There is an unwritten rule with live-action TV shows that the cast members must get more attractive over time. Sometimes, this is an intentional choice meant to signal the character's growing confidence; Peggy from "Mad Men" and Elliot from "Scrubs" both certainly come to mind, with their haircuts and outfits becoming far more stylish as they advanced through their careers. Other times, the change is just the result of the actors having way more money to spend on their appearance as a result of the show's success. Suddenly, they have easy access to plastic surgery, hair transplants, expensive skincare routines, personal trainers, and nutritionists. For Rob McElhenney, this pattern was a little too played out. As he told Collider in a 2011 interview:

"I have never seen a sitcom in which the actors progressively got worse looking, which is, I think, truer to life, especially the lives that these characters lead.