically incorrect thrived on
conversation and in-depth discussions
with people who possessed diverse and
passionate opinions about everything
from social culture to politics you’re
telling morning teenagers is the only
thing that you can do is be abstinent
and condoms don’t work so kids are not
going to use kind of too thick because
they’re going to listen to you and
figure well why should we even use
condoms and that to me is it responsive
as a result Mars show consistently
provided a forum for those whose
positions didn’t always make for easy
listening ensuring that heated arguments
would become the norm Marv would even
land in political hot water himself due
to some controversial statements the
comedian made on his program shortly
after 9/11 resulting in calls for his
cancellation we have been the cowards
lobbying cruise missiles from 2,000
miles away that’s Howard won number
three earshot Buffy the Vampire Slayer
tomorrow this episode of Buffy falls on
our list thanks to its timing with
earshot having the unfortunate
distinction of being scheduled to air
one week after the Columbine High School
massacre the episode doesn’t actually
deal with gun violence in reference to
homicide however instead telling a sad
tale of one student suicide in a clock
tower I I wouldn’t ever hurt anybody
I came up here to kill myself still the
fact that earshot contained a scene of a
young teen assembling a rifle caused its
network the WB to air a rerun episode
instead pre-empting earshot until later
in the season
number two the Puerto Rican Day Seinfeld
no it’s the Puerto Rican Day Parade it
may seem difficult to believe that an
episode of that show about nothing could
be banned for its content
but that’s exactly what happened to the
Puerto Rican Day episode of Seinfeld
yeah streets you all blocked I think
every Puerto Rican in the world is out
here when it is our day
sorry in this episode an unfortunate
series of events leads to Kramer’s
accidental burning of the Puerto Rican
flag no severe
hey there’s a guy dropping the Puerto
Rican flag the resulting heat was not
only focused on Cosmo however but also
on the show itself with NBC being forced
to issue an apology and to ban the
episode altogether Majan laughs he could
have gotten if you would yelled that out
of the actual disaster
it wasn’t until 2002 that the episode
began airing unedited in syndication I
just have one thing to say to you boys
before we reveal our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions hi you
guys welcome gals gals motorcycle riding
gang that randomly person to people’s
homes and shows up their carpet
what are you thinking buster let’s drink
it drink it but Buster this is a bike
you I know but in this episode we’re
showing the evils of alcohol some people
may say oh that’s ignorant we all know
you know HIV can’t be tricky but you
know what I don’t know I’ve never lived
with anybody with HIV what guess we’re
gonna agree to disagree
number one the Jerry Springer Show I’m
not sure
come on you know you love it you’re not
alone either as it seemed that just
about everyone was tuning into the Jerry
Springer Show back in the 90s for their
daily dose of talk-show chaos this
former mayor of Cincinnati translated
his natural ease in front of the camera
into a career as ringmaster for his own
circus of allegedly choreographed
fistfights outrageous storylines and
salacious material the likes of which
would make just about anyone blush we’re
gonna meet the woman now who is married
to your brother and has a child with
your father
the Jerry Springer Show quickly became
known as the most controversial tabloid
talk show around consistently upping the
ante in terms of guests actors posing as
guests and general all-around lunacy
very right so no I got the half-breed
FBI okay Dennis do you agree with our
list what did you find controversial on
90s TV for more fun top ten lists
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com when the preoccupation
with flatulence takes precedence over
human lightning
you
machine because we’re heading to the 90s
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
most controversial things on 90’s TV
for this list we’re looking at episodes
and moments from 90s television that
shocked us or caused public controversy
on a large cultural scale hot stuff
coming through dad why did you bring me
to a gay steel mill we’ll also be taking
into account the level of controversy
brought on by the vibe of a series as a
whole programs which by nature tended to
push the envelope for content or
controversy ard does not want Rivera in
the ring
throws him right out to the concrete
Madison Square Garden floor number 10
heroes beavis and butt-head whoa this
MTV animated series from creator Mike
judge was known for courting controversy
almost from the very beginning but this
second season episode proved
particularly troublesome for judge and
his crew hi there welcome to Bob’s fancy
