Sex is literally everywhere. But introduce a condom and suddenly it all becomes taboo.
TV shows have finally started tackling more nuanced topics in sex education and yet condoms rarely make an appearance onscreen. It’s unclear whether shows think condoms would make things all too real or if they just think condoms would “ruin the mood.”
But with so many states lacking in sex education, sex as portrayed in the media carries more and more weight these days. There are only 20 states that require sex education classes to talk about contraception (yeah, let that one sink in) and only 17 states require the information taught in sex ed to be medically accurate. Not to mention that there are 11 states that don’t require sex education at all. (We could go on and on, but the stats only get more disturbing from there.)
So when teens see Betty and Jughead getting hot and heavy without a condom on Riverdale, that’s the image that stays with them. Because who knows what, if anything, they’re being taught in school.
Luckily, a few shows have been able to weave in contraception while still keeping it funny as hell. Below are some of the funniest condom moments on TV.
1. Broad City, S1E10 ‘The Last Supper’
Abbi is feeling like a fancy bitch as she and Ilana celebrate her birthday at an upscale seafood restaurant. But things quickly take a turn when Abbi goes to the bathroom only for a condom to fall out of her vagina.
The worst part? The condom wasn’t even from her sexcapades from last night – it was from a few nights ago!
2. Parks And Recreation, S5E4 ‘Sex Education’
Leslie is super excited to teach a sex education class to senior citizens. But when she’s told that local law prohibits her from teaching about contraception, she has a tough choice to make. (Don’t worry, she makes the right one).
3. New Girl, S2E17 ‘Parking Spot’
Winston has only a small window to have sex with his new girlfriend, Daisy. But when he shows up without a condom, she puts a stop to it before he can even get his pants off. In a panic, he runs all over town looking for a condom, all while wearing her “yum” leggings.
4. The Mindy Project, S1E7 ‘Teen Patient’
When her high school neighbor asks her for birth control, Mindy decides to take teenage contraception into her own hands. She crashes a high school girls’ volleyball team practice and starts dropping some major truth bombs (as well as some condoms). She’s quickly arrested.
5. Community, S1E11 ‘The Politics of Human Sexuality’
Dean Pelton is super psyched to host the college’s STD fair but one thing after another goes wrong. Annie is supposed to give the condom demonstration but she’s never seen a penis before. And then it turns out that all the condoms the Dean handed out had holes in them! Oops!
6. Modern Family, S4E2 ‘Schooled’
Phil and Claire are preparing to drop Haley off at college so naturally, Claire bought her a big box of condoms. Hey, she wants her daughter be safe!
Phil isn’t thrilled about the idea of his daughter having sex but his embarrassment is taken to a whole other level when he accidentally spills the entire box all over the floor in front of Haley’s new roommate and her family.
7. Seinfeld, S3E16 ‘The Fix-Up’
Elaine and Jerry decide they’re going to set up George with Elaine’s friend Cynthia. But things quickly go awry when George uses Kramer’s faulty condoms and Cynthia misses her period.
