The Big Picture
Five episodes of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia have been removed from streaming services like Hulu. The episodes in question include instances of brownface and blackface, specifically from Mac and Dee. While the cast members themselves are not at fault, these controversial episodes have been dropped from Hulu, leaving fans wondering about the show’s boundary-pushing humor.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is an American sitcom that knows no bounds, and is far from the politically correct media that we are seeing today. The long-running series has most recently premiered its 16th season, which has received great reception and maintained its cult following. If you haven’t had a chance to catch this wild series, It’s Always Sunny follows a gang made up of horrible, ruthless, and utterly hilarious individuals who make fun of everyone and everything in dark humor, from people with disabilities to drug abuse, cannibalism and kidnapping (just to name a few), making us wonder: where will they draw the line? Well, you’ll notice on Hulu that there are a handful of episodes are missing, and here’s why.
There are five removed episodes so far, and all include some form of racist caricature and blackface, particularly in Dee’s (Kaitlin Olson) character Martina Martinez and Mac (Rob McElhenney) performing his own rendition of a Lethal Weapon character. The episodes show the gang in brownface and blackface and have therefore been banned from streaming services. It should be mentioned that these actions do not reflect upon the cast members of It’s Always Sunny, however a poor reflection of Dee, Mac, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), and Frank (Danny DeVito) they might be — though regardless, there are certain elements to these episodes that have resulted in them being dropped from Hulu altogether. So which It’s Always Sunny episodes are actually missing from streaming?
Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Five friends with big egos and small brains are the proprietors of an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
Release Date August 4, 2005
Seasons 16
Studio FX
Season 4, Episode 3, “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest”
An early Season 4 episode, “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest” follows the gang’s attempt at creating an advertisement for Paddy’s. Whilst Mac, Frank, and Dennis are occupied with choosing a billboard model, Charlie and Dee are off in an effort to create a viral video instead. “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest” is the first to introduce the racist caricature Martina Martinez created by Dee, who is in brownface, and likely the primary reason that this episode and some of the following have been taken down.
Season 6, Episode 9, “Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth”
Image via FX
As Dee and Charlie have gone back to high school, Mac, Dennis, and Frank decide to make a fan film of Lethal Weapon 5. Here ensues a discussion of the use of blackface, and then Mac is actually in blackface while performing the role of Roger Murtaugh (who is played by Danny Glover in the franchise) as they reshoot the scenes.
Season 8, Episode 2, “The Gang Recycles Their Trash”
Image via FX
“The Gang Recycles Their Trash” is missing from Season 8 of the series, as it also features a cameo from Dee’s character Martina Martinez. After trash collectors go on strike, the gang finds the city of Philadelphia overflowing with trash. They then make a plan to solve the trash crisis themselves, and as is expected, the plan ends up falling apart with each character leading their own agenda. Martina Martinez makes her appearance at the end of the episode, displaying offensive racial stereotypes once again.
Related ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Cast Cracks Up in Season 16 Bloopers The gang is laughing just as hard as the rest of us.
Season 9, Episode 9, “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6”
Image via FX
Sounds familiar? This episode is another attempt by the gang to create another fan film of the cult-classic franchise, this time begging a bank teller to finance the film. As in “Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth,” Mac appears in blackface in his portrayal of Roger Murtaugh.
Season 14, Episode 3, “Dee Day”
“Dee Day,” despite having a great premise, also features Martina Martinez. The episode sees the gang having to follow Dee’s orders all day, whilst trying to obstruct a council vote regarding public urination. One of the tasks set by Dee is for Dennis, Mac, Charlie, and Frank to partake in a play of all her characters, which is where Martina Martinez makes her final appearance on the series, leading to “Dee Day” being the fifth and final episode to be taken off streaming services as of this writing.
You can stream all episodes of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia that have currently been made available on Hulu in the U.S.
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