ski you boys 18 uh no hmm
let me start again hey there you boys 18
in heroes our dim-witted metalhead
protagonists waltz into a gun store
easily pick up a couple of rifles and
decide to go skeet shooting this is cool
uh push/pull unfortunately their target
practice ends with the duo accidentally
shooting down an airplane that crash
lands in a field not far off
this little stunt naturally resulted in
beavis and butt-head receiving
complaints not only from anti-gun
activists but also from concerned
parents and got the episode banned
clapping half way left no pregnant women
on board how did that happen yeah number
nine the WWF during the Attitude Era
through some fifty years the World
Wrestling Federation has been an
entertainment mainstay here in North
America and all over the world one of
the reasons for that longevity is as the
times have changed so have we
Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling
Federation now known as World Wrestling
Entertainment underwent a sharp creative
makeover back in the late 90s shocking
those who grew up in the more innocent
times of cartoonish 80s rasslin flying
headscissors almost as he was up on his
shoulder couldn’t control away he hooked
the lake WWF during the Attitude Era as
it eventually came to be known was a
playground of realistically bloody
violence adult imagery and bizarre
storylines all of which fans ate up like
candy
parents weren’t as amused and often
complained to McMahon about the
program’s drastic shift to maturely
themed content
to join Stephanie Marie McMahon and the
unholy wedlock
crystal Lord of Darkness time and a lack
of serious competition would eventually
soften the WWE’s creative stance however
with today’s programming coming across
as decidedly more PG than extreme Sam is
number eight the puppy episode Ellen
site yeah yeah that’s how I feel with
you if there’s one thing I’m feeling
right now is comfortable where do we
start with this one perhaps with the
humorously misleading title of the puppy
episode I don’t date men Oh
why or maybe we can discuss how bold it
was for comedian Ellen DeGeneres to use
her ABC sitcom as a vehicle for her and
her characters coming-out party I’m 35
years old I’m so afraid to tell people I
mean I just Susan I’m gay it wasn’t
quite as easy back in 1997 for a
situation comedy to have a lesbian
leading character but that’s exactly the
trail DeGeneres was blazing with this
episode miss would you try one of our
new granola bars they’re the perfect
snack whether you’re on the go or in the
closet
ABC faced criticism and backlash from
both religious groups and advertisers
concerning the episode but the two-part
puppy nevertheless aired unedited and in
the process gained DeGeneres a whole new
audience of appreciative fans God’s sake
go enjoy your key
number seven home the x-files witnessing
Scully’s undiluted animal behavior
mankind absent its own creation of
civilization technology and information
regress to an almost prehistoric state
the subject of incest is never an easy
one to broach even on the most serious
of dramas never mind a science fiction
juggernaut like Chris Carter’s the
x-files reason breed their own stuff you
can get my beanie the controversial fan
favorite episode home shocked and
horrified viewers back in 96 with its
grim and bleak portrayal of the deformed
peacock family who’ve been burying
babies alive in the backyard of their
property this plot point alone would be
enough to earn the show its parental
discretion advised er II but home pushed
the boundaries that much further by
adding in the fact that the Peacocks
matriarch had been inbreeding with her
sons for years disturbing not only
Mulder and Scully but also audiences
around the world we’re gonna make sure
that you get home she already is huh
it’s mrs. peacock she’s their mother
number six homers phobia The Simpsons
listen up I want all of you to say hello
to the Simpsons it’s the whole world
gone insane The Simpsons has always been
known for its clever bits of social
commentary but this season 8 episode
stands as one of the strongest of the
entire series you’re a dick Oh be nice
noted exploitation filmmaker John Waters
voices the Simpson family’s new friend
John who’s revealed homosexuality comes
across as a threat to Homer listen
carefully
John is a ho mo right sexual
it wasn’t too often where we saw the
lovably dim-witted homer offering up
some sincere troubled pathos but the
writers here did a great job at juggling
a Father’s love for his family balanced
against his own recently discovered
prejudices I don’t want you calling him
a sissy
this guy’s a fruit enough no wait wait
wait queer queer queer that’s what you
like to be called right well that or job
number 5 ozz to go die today the
landscape of violence on cable
television has always been one of peaks
and valleys but oz managed to push the
creative envelope for what would be
displayed on the small screen
