Archie Bunker: Television’s Red, White, and Blue-Collar Hero
Start Date
15-4-2023 4:00 PM
End Date
15-4-2023 5:00 PM
Description
In the 1970s, Archie Bunker was America's number one working-class hero. Television viewers had never seen anyone like him when All in the Family debuted on January 12, 1971. They were immediately confronted with a warning stating the following program "seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show – in a mature fashion – just how absurd they are." The Bunkers and the Stivics provided a public forum for the tension that had been building throughout the 1960s – between the generations, races, sexes, and classes. While much of the academic focus related to All in the Family is concerned with Archie’s bigotry, this presentation will discuss the series as a depiction of the working-class in transition during the 1970s. Of the four main characters Archie is a worker on a loading dock (who belongs to a union). Edith, his wife, is a homemaker. Their daughter Gloria works at a department store, while her husband Michael ("Meathead") attends graduate school. We learn that he was raised by his uncle, who is a florist. Throughout the series, many episodes deal with the precariousness of living paycheck to paycheck in an era of economic crisis. By 1971, the post-World War II economic boom had begun to wane, due to increased international competition, the expense of the Vietnam War, and the decline of manufacturing jobs. All in the Family was praised as the first "relevant" situation comedy and ranked number one in the yearly Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. This presentation shall focus on how All in the Family reflected the aspirations and fears of working-class Americans.
Archie Bunker: Television’s Red, White, and Blue-Collar Hero
In the 1970s, Archie Bunker was America's number one working-class hero. Television viewers had never seen anyone like him when All in the Family debuted on January 12, 1971. They were immediately confronted with a warning stating the following program "seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show – in a mature fashion – just how absurd they are." The Bunkers and the Stivics provided a public forum for the tension that had been building throughout the 1960s – between the generations, races, sexes, and classes. While much of the academic focus related to All in the Family is concerned with Archie’s bigotry, this presentation will discuss the series as a depiction of the working-class in transition during the 1970s. Of the four main characters Archie is a worker on a loading dock (who belongs to a union). Edith, his wife, is a homemaker. Their daughter Gloria works at a department store, while her husband Michael ("Meathead") attends graduate school. We learn that he was raised by his uncle, who is a florist. Throughout the series, many episodes deal with the precariousness of living paycheck to paycheck in an era of economic crisis. By 1971, the post-World War II economic boom had begun to wane, due to increased international competition, the expense of the Vietnam War, and the decline of manufacturing jobs. All in the Family was praised as the first "relevant" situation comedy and ranked number one in the yearly Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. This presentation shall focus on how All in the Family reflected the aspirations and fears of working-class Americans.