On Jan. 12, 1971, the first episode of All in the Family aired on televisions across America. It was the first major American series to be videotaped before a live studio audience, and went on to top the Nielsen ratings for an unprecedented five consecutive seasons during its eight-year run. The show has since been ranked the fourth greatest of all time by TV Guide, and in 2013, the Writers Guild of America named it the fourth best-written TV series ever. Its protagonist, a cantankerous curmudgeon by the name of Archie Bunker, is widely and endearingly regarded as a “lovable bigot,” and his impassioned takes on the social issues of the day are widely credited for the show’s immense popularity. From Wiki:
A World War II veteran, “Archie longs for better times when people sharing his viewpoint were in charge, as evidenced by the nostalgic theme song "Those Were the Days" (also the show's original title). Despite his bigotry, he is portrayed as loving and decent, as well as a man who is simply struggling to adapt to the changes in the world, rather than someone motivated by hateful racism or prejudice.”
In this regard, the patriarch of the Bunker family is the prototypical Trump voter. Reading the above description, it’s easy to envision a disheveled Archie in his red, made in China “Make America Great Again” hat, shouting “build that wall” as he watches The O’Reilly Factor on his couch in 2016. It also isn’t a stretch to see how a nation once so enthralled by the musings of a white working-class bigot has now fallen prey to a movement and political season predicated on the fiery yet misplaced anger of the white working class. As we look ahead to the installation of a government by, for, and of the disgruntled, narrow-minded, gray-haired white men of the Republican party, there’s little doubt that Mr. Bunker would enthusiastically agree: the “good ole days” are here again.
