Why It's Always Sunny Is Omitting 5 Episodes From Streaming

Article Overview

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has five missing episodes on streaming platforms due to the controversy surrounding the show's use of blackface and brownface.

The show deliberately employs offensive and satirical elements that push the limits of comedy, occasionally venturing into offensive territory. Despite facing criticism for its controversial material, the show has successfully avoided cancellation by adapting and blending profound themes with humor. Similarly, other comedy series such as South Park and Community have also experienced episodes being pulled due to offensive content.

Streaming platforms have removed five episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, causing fans to question the reasons behind their removal. These specific episodes, which have been missing from Hulu and Netflix, have become noticeable to fans following the recent controversy surrounding the show's depiction of blackface. Despite the controversies, the series has not been canceled and has achieved an impressive fifteen seasons since its inception in 2005.

The removal of these episodes from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is due to the same underlying reason. It is not surprising to see this controversial show face such issues, as it is centered around a group of self-centered individuals managing a bar in Philadelphia. The episode titled "Dee Day" exemplifies this nature of the show, showcasing the characters' disconnected and narcissistic behavior. However, the blackface episodes in It's Always Sunny definitely pushed the boundaries and garnered significant criticism towards the show's creators.

The Five Missing Always Sunny Episodes

The missing episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia serve as evidence to newcomers that this audacious show persistently pushes the boundaries of humor. It is widely recognized as a satirical portrayal of self-obsessed, amoral, and sociopathic individuals. However, a few episodes, where the gang's insensitivity went too far, have been completely removed from streaming services and DVD sets, despite the fact that these problematic scenes were intended as satire.

Streaming services often remove episodes that have already aired on television, usually due to backlash from viewers or executives realizing the benefits of their removal. This is particularly common among comedy shows, including relatively tame ones like The Office or Black-ish. Due to the intentionally problematic nature of the characters in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, some of their satirically offensive actions were deemed unsuitable for Hulu, resulting in the removal of five episodes:

Season 14, Episode 3, "Dee Day"

Since 2017, Hulu has been the exclusive platform for the contentious black comedy series in the US. However, it was only in mid-2020 that the service decided to remove the highly problematic episodes. The reason behind the removal is that every episode of It's Always Sunny features the gang's controversial portrayal of blackface, brownface, or yellowface. While the characters occasionally acknowledge each other's racism, they have all displayed varying degrees of prejudice at some point, showing a lack of surprise in their use of such historically racist practices.

Watch It's Always Sunny on Hulu.

It's Always Sunny Had Episodes Taken Down Over Blackface Controversies

The five banned episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia are surprisingly simple to explain, considering the countless boundaries the show has crossed in its 16 seasons. Although all instances involve fictional depictions of white characters wearing blackface, rather than the cast portraying black characters, it still crosses a line. In "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Model Contest," Dee Reynolds dresses up as her bit character Martina Martinez, a Latina woman, and portrays her in a racist manner with brownface. While the offensive jokes made by Dee do not reflect the show's views, they are still offensive.

"Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth" was removed because Mac uses blackface to imitate Danny Glover's character from the Lethal Weapon movies, although the gang does have a discussion about its racism. In "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6," both Mac and Dee extensively apply blackface for their homemade sequel. Dee's racist brownface character Martina Martinez reappears in "The Gang Recycles Their Trash," leading to its removal. In the 2019 episode "Dee Day," Dee forces the gang to reenact her comedy characters, which includes Frank wearing brownface for Martina Martinez and Mac using yellowface to portray an Asian character.

The decision by Hulu and Netflix to remove the Always Sunny blackface episodes has received criticism, as the characters' other racist, sexist, and offensive actions remain available for streaming. Many have also pointed out how the supporting characters in It's Always Sunny clearly condemn the main characters' actions, which is where the humor stems from. The show's plotlines consistently portray the main characters as ignorant, immoral, and wrong, without allowing them to succeed in life.

It's important to note that It's Always Sunny actually takes a strong stance against the bigotry of its main characters as a whole. However, it's not just one instance of controversial blackface portrayal in the show - there are at least five. While the show's use of this practice is intended as self-aware mockery, removing these episodes serves as a reminder that there may be a fine line between satire and going too far. The gang even explores this concept in a meta episode called "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7" in the 15th season of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

How Did The Always Sunny’s Controversies Escape Cancel Culture?

