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Mark-Paul Gosselaar Regrets *This* Problematic ‘Saved By the Bell’ Episode on September 7, 2023 at 9:46 pm Us Weekly

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Phillip Faraone/WireImage; Al Zeta/Getty Images

Mark-Paul Gosselaar isn’t proud of everything his Saved by the Bell character, Zack Morris, had to do on the teen sitcom. 

“In terms of story lines, there was one where I was basically whoring out Lisa Turtle [played by Lark Voorhies] to charge people to kiss her without her consent,” Gosselaar, 49, said on the September 3 episode of the “Pod Meets World” podcast. “That was a tough one, which we had to preface the episode by saying, ‘We do not condone this. We’re here just to discuss it but this is in the past.” 

The episode, titled “The Lisa Card,” was the second episode of the ‘90s sitcom’s first season, in which Lisa panicked after going over her dad’s credit card limit. In an effort to help his friend out, Zack charged boys in their grade $1 each to “lose their Lisa cards,”  as in, kiss Lisa without her consent. 

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A second episode Gosselaar — who portrayed Zack Morris on all four seasons of the original series as well as Saved By the Bell: The College Years and returned to guest star on the 2020 reboot — recalled feeling uncomfortable with was season 3’s racially insensitive “Running Zack,” where Zack pretends to be of Native American decent for a class project. 

Related: ‘Saved by the Bell’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

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As Tiffani Thiessen turns 38 Monday, see what the actress and her former costars have been up to since the hit ’90s TV show went off the air

“Seeing Zack Morris in a full headless, that was one we had to be sensitive on,” he explained. “There’s just things you just would not film nowadays … and rightfully so, it’s inappropriate. We’ve evolved as human beings.” 

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Lark Voorhies on ‘Saved By the Bell’ NBC/YouTube

Gosselaar noted that on his own Saved By the Bell rewatch podcast, “Zack to the Future,” he would often find himself unsure of how to approach certain topics, adding that there “are things in every single episode that we could pick out” that are deemed problematic. (The podcast covered the first three seasons of SBTB but went on indefinite hiatus when it failed to find a new podcast network.)

“And you find yourself at that point, you’re trying not to be negative. It’s a watch party. People want you to celebrate the product,” he continued. “It’s fragile but overall you’re trying to be positive about the work, saying, ‘It was a different time. And we don’t condone that now but this is what it was. Enjoy!’” 

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Gosselaar did discuss the issues with “The Lisa Card” during a 2020 episode of the podcast — which he cohosted with Dashiell Driscoll, a writer on the Peacock revival series — and shared that he felt “conflicted” about the story line while shooting it. 

“It wasn’t as carefree and innocent as the last episode,” he said at the time. “But maybe it’s because I’m watching it through these eyes and not the eyes of a 13-year-old or the audience that watched it back in the ’90s.”

He later added that the duo would approach further situations in a similar matter, saying, “We’re not gonna say that we don’t see some of the morally abhorrent or dated situations and responses to certain things, but we’re also here to give you a fun podcast. It’s a celebration of Saved by the Bell.”

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Related: Throwback! ‘90s TV Shows You Loved But Probably Forgot About

Throwback to the boob tube’s golden era! Nothing was better than spending your Friday and Saturdays with TGIF and SNICK — and ‘90s television never seemed to disappoint. Whether it was solving crimes with Ghostwriter or being spooked by tales told by The Midnight Society, TV was truly epic back in the day — which […]

Saved By the Bell ran on NBC for four seasons from 1989 to 1993 and starred Gosselaar and Vorhees, 49, along with Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley and Dustin Diamond. The show was later revived for Saved By the Bell: The College Years, which lasted for one season. Peacock revived the series in 2020, with Lopez and Berkley as stars and executive producers. Gosselaar, Thiessen and Voorhies all made guest appearances.

Phillip Faraone/WireImage; Al Zeta/Getty Images Mark-Paul Gosselaar isn’t proud of everything his Saved by the Bell character, Zack Morris, had to do on the teen sitcom.  “In terms of story lines, there was one where I was basically whoring out Lisa Turtle [played by Lark Voorhies] to charge people to kiss her without her consent,” 

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What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

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50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

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3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

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South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

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A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

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Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

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Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

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The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


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