Proof Al And Peggy Love Each Other In Married With Children

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https://www.looper.com/1000775/proof...with-children/

BY RITA DORSCH/SEPT. 9, 2022 12:21 PM EDT

When most people think of "Married... with Children" — the long-running, bawdy sitcom that was, for a long stretch of the '80s and '90s, appointment TV — they probably think of how rude Al and Peggy Bundy were, to everyone else and to each other. The whole show was predicated on the idea that Al, a working class shoe salesman, was miserable both at home and on the job. "Married... with Children" debuted at an in-between time in the history of television, after the wholesome shows of the '50s and '60s gave way to an influx of groundbreaking Norman Lear television shows, but before an onslaught of sleeker, friendship-centered shows like "Seinfeld" and "Friends." Some of its closest contemporaries, like "The Simpsons" and "Roseanne," explored similar territory: chiefly that the world was changing for everyday Joes and their families, and no one quite knew what to make of it.

Al and Peg married at 18 and had their first child not long after, which was common during the time in which the show premiered and the world in which it takes place. "Married... with Children" frequently finds humor in the difficulty that is their lives. They live paycheck to paycheck. Their kids are disappointments. They feel as though they have little dignity. The way Al and Peggy treat each other could be considered cruel, but fans realized that the sitcom was meant to be a satirical take on marriage and parenthood, especially audiences who shared their particular struggles. Upon closer examination, the Bundys were faithful, supportive, and accepting of each other, and their bond could weather the storms that writers deluged them with every week. Need proof? Here are some of the most memorable times that Al and Peggy's love endured.