20 Things That Have Been Considered Scandalous Throughout History

In the past, a woman wearing pants in public was considered a serious breach of propriety. In the 19th century, women wearing pants was often associated with the dress reform movement, women’s rights, and fears that gender roles would be challenged. Some women wore pants for practical reasons—such as for work, travel, or cycling—but that did not stop critics from viewing this choice as inappropriate. What today seems like a mundane fashion choice was once perceived as a sign of rebellion, a lack of femininity, or a social threat.

An umbrella may seem like the least controversial object imaginable, but that wasn’t always the case in 18th-century London. Jonas Hanway, who helped popularize the use of umbrellas among English men in the 1750s, is said to have been mocked because carrying one seemed too delicate or too foreign. At the time, men were often expected to endure inclement weather rather than be fussy about their comfort. Staying dry could be interpreted as a challenge to the masculine image expected of men.

When skirt lengths became shorter in the 20th century, the reaction was often far more intense than the garment itself. Skirts from the flapper era of the 1920s already unsettled those who associated bare legs with a decline in moral standards, and the miniskirt of the 1960s reignited those concerns in a new way. Mary Quant’s London designs became famous in part because they embodied the confidence of young women who did not want to dress like their mothers. To critics, however, a short skirt could seem like proof that modesty and authority were crumbling.

In 18th-century Britain, fashionable young men, nicknamed “macaronis,” became the target of satire because of their sophisticated clothing, imposing wigs, makeup, and European-style manners. Their style was ridiculed as excessive, artificial, and too feminine for men who were expected to exercise restraint. The criticism was not limited to fashion alone; it also reflected unease with class norms, consumer culture, and changing notions of masculinity. A man could cause a scandal simply by looking too well-groomed—but in the wrong way.

At the end of the 19th century, the bicycle gave women greater freedom, and that freedom made many people uncomfortable. The bicycle allowed women to travel farther without being subject to the same level of supervision, and it encouraged them to wear more practical clothing that did not conform to traditional standards of women’s dress. Advice columns warned women about their posture, speed, attire, and even the language they used while cycling. Cycling sparked controversy because it transformed the way women moved through public spaces.

In the past, reading in bed was considered dangerous, a perception that blended practical fears with moral judgments. Before the advent of electric lighting, reading at night often involved the use of candles or oil lamps, which made fires a very real threat. In the wake of fatal bedroom fires in the 18th and 19th centuries, some commentators viewed this habit as reckless rather than a moment of relaxation. Even a simple, intimate bedtime routine could become a public cautionary tale about discipline, religion, and self-control.

In the early 20th century, women’s swimsuits were required to cover a much larger portion of the body than modern swimsuits. Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman became famous for promoting a more practical one-piece swimsuit that allowed women to swim more easily. According to later accounts, she was arrested for indecency at Revere Beach in 1907, although the exact details remain a subject of debate among historians. In any case, the outcry sparked by her swimsuit shows just how controversial women’s athletic bodies could be in public.

The waltz shocked many observers in the early 19th century because it required partners to stand very close to one another. Older formal dances often allowed for more distance between men and women; the waltz therefore seemed unusually intimate. Men were criticized just as much as women, since they actively participated in a dance that some moralists deemed too physical. It eventually became a classic ballroom dance, but its reputation in its early days was far from respectable.

Coffee did not conquer the world without arousing suspicion. At various times and in various places, authorities feared that coffeehouses would encourage gossip, political debate, religious disobedience, or idleness. The stimulating effect of this beverage also worried some people, especially when it first appeared in a culture. Coffee caused problems not only because people drank it, but also because they gathered around it to talk.

In the past, women smoking in public was generally considered improper, even when men smoked openly. Cigarettes were associated with nightlife, sexuality, and women considered to be on the fringes of polite society; thus, a woman who lit a cigarette in public risked being judged. In the early 20th century, advertisers eventually turned this taboo into a marketing opportunity by presenting cigarettes as symbols of independence. This scandal illustrates just how differently public behavior could be judged depending on gender.

