Family Prior to the Introduction

¶ … Family

Prior to the introduction of the television show All in the Family in 1971, television was primarily just another form of entertainment that shied away from the real-world issues that might possibly offend viewers. All in the Family radically transformed the role of television to a form of study on society's views of race, ethnicity, gender and social class as well as a host of other previously taboo political issues such as gun control, homosexuality and rape. Even so, some debate whether or not the show really fostered a more positive view of diversity and multiculturalism. While some believe that comedy was not an appropriate means for addressing serious issues such as prejudice, All in the Family at least brought these issues out into the open for the very first time and paved the way for the future use of television to deal with the harsh realities of issues confronting society.

All in the Family's lead character was Archie Bunker, an uneducated blue-collar dock worker and an open racist who disliked virtually every minority group imaginable. He left practically no negative stereoptype unturned, referring to blacks as "jungle bunnies," "spades," or "niggers," Puerto Ricans as "spics," Chinese as "chinks," Jews as "hebes," Polish as "polacks" and homosexuals as "fags." To Archie, people who defended these minorities such as his daughter Gloria and his liberal son-in-law Michael was an outright "pinko," a derogatory term for a Communist sympathizer. In Archie's world, women were to be seen, not heard. As a response to his wife's opinions, Archie would frequently say, "Stifle yourself, you dingbat!" (Cited in St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture on All in the Family). Archie was not one to flaunt conservative social traditions. He frequently derided his daughter for marrying a "polack" and for supporting her unemployed husband while he attended school.

The Bunker's neighbors were George and Louise Jefferson and their son Lionel. George was just as much a racist and a bigot as Archie, illustrating that these characteristics are not just confined to the white community. George popularized the disparaging term "honky" for a white person. The son Lionel and his friends Gloria and Michael frequently railed against social injustice to the dismay and contempt of their fathers. Most of show centered on arguments between the younger members and Archie. These generational differences in opinions showed how the passage of time was beginning to transform society with younger people becoming more accepting of minority groups and developing different ideals for social roles. However, older Americans were having a hard time adapting to these new realities.

This very transformation was what was motivating Archie cling to the stereotypes that he believed defined certain social groups. Archie simply couldn't hide from the transformation of society that he feared and detested and he longed for a time past as exemplified by the show's theme song, Those Were the Days. For example, Archie couldn't prevent his black neighbors from moving next to him or stop his daughter's marriage to a liberal Polish man. Archie's ire stemmed from his belief that gains by minorities were coming at the expense of the hard working, lower-middle class whites such as himself.

Therefore, he used stereotypes to position minorities as groups of lazy people wanting a free ride and unfair favoritism. When Michael tells Archie that the black man and other minorities also want their rightful share of the American dream, Archie responds, "Now let me tell you something. If your spics and your spades want their share of the American dream, let them go out and hustle for it, just like I done." (Cited in Firetto and Gaffney, 2006). Archie refuses to acknowledge the struggles of minorities to earn their rightful place in society, stating that the black man has had more opportunity than he ever did. According to Archie, he didn't have "no million people out there marching and protesting to get me my job" (Cited in Firetto and Gaffney, 2006).