It was fun not to be politically correct

[chic]

As a teenager in the 1970's, one of my favorite tv shows was All In The Family which focused on the lives of an average American family of four - parents living with their daughter and son-in-law, in Queens, NY.

Heading the family was Archie Bunker, a 50 something white Protestant veteran of the big one, WWII, who was prejudiced against everyone who was a member of any minority group of any kind and, weekly, he helped us laugh at ourselves as we saw the ridiculousness of such attitudes.

This classic, groundbreaking comedy show could never happen today. No one would sponsor something so politically incorrect. And it's a shame because when we stop laughing at ourselves and each other, together, we lose something precious in life.

 

[SeaBreeze]

We used to watch All in the Family all the time, some funny sitcoms back then, Archie was quite the character.

 

[Ameriscot]

Loved that show but it did point out how utterly stupid he was and how his prejudices were based on his lack of intelligence. I think it could be shown now.

My (Scottish) husband and I went to the Museum of American History in DC a few years ago. He was gobsmacked that Archie and Edith's chairs were on display. Not having ever seen the show (though it was based on a British show) he could not understand why these chairs deserved to be there. I understood.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Agree Ameriscot, he was the kinda guy we all loved to hate, but he made us laugh nontheless.

 

[AprilT]

True, I watched along with everyone else and enjoyed it.

 

[Ameriscot]

Agree Ameriscot, he was the kinda guy we all loved to hate, but he made us laugh nontheless.

He was hilarious and so was Edith.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I use to sing along to the intro song, and try to make my voice as screechy as hers, LOL!

 

[Mrs. Robinson]

Edith was actually very much the smarter of the two-although he always treated her like she was stupid.

 

[Capt Lightning]

I believe it was based on "Till death us do part" with Alf Garnet and his long suffering wife Elsie. Anthony Booth who plays his Socialist son-in-law is the Father-in-law of Tony Blair, the former Labour UK Prime minister.

 

[chic]

I believe it was based on "Till death us do part" with Alf Garnet and his long suffering wife Elsie. Anthony Booth who plays his Socialist son-in-law is the Father-in-law of Tony Blair, the former Labour UK Prime minister.

Yes, it was.

Re: All in the Family, I loved the way viewers were invited to laugh themselves silly at Archie's prejudices while learning a lesson at the same time. A show like that could never be aired today because Archie spewed ethnic slurs against everyone. We're too politically correct to laugh at ourselves now.

 

[Fern]

As well as being too politicially correct, some people are just too precious.