Long hair on men has been a subject of controversy throughout history, particularly when it symbolized youth rebellion or a rejection of traditional masculinity. In the 1960s, long hair on men was associated with counterculture, the anti-war movement, rock music, and generational conflict. Schools, employers, and families sometimes viewed this as a disciplinary issue rather than a stylistic choice. The length of a man’s hair could spark public debate about authority and respectability.

After World War II, comic books were at the center of a widespread wave of moral panic in the United States. Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham claimed that comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency, and his assertions helped fuel public anxiety, trigger comic book burnings, and lead to Senate hearings in the 1950s. Publishers responded by creating the Comics Code Authority, which imposed content restrictions for decades. A form of entertainment intended primarily for children became controversial because adults feared what it might teach them.

In the past, the tomato was viewed with suspicion in certain regions of Europe and North America. In the 18th century, it was sometimes called the “poisoned apple,” partly because wealthy Europeans would occasionally fall ill after eating sour tomatoes served on pewter plates, which were high in lead. It wasn’t the tomato itself that was the problem, but this misunderstanding persisted long enough to damage its reputation. This fruit, which today seems perfectly ordinary on a table, once seemed risky and strange.

In societies where the culture of honor was deeply ingrained, refusing a duel could damage a man’s reputation, even though duels were dangerous and often illegal. Men of the elite were sometimes expected to defend their honor through violence when they were insulted. A man who refused to fight might be considered sensible by some, but a coward by others. The scandal did not always lie in the act of fighting itself; sometimes, it stemmed from a refusal to demonstrate the courage that society demanded.

The bikini first appeared in 1946 and was immediately considered daring. French designer Louis Réard introduced it in Paris, but the skimpy design of this swimsuit made it difficult to find a conventional model willing to wear it. It was banned or discouraged in some places and criticized by religious and moral authorities. Its current popularity makes it easy to forget just how provocative it seemed when it first appeared.

Tattoos have taken on different meanings across cultures, but in Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tattooed women were often viewed as scandalous. Women who openly displayed their tattoos might have been associated with carnival attractions, sailors, prostitution, crime, or a life on the fringes of middle-class respectability. Some women capitalized on this reputation to launch careers as artists, while others were stigmatized for this same form of body art. The scandal stemmed from the belief that a woman’s body should remain under social control and conform to visual norms.

Soft drinks were once viewed with suspicion because of ingredients such as caffeine and because these sugary, carbonated beverages were associated with the evolution of youth culture. In 1909, U.S. government officials seized kegs and barrels of Coca-Cola syrup under the Pure Food and Drug Act, sparking a major legal battle over caffeine. Critics feared that caffeinated soft drinks would harm young people or encourage bad behavior. Today, sodas are commonplace, but they were once at the center of debates about health, morality, and regulation.

Men’s use of cosmetics has been viewed both favorably and unfavorably depending on the era. In some European courts, men of high society used powder, wigs, and beauty products as symbols of their social status, but subsequent generations often mocked these habits, labeling them as frivolous or unmanly. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, cosmetics became increasingly associated with femininity in many Western contexts. A man who used them might be judged not only for his appearance but also for violating gender norms.

It may seem strange today, but compulsory education once faced strong opposition in certain regions of the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some critics viewed compulsory education as excessive government interference or an infringement on parental authority. Others opposed it because families relied on their children’s labor at home, on the farm, or in paid employment. Sending children to school was not just a matter of education, but a struggle over family, work, citizenship, and the state.

The shopping cart was not immediately embraced when Sylvan Goldman introduced it in 1937. Some men reportedly refused to use it, fearing they would appear incapable of carrying their own groceries, while some women associated it too closely with a baby stroller. Goldman even went so far as to hire people to push carts around his store so that customers would get used to them. This simple invention in the retail sector had to overcome pride, habits, and gender-based prejudices before it was accepted by customers.