Why We Need Jack Tripper

1.  He’s goofy.
Jack didn’t have a 12-pack or a sexy mumble going on, but he knew how to be goofy. That’s an important quality in a mate. Imagine living with a cute, dimpled guy who does crazy pratfalls all over the place, and usually winds up with a lopsided grin and a fern on his head? Fun! Jack Tripper did that.

2.  He’s loyal.
Consider Jack’s BFF Larry – he’s that friend you’ve known since birth who somewhere along the way turned into a cheeseball, but you can’t not love him because you have all those memories of playing T-ball together and swigging your first Michelob Ultras. Jack loved Larry despite his gold chains and Neil Diamond fro. That’s a good man.


3.  He sacrifices.
Another very important quality in a mate. In order for Jack, Chrissy and Janet to cohabitate, Jack had to pretend he was gay so that backwards, sexist landlord Mr. Roper wouldn’t evict them. Now obviously Jack would be more ideal if it didn’t bother him to be considered a gay man, but since he’s a 1970s sitcom character, let’s cut him some slack. Point is, he sacrificed his own comfort to keep the platonic family together. Props.

4.  He respects women and cooks!
Sure, he ogled some ’70s era double D’s at the Regal Beagle now and again, but he’s a hot-blooded, goofy guy – he’s allowed a libido. And, yeah he always wanted to knock boots with Janet or Chrissy or both at once, but they ran around in frilly panties, knee socks and teddies! That’s like every straight man’s fantasy lingerie trifecta. But Jack was kind of teasing, and he always made Janet and Chrissy awesome meals after a hard day at the flower shop, and wherever it was Chrissy worked. What a charmer. It takes a real man to rock an apron.

So, you see – we need Jack Tripper. We need to push the Goslings of the world off our little imaginary pedestals and aim even higher, for the self-sacrificing, dimpled, clumsy, apron-wearing men of the world who maybe aren’t superhero-toned and aren’t winning Oscars, but dammit, they really, really love us.