Preview

All in the Family (Reception Paper)

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1454 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
All in the Family (Reception Paper)
Regis Schratz
History of Media Arts II – Andre Puca
2 April 2013
Reception Paper

All in the Family: Too Real for TV?

When All in the Family came out in 1971, it caught an impressive amount of attention. The CBS sitcom ventured into the dangerously taboo ideas and viewpoints held by conservative individuals in the early 1970s and brought them into the public dialogue through the loud, uncensored mouth of Archie Bunker. Like it or not, this show proudly displayed the inner racist, sexist, and otherwise bigoted monologue of many Americans. This is an impressive change as compared to the insult-minimal days of the Leave it to Beaver show in the 1950s. Instead of Beaver failing a test, this show dealt with substantial and current problems such as racism, sexism, and politics; however, this is only one reason why All in the Family was so hotly discussed and debated over at the time of its release.
All in the Family granted it 's viewers a close look into the daily lives and conversations of the Bunker family. Featured prominently and most actively discussed in critical essays is Archie Bunker, a conservative bigot who speaks his mind and constantly feels misunderstood. Beside him is his wifely foil, Edith AKA the “Dingbat,” who represents the stereotypical wife of the previous generation; she is complacent, tells inconsequential stories, tries to keep things generally pleasant and is willing to go along with seemingly anything. Archie 's daughter, Gloria Bunker-Stivic is the antithesis of her father. She and her husband, the “Meathead,” offer the voice of the new generation, eager to embrace change. Naturally, not all discussion is civil at the Bunker house.
The focus of the show is the casual discussions had by Archie Bunker and characters who share ideologies that differ from his. While Mr. Bunker is clearly shown to lack social grace, he is never condemned for his actions outright. In fact, the characters do not change in response to the events of an



Cited: Jones, Robert T. "The Redeemers." Life Magazine 24 Jan. 1972: 74-76. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. Leonard, John. "Bigotry as a Dirty Joke." Life Magazine 19 Mar. 1971: 11. Google Books. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. Prouty, Howard. Variety Television Reviews: 1923-1988. New York U.a.: Garland Publ., 1989. Print. Williamson, Chilton, Jr. "All in Your Family." National Review 11 Apr. 1995: 401-02. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Beginning in the 1950s, however, things began to change. As Coontz writes in What We Really Miss About the 1950s, it’s important to “understand the period as one of experimentation with the possibilities of a new kind of family, not as the expression of a longstanding tradition” (31). People needed help navigating a new way of life that necessitated new rules and they looked to the media for guidance. “At the time, everyone knew that shows such as Donna Reed, Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, and Father Knows Best were not the way families really were. People didn’t watch those shows to see their own lives reflected back at them. They watched them to see how families were supposed to live” (33). Looking for Work by Gary Soto echoes this notion. In the story he talks about his childhood attempts to convince his family to mimic the people he watched on television. When his siblings press him for the reason why he says, “If we improved the way we looked we might get along better in life. White people would like us more” (25). Interestingly, he cites many of the same shows as Coontz as influencing his behavior. Even a child could see the framework for living these shows provided and the belief they instilled that following their lead would lead to success. But this again flies in the face of reality. Minorities faced, both then and now, difficulties that cannot be resolved by acting out the…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Evans, Robert C. "Critical Insights: The Joy Luck Club." EBSO. Salem Press, 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.…

    • 2123 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was more acceptable in the 1970’s to be openly racist than it is now. Despite what is right or wrong, Archie and Jay say racist remarks throughout the episodes. Archie Bunker is not discreet about his opinions on anything. He has no filter and says anything without thinking about how insensitive he may seem. The Bunker family is all white which makes Archie unafraid of offending anyone. Being married to a Hispanic woman, Jay must filter himself to an extent. Still, Jay is not perfect and still makes some remarks that may be considered stereotyping. When Jay is helping his stepson, Manny, produce a college video in “Weathering Heights” he reveals what he thinks about most Hispanic upbringings. Taking Manny to an unsafe neighborhood and having him button only the op button on his flannel adds racist undertones to Jay’s demeanor. Archie and Jay are comparable because they both have racist mannerisms but the difference between them is how they go about expressing their feelings about sensitive topics such as…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growing up in the mid 1980’s I can remember watching the Cosby Show. My family and I fell in love with the Huxtable family. The show was funny, witty, and dealt with serious issues at some times. It was also the first show that portrayed a black family living a successful middle class life style. The show’s concepts were very unusual to me, because around that time we thought America dealt with majority Caucasian problems and shows. Growing up in a dysfunctional home in which my mother was always under lots of stress and my father was to drunk to care about how we live our lives it was just a sad fact of family life at that time. At the time it didn’t seem like it was a bad way to live. That is until I discovered a different aspect of family life and values. The family values displayed in the Cosby show were things that I had never seen before. It was a complete shock…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    All In The Family Satire