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia avoids cancel culture scrutiny due to perfect timing, consistent humor, and noticeable evolution, all of which contribute to its strong connection with fans. Initially, the show primarily focused on hilarious filth rather than making profound points or having political impact. However, as societal awareness of media's influence grows, the edgy humor remains but now serves as a means for viewers to laugh at the flaws of humanity.

Apart from a season 15 episode that satirizes censorship and Hollywood hypocrisy, this theme can be observed in later seasons as well. For instance, in season 13's "Mac Finds His Pride," the episode includes gay jokes but also serves as the culmination of Mac and his father's storyline. It is a bittersweet moment where Mac embraces his true self at the expense of losing his father's respect. Similarly, in season 15's "The Gang Buys A Roller Rink," the true nature of Mac and Dennis is revealed, highlighting their exploitation of Charlie throughout the series.

Why It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Has So Many Controversial Moments

The It's Always Sunny episodes that strike the perfect balance between depth and humor may be few, but they manage to captivate and pique the curiosity of most viewers rather than incite offense. The show's fans, evident not only by its overall reception but also by the unconventional and bizarre fan theories that consistently emerge online, understand and appreciate this subtlety. While the fans' devotion isn't enough to prevent It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia from encountering occasional missing episodes on Netflix, it does provide a safeguard against the cancellation of this long-standing comedy – at least for the time being.

Many people, especially those unfamiliar with It's Always Sunny, may question why the show's now-removed episodes were ever produced. With so many professionals involved in the creation of a TV show, it's reasonable to wonder why these controversial episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia were not halted at any stage during the process, from the writer's room to airing. The answer to this lies in the show's core purpose - satire. It's Always Sunny aims to serve as a candid mirror reflecting American culture.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia primarily focuses on Hollywood. However, throughout its nearly two decades on air, the show has demonstrated that nobody is exempt from its scrutiny. The four central characters in IASIP are not portrayed as individuals to aspire to. Instead, they embody the most negative aspects of our society, and their often absurd justifications for their reprehensible behavior offer poignant commentary on Western cultural norms. Unfortunately, this approach comes with inherent risks.

The creative team behind Always Sunny has never shied away from using controversial storylines to convey their message. In the case of the banned It's Always Sunny episodes, their aim is to critique the commodification of Black American culture. However, there are instances where these provocative critiques may hit too close to home. There is always the possibility that some viewers may miss the intended message and choose to imitate the humor rather than reflect upon it. Nonetheless, despite these banned moments, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia has not been taken off the air. The consensus remains that the show seeks to make a positive impact in the world.

It's Always Sunny Isn't The Only Comedy Series With Missing Streaming Episodes

Not only have episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia been removed from streaming, but other satirical TV shows have also faced episode removal. It's worth noting that South Park, known for its controversy, has had 6 episodes pulled from streaming, just one more than It's Always Sunny. In particular, South Park's "200" and "201" episodes, which satirize Comedy Central's decision not to depict the Prophet Muhammad, were among those removed, along with "Super Best Friends." In addition to these two shows, Scrubs and 30 Rock have also seen a number of episodes removed from their respective streaming platforms.

The TV show "Community," which revolves around a group of misfits attending a community college, faced an episode being taken down from streaming platforms. The episode in question, titled "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons," was removed due to the character Ben Chang's depiction of blackface. Similar to the comedic series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," the show addresses this issue by having Yvette's character criticize Ben's costume as a "hate crime." However, it is important to note that despite the show acknowledging the offensiveness, it does not excuse or diminish the controversial nature of the portrayal. As society becomes more attuned to social issues, it is commonplace for older television episodes to be reevaluated in light of current standards. What was once seen as satirical humor in the past can now be viewed as highly contentious in the present day.

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," I have mixed feelings about the removal of five episodes from streaming platforms due to their controversial content. On the one hand, I understand the concerns about the use of blackface and brownface in these episodes, as they can be seen as offensive and insensitive. On the other hand, I appreciate the show's satirical nature and believe that these episodes were intended to challenge and subvert racist stereotypes, rather than promote them.

Overall, I think it's important to consider the context and intent of these episodes when making a decision about whether or not they should be removed from streaming platforms. While some may find them offensive, others may see them as a valuable tool for sparking discussion and raising awareness about the harmful effects of racism. Ultimately, I believe it's up to each individual viewer to decide whether or not they want to watch these episodes, and I respect the decision of streaming platforms to remove them if they feel it is in the best interest of their users.