Mike Stivic was supposed to be the counter-culture Leftist equivalent to Archie Bunker’s outdated brand of staunch 1960s Conservatism. As such, the two engaged in a number of hilarious (and sometimes incredibly serious) arguments throughout the course of the classic sitcom All In The Family.
Although Mike was supposed to be the voice of reason and the political platform for the series’ most troubling social topics, he wasn’t always right. In some cases, he was dead wrong. Today we’re going to take a trip back 704 Hauser Street and take a look at 5 times Mike Stivic hit the nail on the head, and 5 times he missed the mark and acted like a complete meathead.
He Was Right About Race Relations
Although the majority of the characters in All In The Family were staunchly pro-minority in opposition to Archie, Mike was the voice that carried the rallying cry. His ultra-aware 1960s stance regarding the Civil Rights movement meant that he was far more in touch with the progression of racial minorities than could-care-less Archie.
Mike was a champion for civil rights, openly defying Archie on everything from equal rights protests to the Jeffersons moving in next door. It could be argued that most of his arguments would lead Archie to rethink his ignorant, bigoted ways later in the series.
He Was Wrong About His Rhetoric
Mike’s fight for equal rights was noble, but he took it too far on many an occasion, once earning the spite of his best friend Lionel Jefferson, who called him out on it. During a friendly game of Group Therapy, Mike became increasingly hostile when he believed the other players were embellishing his character flaws.
Lionel confronted Mike about his views on race relations, expressing his frustration that Mike would always patronize him with talk of racial problems instead of normal topics. In his own words, “Black people have weather too, you know!” Mike eventually flew into a rage before he was forced to self-analyze and conclude that his ideology was leading him down the path of extreme radicalism.
He Was Right About Feminism
Mike was quick to attack Archie for his chauvinist 1950s-era view of women, especially when it came to him trying to hold back Edith and Gloria from aspiring to greater things. This led Mike to point out the strides women had made up to that point, and how they deserved to be respected.
Throughout the series, Mike would take great delight in watching Archie eat crow when he was forced to deal with smart female politicians, doctors, and blue-collar workers.
He Was Also Wrong About Feminism
Mike’s views on feminism weren’t perfect, however. Several times throughout the series, Mike would display open hypocrisy when it came to women’s rights. When it was time to have his appendix out, he showed extreme hesitation at the thought of a woman doctor performing the procedure.
The problems didn’t end there. Mike claimed to believe in women’s rights to a point unless it conflicted with the traditional role of the man ruling the roost. This led to several breakout arguments between himself and Gloria, much to Archie’s delight
He Complained About Corporate Dishonesty
Mike was a true blue socialist who stopped just short of communism, which meant he was more than willing to go after corporations for what he perceived was an immoral encroachment on society. He would frequently single out companies for their flagrant disregard of rights and freedoms.
The fireworks truly began when Gloria’s employer broke the law by firing her because she had become pregnant. It was the last straw that put Mike on the offensive to stand up for what he thought was right.
He Ripped Of The Phone Company
While railing against the corporate dishonesty that seemed to infect every walk of society, Mike singled out Archie for stealing tools and other items from his job, leading to a humongous fight. In the same breath, he received a collect call from his friend in Chicago and used a secret code they devised to communicate their message without paying for the phone call.
Archie got hip to this very quickly, calling out Mike for his hypocrisy. Mike tried to defend his stance by pointing out how much money the phone company makes per year in toll fees, which put him right in the crosshairs of his family. Eventually, he was forced to admit that he was no better than the people he was singling out.
He Pursued A Strong Career For His Family
Mike was no stranger to studying. While living under the Bunker’s roof, his head stayed firmly planted in the books as he progressed through college, then eventually pursued a lucrative teaching job.
His drive to succeed was based on his desire to provide well for Gloria and their newborn son Joey, and he took every opportunity to pursue the best grades so that he could land the career of his dreams.
His Career Harmed His Marriage
Things got rough later on in their marriage when Mike’s career pursuits took the driver’s seat, while his family was relegated to the trunk. The problems continued when the Stivics moved to California, and Mike began hobnobbing with his academic peers.
The lack of attention spent on Gloria and Joey eventually caused a tremendous rift between the two which nearly led to a divorce. They kept it a secret as long as possible until Archie and Edith flew out to California to visit, and the entire problem spilled out into the open.
He Loved His Family
With no true family of his own except the uncle who raised him after his parents died in a car accident, Mike was essentially adopted by the Bunkers (sans Archie). As such, he grew to develop a strong bond not only with his wife Gloria, but his mother-in-law Edith, and even Archie, in a weird sort of way.
Mike was quick to help his family shoulder their burdens. He helped Edith overcome a crisis of faith, he supported Gloria as they transitioned into a new home, and he didn’t hesitate to help out when Archie was collapsing under the pressure of his neighborhood tavern dangling on the brink of failure.
He Abandoned His Family
In the end, Mike’s love for his family wasn’t enough to last for the long haul. After narrowly escaping a messy divorce, things seemed on the up and up for Mike and Gloria, until it was revealed that Mike lost his job after the two staged a nude protest against the opening of a nuclear power plant.
It was the final straw for the Stivics. Mike eventually abandoned his wife and child and fled to a California commune to live with another woman. Gloria was left to pick up the pieces of her life with her growing son Joey, and the story of Mike Stivic came to an unceremonious end.
