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the more things change, the more they stay the same ~ open thread

By American Girl in Italy on February 18, 2009 at 7:35 PM in Open Thread

How is it possible that these comments by Archie Bunker are as relevant today, as they were 30 years ago?

I never really watched All in the Family when it originally aired. I was too young to undertsand the show. I saw this clip somewhere the other day, and thought it was too funny.

Did you watch the show? Have any favorite episodes? Love it, hate it?

  • http://liberalrapture.com/ John (from Liberal Rapture)

    THe one in with Edith was the victim of an attempted rape broke new ground. It still reverberates with me. And I was 12 when i saw it.

    • http://americanpumainitaly.blogspot.com/ American Girl in Italy

      oh my gosh, i remember that. it was a really episode. wasn’t Gloria raped in an earlier season?

  • jeremy

    what a classic! kudos to putting this up! we need to make this go viral!!!!!!!!!!

  • Linda C.

    I loved it when Edith went through menopause. George Jefferson showing up was always good for a laugh also. Those were interesting times.

  • I’m a Linda too

    Great video. Thank you.

    I loved “All In The Family”. Everything it stood for, so many life lessons, friendships, personal traits, EVERYTHING.

    I admit how I see the character of Meathead (aka Mike, Rob Reiner)the angry Obama supporter. lol

  • Diana L. C.

    I loved the show, so that indicates how much older I am than you are. :-)

    My favorite one was about the feminist movement. Gloria took Edith to a consciousness raising meeting.

    • http://americanpumainitaly.blogspot.com/ American Girl in Italy

      reading some of these fav episode, I think I saw more of this show than I thought. I still think I was too young, at least in the earlier seasons, to get some of the meanings.

  • AOK

    Bunker was a neocon. Who knew?

    • Ferd Berfle

      [SUSAN HERE: I WROTE HIM A NOTE AND TOLD HIM THAT INSTEAD OF ATTACKING THE OTHER PERSON, HE SHOULD SEND ME AN E-MAIL AboUT THE OFFENDING COMMENT,and NOT START A FIGHT in the THREADS. These people ...]

      Actually he was a conservative, little snip, and a Goldwater fan on the show. You really ought to know what you’re talking about before you post, especially since you make an ass out of yourself each and every time you waste bandwidth here, troll.

      • wodiej

        LOL,

    • Ferd Berfle

      He wasn’t a neocon. That word did not exist in the 70s. His character was a conservative in the mold of Goldwater and even mentioned him in the show.

    • I’m a Linda too

      What in anything the character Archie Bunker said or did could be equated to him being a NeoCon? Do you even know what a NeoCon is?

      • Ferd Berfle

        AOK has an empty space where a brain would normally be expected in a human.

      • termo

        Archie would interpret a NeoCon as a NeoNazi but in jail.

        • Ferd Berfle

          LMAO. That would be spot on.

      • AOK

        Sorry. I got my terms mixed up. Bunker was a paleocon. Loosely translated, it means right-wing nut job. That term amply describes the thought process of you ditto heads here in NQ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservatism

  • Peggy Sue

    I wasn’t a big watcher of “All in the Family.” I certainly was aware of the show, but I was a young mother with babies and little time or energy for primetime TV.

    But I do remember the Carter years, the endless gas lines, the ridiculous mortgage rates that made it impossible to move out of our phonebooth-sized, rented house into one we could afford and live comfortably in [or even buy a decent car]. And the Iran hostage crisis [that seemed to go on forever and birthed the Nightline show, which had the down count on the number of days the hostages had been held].

    This clip is certainly pertinent: Carter did have these “national discussions” talking about faith and malaise and how we needed to “tighten our belts” and be more responsible about energy and consumerism. Carter became Preacher-in-Chief.

    And frankly, I resented the sanctamonious tone. I want a preaching, I go to church. Don’t need it in my politics. Or my President.

    So, you brought back old memories, AGI. Not all good, I’m afraid :0).

    • The Real HC

      Ditto.

  • HARP

    Loved the show. Archie was usually shown that he was wrong but underneath his crusty blathering, he was a softy.

    • Ferd Berfle

      He was a character with a depth not seen in today’s shows, that’s for sure. You could hate him and love him at the same time.

  • Ye Olde Screen Name

    I Love the show – Archie parodied the ignorant conservative/Republican mindset. And yes, it is relevant today! After Republicans have bankrupted the country with debt, they have ZERO shame, but only blame Democrats…Too funny! Well, if not so tragic!

    • Ferd Berfle

      Yeah, and meathead parodied the liberal let’s-spend-all-the-money-on-people-who-won’t-work mentality because it’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and broke outside.

