Was it here that people were talking about the sitcom documentary? I'm watching it now, and just got to the part where Bill Cosby was talking about All In The Family. In addition to saying that Archie Bunker never apologized for anything, he also said that he doesn't think anyone ever learned anything from that show. To begin with, I think he's wrong about that, but also, is "Do people learn from it?" really the measure of sitcoms?

Maybe at one time, but not since "Seinfeld".

My dad was married right out of high school and had three kids, but aside from meeting them once or twice - literally once or twice - there was never really any contact. I know their names and virtually nothing else about them. Did not see that coming.

wow

To begin with, I think he's wrong about that, but also, is "Do people learn from it?" really the measure of sitcoms?

There's also the question of what did people learn from The Cosby Show. Apparently we were supposed to be highly enlighted by having a black dentist and a black lawyer appearing in our living rooms. I don't remember being that surprised at the idea of black professionals.

sara!! Call me so we can try to meet up. I'll have my cell (of course).

The geniuses at the foundation want me to take a cab from BWI to Crystal City. hahahahahah.

Ahem.

Brooklyn was exotic to me at the time. But I was like, eleven, from bumfuck, Arizona. I hope my experience was not the typical one. I'm sad to say I find Cosby sanctimonious and annoying now, however.

Cosby annoys. AITF was funny, but there are still some valid comments to be made about it. At the time a noted comedian said "I have people tell me: 'I've got an uncle just like that'. Man, the only guy who ever had an uncle just like that was Mussolin's nephew." The other point was that for a while saying racist stuff was really really unacceptable. And all in the family crossed a line and said "you can be as racist as you want if you claim you are doing it to fight racism". Also it contributed to the stereotypes that that helped move this country to the right. You know: Racists are well-intentioned salt-of-the-earth working-class types with big hearts. Liberals are hypocritical delusional sanctimonius wimpy elitists. Rush Limbaugh's act is basically to pretend to be Archie Bunker for everyone who missed that "All in the Family" was satire, and that Archie was not intended to be a hero.

One reason that I disagree with Cosby's assessment is that, much of the time, Archie did learn something, even if he didn't admit it. One episode that I remember is where they're visiting Edith's niece, and Archie realizes that the niece's roommate is actually her girlfriend. Archie wants to leave right away -- this is wrong and they're sinners and this is not a house he wants to be in. Edith says no, this is her niece, they're staying. They argue about this, and Archie says, "Don't you think that God's up there judging right now?" And Edith responds, "Well of course he is. But he's God. You ain't." And Archie, with some grumbling, agrees to stay.

And that sort of thing happens in a bunch of episodes. Someone points out that Archie's wrong, and although he won't actually say, "I was wrong," he does the right thing, or somehow fixes whatever his previous statements had screwed up.

Someone points out that Archie's wrong, and although he won't actually say, "I was wrong," he does the right thing, or somehow fixes whatever his previous statements had screwed up.

Yeah, that is the part about his heart being in the right place. When he says and does bigoted things he doesn't mean to do anything wrong. The classic bully's excuse "I didn't mean nothin." Of course in real life the kind of stuff Archie did is not so easy to fix.