Our generation saw a lot of walls crumble down, for better or worse. We grew up with sweet, sugary shows like Leave It to Beaver, Andy Griffith, and Dick Van Dyke. Make no mistake, these were classic shows in their own right, but it's impossible to picture Ward Cleaver using derogatory ethnic remarks.
However, when we think of Archie Bunker, the terms Polack, Spic, and Chink immediately pop into our minds.
Norman Lear foisted the Bunker family upon the public on January 12, 1971. It was an immediate hit, as well as an outrage to folks used to watching schmaltz like Mayberry RFD (which was NOT a classic show in its own right).
Lear chose to tackle racism the same way Mel Brooks did in his utterly brilliant Blazing Saddles. I.e., laugh at it, because the very concept is so stupid that it lacks any credibility at all.
Archie and "Edit'" lived at 704 Houser Street in Queens. Mike and Gloria Stivic, his daughter and son-in-law, lived upstairs. Archie was a little right of Rush Limbaugh, and he also believed every ethnic stereotype he ever heard. Mike was a little left of Hillary Clinton, so needless to say, things were a bit lively when they got together.
Archie was further plagued by the fact that he lived in a racially diverse neighborhood, so he had to deal with spics, polacks, jungle bunnies, and the like on a daily basis.
His next door neighbor was George Jefferson, who was as prejudiced toward whites as Archie was towards blacks. Lear was indeed a genius for creating situations for comedy.
Perhaps the greatest episode was on in which Archie is visited by Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy had left his briefcase in Archie's taxi, and came over to collect it. Note this exchange between them:
Archie: Now, no prejudice intended, but I always check with the Bible on these here things. I think that, I mean if God had meant for us to be together he'd a put us together. But look what he done. He put you over in Africa, and put the rest of us in all the white countries.
Sammy Davis Jr. Well, he must've told 'em where we were because somebody came and got us.
When the two posed for a picture and Sammy kissed him, it made for the longest single burst of live audience laughter in TV history. Archie's reaction was, well, priceless, and he had to hold that expression for better than two minutes.
In addition to being the #1 rated show for five consecutive years, it also spawned five successful spinoffs, as well as its own successor, Archie Bunker's Place.
The show was loud, offensive, and it went a long way towards showing us how to ignore each other's racial and religious makeup.
Comments (2)
And Carroll O'Conner was nothing like the character he played on that show! It certainly was a different time when you could get away with the material that was done on it. It certainly changed television.
Posted by Rivers End | May 29, 2009 10:29 PM
Posted on May 29, 2009 22:29
I guts myself some theories on this one, Ron. First, it was our denial of reality and real issues in the 50s and early 60s that got us into trouble in the first place. Twilight Zone was an interesting show and too interesting as far as the gods (MAD magazine’s term) of TV decided it was too intelligent and thoughtful and thought provoking. Mustn’t do that now.
Fairly tales and myths have always been essential to Hollywood and TV Land. We might call the gods magicians, who dazzled us with illusions, which we loved cause we did not like facing harsh truths. But many were getting very tired and frustrated with us avoiding real life and honesty. The time was ripe for Bunker, who did reflect a certain type around then and now, but more then.
You mention Ward Cleaver acting like Bunker. Well, that is why satirical artists often resort to using those ads of old only adding lines from our time. The contrast of the two is hysterically funny at times because they are so completely the opposite of each other. Many movie and TV satires have been done on that theme. Brady Bunch Movie, right?
But I think we needed Archie and his “truth.” The truth not being his knee jerk paint everyone with the same brush type of mentality but truth as in there really are people like him and they are laughable, silly, perhaps to be pitied.
But I also see this. While Archie is laughable, he is hardly to be feared if he is not ignored. But we all say things at times, not really meaning anything by them and there are those who want to carefully control every thought we have and every word we utter. You know, the thought police. They are so terrified that an Archie could turn the world upside down. Most despots are very paranoid by nature.
But like Nancy’s overly simplistic advice to “Just say no!” the social engineers would like to just say the magic words and have us ignore certain problems with one way hate crimes, and other deceit going on in regards to social imbalance and injustice. Archie was pathetic as he was intended to be, but there was a glimmer of honesty in the real types of Bunkers that they never let Archie become. It was better to just let him disappear.
It is not always audience popularity that determines whether a show will love or die. A show can be and sometimes is, killed off if it does not have the right “influence” desired by the social engineers and Entertainment moguls. Not all things are for profit.
Part of looking back at the past is learning from it. Otherwise, why bother. The past begs us to look closer and more carefully at what it was and it is, going on. I just saw Dirty Harry on AMC a night or so ago. It was changed yet again.
In the original, Harry was given a new partner, Gonzales, to work with. Harry tried to refuse. Now, in the original, at one point, Gonzales accuses Harry of possibly hating Spics. The other police worker says Harry’s not prejudice, he hates everybody. Harry ads, to be funny, in a dry way, something like “especially Spics.” He was trying to save Gonzales’ life remember.
In a version I saw maybe 7 to 10 years ago, they silenced the Spics from both Gonzales and Harry. But at least you could tell they censored it.
Now on AMC they changed all the dialog so that you never even knew anything was censored. Censored? It was totally rewritten and dubbed in. But unless you saw the original, you wold never have known it. Go rent an original version, kids. You’ll be amazed.
No I don’t want to sound alarmist or bring up visions of 1984, but I am compelled. The “gods” are rewriting history and lying like hell about the past. Whether good or bad, we deserve the truth above all else and then go from there. I will say that there was more honesty about 1971 then there was at perhaps any other time before or since. We are in deep trouble now. Unless there are some around who remember what it really was, they will be able to convince anyone of anything.
It was better in the 60s and 70s. But more important is to ask why and why it changed and why it keeps changing? Were we all monsters back then? Is that it? What was it so horrible that we can not be allowed to hear it. What are they afraid of? These are answers you need to seek and should want to know.
Be afraid, be very afraid!
Posted by Scott Irv | June 1, 2009 2:13 PM
Posted on June 1, 2009 14:13