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gone were the days of the perfect family, which ignored important issues, such as racial equality and sexuality. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," was the first carreercom to appeal to an audience, using a happy, single woman, with a dominating and influential role in the work force (Cayse). "All in the Family" was the first situation comedy to use current social issues as the basis of their plots. The show was also the first sitcom to display a toilet and characters using it (Aamidor). "All in the Family" also explored into such controversial issues, like racism, sex, religious bigotry, and homosexuality (Aamidor). The 1970s meant higher costs in sitcom production, being televised on-air became costly. The end of the 1970s also meant a decline for situation comedies and a strong interest in action/adventure shows. With several sitcoms being pulled from the air or not produced, and an increase in the production of adventure programs, sitcoms faced another low point…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    [ 12 ]. Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee. Family to Family, Families Making a Difference. (Lawrenceville, GA: 1999), 1.…

    • 3196 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deviance on Television

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I chose this particular show, because of one key reason. Secret Life of the American Teenager explores a teenage taboo. It is reflective of a new strain in American morality that accepts teenage sexual exploration, teenage pregnancy, and all other forms of deviance and misconduct. When Secret Life first debuted, it was supposed to be a “cautionary’ tale about teenage pregnancy, but it is handled more like a deviant soap opera. Not only does an abstinence-only, pro-life agenda appear to be advocated, but that Secret Life also portrays negative historical stereotypes about gender, race, and sexuality. This programming depicts adolescent sexuality in terms of a heterosexual script which situates traditional gender roles as prohibited by hegemonic masculinity as the norm, as well as reinforces a sexual and racial double standard.…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gose, B. (2007, December 13). Red Cross Revelations. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from Chronicle of Philanthropy : http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A172261346&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=apollo&version=1.0…

    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    2. Stanley, Tim. (2012) History Today, The Changing face of the American Family.Vol. 62 Issue 11, p10-15. 6p.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "Harmony at Home: The Myth of the Model Family." Introduction. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin 's, 2010. 17-21. Print.…

    • 1664 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An example of a character whose morals are destroyed is Myrtle. Myrtle's attempt to enter into the group to which the Buchanan’s belong is doomed to fail. She enters the affair with Tom, hoping to adopt his way of life and be accepted into his class to escape from her own. Her class is that of the middle class. Her husband, Wilson, owns a gas station, making a living and trying his best to succeed. With her involvement in Tom's class, she only becomes rude and corrupt like the rich. She loses all sense of morality by hurting others in her unsuccessful attempt to join the ranks of Tom's social class. In doing so, she is leaving behind her husband who loves her. Myrtle believes he is no longer good enough for her. "'I married him because I thought he was a gentleman.' She said finally. 'I…

    • 400 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Divorce Rates in America

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages

    LeBey, Barbara. "American Families Are Drifting Apart." USA Today Magazine 130.2676 (2001): 20.Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.…

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    The Baptism Debate

    • 3012 Words
    • 13 Pages

    [ 10 ]. Madigan, Kevin. 2009. "The Redeemed Life." Commonweal, February 27. 20-23. MAS Ultra -School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed June 13, 2011), 20.…

    • 3012 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the All in the Family episode we watched in class, it is no secret that Archie Bunker is racist. In fact, in the episode we viewed, there is a racial argument between Archie and the George Jefferson. Through this show, the writer's can convey thoughts, theories, and opinions about the current state of the world without having to feel penalized. In the episode, Wheezie and Edith try and get the men to make up and look passed their difference. Men, being as stubborn as they are, continue the racial barrage and eventually stop talking.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Perhaps family itself was the value that we were missing the most—a sense of togetherness that would unify us much more than anything else could. Yet we never did make that connection. Instead we found it best to try and act as though we knew what a functional family was as though we were doing a bad game of Simon Says. As Gary Soto recalls from his childhood, “I tried to convince them that if we improved the way we looked we might get along better in life” (Soto, 29). That was the way my fake family was. We knew the meaning of values, but in reality we did not put them into practice, whether it be out of laziness or simple antagonism for those we may or may not have viewed as inferior to our bloodline. Seldom attention was given to the values…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays