Summary
- Full House tackled important topics like single parenting and loss, but some of its elements didn't age well, such as sweeping the dark premise of the show's widowed father under the rug.
- The sitcom also lacked diversity and representation, especially regarding people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, which was surprising considering its setting.
- The show often treated Kimmy Gibbler poorly, with the adult cast making mean jokes about her, despite her difficult home life. That being said, her behavior as a house guest was also problematic.
Several elements of Full House are difficult to get through now, almost 40 years since it debuted. The ABC family sitcom premiered in the late '80s and ran until 1994. While Full House wasn't a critical darling, it captured the audiences thanks to its realistic exploration of the highs and lows of parenting from both the parents and kids' perspectives. Over time, it became a cult classic, so much so that a spin-off series was greenlit by Netflix — Fuller House.
The Tanner household wasn't traditional in the sense that there was really no maternal figure. Instead, Danny, Jesse, and Joey raised three young girls — DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. This in itself was already what made Full House groundbreaking as it challenged the norm when it came to home dynamics. Still, all three men served their respective functions. Danny was strict but gentle, Jesse was more laid-back and cool, and Joey was funny and encouraging. While Full House tackled narratives that were incredibly ahead of its time, some of its elements didn't age quite well.
10 Full House’s Dark Premise Was Swept Under The Rug
Full House was kicked off after Danny was suddenly widowed when his wife got killed by a drunk driver and left to raise three young kids on his own. Luckily, he got help from his brother-in-law, Jesse, and close friend Joey. Both moved in with the Tanners to keep an eye on the kids. Considering its sitcom nature, it was understandable that the show focused on making jokes. However, it's quite odd that aside from just a couple of scenes that showed the family talking about losing the Tanner matriarch, Pam Tanner, her death never really factored into its storytelling until much later when the older kids can finally drive.
9 Full House Lacked Diversity & Representation
In Full House, there were barely any people of color (POC). Over the course of its run, the sitcom featured a few, however, they were mostly guest stars such as Stephanie's friend, Harry Takayama, and Michelle's good pal, Denise Frazer. Besides them, the family, particularly the adults didn't really connect with POCs. The same goes for the representation of the LGBTQ+ community. San Francisco has one of the largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ communities in the United States. At least Fuller House did better in this regard, albeit not enough.
8 Full House Treated Kimmy Gibbler Poorly (& Vice-Versa)
Aside from the Tanners, Full House also introduced their neighbor, who also happened to be DJ's eccentric best friend, Kimmy Gibbler. Known for her kooky personality, Kimmy brought a lot of laughs to the show. That being said, many of her interactions with the rest of the Tanner household are difficult to get through now. The adult cast would make fun of her in a mean way, which didn't help considering her saddening home life (as subsequently revealed in Fuller House). Kimmy, however, wasn't exactly a great house guest. She talked back, crass, and even rude to the Tanners.
7 Full House Made Fun Of Mental Disorders
Danny's known quirk was his deep desire to clean. More often than not, it was harmless, albeit from a few instances that it kicked in during the most inconvenient times. Instead, the family tried to make fun of him for it, eventually becoming a running joke in the household. Full House didn't spend time further exploring Danny's behavior, but he exhibited symptoms of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) — a mental and behavioral disorder.
6 Full House’s Laugh Track Was Distracting
Like many sitcoms, Full House was filmed in front of a live studio audience — except on several occasions when the cast had to pre-tape scenes. Despite this, it still prominently featured a laugh track, which can be very distracting. Considering how sitcoms nowadays are opting against it, revisiting Full House and ing how intrusive they can be doesn't make for a great rewatching experience.
5 Full House’s Finale Didn’t Make Sense
Unlike other shows, Full House was given the chance to properly send off the Tanners. However, the narrative chosen for its finale not only made it unsatisfying but also confusing. The Full House finale revolved around Michelle's amnesia after falling down from riding a horse. The narrative was far too dark for the show to be able to do justice, especially considering that it was at the end of its run. Somehow, it was supposed to be poignant and touching, but it left many perplexed.
4 Becky's Joke About Being A Law-Abiding Citizen
Lori Loughlin's Becky wasn't part of the original Full House cast, but it's difficult to imagine the show without her. While she started as Danny's co-worker, he is best ed as Jesse's love interest. In "Our Very First Christmas Show," the pair shared their first kiss after Jesse insisted that it was mandatory to lock lips under the mistletoe. Becky flirted back when approached claiming that she didn't have a choice because she was a law-abiding citizen. Around three decades later, Loughlin's involvement in the National College ission Scandal would put her in jail for a couple of months and get her fired from Fuller House.
3 Full House’s Tanner Home Layout Didn’t Make Sense
The Tanners' lovely San Francisco home was iconic for many reasons. It was mainly the backdrop of the show, and it was even brought back in Fuller House. That being said, its layout didn't really make sense. While its first floor far fairly easy to understand, the sleeping quarters and even the attic were quite confusing. Watching the show during its original run, the oddities in the Tanners' home weren't that perceptible. However, having the ability to binge-watch it now thanks to its availability on several streaming platforms, it's easy to notice that the layout of the place is quite confusing.
2 Full House’s Child Bride Storyline Was Seriously Creepy
The Fuller House finale featured the triple wedding of DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy, however, Full House had its own version of characters tying the knot. Knowing how popular Jesse and Becky were, ABC made a big deal out of it. That being said, the family sitcom also featured some disturbing weddings, which involved the kids. Despite being a pretend ceremony, seeing Michelle supposedly walk down the aisle with Steve was quite disturbing, especially now since he eventually married DJ. Meanwhile, DJ herself was also a child bride to Sylvio.
1 Full House Regularly Endangered The Tanner Kids
There was no doubt that Danny, Jesse, and Joey were all devoted parental figures to the Tanner girls. However, on several occasions, they were put in danger in Full House just for the sake of laughs. The most prominent example of this was when Stephanie accidentally backed into the family's kitchen in Joey's car. Embarrassed and afraid to face the consequences of her actions, she started to run away from home. Other instances include DJ hanging out in the cement truck, accidentally turning it on, and pouring cement into their kitchen.