What Is Your Opinion On The Edith Rape Episode?

[Heenan Fan]

This is honestly both one of the most controversial sitcom episodes ever, but also on this forum over the years.

[Schmoopie]

I haven't seen it in a long time but Jean Stapleton and the whole cast did a great job on this episode.

[Heenan Fan]

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

I haven't seen it in a long time but Jean Stapleton and the whole cast did a great job on this episode.

Absolutely.

[Willbo]

I thought is it was an excellent episode. Jean Stapleton was so good in it. Did she win an Emmy for it? If not she should have.

[cfr1970]

It's never been a favorite of mine. Yes the acting is top notch and Jean Stapleton did a phenomenal job with it, but I just don't like seeing Edith being put in such a situation. She's such a beloved character that it's too uncomfortable for me to watch.

I watch one episode of AITF on dvd each night before bed. I play them in episode order and whenever I come back around that that episode I cringe. Good acting, but just don't like the subject matter.

Perhaps if it happened to Gloria it would be a bit easier to watch.

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by cfr1970

Perhaps if it happened to Gloria it would be a bit easier to watch.

And a lot more believable to say the very least.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by DJM77

And a lot more believable to say the very least.

Rapists don't care what you look like, so I don't know why you say that it would be "a lot more believable" if it was Gloria.

[Retro Vic]

I hated that episode, & I didn’t like it when they tried to go with serious topics. Honestly, they should have stuck to comedy. The Aunt Rose funeral is another one, that episode sucks, as well as the Stretch Cunningham funeral episode. Let me say this is IMHO, don’t want to offend anyone who likes these “serious” episodes. I think this is what killed a #1 show with very few unwatchable episodes. It killed ABP, & also Maude. Maude another show that was a phenomenally funny show, great writers, great cast, but why oh why did they feel compelled to do variety act episodes, & serious subjects? Just killed their ratings.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by Retro Vic

I hated that episode, & I didn’t like it when they tried to go with serious topics. Honestly, they should have stuck to comedy. The Aunt Rose funeral is another one, that episode sucks, as well as the Stretch Cunningham funeral episode. Let me say this is IMHO, don’t want to offend anyone who likes these “serious” episodes. I think this is what killed a #1 show with very few unwatchable episodes. It killed ABP, & also Maude. Maude another show that was a phenomenally funny show, great writers, great cast, but why oh why did they feel compelled to do variety act episodes, & serious subjects? Just killed their ratings.

That is the whole purpose of Norman Lear's shows though. He does comedy with serious issues instead of the usual slapstick comedy. I don't think the serious episodes killed the show. Archie lasted 13 years on TV; 9 with All in The Family and 4 with Archie Bunker's Place. People were not tired of that type of storytelling. It is a shame Maude only lasted 6 years though. Not sure how much of that is ratings or how much of it was actually Bea wanting to quit.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

This is honestly both one of the most controversial sitcom episodes ever, but also on this forum over the years.

Yes they did an excellent job on it!!

Must have been hard to do!!

[BestTVever]

Did not care for it and neither did the audience. Didn't Norman say the audience gasped when Edith was attacked. My issue was it was done at the time the show was going for shock value ratings. The show had dropped from its #1 spot and we got all kinds of episodes of shock value for ratings:
Edith gets raped
Archie joins the KKK
Mike is almost killed with a drag queen
Archie kidnaps Joey to get him baptized
Archie wants to out Edith's cousin Liz so she can get fired as a school teacher

This is what sitcoms do when the wheels are coming off

[Alan Brady's Hair]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Did not care for it and neither did the audience. Didn't Norman say the audience gasped when Edith was attacked. My issue was it was done at the time the show was going for shock value ratings. The show had dropped from its #1 spot and we got all kinds of episodes of shock value for ratings:
Edith gets raped
Archie joins the KKK
Mike is almost killed with a drag queen
Archie kidnaps Joey to get him baptized
Archie wants to out Edith's cousin Liz so she can get fired as a school teacher

This is what sitcoms do when the wheels are coming off

Yes. All in the Family claimed to hold a mirror up to modern life, but you had two deaths of people who weren't members of the household inside the house, two more violent murders of people who just left the house, attempted rape inside the house, and a home invasion by armed burglars.That's not any house I've known.

[BestTVever]

These episodes changed Edith. She was the one that rose above the strife to calm everyone and was a comedic force. When she was almost raped and Beverley was killed sent Edith into a downward spiral.
Also don't forget. We also get Archie in black face at the hospital when Joey was born. Was that really necessary? How about when Archie goes into a random stranger's hospital room in black face and the woman yells RAPE for the things Archie is asking her for.
Writers were just going for shock value and ratings. My peeve of the entire series is when Beverley was beaten to death and Mike was also beat Gloria shows up in the hospital room and laughs at Mike's face and the audience got the light to laugh along. WTF? It was considered a big joke or something. The characters were empty.

[Dude111]

No that def wasnt needed!!!!!

I dont think anything extreme is....... That show is good on its own!!

[TheLittleFaerie]

I hated the way the audience was LAUHGHING during it.