Now enjoying a bit of a renaissance due to the proliferation of streaming platforms, Frasier has seemingly increased in popularity since it went off the air in 2004. For eleven seasons, audiences delighted in the misadventures of radio psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, his fussy brother Niles, their cantankerous ex-cop father, and their colorful friends and peers. It’s been dubbed one of the most successful spin-offs of all time, and snatched an impressive 37 Emmys throughout its run.
Praised for its wit, complex writing, and intellectual humor, it remains a sitcom that is worth revisting. However, even with all its accolades, it still suffers from certain comedic handicaps from the era in which it was made. Certain jokes from the ’90s have become trite and crass now, and some of Frasier’s longest-running gags fall into that category. Without further ado, here are 10 jokes from the series that have aged poorly.
MEN WHO LIKE CULTURE ARE EFFEMINATE
On Cheers, Frasier was stuffy, aloof, and couldn’t relate to his fellow man (which is what made his being a shrink all the more hilarious.) He was the antithesis to Sam Malone, relatable man of the people. When Frasier got his own spin-off, it was like a celebration of all things Frasier - culture, wine, gourmet food, etc.
And Frasier got mocked for it mercilessly, by his friends, family, and peers. Frasier (and his equally prim brother Niles) dared to embody a different sort of masculinity in the late 20th/early 21st century, one that could be determined by class and taste. It looks dated now to make fun of men you’d see dozens of at any Starbucks today.
BEING A “REAL MAN” MEANS BEING MACHO
One of the big running gags on Frasier was juxtaposing Frasier and his brother Niles against their father, a working-class former cop and Korean War veteran. Martin Crane valued a certain macho attitude for its masculine properties — not taking any guff, and able to throw a punch at anyone who looks at you funny.
He was always embarrassed about how ineffectual Frasier and Niles were in schoolyard fights, a point brought up multiple times throughout the series. He wishes Frasier could be more like his coworker, “Bulldog” Brisco, and never truly comes to understand his sons for who they are.
EVERYONE TERRIFIED OF BEING GAY
There’s a reoccurring joke throughout the series that Frasier and Niles are gay, due to their ability to dress well, their love of antiques and home decor, and their impressive knowledge of opera and theater. One episode is dedicated entirely to the new station manager at KACL going on a date with Frasier that Frasier doesn’t realize he’s on.
There’s also the character of Gil Chesterton, who’s mercilessly mocked, and said to be married to a very masculine female bodybuilder. And then there’s Bulldog, who gets accused of being gay because he’s so aggressive he must be overcompensating. The underlying ideology is that they’d all rather be anything than gay.
ANYTHING BLUE COLLAR IS PLEBEIAN
Through Frasier’s perspective as a member of Seattle’s elite class, we begin to see that he views anything blue collar as plebeian. He treats everyone from his building’s handyman to the barista at Cafe Nervosa with contempt, and they’re all depicted as completely inept, which gives his actions justification.
Niles joins him in making snide remarks, which are often at the expense of their father Martin and his simple taste for beer and watching TV in his duct-taped EZ chair. In today’s current socio-economic climate, a series focused on this sort of snobbery could seem shallow and excessive.
EVERY IN-LAW BEING INSANE
In-laws driving protagonists crazy has been a joke on sit-coms for decades. From Meet the Waltons to Everybody Loves Raymond, in-laws with a knack for getting under your skin have been a reliable goldmine for comedy, and Frasier was to be no exception.
But did they all have to be insane? When we finally meet Martin Crane’s brother and his cleaver-wielding wife, the floodgates are opened to a dozen raucous Greek relatives. And when we get to meet Daphne’s mother and brothers, their shenanigans are the stuff of nightmares. Luckily in today’s series, you might get one screwball brother, not five.
ROZ GETTING SHAMED FOR HER SEX LIFE
Roz Doyle, Frasier’s producer and call manager didn’t keep her active dating life a secret. She went out with a new guy every week (sometimes more), and was never shay about sharing the details. In fact, it was because of her dating prowess that she had some of the best advice to give the lovelorn Frasier.
And was she appreciated for it? No. Roz was repeatedly shamed for “getting around the block” by Martin, Frasier, and especially Niles. The old trope of the town harlot is luckily a comedic figment of the past, as women in sitcoms today celebrate their sexual freedom.
NILES PERPETUALLY LEERING AT DAPHNE
While the slow-burning romance that developed between Niles and Frasier’s housekeeper/Martin’s physical therapist was one of the sweetest to come to fruition onscreen, it also has its roots in lecherous behavior. From the moment that Niles met Daphne in the first few episodes of the series, their interactions would be characterized by a litany of lewd behavioral patterns.
Niles, a married man, is constantly leering at Daphne, smelling her hair, and making crude innuendos. This is meant to be funny (and it is), but when we really look at the signs, it’s incredibly disturbing, made more so by the fact that Daphne is just supposed to take it or fear getting fired.
BULLDOG’S CRACKS AT THE CHINESE RESTAURANT
Luckily there wasn’t too much rampant racism on Frasier, but there are moments played for laughs that occasionally show the series as a product of its times. In one episode, Frasier is supposed to do an endorsement of a Chinese restaurant on his show but refuses to advocate a product he doesn’t use.
Bulldog does the endorsement instead, and adopts the most crass “Chinese” accent you can imagine, complete with unsavory innuendos and finished with a loud gong. Surely no restaurant would be so desperate to get customers as to accept that garbage.
LIVING WITH YOUR PARENT AND UNABLE TO GET A GF
One of the biggest sources of misery for Frasier is living with his parent and being unable to get a girlfriend. He’s constantly embarrassed by the crassness of his blue collar father, the blatant eyesore of his EZ chair, and the fact that it all hinders Frasier’s ability to find love.
Frasier is the one who inhibits his own ability to get a girlfriend. Regardless of his living situation, it’ s his own neurotic need to over-analyze things that destroys his chances at a functional relationship. In today’s society, with so many young adults living at home (and yes, even into their 40s) as a means of economic survival, this seems trite.
EVERY YOUNG PERSON BEING HORRIBLE
In its later seasons, the series had to deal with the fact that like its audience, it was aging. Did it stick with the same humor that had always worked, or start to add in some that might appeal to a younger generation? The solution arrived in the form of several young people as guest stars, all of whom were very tough to find likable.
There was the normally effervescent Zooey Deschanel as a bratty millennial. The character of Steve in the role of typical slacker teenager, and then by contrast, a few intellectual teenagers who were even more insufferable than Frasier. The running gag that the next generation had no redeeming members was odd considering the enormous popularity of Friends.
