Everything I Hate About Raymond...(Don't Take it Too Seriously).

1. The character of Ray - Selfish, slovenly husband and cowardly momma's boy, who constantly whines about not getting any despite doing nothing to deserve it.

2. The character of Debra - although I'm on her side most of the time I still find her to be an irritating, wanna be martyr. Her circumstances in regards to being a stay at home, middle class mum with school aged children - with help from relatives across the street - are not the most difficult in the world. Despite her constant complaints of having to do everything herself, the house always looks a mess and her refrigerator makes me sick (I have a disgust towards fridges used as messy bulletin boards stuck with coupons and stickers).
I also find her annoying and unconvincing when she's affectionate with Ray. I've never brought them as a couple. He's disinterested in everything about her except sex; does nothing for her; is a momma's boy who never sticks up for her; and they absolutely nothing in common - with Debra also coming from a higher class and a more sophisticated background. In reality, she never would have married him or would have quickly cheated on him or left him for someone like that Parker guy - her husband in real life.

3. Ray's lame arse wisecracks that somehow cause the audience to erupt in laughter. None of his insults towards Robert are ever funny. And also the way he has to have the last say by trying to top a joke. What immediately comes to mind is the moment where Robert's ventriloquist dummy reminds Frank and Marie of when they left a young Robert at a gas station in New Mexico:
FRANK (to dummy): Hey you weren't there!
Now to me that's already funny but Ray has to chime in and ruin the comedy by responding: "Oh we've got a real battle of wits here". Yeah we get the joke already Ray, you don't need to point out what's wrong and ruin it.
He does this again later in the scene when Frank is yelling at the dummy: You wanna go?!" The irritating Ray just has to say: "Um dad...puppet". Ugh!

4. Annoying, unwatchable episodes where the supposed comedy is bourne from characters being entirely petulant and selfish (not in a knowing and funny Seinfeld way) Examples include the one where Frank drives the car through Ray's living room. On top of the complete disregard that he could have hurt or killed someone (which is never pointed out), Frank refuses to take full responsibility by paying the full insurance. Marie just stands in mute agreement throughout - which contradicts her obsessive concern for Ray and his children.
Some of the other episodes I can't bear is when Debra is on her "time of the month", when Ray makes up a lie to make Debra feel bad about the way she dresses, when Robert is made to feel bad for dating a younger woman and Debra's pathetic, narrow minded response, and the episode featuring the hystetical reactions of the women after Debra's father brings home an older woman.

5. Bad stage choregraphy. The way the whole family are constantly reduced to filling a room and are left literally standing there motionless while two other characters speak - until it's their turn to speak. It just seems very awkward to me and is not something you see on supeiror sitcoms like Fraser or Cheers. One of the latter's creators once stressed the importance of motion - that characters need to keep moving.

6. Marie's manipulation, narcissism, her treatment of Debra, and her favoritism towards Robert are often too much to take and leave wishing she was put in her place. This seems to become worse in the last two seasons - such as telling Robert to "get his arse out of my house" when he isn't ready for children, and even winking to Raymond while lying to Robert about him being the favourite. Also the episode about Marie pushing Amy to write the Thank You letters is unbearable.

7. And finally, why the hell does Everybody Love Raymond? He's a sports columnist, it's not like he's an athlete or a major celebrity for Christ sake. In the real world, it would be far, far more likely (espeically given Ray's whiny and boring personality) that everyone would love Robert, given he's a tall, decorated senior police officer, and more considerate, a bit more cultured, and a great dancer.