For many cultural critics, we entered a "golden age" of television around 1999 as The Sopranos ushered in a wave of thought-provoking, high-production prestige dramas—each seemingly influencing each other in an artful feedback loop. The classics kept coming over the next two decades: Six Feet Under, The Wire, Deadwood, Lost, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, the list goes on. That rise in quality seemed to dovetail with the ascension of "anti-heroes"—magnetic yet deeply flawed protagonists like Tony Soprano, Don Draper, and Walter White.
But has this type of character become too prevalent? Has TV—and even cinema—become too bleak? Seth MacFarlane, best known for creating the goofy and long-running animated series Family Guy, definitely thinks so. In an interview on Ted Danson’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the writer-director talked about this perceived lack of hopeful content—and why it’s so important to have some regular heroes around for tonal balance.
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Beautiful but bleak shows
"That’s why I did The Orville," he said, describing his sci-fi drama-comedy show, which ran from 2017 to 2019. "When I was a kid, Hollywood was providing that voice in various forms. There was a lot of hope. Some of the blame [for not doing that now] lies right in this town. The dishes that we are serving up are so dystopian and so pessimistic—and yeah, there’s a lot to be pessimistic about. But it’s so one-sided. There’s nothing we’re doing that’s providing anyone an image of hope."
To illustrate his point, MacFarlane pointed to the acclaimed dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale, which he called a "great f***ing show" that’s "beautifully" written and directed. "But there’s a lot more of that than what we used to get from Captain Picard," he said. "Hollywood [is] certainly giving us a lot of cautionary tales, but where are the blueprints they once gave us for how to do things correctly? It can’t all be just, 'Here’s what’s going to happen to you if you f*** up!' You do need, 'Here’s what you can achieve if you change your ways and do things right.'"
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The rise of the anti-hero
Theorizing about when this shift occurred, MacFarlane looked back to The Sopranos, David Chase’s groundbreaking HBO crime drama. "[E]ver since Tony Soprano—and, again, great f***ing show—it’s all about the anti-hero," he said. "It’s all about the complicated, drug-addled, f***ed-up person. 'Isn’t this person a mess?' The White Lotus is brilliant, but no one [on the show] is someone you want to be." Using a contrasting example of a traditional hero from the past, MacFarlane brought up Gary Cooper’s character, Marshal Will Kane, from Stanley Kramer’s 1952 Western film, High Noon. "I remember in that movie, he was on his honeymoon and pulling away, and he was like, 'Shit, I’m on my honeymoon, and I have to turn around and fight this bad guy, but ya know, it’s the right thing to do. I’m an altruistic guy, and I have to do what’s right. Television and film were full of those kinds of people."
Reviving some of that optimism, he argued, is "the only thing, really, that Hollywood can do that’s worthwhile," given that, "as we all learned from this election, nobody gives a f*** what celebrities think." It’s important, he said, that we explore stories in a way that "gives people hope."
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Where is the optimism on TV?
Of course, MacFarlane isn’t arguing that no such show or film exists. In a Reddit thread about the podcast interview, many readers shared suggestions that met the quota of optimism. "Funnily enough," one person wrote, "Ted Danson was on one of the most optimistic shows in recent years (The Good Place)." Others noted in the thread that the show’s creator, Mike Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreation), strikes a similar tone in some of his other recent work, including A Man on the Inside. Several people also recommended the Jason Sudeikis sports dramedy Ted Lasso, which has more than its fair share of silliness and feel-good moments. "I want a world in which the media I can choose to consume has more Ted Lassos and less Succession," someone wrote. "And that’s not because I didn’t like Succession. But holy f*** that can’t be all you are given to consume because what a f**ked picture of the world it paints."
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.