Are The Bunkers TV's Most Dysfunctional Family? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-19-2010, 08:54 PM

Archie Bunker is probably the most infamously racist, sexist, piggish man in television. He is the patriarch of the Bunker family, which is rounded out by Edith, his wife, and their daughter, Gloria. Another essential character in this family is Gloria’s husband Michael, better known (at least to Archie anyway) as Meathead. When watching the show, all a person can think about is how big of a dick Archie is. But, let’s face it, wouldn’t you be a little dick-ish too if you had to listen to Edith’s screeching voice all day? It’s like nails on a chalkboard. And Gloria! Really, how old is she? She acts like a spoiled twelve year old, breaking down in tears, manipulating Daddy, running to Mommy. It’s “only child syndrome” at its worst. With all the bickering, yelling, racist word yelling, and blood pressure raising going on in this family, there’s no question as to how dysfunctional they are.

http://daily.likeme.net/2010/05/18/t...l-tv-families/

Retro4Life · 05-19-2010, 09:08 PM

There's tons of more dysfunctional families on television.

As usual, this "reviewer" only sees the surface of the family dynamic of the show and misses the sentiment, and yes, love underneath it all.

Married with Children, Family Guy, American Dad, just about every soap opera family (including Soap, Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, and the daytime dramas), every single "reality show" family, The War at Home, Til Death, Malcolm in the Middle (come to think of it, just about every Fox sitcom!) ALL feature families that blow the Bunkers away in terms of dysfunction.

catlover79 · 05-19-2010, 09:36 PM

I think the Barones (Everybody Loves Raymond) are the champions in this category!!

Retro4Life · 05-19-2010, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I think the Barones (Everybody Loves Raymond) are the champions in this category!!

Yeah, they are pretty mixed up. I didn't include them because they do seem to love each other like the Bunkers but they are indeed dysfunctional.

catlover79 · 05-20-2010, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Yeah, they are pretty mixed up. I didn't include them because they do seem to love each other like the Bunkers but they are indeed dysfunctional.

Scary, huh?

OH Nuts! · 05-20-2010, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I think the Barones (Everybody Loves Raymond) are the champions in this category!!

Yes I vote for the Barones. Queen Butinsky Marie - High Priestess of Manipulation and her Yahoo hubby Frank seem to be clear frontrunners. LOL Frank makes Archie look like a Rhodes Scolar.

Archie sort of got a bum rap imo. He mellowed and became more tolerant as time went on. But the Meathead stayed the Meathead - liberal in his outlook all right as long as you agreed with him.

Dr. Thong · 05-20-2010, 05:37 PM

If you're comparing them to shows from that time period, they are.

But if you compare them to today's shows, they're not even close. The Bunkers were dysfunctional and very loud, but at the core of it, they loved each other. Archie was all bark and no bite. While he may have been condescending towards him, you can tell he genuinely liked Lionel Jefferson.

Mad Magazine did an AITF parody, where in one panel The Brady Bunch kids show up at Archie Bunker's door. He tells them, "Boy did you end up on the wrong series!"

MickeyMac · 05-20-2010, 07:05 PM

My vote goes for the Collins on Dark Shadows. In addition to sibling issues, and doomed romances, this family had ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, and other ghoules. You cant get more disyfunctional than that.

OH Nuts! · 05-22-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

If you're comparing them to shows from that time period, they are.

But if you compare them to today's shows, they're not even close. The Bunkers were dysfunctional and very loud, but at the core of it, they loved each other. Archie was all bark and no bite. While he may have been condescending towards him, you can tell he genuinely liked Lionel Jefferson.

Mad Magazine did an AITF parody, where in one panel The Brady Bunch kids show up at Archie Bunker's door. He tells them, "Boy did you end up on the wrong series!"

Good point; I didn't think of looking at the Q from that angle but from it - yes - the Bunkers are the dysfunctional champs of the 70s shows.

angiefan · 05-22-2010, 03:23 PM

the Barones,Ray and Robert.have sibling rivelry, Robert Says he was ignored and Ray was the smothered one,ray said he was not smothered,the mother took a job as a lunch lady so she can watch Ray eat all his lunch.

catlover79 · 05-22-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

Good point; I didn't think of looking at the Q from that angle but from it - yes - the Bunkers are the dysfunctional champs of the 70s shows.

