Where Have You Gone Archie Bunker

I'm fortunately old enough to remember the TV show theme song below:

                        Boy the way Glen Miller played 
                        Songs that made the hit parade. 
                        Guys like us we had it made, 
                        Those were the days. 

                        And you knew who you were then, 
                        Girls were girls and men were men, 
                        Mister we could use a man 
                        Like Herbert Hoover again. 

                       Didn't need no welfare state, 
                       Everybody pulled his weight. 
                       Gee our old LaSalle ran great. 
                       Those were the days. 

If the lyrics aren't familiar to you, you missed out.  If they are, then you can probably picture Archie and Edith Bunker at the piano belting out the tune.  The show was called All In the Family.  My guess is it probably couldn't have been made today in our never-say-what-you-think-out-loud-unless-you're-certain-no one-will-be offended-world.  The 64 word theme song alone would likely been seen as actionably offensive to women, blacks, and gays, and poor people.  

But the show's point was not to offend it was to allow a variety of viewpoints to be expressed. Over the course of its nine year run, it left no topic untouched.  Archie, shared his often bigoted opinion on a variety of subjects.  Below are some classics:



Archie: [to Baby Joey] When you're older, I'll be telling you fairy stories. No, not about them people.
............................................................................................................................
Archie: [on the phone] No, no, I ain't got nothing against them people. I'm calling you from a home that used to be colored.
............................................................................................................................

Archie: No bum that can't speak poifect English oughta stay in this country...oughta be de-exported the hell outta here!

............................................................................................................................Archie: Well, yous 2 may have come from monkeys and bamboons, but not me.
............................................................................................................................Irene: (the sign says) "Pilferers Will Be Prosecuted." 
Archie: It means queers stay out of the men's room.
............................................................................................................................
Edith:  What's that?Archie: A white guy standin' there bloatin' over takin' a job from a colored guy.

............................................................................................................................Archie: I think that if God had meant us to be together, He'd have put us together. But look what He done. He put you over in Africa, and He put the rest of us in all the white countries.

Sammy Davis Jr.: Well, you must have told him where we were, 'cause somebody came and got us.

.......................................................................................................................................................

Live laughter (the show was the first major production to tape in front of a live audience) followed all of these lines.  There were no picket signs, no boycotts, and no forced, empty apologies.  The show's writers got to say what they wanted through Archie and others. To my knowledge, no one who disagreed demanded a pound of flesh for the percieved opprobrium. 

Not so today.  There are endless examples of people saying what they think and being forced to repent. CEO have been fired for donating to causes consistent with their beliefs. Restaurants have been boycotted when the owners dare speak their beliefs out loud. And people who are paid to give their opinions on the events of the day have been suspended for doing exactly that.  Do a search on Brendan Eich, Dan Cathy, Stephen A Smith for some details.

But for a real head scratcher (at least to me), consider Ted Bishop's story.  Bishop was forced out as the head of the PGA after he got into a social media spat with professional golfer Ian Poulter.  Here's what he said on twitter to get himself axed:

"@IanJPoulter, Faldo's record stands by itself.  Six Majors and all time RC record.  Yours vs his?  Lil girl."

For that he went on the apology tour and lost his job anyway because his comments were deemed very insensitive to women.  

I see extreme and even unnecessary machismo in his statement.  But misogyny?  I can't get there.

For Mr. Bishop's future endeavors I suggest he let Archie's confession below guide any public statements:

"What I say ain't got nothing to do with what I think."

Those WERE the days.

Thanks.

Keenan


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