10. All in the Family
Having been born in 1988, I’m a bit young to have actually experienced the ridiculous, racist, misogynistic humor of Archie Bunker. One of the most ironic instances of confusing television history is the fact that Bunker was originally supposed to be a disliked character.
Unfortunately, someone failed to do their homework and know their audience, because Bunker came to be seen as a decent portrayal of a funny, crude, frank, and ultimately honest blue collar man. Those who understood the character, including some celebrities who were members of groups Bunker joked about, actually liked the character, saying he was a lot like plenty of Americans at the time.
With that said, calling a man who was both African-American and Jewish a “two-time loser” is pretty offensive. I’ll admit it though, I laughed. Maybe that makes me a bad person. The show’s defenders have always said that Archie Bunker’s humor was meant to be, in and of itself, a direct series of jabs at prejudice, but some people can’t read between the lines and get past their own snap decision to be offended.
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