There is something about "All in the Family" that I think people often miss. Sure, Archie was a bigot, and had some execrable ideas, but he was more absurd than hateful.
I remember one episode in which Archie meets a group of like-minded, blue-collar, liberal-hating guys and, naturally, they all hit it off famously. Archie attends meetings and is having a blast...until those great guys reveal their plans to burn a cross on the Jeffersons' lawn. That's when Archie realizes that they are Klansmen, and he withdraws from the group.
Archie Bunker says terrible things, yes, but he doesn't want to hurt people. He gets into roaring arguments with his son-in-law Mike, but he never throws Mike out of the house. He disagrees with his daughter Gloria on just about every topic imaginable, but she's the light of his life and he would never abandon her. At the end of the day, Archie prioritizes people over principle, which is something sadly lacking on the left today.
LOL! The producers of All in the Family may have been surprised that probably half the audience in the 1970s was on Archie’s side, even though he was cast as the buffoon we were supposed to laugh at. For this updated version, I would definitely be on Archie’s side!
When I watched it as a child in the 1970s, I thought Archie was all wrong and the appropriate butt of jokes. Recently, however, I’ve reconsidered. Rewatching some first season episodes (some on YouTube), I find myself on Archie’s side. The sexual revolution *did* have some bad effects. Self-righteous college students *did* tear down good institutions. Communism *was* a bad thing. Etc.
Perhaps as we age more of us become Archies. If I watched this new version, not only would I be on Archie’s side, I would probably be wincing because I would know that Archie will be the loser.
My memory is that Mike and Gloria were more the buffoons than Archie—that he was lovable and not so dangerous. I remember hearing Norman Lear talk about Carol O'Connor trying out for the role, and bringing so much heart to him. But, hey, you can make Brianna Wu Archie if you want!
I grew up without a father around so Archie Bunker was my tv father. He was imperfect, but he seemed like a loving father and husband to me. That being said, I disagreed with much of what he said - especially giving guns to everyone as they get on an airplane or his discomfort with Sammy Davis Jr. On the other hand, he did point out some problems with the younger generation that were valid. Archie was old school, stuck in his ways, brought up on certain lies (such as keeping races separate being good for everyone), but ultimately a good person. The show was brilliant, tackling the most controversial issues with humor and humanity.
In this new version, is our butch lesbian really parallel to Archie Bunker? I don't think so. I still like the idea a lot, but I think we would have to be clear that it's a new dynamic in which there is almost a generation reversal. That is, the real buffoonery is coming from the younger generation, who, like Archie, is occasionally right, but more often wrong and coming from a place of ignorance through faulty upbringing. Just like how Archie's beliefs were the product of growing up in the Depression, with a cold father, a harsh economy and antiquated notions about racial differences, Gloria and Mike (especially Mike since Gloria presumably had some stabilizing forces coming from Arlie) grew up with messaging of being "born in the wrong body," "sex is a spectrum," anyone who has trouble paying attention has ADHD and should be medicated, and other nonsense notions that permeate her thought processes. I would hope the biggest laughs come from the ridiculous things coming out of the mouths of Gloria and Mike.
In short, with that understanding, I think it could work, and I want to be a part of it!!
Archie (short for archetype?) was presented as an ignorant, bigoted buffoon who was "on the wrong side of history" (can't remember if that phrase existed then) in every disagreement with his family members. So I would expect that any reboot would just be an updating of that vibe—different issues, same bigot who just needs to be educated. I'm afraid it would be hard to make Archie/Arlie come across as the hero.
“And you knew who you were then, girls were girls and men were men”
Forgot about that! I actually used to play that song on the banjo, back when I had hobbies.
Haha, this is great.
There is something about "All in the Family" that I think people often miss. Sure, Archie was a bigot, and had some execrable ideas, but he was more absurd than hateful.
I remember one episode in which Archie meets a group of like-minded, blue-collar, liberal-hating guys and, naturally, they all hit it off famously. Archie attends meetings and is having a blast...until those great guys reveal their plans to burn a cross on the Jeffersons' lawn. That's when Archie realizes that they are Klansmen, and he withdraws from the group.
Archie Bunker says terrible things, yes, but he doesn't want to hurt people. He gets into roaring arguments with his son-in-law Mike, but he never throws Mike out of the house. He disagrees with his daughter Gloria on just about every topic imaginable, but she's the light of his life and he would never abandon her. At the end of the day, Archie prioritizes people over principle, which is something sadly lacking on the left today.
LOL! The producers of All in the Family may have been surprised that probably half the audience in the 1970s was on Archie’s side, even though he was cast as the buffoon we were supposed to laugh at. For this updated version, I would definitely be on Archie’s side!
When I watched it as a child in the 1970s, I thought Archie was all wrong and the appropriate butt of jokes. Recently, however, I’ve reconsidered. Rewatching some first season episodes (some on YouTube), I find myself on Archie’s side. The sexual revolution *did* have some bad effects. Self-righteous college students *did* tear down good institutions. Communism *was* a bad thing. Etc.
Perhaps as we age more of us become Archies. If I watched this new version, not only would I be on Archie’s side, I would probably be wincing because I would know that Archie will be the loser.
My memory is that Mike and Gloria were more the buffoons than Archie—that he was lovable and not so dangerous. I remember hearing Norman Lear talk about Carol O'Connor trying out for the role, and bringing so much heart to him. But, hey, you can make Brianna Wu Archie if you want!
I had my students produce a version of the very first episode. The biggest laugh lines were at Archie’s expense IMO! Worth watching on YouTube.
I’ll pass on casting Wu—I’d cast a real butcher lesbian!
I grew up without a father around so Archie Bunker was my tv father. He was imperfect, but he seemed like a loving father and husband to me. That being said, I disagreed with much of what he said - especially giving guns to everyone as they get on an airplane or his discomfort with Sammy Davis Jr. On the other hand, he did point out some problems with the younger generation that were valid. Archie was old school, stuck in his ways, brought up on certain lies (such as keeping races separate being good for everyone), but ultimately a good person. The show was brilliant, tackling the most controversial issues with humor and humanity.
In this new version, is our butch lesbian really parallel to Archie Bunker? I don't think so. I still like the idea a lot, but I think we would have to be clear that it's a new dynamic in which there is almost a generation reversal. That is, the real buffoonery is coming from the younger generation, who, like Archie, is occasionally right, but more often wrong and coming from a place of ignorance through faulty upbringing. Just like how Archie's beliefs were the product of growing up in the Depression, with a cold father, a harsh economy and antiquated notions about racial differences, Gloria and Mike (especially Mike since Gloria presumably had some stabilizing forces coming from Arlie) grew up with messaging of being "born in the wrong body," "sex is a spectrum," anyone who has trouble paying attention has ADHD and should be medicated, and other nonsense notions that permeate her thought processes. I would hope the biggest laughs come from the ridiculous things coming out of the mouths of Gloria and Mike.
In short, with that understanding, I think it could work, and I want to be a part of it!!
Archie (short for archetype?) was presented as an ignorant, bigoted buffoon who was "on the wrong side of history" (can't remember if that phrase existed then) in every disagreement with his family members. So I would expect that any reboot would just be an updating of that vibe—different issues, same bigot who just needs to be educated. I'm afraid it would be hard to make Archie/Arlie come across as the hero.
It’s dark outside in San Mateo CA right now, my dog is curled next to me on the couch and I am laughing hysterically.
Thank you again LSD.
Love it! I don't watch US TV shows but I would this
A simpler version could work as an audio drama too 🎧