      • Ye Olde Screen Name

        Good point…Meathead would be leading the charge for the Bamboozler Obama!

        • tek

          Meathead? Rob Reiner was a big Hillary supporter. He wanted to run for governor against Ahhnold. He’s actually a pretty smart guy.

          • Ye Olde Screen Name

            Rob Reiner was a big Hillary supporter.

            Very interesting and good to know – Reiner has risen in my estimation.

            • Jackarooty

              Reiner was a Hillary supporter from the get go…day 1!

              Quick anecdote about Rob Reiner…one time he reflected on his career as an actor and a director. He said that no matter what he accomplished in life, for example winning the Nobel Prize the headline would read;

              MEATHEAD WINS NOBEL PRIZE

          • Ferd Berfle

            I was referring to the Meathead character in “All in the Family” and not the real-life personage.

      • HARP

        meathead must have been a Bot, since mooching off his in laws was the name of the game.

        • wodiej

          LOL, good one

  • RainOnO

    Haha, finally, someone had the guts to say it:

    http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2009/02/delona.jpg

    Well, draw it at least…

  • samb
  • Katmoon

    Since it is an open thread, I have to bring up this new grass roots effort by acorn and a link to a NY times article regarding the stimulus and ACORN, now which poster was it who said ACORN wasn’t getting anything from the bail out. C’mon!

    ACORN members are launching a Homesteading effort as part of ACORN’s comprehensive foreclosure campaign. ACORN is working with its membership and activists around the country to build “Home Defender Teams.” These teams will be prepared to mobilize on short notice to peacefully help defend a family’s right to stay in their homes until a fair solution to the crisis is put into place by the new Administration. We are recruiting allies and elected officials to support our efforts and call for a full and comprehensive solution to this crisis.

    source:http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/2749/t/3071/signUp.jsp?key=2134

    and…http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18foreclose.html?_r=1
    Effort Takes Shape to Support Families Facing Foreclosure

    I’m pissed.

    • Ferd Berfle

      So it is OK for obamabots to become vigilantes under the banner of ACORN. This sounds like an insurrection to me.

      • Katmoon

        So don’t pay your mortgage, then get a group of “community organizer’s” to force the situation,, so what exactly is the result, to simply give homes away because some folks entered willingly into contracts, knowing they could not afford the home?

        Then put unqualified people in homes that are already in foreclosure?

        Tax those who have paid their bills, and stayed level? Who gets the bail out of the home, how is that decided? By Acorn?

    • AlexisM

      This is bullshit. By the way, did you hear the explanation of where the money is going? Well, apparently there are two groups of people who have problems with their homes…

      The first groups, the scumbags that Fannie and Freddie extorted the banks to give homes to, who knew they could never, ever pay their mortgages. And, the second group, the people who PAY THEIR MORTGAGE ON TIME AND ALWAYS HAVE but they are now “upside down” in their houses i.e., they owe more than the house is worth to sell. There are over 10 Million of those people.

      Well, the reward for paying your mortgage is that you get NOTHING. Nope. All of the money, the big WELFARE SOCIALIST PIECE OF CRAP BILL is going to the people who don’t deserve to be in their homes and can’t pay their bills. I am so pissed.

      This is why ACORN is mobilizing. Those people are going to probably resort to threats, violence and extortion so that the low life moochers can keep their homes, NOT PAY FOR THEM, and it’s going to be OUR MONEY paying their mortgages. Yup, it’s socialism, welfare and reparations all in one big bundle on our backs.

      This is a disgrace.

    • PamFlorida

      There IS money appropriated for ACORN and similar “community organizing” groups-it is called Community Stabilization. Look it up in the bill. The special interest groups will get their money, along with the lobbyists. The language in the bill is deliberately vague, with loopholes and “waivers” big enough to cruise a supertanker through.
      Read the bill. It in written in 2 parts-the legislation and appropriations.

  • Katmoon

    I almost forgot..

    A recent study shows that our issue campaign victories have delivered approximately $15 billion in direct monetary benefits to our membership and constituency over the past 10 years.

    acorn.org/index.php?id=12342

  • Katmoon

    No surprised however

    Obama Embraces ACORN’s Foreclosure Strategies to Fix Economy, Housing
    February 18, 2009
    PHOENIX, Ariz. – ACORN members are celebrating President Obama’s announcement today of the “Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan,” the first federal effort to fight foreclosures since the crisis that brought down the economy began two years ago.

    For years, ACORN has been advocating repeal of the ban on judicial modifications, a central plank in the Obama plan that Congress should immediately take up in a must-pass bill and get to the President in March.

    http://acorn.org/index.php?id=12346&L=0%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D4201

    • lark

      I think ACORN is the future of America.

