That 70s Show was a classic sitcom that followed the lives of a group of teenage friends in Wisconsin. Most of the show consisted of the group hanging out in the main character Eric Forman’s basement and discussing their lives, romance, and their life in the 1970s.
One of the main characters, Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), was entertaining and lovable as the blissfully ignorant member of the group. Kelso was a sweet character who tried to grow throughout the show, but he did terrible things as well. Here are some of the times fans felt bad for Kelso, and some of the times that fans hated him.
Felt Bad: No One Believing His Commitment
Although it’s understandable that no one in the group believes that Kelso is committed to the cadet program, the audience is able to see that he is. He finally begins to grow up when he takes the opportunity seriously and when his daughter is born. It takes a long time for his friends to accept this and it prompts the audience to feel bad for him as he’s genuinely changing and it’s not recognized.
Hated: Cheating On Jackie
Constantly throughout the show, Kelso cheats on Jackie. He doesn’t seem to show real remorse when he cheats on her unless he’s caught and she ends up breaking up with him. He only ever apologizes when he’s caught, never seems to learn the lesson, and only wants to be with Jackie when she starts to move onto a new relationship. He seems to care about Jackie, but the fact that he isn’t faithful in their relationship has the audience hating him.
Felt Bad: Brooke Lying About Being With Him
Kelso tries to make everyone believe that he and Brooke had a one-night-stand and no one believes him, especially after Brooke denies everything. This isn’t why the audience would feel bad for him though, it is because Brooke is pregnant and didn’t tell Kelso after their one-night-stand and pretends it didn’t happen or that he couldn’t be the father. Eventually, Brooke allows him to be in their daughter’s life and Kelso proves himself.
Hated: Trying To Steal Jackie From Hyde
After Jackie dumps Kelso for cheating on her, she and Hyde begin a relationship. Kelso has been dating other people after the break-up, and he isn’t interested in Jackie until she shows interest in being with Hyde.
When he sees her with Hyde he claims that he still loves her and wants her back. He tries to break them up and get Jackie back and ruins their relationship.
Felt Bad: Always Getting Hurt
Although it’s more for comedic effect, Kelso did get hurt constantly throughout the series. It became a running gag where Hyde would hit him, usually in the eye, or he would fall off the town’s water tower. It’s funny, but some might start thinking about the true impact of being hit and hurt all the time and start to feel bad for Kelso because of this.
Hated: Hitting On Donna
For most of the show, Kelso is dating Jackie, but that never stops him from constantly hitting on Donna even though she’s dating his best friend Eric. This is something that all of the guys do, but Kelso is arguably the most aggressive. Eric and Donna’s relationship is one of the main plot points throughout the show, and audiences hated Kelso for constantly hitting on Donna.
Felt Bad: Jackie Denying His Proposal
Although this was the best move for both of them, it still hurt to see Kelso excited about proposing to Jackie and being rejected. It hurts for a moment, and the audience feels bad that Kelso put himself out there, but Jackie and Kelso immediately agree that it would be a terrible decision for them to get married. Kelso is happy at her decision, but still, for those who were rooting for Jackie and Kelso to make it this had them feeling bad.
Hated: Only Caring About Sex
It takes a while for Kelso to grow up, and once he has a daughter and a stable job he finally does, but before he was always focused on sex. He never seemed to care much about who he was dating or how his actions affected the other in a relationship. Although most of the characters are focused on sex, Kelso is the most harmful in his pursuit. He constantly cheats on Jackie and doesn’t care how it affects her as long as he has someone, multiple people, who will sleep with him.
Felt Bad: His Brother Outshining Him
Kelso’s brother (Luke Wilson) appears in a few episodes and it’s clear that Kelso has a difficult and strained relationship with his older brother. Kelso’s older brother is very similar to Kelso, but everyone seems to like Casey more than Kelso.
Kelso being hurt and ignored when his older brother came back to town is a relatable feeling and had the audience feeling bad for him.
Hated: Vying For Laurie
Kelso constantly cheats on Jackie, and arguably his worst infraction is when he begins a triste with Laurie, Eric’s sister. His cheating is alluded to and the audience sees that he cheats on her with a classmate of theirs, Pam, but his relationship with Laurie is more intimate. Laurie’s more experienced and leads him on, even threatening to tell Jackie about the two, and Kelso’s attempt to be with both Laurie and Jackie has the audience hating him.
