4 Sitcom Characters Whose Lives Would Have Been Ruined by the Internet
It goes without saying that the internet has completely revolutionized all of human existence, from the way we work to how we consume entertainment to the ease at which people can now viciously attack complete strangers concerning the works of Zack Snyder.
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While many of our favorite sitcoms exist in a post-web world, some great series were created way back when the internet was still just a glint in the eye of Al Gore. How would comedic characters fare in a world full of modern computer technology? We’d argue that it would totally ruin the lives of some, like how…
George Costanza’s Many Embarrassments Would Have Gone Viral
It’s no secret that George Costanza spent the majority of Seinfeld humiliating himself and generally bringing yet more shame to the already shame-filled Costanza family name. Whether it was the time he dined on an eclair found in the literal garbage, the evening when he brawled with a “bubble boy” or the occasion when he inadvertently murdered his fiancée after buying the cheapest envelopes available (and never bothering to seek legal action against the wildly negligent stationery store, for some reason).
But while George mostly shook off these horrifying incidents and got on with his life, had YouTube and social media existed during the days of Seinfeld, some of George’s most public embarrassments would likely have gone viral. Look no further than when George was caught on camera at the U.S. Open with a hot fudge sundae smeared all over his face.
The ice cream incident led to George’s girlfriend dumping him, but the moment passed, with it no longer being an issue by the following week. These days, a clip like that would live forever, potentially ruining all of George’s future relationships. He wouldn’t be able to walk down the street without people shouting, “Hey buddy, they’ve got a new invention; it’s called the napkin!”
But becoming the “Sundae Guy” is actually far preferable to another potential scenario: George going viral as the dumbass who once pretended to be a notorious white supremacist for a free limo ride.
Imagine him trying to shoot his shot at dating Marisa Tomei after that. He could probably still nab that Yankees gig though.
Joey Tribbiani Would Have Been Canceled on Social Media
Technically, Friends did exist in the early days of the internet. However, except for when Ross harnessed its awesome powers to creep on old college classmates, the gang rarely seemed to use it.
Had the internet been slightly more advanced at the time, it may have proved a problem for the career of one Joey Tribbiani. If he’d become a TV star in the age of social media, a slew of former sexual partners would be posting about how the new doctor in Days of Our Lives once ghosted them after claiming to be a guy named “Ken Adams.”
Not to mention his lecherous behavior on set. Joey routinely slept with the show’s extras, and when they voiced their displeasure, he suggested having them all fired.
One tweet (exeet?) probably would have prompted some sort of investigation and/or a flurry of media attention. Joey was lucky that his acting future didn’t end with a PIVOT to co-starring in garbage movies with other MeToo’d garbage dudes.
Will Smith Wouldn’t Have Been Able to Escape His Schoolyard Fight
As anyone who knows the theme song lyrics better than the names of their own family members can tell you, the story of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air begins with Will getting into a schoolyard fight, in which one of his assailants literally picks him up and spins him around like it was a WWE match.
The fight and Will’s subsequent departure became famous in Philly even without the internet’s help. When he returns home for a visit, he discovers that his cowardice has become something of a local legend, with one diner even naming a chicken sandwich after him. Had Will getting the helicopter treatment been filmed and uploaded to TikTok, he never would have been able to escape that infamy, not even in Bel-Air.
Cliff Clavin Would 100 Percent Believe in QAnon
Cheers’ titular watering hole was memorably populated with several lovably eccentric characters, unified by their love of beer and hatred of sunlight. One of TV’s quirkiest oddballs was Cliff Clavin, the mustachioed postal worker with a penchant for spouting erroneous claims and wild conspiracy theories.
In retrospect, Cheers would have been a far different show had Cliff had access to the internet because he 100 percent would have fallen down some of the web’s darkest rabbit holes. Think about it: Is there any chance that Cliff wouldn’t be part of QAnon? After all, maintaining that your two extra teeth are genetic proof of your family’s claim to the Russian throne isn’t so far off from believing that Hollywood elites are secretly harvesting the blood of children in order to create an elixir of life.
And who knows what Cliff would do after diving head-first into the dangerous conspiracy pool? You may recall that Cliff had a history of disruptive, even violent behavior, as shown by the time he shut down Boston airport while angrily pelting cans of Chinese food at a plane.
Sadly, this isn’t too far off from what happened to “Cliff” in real life.
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