The TV series “All in the Family,” contains differences and similarities with a contemporary family-based TV situation comedy. Consider a scenario in which a person contains a certain ideology, and this person’s family and friends do not necessarily agree with his/her ideas. Moreover, the character Archie Bunker plays the role of the father in the TV show, “All in the Family.” The show tends to focus on his views of the world, and the problems that evolve whenever his views are challenged. In doing so, “All in the Family” covers controversial topics that were common in the previous decades when the show was aired. The theme song of the show was played before every episode. This theme song is about Archie missing the times when the people in power’s views matched his world views. In contrast, contemporary family-based TV sitcoms don’t tend to joke about society’s concerns of serious issues, and opposing world views. TV sitcoms today try to relate to the audience in terms of what events are occurring today in the twenty first century. Such as how much more open-minded our society has become through the media. The episode our classed viewed of “All in the Family” dealt with the issue of sexuality. Today’s family sitcoms do not oppose and ridicule as harshly on views of an individual’s sexuality. Instead, today’s shows are more open-minded about this topic and while in “All in the Family” Archie portrays his opposing views on the issue. In addition, the family sitcoms today do not necessarily demonstrate the “correct” way to function as a family. There are now more diverse family lifestyles in different sitcoms. Unlike “All in the Family” where it showed the father as the head chief while the other family members played their typical roles, the family sitcoms today may demonstrate completely different lifestyles and roles of each family member.
There are as well some similarities between “All in the Family” and today’s family sitcoms. Families shown in today’s sitcoms, and the family in “All in the Family” both contain a series of flaws. These numerous flaws within the family provide access into relating with the audience of each show. It is hard to seek a perfectly functioning family in today’s world. Therefore, “All in the Family” and family sitcoms today both learn to deal with common, real life problems/conflicts that arrive in their episodes. In return, the audience of these shows can receive whatever lesson is given at the end of each episode and use it in their daily lives.
One of the issues that “All in the Family” deals with in which family sitcoms today don’t is the use of racism. “All in the Family” used slang terms in order to target and represent specific races or stereotypes. This includes the terms “fags” for homosexuals and other slang terms for specific races. Even though “All in the Family” intends their slang remarks to be jokes, in today’s sitcoms there is a much lower level of racial slurs and prejudice remarks.
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