I have just been watching a biography of Carol O’Connor.
You remember he was the star of “All in the Family.” He was Archie Bunker.
A lot of people don’t remember that. Every day less people do.
How about Roseanne? She was wildly popular in her day.
That day is gone.
Back then the idea of having an American “bigot” on television was a big deal. After the show caught on a popular book came out, “The Wit and Wisdom of Archie Bunker.” There were lots of bumper stickers, “Archie Bunker for President.”
Carol O’Connor was stunned by the popularity of his character. He was so sure the show would be a flop that he would not show up for the recording of the first episode unless the studio gave him a round trip ticket to his home in Italy.
After All in the Family became a hit O’Connor kept insuring people that he was nothing like Archie Bunker. Jean Stapleton and everybody else on the show kept testifying that O’Connor had not a trace of political heresy in his entire makeup. He was Irish, but he was not THAT kind of Irish.
THAT kind of Irish consisted of working class types like those in South Boston, the ones who fought racial busing. As I have bragged before, I am an Honorary Southie myself.
Roseanne was a wild hit in its day, too. Roseanne was working class on her show, but she let everybody know that she herself was a good Jewish woman without a trace of political heresy in her being.
In their day, Archie Bunker and Roseanne were a big deal. When the network finally dared air the first Archie Bunker show, they had a Political Warning first. Back then all three networks were run out of New York by the same people and nothing that offended New York Politically Correct Opinion was even considered.
Back then a balanced political debate was a discussion involving two liberal Republicans and three liberal Democrats.
No, I am not exaggerating.
In those days the only places that mattered were Hollywood and New York. The rest of America was referred to as “flyover country.”
And they meant it.
No, I am not exaggerating.
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