| | ''All in the Family'' was degrading to women by portraying the housewife and mother, "Edith Bunker" (played by Jean Stapleton) as a senseless and unattractive nuisance. An episode of the show included an attempted rape of her by an intruder on her 50th birthday, which is omitted from the syndicated reruns. | | ''All in the Family'' was degrading to women by portraying the housewife and mother, "Edith Bunker" (played by Jean Stapleton) as a senseless and unattractive nuisance. An episode of the show included an attempted rape of her by an intruder on her 50th birthday, which is omitted from the syndicated reruns. |
| − | The late actor Carrol O'Connor played the central character, portrayed as a white bigot, [[Archie Bunker]]. Archie and Jean's daughter Gloria, was played by Sally Struthers, and [[Leftist]] [[Rob Reiner]] played the liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic. The show's storylines featured Archie, inaccurately portrayed by Lear as a [[conservative]] bigot, engaging in constant arguments and debates with Mike (nicknamed "Meathead" by Archie), most especially regarding Archie's [[racist]] tendencies and stereotypes (depicted according to Lear's viewpoint). | + | The late actor Carrol O'Connor played the central character, portrayed as a white bigot, Archie Bunker. Archie and Jean's daughter Gloria, was played by Sally Struthers, and [[Leftist]] [[Rob Reiner]] played the liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic. The show's storylines featured Archie, inaccurately portrayed by Lear as a [[conservative]] bigot, engaging in constant arguments and debates with Mike (nicknamed "Meathead" by Archie), most especially regarding Archie's [[racist]] tendencies and stereotypes (depicted according to Lear's viewpoint). |
| | ''All in the Family'' was notable at the time of its airing for being the first television show to push a political agenda. This reflects the period during which there was an intense political battle over the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] throughout the 1970s. [[Hollywood]]'s sharp [[Hollywood Values|turn to radical left-wing political themes]] in both film and television during the preceding era of the [[Vietnam War]] saw a shift from [[conservative]] TV shows featuring strong moral and family values (such as [[western]]s like ''[[Bonanza]]'' and ''[[The Rifleman]]'') towards liberal urban-set dramas and sitcoms, which also included ''[[Maude]]'', ''[[The Jeffersons]]'' and ''[[Good Times]]'' (also created by Norman Lear). | | ''All in the Family'' was notable at the time of its airing for being the first television show to push a political agenda. This reflects the period during which there was an intense political battle over the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] throughout the 1970s. [[Hollywood]]'s sharp [[Hollywood Values|turn to radical left-wing political themes]] in both film and television during the preceding era of the [[Vietnam War]] saw a shift from [[conservative]] TV shows featuring strong moral and family values (such as [[western]]s like ''[[Bonanza]]'' and ''[[The Rifleman]]'') towards liberal urban-set dramas and sitcoms, which also included ''[[Maude]]'', ''[[The Jeffersons]]'' and ''[[Good Times]]'' (also created by Norman Lear). |