      • Ferd Berfle

        I think ACORN is the end of America if it isn’t stopped in its insurrectionist tracks.

        • AlexisM

          This whole thing is horrible. ACORN needs to be prosecuted for their BS crimes.

  • NCgirl

    I never missed All in the Family. It was a ground breaking show, and they would never get it on television today. The PC police would nix any hope it had. I loved the episode where Sammy Davis Jr. kissed Archie.

    • Ferd Berfle

      No, today’s comedies must have their quota of smart-assed kids with foul mouths and atrophied muscles from all the inactivity.

    • http://firefox AnnieCollier

      It is on during the day on the re-run channel. I saw it only a few times when it was originally on TV as we didn’t have TV reception where I lived. So I do watch when I have a chance. It is hilarious.

    • Jackarooty

      That episode is my favorite too! I love when Edith curtsied when introduced to Sammy. Also I loved when Archie told Edith to get Sammy a Twinkie and she came out with a Twinkie on a plate and presented it to him,
      “here’s your Twinkie Mr. Davis”.

  • MOmule

    Here’s a bit of trivia for everyone. The original Archie Bunker show was from England and he was called Alf Garnett. The funniest fact is that the part of Meathead was then played by the father of Cherie Booth (otherwise known as Mrs. Tony Blair).

    • JustMe

      and the show was called (in England)

      “Till death us do Part”

    • JustMe

      Tony Booth was his name…

  • Tina

    I watched the show faithfully when it was on. The thing that strikes me now is that in many ways Mike Stivic is juat as bad as Archie when it comes to being opinionated and not really wanting to hear the other side. I always thought Archie’s prejudices were more about fear than hatred.

    My favorite episode was the Christmas episode where a draft dodger friend (he had gone to Canada) of Mike’s showed up unexpectedly and Mike invited him to share Christmas dinner not knowing that Archie had invited a friend whose only son had just been killed in Viet Nam.

  • AnneinPA

    I remember the first time watching the show and I was shocked, but loved it. After years of silly shows like the Beverly Hillbillies and the Munsters this was an adult surprise. I remember telling my Dad he had to watch this show because Archie reminded me so much of him.
    I was 18 yrs old at the time and couldn’t stand Richard Nixon and the Vietnam war (where my older brother was that year). He loved it! Especially when Archie would refer to WW2 as the Big One.. a real war. It really helped people realize that the old ways of thinking were based on silly reasoning.

    • Jackarooty

      Richard E. Nixon was how Archie always referred to him!

      (Yes I know Nixon’s middle name was Milhous.)

  • Boogie Boy

    I loved the show. My favorite episode is when the power went out in the house and the four of them go out to dinner. Archie and Meathead tell different versions of what happened when a couple of repairmen came over, both of which are totally skewed by their politics and biases. At the end, Edith tells Gloria what really happened. It was hilarious.

  • BlueTopaz

    I liked the eppy where Mike put on one sock, then the shoe and repeated for the other foot. Archie said you’re supposed to do both socks, then the shoes. Mike said with his way, if he had to leave the house because of an emergency and he was only half done, but it was raining out, he could hop around and still be dry. With Archies way, he’d have wet feet.

  • JustMe

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_us_pelosi

    VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI received Nancy Pelosi, one of the most prominent abortion rights politicians in America, and told her

  • JustMe
    • Seattle Moss

      McCain tells Barbara Walters

      “Not anytime soon.”

      Will he back on the View..

      Such an obvious diss should give the ladies something to gab about for a few..

      Good For you John McCain!

      They have no decency!

      • AlexisM

        Those bitches female dogs on the view aren’t smart enough, or good enough, to kiss McCain’s patriotic ass.

        • Seattle Moss

          I enjoy the way you compliment those people!

          There is one particular anti-American blow hard on that show Joy Behar…

          I had to look up her name that’s how detestable she is to me…

          • AlexisM

            Joy Behar has a lot in common with the Bacon Bill.

            OINK OINK OINK

  • PamFlorida

    Loved the show and it’s spinoff “The Jeffersons”. IMHO, both were reflections of our society struggling with similar issues we face today. In many ways, there was more freedom of expression in the 70′s and 80′s than there is now. “Political correctness” and careful monitoring of one’s terminology, so as not to offend, is the rule of public and private discourse.
    Frankly, a dictionary or list of offensive words would be extremely helpful. No snark intended.

  • Choo Choo Magoo

    Enjoyed it. Amazing how we seem to be caught in some bizarre loop where time advances only we don’t.