this original HBO series was set in a
maximum-security prison and displayed in
shocking detail all of the daily bits of
violence rape and intrigue that go on
behind bars inmates and guards alike
indulged in the carnage which ranged
from gang rape and murder to
scatological humiliation making oz a
program that can still manage to disturb
even today
number four politically incorrect the
real incriminating thing for Clinton is
that the Indians kept calling him by his
Indian name
Pocahontas there may not have been any
rampant sex or violence on politically
incorrect with Bill Maher but this
late-night talk show was never without
its fireworks they take a viable baby
from a mother all the way except at the
top of the head shove a scissors through
the base of its skull and suck out its
brains and you’re complaining about him
politically incorrect thrived on
conversation and in-depth discussions
with people who possessed diverse and
passionate opinions about everything
from social culture to politics you’re
telling morning teenagers is the only
thing that you can do is be abstinent
and condoms don’t work so kids are not
going to use kind of too thick because
they’re going to listen to you and
figure well why should we even use
condoms and that to me is it responsive
as a result Mars show consistently
provided a forum for those whose
positions didn’t always make for easy
listening ensuring that heated arguments
would become the norm Marv would even
land in political hot water himself due
to some controversial statements the
comedian made on his program shortly
after 9/11 resulting in calls for his
cancellation we have been the cowards
lobbying cruise missiles from 2,000
miles away that’s Howard won number
three earshot Buffy the Vampire Slayer
tomorrow this episode of Buffy falls on
our list thanks to its timing with
earshot having the unfortunate
distinction of being scheduled to air
one week after the Columbine High School
massacre the episode doesn’t actually
deal with gun violence in reference to
homicide however instead telling a sad
tale of one student suicide in a clock
tower I I wouldn’t ever hurt anybody
I came up here to kill myself still the
fact that earshot contained a scene of a
young teen assembling a rifle caused its
network the WB to air a rerun episode
instead pre-empting earshot until later
in the season
number two the Puerto Rican Day Seinfeld
no it’s the Puerto Rican Day Parade it
may seem difficult to believe that an
episode of that show about nothing could
be banned for its content
but that’s exactly what happened to the
Puerto Rican Day episode of Seinfeld
yeah streets you all blocked I think
every Puerto Rican in the world is out
here when it is our day
sorry in this episode an unfortunate
series of events leads to Kramer’s
accidental burning of the Puerto Rican
flag no severe
hey there’s a guy dropping the Puerto
Rican flag the resulting heat was not
only focused on Cosmo however but also
on the show itself with NBC being forced
to issue an apology and to ban the
episode altogether Majan laughs he could
have gotten if you would yelled that out
of the actual disaster
it wasn’t until 2002 that the episode
began airing unedited in syndication I
just have one thing to say to you boys
before we reveal our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions hi you
guys welcome gals gals motorcycle riding
gang that randomly person to people’s
homes and shows up their carpet
what are you thinking buster let’s drink
it drink it but Buster this is a bike
you I know but in this episode we’re
showing the evils of alcohol some people
may say oh that’s ignorant we all know
you know HIV can’t be tricky but you
know what I don’t know I’ve never lived
with anybody with HIV what guess we’re
gonna agree to disagree
number one the Jerry Springer Show I’m
not sure
come on you know you love it you’re not
alone either as it seemed that just
about everyone was tuning into the Jerry
Springer Show back in the 90s for their
daily dose of talk-show chaos this
former mayor of Cincinnati translated
his natural ease in front of the camera
into a career as ringmaster for his own
circus of allegedly choreographed
fistfights outrageous storylines and
salacious material the likes of which
would make just about anyone blush we’re
gonna meet the woman now who is married
to your brother and has a child with
your father
the Jerry Springer Show quickly became
known as the most controversial tabloid
talk show around consistently upping the
ante in terms of guests actors posing as
guests and general all-around lunacy
very right so no I got the half-breed
FBI okay Dennis do you agree with our
list what did you find controversial on
90s TV for more fun top ten lists
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com when the preoccupation
with flatulence takes precedence over
human lightning
you
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