One Tree Hill is one of the most iconic teen television shows for several reasons. For one, it's totally bonkers. Everything has happened on this show. (Want proof? Look no further than when a dog ate Dan's new heart just minutes before he entered surgery.) It also launched the careers of Sophia Bush and the King of 2006, Chad Michael Murray. Simply put, we have One Tree Hill to thank for some truly great moments in teen entertainment history…
…and also a few of the worst. For every deliciously soapy One Tree Hill scene, there is a problematic moment. Female characters on the show are routinely fat- and slut-shamed and portrayed as "crazy." This show was made during a different era, but it feels like One Tree Hill sometimes went out of its way to be offensive. Our current, inclusive pop culture landscape only amplifies One Tree Hill's blemishes. The 11 plot points, below, are particularly cringeworthy.
When Mouth pressures Shelley, the Clean Teen, into having sex
Mouth is not the cute, sensitive "nerd" One Tree Hill makes him out to be. He's a shallow weasel who thinks girls should like him because he's nice. Do not feel sorry for him because he constantly plays second fiddle to Nathan, Lucas, and the other hunky jocks. He wants to be like them only to get laid—it's beyond icky. His personality really comes out the night he loses his virginity to Shelley, the Clean Teen. Shelley makes it very clear to Mouth that she does not want to have sex with him; however, he essentially guilt-trips her into bed. When she cries immediately after and leaves, Mouth does feel bad, but not because he just sexually assaulted a girl. He's sad because Shelley doesn't want to date him anymore.
Rachel and Brooke’s constant mean-girl moments
Watching Rachel and Brooke's blossoming friendship is one of the highlights of season four, but their sleepovers, fun times, and high jinks are peppered with several slut- and fat-shaming incidents. And let's not forget that before they were friends, Brooke taped childhood photos of Rachel around the school to embarrass her. Can't they just bond and drop the mean-girl drivel?
The way Peyton reacts to finding out Brooke slept with Nathan
She punches her in the face, but that's not even the worst part: Peyton launches a slut-shaming campaign against Brooke, which hits a fever pitch when she paints the word whore on Brooke's prom dress. Yet she does absolutely nothing to Nathan, who was her boyfriend right before this rendezvous took place. It's funny how that works out.
The love triangle between Lucas, Brooke, and Peyton
Brooke and Peyton are not objects for you to juggle, Lucas! No women are! He is the sole reason Peyton and Brooke hated each other for an entire season. Girls fighting over boys is always bad-news bears.
The relaxed way the male characters deal with problems versus the manic way female characters do
The "Brooke sleeping with Nathan even though he had just broken up with Peyton" storyline is a perfect example of this. Peyton and Brooke get into several physical fights over this drama. On the other hand, Nathan and Lucas (who certainly has grounds to be angry with Nathan) fist-bump and act like nothing ever happened. Also, the girls on One Tree Hill always seem to be more emotionally invested in their romantic relationships than the boys. Exhibit A: When Peyton tells Lucas that she loves him, and he stares at her like a deer caught in headlights. (Give her something, man.) And let's not forget how they portray Deb and Dan during their respective dark moments. Deb's addiction leaves her unhinged, obsessive, and scaling actual walls to get out of rehab. Meanwhile, Dan murdered someone, but he still manages to stay smart, cunning, and conniving during his paranoia. The show works overtime to make sure the men look balanced—and the women look "crazy."
Speaking of the dudes: They all love each other, but the girls all hate each other.
The guys rarely fight; when they do, it's over in 17 seconds. Meanwhile, the girls have cold wars that last for episodes—sometimes even seasons. Brooke and Rachel! Rachel and Haley! Peyton and Brooke! Brooke and Haley! All the women have sparred with each other at least once. Most of the time twice. (Of course, the true friendships prevailed, but the girls' battles are way bloodier on this show than the boys'.)
When Haley is made to feel guilty for pursuing her music dreams
In the earlier seasons Haley is offered the chance to go on tour with Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton), who is a Very Big Deal in OTH Land. Unfortunately, she can't really celebrate this opportunity because everyone makes her feel guilty for leaving Nathan, whom she just married. Every limp "Congratulations" comes with a side of "But what about Nathan?" Um, did Nathan factor in Haley during his early basketball days? Not really. So why is Haley expected to put her dreams on hold? Go sing, girl! (Thankfully, she did.)
The male characters routinely “save” the female characters on the show
Lucas is the biggest offender. Whether he's physically rescuing Peyton from a school shooter or patching up Brooke's emotional wounds, Lucas is the shining knight of One Tree Hill and the women are the damsels in distress. As a result, they become incredibly dependent on Lucas for support, comfort, and validation when they should be validating themselves. The Brooke GIF, below, perfectly sums this up.
The way the Clean Teens demonize female sexuality
Yes, there are guys in the Clean Teens (cough, Stephen Colletti, cough), but it's the female members who are constantly shamed for having sex—or just thinking about it. When the group even suspects Shelley is having sex with Mouth, they shun her, but they're less outraged when Chase (Colletti) acts lovey-dovey with Brooke at school. There is a total double standard.
When Rachel tries to get out of expulsion by wearing “sexy” clothes
Of course, Rachel has the right to wear and do whatever she wants. However, it's the context here that feels problematic. Rachel thinks the only way she can get out of trouble is by seducing a man, which inadvertently sends the message that the only tool women have at their disposal is their sexuality. This is grossly inaccurate and reductive.
Annnd the fact that the girls are always slapping each other:
I seriously cannot. Slap the patriarchy, not each other!
Christopher Rosa is the entertainment editor at Glamour.
