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Ktla75 t1_j3xee7y wrote

I'm always confused about how racist his shows are.

The late John Amos walked from that show when it got cringey.

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TelescopiumHerscheli OP t1_j3y114g wrote

If you look at a lot of television from years ago there's a lot of casual racism, with the racism getting worse the further back you go. I think the shows just reflect the spirit of the time.

There are two ways to think about the racism of the past. One way is to point out repeatedly (as so many people do) how racist some people were, as a way of signalling how enlightened people today (particularly the person doing the pointing out) are by comparison. The other approach is to accept that the past was bad but can't be changed, and commit oneself to work continuously to be less prejudiced in the future. This second approach is more difficult, but I think more productive. We can howl about a past that cannot be undone, or try to make the future better. The one approach is words ritualistically said, but with no outcome, while the other is actions quietly performed, or thoughts carefully re-examined, whose outcomes are tiny changes applauded by none, but, in cumulation, affecting many.

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AugmentedLurker t1_j3ydomm wrote

I think All in the Family did its best to navigate that problem. It didn't shy away from the fact that there were a lot of racists back then, but it tried to make Archie and his prejudices look foolish and that he came off as stubborn for no real reason.

It showed him learning and being a little more open minded as time went on (though not completely, that too was also realistic I find). There were a few episodes that he (occasionally inadvertently) befriended a minority in spite of his bigotry. There was also an episode I recall that carried the message that extremism, even with good intentions such as combating anti-Semitism, leads to violence (Archie Is Branded, Season 3 ep 20).

Idealistic, sure, but not that far from reality.

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