For anyone who’s a big TV buff, bookworm, or movie fanatic, you know the rules as a consumer: you take everything at face value and accept the reality the storyteller gives you. But every once in a while, you step back and think, “If this actually happened in real life, this is not okay!” You know, those scenes that make you wheeze-laugh before it hits you that. yeah, that was pretty problematic. I mean, we’ve all seen The Office, so I don’t think I need to explain myself much further. So yes, you guessed it I’m starting off the list with one of my favourite shows of all time, The Office. Followed by some other great sitcom-type picks. So buckle up, because we’re about to run through some funny, laugh-worthy TV moments that would definitely get someone “canceled” in real life. So without further ado. 1. The Office: Michael Scott kissing Oscar Martinez And while we laugh, cringe, and brace for the secondhand embarrassment, if this actually happened in real life, Michael Scott would’ve been fired immediately and not be finding another job anytime soon. And I bet Oscar would’ve gone viral on TikTok with his story. He’d definitely be the “See you tomorrow for part 13” type. 2. How I Met Your Mother: Barney Stinson and his playbook Now, I just cringe at about 95% of what comes out of Barney’s mouth when an episode is on at the nail salon. I can’t believe an entire character’s main storyline revolved around tricking and deceiving women (who had to be under 30. like WTF?!?) into sleeping with him so he could check them off a list. It’s. pretty slimy. And if this were a person that I met in the wild, I would genuinely be terrified to be around them. And terrified for them. Honestly, you’d probably see them next on a Netflix documentary. Cause what a creep! 3. Arrested Development: Maggie Lizer pretending to be blind But if a friend ever admitted she’d too been pretending to be blind since childhood just to cheat on her exams? I’d be booking a therapist for her, stat. And if a celebrity pulled that today. they’d be cancelled before the sun even had a chance to set. A sunset that they could see. 4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Jake Peralta shaving off Charles Boyle’s moustache without consent Like, if I were on a first date and a guy casually told me that his coworkers pinned him down and shaved off his beard because they were sick of it, my jaw would hit the floor. I’d be telling him to call HR and book a therapist, because if that happened in real life, everyone involved would be written up, suspended, or completely cancelled. It kind of reminds me of that viral moment when some guys cut off strangers’ top knots and ran away laughing. Sure, hair grows back. but it should absolutely be their choice. Cutting hair without consent is unbelievably wild behaviour. 5. Friends: Ross Geller attempting to kiss his cousin, Cassie But if someone told me their cousin grew up and suddenly got hot, so they assumed that sharing a blanket while watching a movie with them was a green light to kiss them their cousin I’d be out the door faster than a TikTok trend. And if they tried to convince me that it wasn’t a big deal, I would start questioning every life choice they’ve ever made. 6. Search Party: Elliott Goss pretending he has cancer to gain attention But if someone actually did that in real life? Oh boy. I’d be questioning their entire existence and never trust a single word that came out of their mouth for the rest of forever. And if someone in the limelight tried pulling that stunt, they’d be cancelled before you could even finish saying, “yikes!” 7. The Summer I Turned Pretty: Belly Conklin dating two brothers back-to-back (and back again) If some girl told me she dated her childhood sweetheart, then after he dumped her went for his brother, dated him for years, got engaged to him. and then somehow ended up back with the original brother? I’d be screaming. If you can look at your partner and say, “That’s not how your brother used to do it,” you’re in the wrong relationship. And if your boyfriend utters to his brother the phrase “tunnel brothers,” you’re doing something wrong! Everything about this is icky, and it wouldn’t stand a chance in the real world. 8. Glee: Terri Schuester faking a pregnancy And while someone in the real world would deserve the same amount of grace as that person would clearly be experiencing delusion I don’t think the internet would be nearly as kind if a real person did this. Terri would likely be heavily scrutinized. Likely cancelled. But, ultimately, I’d hope she’d get the help she needs. 9. Modern Family: Claire Dunphy anonymously calling immigration on Gloria after she started dating her dad If someone casually told me they called immigration on someone, I’d seriously consider cutting them out of my life entirely. That’s straight-up inserting yourself into a situation that doesn’t concern you and in a very racially charged way. In 2025, we have zero time for that nonsense. No thank you! 10. Community: Pierce Hawthorne gifting canisters of his sperm in his will If anyone in real life gifted sperm to someone without context (or consent), they’d immediately be called whack and barred from the next group event. Like, no, Jeff, I do not want your canister of sperm sitting next to me while I eat stuffing and sing along to “White Christmas”! 11. Parks and Recreation: The entire Parks crew constantly bullying Jerry And honestly, if this happened in a workplace today, I really hope some consequences would be enforced. I know that’s probably not the reality for a lot of people, which makes me sad but no one should bully, be bullied, or allow bullying. 12. New Girl: Jessica Day kissing Schmitt’s Dad If a friend told me they’d made out with my dad even if they had no idea who he was I’d still question everything. Not that my dad isn’t great! Woah, this is taking a weird turn. I just mean, it’s not my dad that makes it questionable; it’s the huge age gap that makes you go. hmmmm. And if I saw a tabloid that read “big celebrity makes out with bestie’s father, who is 30 years her senior,” I think the internet may have some thoughts. 13. Schitt’s Creek: Child neglect of Alexis Rose when she was underage If this happened in real life, Johnny and Moira Rose could potentially be taken to court for child neglect and endangerment. Sure, after Alexis turned 16, they are less liable for her experiences. But Alexis got a back tattoo in Hong Kong at 12. and at that age, you should absolutely know where your kids are, no matter how rich you are. So in real life, Moira and Johnny would be cancelled in a heartbeat. 14. Abbott Elementary: Principal Ava constantly hitting on Mr. Eddie If this were happening in real life, that principal could get fired. or at the very least, reprimanded and temporarily suspended. Just because a superior is female doesn’t make this behaviour acceptable. It’s still an abuse of power, which often gets overlooked today. but it’s still very much not okay! 15. And finally. Seinfeld: George Costanza’s (entire) relationship with Susan I would consider George a walking danger sign. I wouldn’t want him in my friend circle, and if I heard one of my friends was thinking about dating him, I’d scream, “RUN!” Honestly, I could totally see his picture plastered on one of those Facebook groups where women warn other women in their city about certain guys. Everything about George and this relationship just screams. YIKES! I know there are sooo many others I missed, so drop them in the comments! Honestly, The Office or Friends alone could make lists double this size (and yes, they’re still two of my absolute faves). So don’t hold back. I want all your thoughts. For more fun content, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram!.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jennifer_mcphee/cancelable-tv-moments
