I was a fan of All in the Family and watched it all the time. What I remember most (it was 45 years ago after all) is for the most part agreeing with Archie Bunker who Wikipedia characterizes as a "white working class bigot and an outspoken, narrow-minded white man, seemingly prejudiced against everyone who is not like him or his idea of how people should be."
Rob Reiner played Archie's son-in-law, Michael Stivic, who is married to Archie's daughter Gloria.
This is what Wiki has to say about his role (emphasis mine)
Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic: Gloria's Polish-American hippie husband is part of the counterculture of the 1960s. While good-hearted and well-meaning, he constantly spars with Archie, and is equally stubborn, although his moral views are generally presented as being more ethical and his logic somewhat sounder. He is the most-educated person in the household, a fact which gives him a self-assured arrogance, and despite his intellectual belief in progressive social values, he tends to expect Gloria to defer to him as her husband.Notice the difference? Michael Stivic, the loser who has to live with his in-laws is smarter, more logical, and more moral than Archie the bigot - who, as Wiki pointed out, also happens to be white. Last I checked, so was Michael Stivic white, but Wiki didn't see the need to point out that fact.
I was still in my twenties when the show first came on the air. I thought the character Michael Stivic was lazy, annoyingly arrogant, and an unrealistic dope.
Some things never change.
Amazon Deals in Computers and Accessories
No comments:
Post a Comment