There’s nothing wrong with this country that couldn’t be cured by watching reruns of “All in the Family.” It would comfort our polarized souls to hear audiences laughing uproariously as Archie Bunker says things in the 1970s that make him sound like Donald Trump today.
Few are laughing today.
“All in the Family” became a popular TV series by tackling issues dividing us. When Archie said things that were racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic or homophobic, the live audience laughed at the face in the mirror.
When Trump says that which is racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic or homophobic, millions cheer, repeat his words and vote for him.
Archie’s laugh-evoking, scripted MAGA vision paralleled Trump’s grievance-driven argument for white supremacy. “Equality is unfair,” Archie proclaimed. “What’s the point of a man working hard all his life, trying to get someplace, if all he’s gonna do is wind up equal?”
Archie Bunker’s audience responded with belly laughs. Trump’s audience participated in an insurrection to protect white privilege.
Archie’s laugh-evoking, scripted views of immigrants paralleled Trump’s worldview when Archie paraphrased the Statue of Liberty’s poem. “Send me your poor, your deadbeats, your filthy, and all the nations sent them in here.”
That’s not far from Trump’s speech when he said to applause, “The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with them. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. Some, I assume, are good people.”
Archie’s script defended his “America First” bigotry, explaining he’s just “looking out for No. 1,” which he says makes his African-American neighbor “No. 2.” Archie’s daughter Gloria sarcastically challenges Archie’s logic. “I suppose the Puerto Ricans are No. 3 then?” Archie’s response? “Not necessarily, little girl, your Puerto Ricans could be 4. Your Japs and your Chinks could be 3 … 3A, 3B.”
Archie explained. “I ain’t no bigot. I’m the first guy to say it ain’t your fault that youse are colored.” Archie’s limited use of English foreshadowed Trump’s same mumbo jumbo. “No bum that can’t speak poifect English oughta stay in this country — oughta be de-exported the hell outta here!”
In the ’70s, Americans laughed at Archie’s outrageous expressions of racism. Today, millions don that goofy red MAGA cap and dream of restoring an America that existed last in the horrors of Jim Crow.
Archie shared Trump’s sense of “wokeness” with as little grip on history as Trump. He explained the root of the problem wasn’t found in critical race theory. “I’ll tell you one thing about President Nixon,” Archie announced. “He keeps Pat home. Which was where Roosevelt should have kept Eleanor. Instead, he let her run around loose until one day she discovered the colored. We never knew they were there. She told them they were gettin’ the short end of the stick, and we been having trouble ever since.”
Trump condenses the argument into a single word: “Wokeness.”
Like Trump supporters, Archie misapplied his Bible to support his prejudices, saying, “I always check with the Bible on these here things. If God meant for us to be together, he’d-a put us together. But look what he done. He put them over in Africa and the rest of us in all the white countries.” Trumpian to its core.
At Trump rallies, MAGA zealots subconsciously sing without a hint of irony, “Boy, the way Glenn 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.”
Yes indeed! Those were the days … days when people laughed at and ridiculed that which deserved laughter and ridicule. Archie Bunker, the blue-collar 1970s guy struggling with America’s pluralism, would have “desparagated” Donald Trump for all the same reasons we should.
