The 1970’s hit television series All in the Family sparked controversy for its time in its third episode entitled “Judging Books by Covers”. For this particular episode, this title is describing Archie’s discrimination of Roger, a friend of Mike’s who exemplifies a homosexual but is actually straight, and Archie’s close comrade and drinking buddy Steve, who is a burly, buff, retired baseball player who unknowingly to Archie, has been a homosexual throughout their entire friendship.
In comparison to today’s typical family-based TV situation comedies, the extreme emphasis put solely on the issue of homosexuality displayed in the All in the Family episode is not as controversial as it would be in the present. Archie demonstrates publicly to both Roger and Steve his disapproving stance on the issue of homosexuality. In the 1970’s, the issue of homosexuality was more foreign and abrasive than in the present. Homosexuals were more brutally scrutinized then than they are now due to several homosexuality movements.
While there are several aspects in All in the Family that are dramatically different than present day family-based TV situation comedies, there are some similarities as well. The typical gender roles are still somewhat enforced, having the women be the homemakers and the males being portrayed as the main source of income for the family who go out for drinks for “guy time”. There is more family dispute in family-based sitcoms these days; however, All in the Family portrayed a functional yet not utopian family like family-based sitcoms in previous decades.
The current issues that are dealt with in our day-to-day lives are more directly addressed than they were in the 1970’s. This episode All in the Family dealt with the issues of homosexuality and sexism. The concept of publically and directly discussing such issues was unheard of at the time, thus All in the Family took a major risk addressing such issues. While these issues prevail today, they are not as epic and controversial as they were in the 1970’s. The lines between gay and straight and the stereotypical gender roles are more blurred. Today’s family-based sitcoms constantly address issues such as teen pregnancy, poverty, crime, the financial crisis, as well as other present day issues.