Laughing With Him, not At Him

[dougiezerts]

There's a brilliant passage in Mad Magazine's parody of All In the Family:
Mike--Arch, I'm worried.
Archie--You don't have to worry about me.
Mike--Who's worried about you, I'm worried about me; deep down, I agree with you!
Archie--Of course you do, most Americans do. That's why this show is such a hit. I'm so popular, I may run for president. Or better still--vice president!

This has gotten me to thinking: Were there a lot of viewers who secretly agreed with Archie Bunker's beliefs?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by dougiezerts

There's a brilliant passage in Mad Magazine's parody of All In the Family:
Mike--Arch, I'm worried.
Archie--You don't have to worry about me.
Mike--Who's worried about you, I'm worried about me; deep down, I agree with you!
Archie--Of course you do, most Americans do. That's why this show is such a hit. I'm so popular, I may run for president. Or better still--vice president!

This has gotten me to thinking: Were there a lot of viewers who secretly agreed with Archie Bunker's beliefs?

Yeah there was a newspaper poll in 1972 by the Philadelphia Inquirer asking readers did Archie Bunker reflect the thinking of the average American blue collar worker and 61% said yes

Some readers even said

"He expresses opinions of all whites"

"I am prejudiced and proud of it"

"I never seen anyone like him"

"He is crude and should be taken off the air"

"He is like most whites except when black neighbors move next door he doesn't move"


Source: Blacks and White TV, 1983, Fred MacDonald