# 'All in the Family': Failed Political Theater

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-in-the-family-failed-political-theater/709520>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 11, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-in-the-family-failed-political-theater/709520 "2015-01-11T02:44:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-in-the-family-failed-political-theater/709520/61 "2015-01-15T13:16:13Z")

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_Good Times_ isn’t watchable, either, at least the episodes after JJ became the breakout character aren’t. I don’t blame John Amos for leaving the show.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-in-the-family-failed-political-theater/709520/62 "2015-01-15T15:17:13Z")

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I read once that the makers of [_Joe_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_(1970_film)) were surprised with how many Americans actually identified with Joe, who was only in the story as an example of what Americans should not be.

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**Author:** ![Gerald\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Gerald\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerald_II)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-in-the-family-failed-political-theater/709520/63 "2015-01-15T20:49:55Z")

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> [@Knowed\_Out](#):
>
> [Richard Nixon](http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon) sure missed the mark when he saw an AITF episode. He thought the show’s purpose was to glorify homosexuality.

I thought the purpose of the show was to show a positive, non-stereotype of a gay male. Considering that Nixon viewed homosexuality as something bad, it makes sense that he would view any positive portrayal of a gay person as “glorifying.” In the show Meathead’s friend comes off as sensitive and a bit of a dandy, so Archie naturally calls him a fag. But it turns out that Achie’s friend, all-American former football player Steve, is the gay.  
I thought that that was what Nixon was referring to. Nixon says on the tape that after he saw that scene, that’s when he turned off the television.

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