The It's Always Sunny Gang Was Concerned By The Show's Lack Of Backlash
No one on the planet could ever accuse "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" of being too politically correct, but when the series first debuted, the cast was worried that they hadn't at least offended someone.
The hit FX series, which has run for a record-breaking 16 seasons, has somehow managed to walk the fine line between being utterly offensive and totally hilarious, at least most of the time. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2013, the cast and creators revealed that they were initially concerned at the lack of backlash to their series because they worried it meant no one could possibly be watching. After all, the first season featured episodes where characters faked cancer, tried to pick up women at an abortion rally, sold alcohol to minors as a business tactic, and more! The series has always been envelope-pushing in its comedy and really hasn't let up in all of the years since, but we've come to expect some shocks from "Sunny." In 2005, the shocking content really came out of nowhere and had the potential to really upset some audiences.
There has been a reappraisal of some aspects of these early episodes, especially with regards to the use of the r-slur and the show's depiction of Mac's (Rob McElhenney) transgender girlfriend Carmen (Brittany Daniel). A handful of episodes have also been removed from streaming services due to the use of blackface. Still, given the sheer amount of potentially problematic content, it's amazing they haven't faced more outrage.
Controversial content for 2005
People are used to "It's Always Sunny" pushing boundaries these days, but when the show premiered, it was still a surprise. Series co-creator and star Glenn Howerton, who plays Dennis, revealed that the lack of pushback was unsettling in the early days:
"We were disappointed that there wasn't more negative feedback. In the first season, we were doing all of this stuff about molestation and abortion. And we didn't do it to get a rise out of people. We did it because we thought that's what's going on in the world and this is the kind of s*** we think is funny. These were issues that people tend to get a little stirred by."
Co-star and writer Charlie Day, who plays Charlie, explained that the fear was that no one reacted because no one was watching. "Sunny" had a tough time in its early days, working on a shoestring budget and placed in a weird time slot. When beloved actor Danny DeVito joined the cast in season 2 as Frank, however, they started drawing in more viewers, and the rest is history. And when it comes to people not being offended by the gang and their antics, Howerton had a pretty good theory.
The gang are losers and the show knows it
So how has the show managed to run for so long without creating too much outrage? Howerton had a theory back in 2013 that could very easily still apply in 2023:
"I think we also get away with it because the characters are never rewarded. They're always losing. They always wind up in the same place they started in."
Howerton has a great point, because the gang never win. Failure is the default on "It's Always Sunny," which makes the gang's awful behavior a lot more palatable. They're never rewarded for being terrible people and sometimes are punished for it. After all, most of them are in their forties and have never done anything worthwhile with their lives. They're deeply damaged ne'er-do-wells whose bad behavior almost always blows up in their face, and fans can continue laughing at them guilt-free for as long as they keep losing.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is available to stream on Hulu and FXNow.