All in the Family Guy

Shows back in the days are extremely different than the shows of today. Family-Based TV Situation Comedy shows are usually based on political influence and categorized according to the hegemony of its era. For example, although shows such as “All in the Family” and “Family Guy” both deal with families living in society, due to the conflicting eras of the shows, similar situations can both have differing conclusions. 

"All in the Family"

http://nocureforthat.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/all-in-the-family

"Family Guy"

http://www.planet-familyguy.com/news/familyguy/?c=Television

How is it different: 

The contemporary family-based television shows that I chose to compare and contrast are “All in the Family” and “Family Guy.” The show “All in the Family,” which started in the Seventies, has major differences than the modern-day television show “Family Guy.” The show “All in the Family” deals with a middle class family dealing with the ideas and actions of the Ronald Reagan era, a time where conservatism was high on the rise. The viewpoints of the main character of the show, named Archie Bunker, differ than everyone else he comes into contact with, showing the audience of the time just how conservative and anti-liberal he truly is. For example, in an episode that we watched for our RTF 305 screening, we saw how Archie thought that homosexuals were considered very taboo to his society and how they are seen as outside of the norm. He described gays as “queer,” “fairies,” and “girly.” He refused to believe and accept that his guy best friend he has known for a while was truly a homosexual. His own beliefs clashed with his unexpected situation and was forced to accept his friend as he truly was. This conservative view on life differs greatly than the views seen on modern day television show “Family Guy.” Peter is a father who deals with unexpected occurrences throughout the show. One difference of these two shows is that Peter and his family are very more liberal and accepting than the Bunker family’s views. In one episode, Peter’s daughter Megan tells her family that she believes that she is a lesbian. Even though her claims were later not true, her family still accepted the idea that even though she is lesbian, she was still her daughter regardless. This shows that how over time, views of the nation greatly shifted from very strict to more accepting. 

How it is the same:

Although these shows differ due to the era-based hegemonies and societies of the times, “All in the Family” and “Family Guy” also have some similarities. Both of the shows focus on middle-class families making their way in the world with their jobs in America. This demonstrates how the show’s focus of interest was to appeal to the large middle class working families, which has always been the majority in America. These two episodic television shows are also the same because current events at the time shape how family members think. Their beliefs and thoughts are usually influenced by society and it’s political influence at the time. The wives of the two main character males are also the same. Feminist views of both television shows demonstrate how women think a lot a like despite being in different eras in history.  Edith Bunker and Lois Griffith are both the accepting woman who are accepting of others. At the end of the day, the families love one another and will always accept them for who they are, even if it is more tougher for some than others. 

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Some issues that “All in the Family” deals with that “Family Guy” doesn’t is the struggle for acceptance. Sure, there is some struggle for acceptance seen throughout “Family Gu  y,” but it is not seen nearly as much or as serious as in the conservative show “All in the Family.” In modern days, homosexuals are seen more commonly and less taboo in television shows and in society. A small example of another issue is when Archie did not want to miss the fight on television and felt that he needed to watch that show at that second since he can’t be able to later. This problem has been solved in today’s society with a little thing called “DVR” which can record shows that you might miss. 

Some issues that “Family Guy” deals with that “All in the Family” does not is internet dangers and electronic threats seen massively in the past decade. With new technology being made over time, it is easy to see how things such as Sexting, Internet lurers, and Pornography are issues seen more commonly in modern-day family based television shows than in earlier era shows. 

I also included a video to show Peter's reaction to his daughter telling him that she is a lesbian. Instead of not accepting Meg for who she claims she really is, he finds her newfound self discovery "awesome." This shows how cultures and eras in television have greatly changed since the days where conservative views on homosexuals were displayed negatively on television.