The most dysfunctional TV family of the 1970s - definitely. Are we sure the Barones aren't distantly related to the Bunkers? Because they sure were TV's most dysfunctional family from 1996-2005!!

comedyfreak · 05-27-2010, 12:02 PM

I think the Bundy's were the most dysfunctional tv family.

catlover79 · 05-27-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I think the Bundy's were the most dysfunctional tv family.

Oh, they're definitely high up on the list!!!

Dr. Thong · 05-27-2010, 03:30 PM

The Bundys were supposed to be dysfunctional. That was what the Married With Children producers were striving for. They were an over-the-top parody of dysfunctional...and they did it well for a few years there.

catlover79 · 05-27-2010, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

The Bundys were supposed to be dysfunctional. That was what the Married With Children producers were striving for. They were an over-the-top parody of dysfunctional...and they did it well for a few years there.

The only normal one in the Bundy family was the dog.

05-19-2010, 08:54 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Are The Bunkers TV's Most Dysfunctional Family? Archie Bunker is probably the most infamously racist, sexist, piggish man in television. He is the patriarch of the Bunker family, which is rounded out by Edith, his wife, and their daughter, Gloria. Another essential character in this family is Gloria’s husband Michael, better known (at least to Archie anyway) as Meathead. When watching the show, all a person can think about is how big of a dick Archie is. But, let’s face it, wouldn’t you be a little dick-ish too if you had to listen to Edith’s screeching voice all day? It’s like nails on a chalkboard. And Gloria! Really, how old is she? She acts like a spoiled twelve year old, breaking down in tears, manipulating Daddy, running to Mommy. It’s “only child syndrome” at its worst. With all the bickering, yelling, racist word yelling, and blood pressure raising going on in this family, there’s no question as to how dysfunctional they are. http://daily.likeme.net/2010/05/18/t...l-tv-families/ Attached Images
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05-19-2010, 09:08 PM	#2
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	There's tons of more dysfunctional families on television. As usual, this "reviewer" only sees the surface of the family dynamic of the show and misses the sentiment, and yes, love underneath it all. Married with Children, Family Guy, American Dad, just about every soap opera family (including Soap, Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, and the daytime dramas), every single "reality show" family, The War at Home, Til Death, Malcolm in the Middle (come to think of it, just about every Fox sitcom!) ALL feature families that blow the Bunkers away in terms of dysfunction.
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05-19-2010, 09:36 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I think the Barones (Everybody Loves Raymond) are the champions in this category!!
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05-20-2010, 05:37 PM	#7
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	If you're comparing them to shows from that time period, they are. But if you compare them to today's shows, they're not even close. The Bunkers were dysfunctional and very loud, but at the core of it, they loved each other. Archie was all bark and no bite. While he may have been condescending towards him, you can tell he genuinely liked Lionel Jefferson. Mad Magazine did an AITF parody, where in one panel The Brady Bunch kids show up at Archie Bunker's door. He tells them, "Boy did you end up on the wrong series!"
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05-22-2010, 03:23 PM	#10
angiefan happy labor day! Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 15, 2006 Location: grand blanc,michigan Posts: 618	are the Bunkers tv's most Dysfunctional family? the Barones,Ray and Robert.have sibling rivelry, Robert Says he was ignored and Ray was the smothered one,ray said he was not smothered,the mother took a job as a lunch lady so she can watch Ray eat all his lunch.

05-20-2010, 07:05 PM	#8
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	My vote goes for the Collins on Dark Shadows. In addition to sibling issues, and doomed romances, this family had ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, and other ghoules. You cant get more disyfunctional than that.

05-27-2010, 12:02 PM	#12
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	I think the Bundy's were the most dysfunctional tv family.
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05-27-2010, 03:30 PM	#14
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	The Bundys were supposed to be dysfunctional. That was what the Married With Children producers were striving for. They were an over-the-top parody of dysfunctional...and they did it well for a few years there.