Sarah Palin To Appear On Laugh-In? Archie Bunker A Tea-Bagger?

[napkinz]

I've been watching a lot of "retro-TV" lately. Last night on PBS I saw a new special called Best Of Laugh-In. And TV Land is celebrating the 40th anniversary of All In The Family.

A lot of the issues those shows addressed in the 60's and 70's we're still dealing with today. And it got me thinking:

1. If Laugh-In were on today, would Sarah Palin make an appearance as Nixon had done in 1968 (Sock It To Me?)?

2. If All In The Family were on today, would Archie Bunker -- a Republican but also a union man -- be a teabagger? (TV Land just had an episode on a few nights ago where Archie's union went on strike.) Whose side would Archie be on if he were living in Wisconsin?

[Motown_Johnny]

1. She was on SNL, I would think she would go on Laugh-In

and if All In The Family were on today it is likely that Archie would not be in a union. He might be the small business owner that he was on Archie's Place when he owned a bar.

[napkinz]

2. I think Archie would not only be a teabagger but also a birther.

The Archie of All In The Family, not Archie Bunker's Place.

[CBHagman]

3. Parade magazine put for the Archie/tea party connection...

...but I find that obnoxiously context-free. First off, the basis for All in the Family was a British show, Till Death Do Us Part. I suspect a lot of people don't realize that.

Secondly, All in the Family was a product of a transitional period, a time of huge social upheaval (the aftermath of several assassinations; continuance of an unpopular war; GLBT and feminist movements visible in the media but not permeating it, etc.), and of course AITF's creator is Norman Lear, whose name will forever be associated with progressive causes.

Yes, some people identified with Archie Bunker, but he was also something of a buffoon. Being called an Archie Bunker was not a term of flattery. In fact the name could be shorthand for
ignorant bigot, something the Parade article passed over entirely.

Besides, the tea party is linked with lobbyists, the former majority leader of the House (Dick Armey), billionaire supporters (the Koch brothers), etc. It's hardly a working class movement.

[napkinz]

4. being a Republican and being in a union back then ....

... that it seems to us like a contradiction today shows just how far extreme right the GOP has gone.