25 of the most memorable TV teachers

Ezra Fitz – Pretty Little Liars

This teacher is memorable for much more than his teaching style. Let’s not forget that we first meet Ezra Fitz as Aria’s boyfriend, by which we mean she is totally hooking up with him. This TV trope is not only gross, but wildly negligent, especially if they expect us to believe that the character of Aria is only a sophomore when they first meet. Blech.

Sleeping with one of his students is probably the worst thing that he does during his tenure on Pretty Little Liars, but there is plenty of other gross stuff too. He sleeps with Alison, stalks Aria and her friends, and is forced to flee not one, but two schools because of his penchant for young girls.

Can we, as a TV viewing populace, please just agree to make this trope go away forever? It’s icky and disgusting, and it’s not at all useful or helpful to actual teachers who have to show up to high schools every day. It sends a dangerous message about student/teacher boundaries, and it also desensitizes the target audience about what is appropriate school behavior.

Even though Ezra turns out not to be A, he’s still a giant A-hole in my book. Don’t @ me, folks. It’s disgusting to position an older person of authority and their younger subordinate as some big great love story. It’s just not okay.

Pretty Little Liars and all of its gross subtext and uncomfortable sexual politics is available on Netflix.