Archie was still a man. He loved and provided for his family.
I think his bigotry was an act; a defensive crust over his vulnerability. In the end he can only let people be who they are. He doesn’t throw out Gloria and Michael (and Michael/Meathead despite being progressive" is just as foolish, stubborn and sexist). Archie was merely wrong or misled; he did not create pernicious lies and then hold people to them.
He would have been against letter bombing campaigns and the harassment of war veterans as cowards.
Yes, Eric, thank you for that insight. Archie is lovable in spite of everything, which is why his wife, daughter and son-in-law do love him. Even Mike feels sympathy for Archie on at least one episode. When he and Gloria move out of Archie's house, Mike admits that he considers Archie a father. Moreover, Archie's racism is limited to a kind of snobbery (which is not hatred) and draws the line firmly at violence. When some vigilante kills a friendly black man (or a Jew?) outside in the street, Archie stands in tears with Edith, Mike and Gloria at the open front door. Archie is sympathetic, because he's so obviously and desperately in need of it. He's among the lowest of the low--not only by personal lack of ability but also by class. And yet he still tries, often grudgingly, to maintain the social order that has left him behind.
Twenty years earlier, Jackie Gleason portrayed a similar character on The Honeymooners. Ralph Kramden drives a bus in Manhattan. His best friend, Ed Norton, works in the sewer. They both live with their wives in the Brooklyn slum of Bensonhurst. Ralph is loud, fat, clumsy, ignorant and opinionated. He and Ed keep coming up with crazy get-rich-quick schemes, which always fail dismally. Ralph ends up utterly humiliated. But life has given him one prize of inestimable value: a loving wife. He sometimes tries to bully Alice, who is no passive victim and often irritating or even insulting in any case. "Bang, zoom," Ralph screams, "you're going to the Moon, Alice!" But both she and the viewers know that he'd never touch her in anger. At the end of every episode, Ralph apologizes for being foolhardy or stupid or whatever, and Alice always says the right thing. "Baby, you're the greatest," he says, and they embrace.
I think of Ralph, and even of Archie, as folk-heroes. Jews would call him the archetypal "schlemiehl." Other people might call him Charlie Chaplain. Why are they heroic? Because they persevere. To be more precise, because they live on hope. No matter how many times life knocks them down, they get up and try again. "Tomorrow," as Scarlett O'Hara says in a very different context, "is another day."
Thank you, Tom. The girl that committed the mass shooting in Madison, Wisconsin was a man-hating feminist. But the mainstream media is covering that fact up. Instead of the feminist Archie Bunker being exposed, the media is on the side of the new Archie Bunker.
If I'm not mistaken Archie Bunker was based on a beloved (albeit controversial) British sitcom called Till Death Do Us Part and a character called Alf Garnett. I never saw Archie Bunker but loved Alf Garnett.
Alf thought his pov was the popular one that every right thinking person agreed with. That it was a natural consequence. Hence he was authoritarian. Everyone who disagrees are degenerate.
Just like feminists.
Highly attached to identity politics and the justification for discrimination. Grievance politics. Alf believes he is the true face of Britain that is responsible for British success that has been marginalized and exploited by the establishment even though the establishment has largely catered to him.
Just like feminists.
Feminists have a false sense of how much society and the establishment have profited off women/feminists exclusively.
At least Alf Garnett loved football (soccer) supporting West Ham United... feminists pretend to support sports teams in order to promote women and undermine anything remotely male.
Your so right. I just happened to watch an episode of Archie bunker for nostalgia. Its was still funny. The difference between then and now is that so many people today ACT overly sensitive like Puritans
Good lists, Tom and Meyrick! Archie lived in fear, willfully ignorant and uninformed, knowing that information would force him to rethink his core beliefs, a task that would dismantle his universe. A bully before we knew what bullies were, he sought power through hostility and aggression. Sounds like a feminist to me.
What a beautiful set of comments! Thank you all for your insights. What a great group! I am going to be announcing some things soon about next year with the emphasis on how we can use this site to solidify the community here and get red pilled people together. More on that soon.
Hi Tom
Archie was still a man. He loved and provided for his family.
I think his bigotry was an act; a defensive crust over his vulnerability. In the end he can only let people be who they are. He doesn’t throw out Gloria and Michael (and Michael/Meathead despite being progressive" is just as foolish, stubborn and sexist). Archie was merely wrong or misled; he did not create pernicious lies and then hold people to them.
He would have been against letter bombing campaigns and the harassment of war veterans as cowards.
Feminists would be better if he was in charge.
Yes, Eric, thank you for that insight. Archie is lovable in spite of everything, which is why his wife, daughter and son-in-law do love him. Even Mike feels sympathy for Archie on at least one episode. When he and Gloria move out of Archie's house, Mike admits that he considers Archie a father. Moreover, Archie's racism is limited to a kind of snobbery (which is not hatred) and draws the line firmly at violence. When some vigilante kills a friendly black man (or a Jew?) outside in the street, Archie stands in tears with Edith, Mike and Gloria at the open front door. Archie is sympathetic, because he's so obviously and desperately in need of it. He's among the lowest of the low--not only by personal lack of ability but also by class. And yet he still tries, often grudgingly, to maintain the social order that has left him behind.
Twenty years earlier, Jackie Gleason portrayed a similar character on The Honeymooners. Ralph Kramden drives a bus in Manhattan. His best friend, Ed Norton, works in the sewer. They both live with their wives in the Brooklyn slum of Bensonhurst. Ralph is loud, fat, clumsy, ignorant and opinionated. He and Ed keep coming up with crazy get-rich-quick schemes, which always fail dismally. Ralph ends up utterly humiliated. But life has given him one prize of inestimable value: a loving wife. He sometimes tries to bully Alice, who is no passive victim and often irritating or even insulting in any case. "Bang, zoom," Ralph screams, "you're going to the Moon, Alice!" But both she and the viewers know that he'd never touch her in anger. At the end of every episode, Ralph apologizes for being foolhardy or stupid or whatever, and Alice always says the right thing. "Baby, you're the greatest," he says, and they embrace.
I think of Ralph, and even of Archie, as folk-heroes. Jews would call him the archetypal "schlemiehl." Other people might call him Charlie Chaplain. Why are they heroic? Because they persevere. To be more precise, because they live on hope. No matter how many times life knocks them down, they get up and try again. "Tomorrow," as Scarlett O'Hara says in a very different context, "is another day."
Thank you, Tom. The girl that committed the mass shooting in Madison, Wisconsin was a man-hating feminist. But the mainstream media is covering that fact up. Instead of the feminist Archie Bunker being exposed, the media is on the side of the new Archie Bunker.
Yes, the phrase "Kill All Men" seems to be in vogue. Maybe feminists are less like Archie and more like Apartheid?
Agreed!
If I'm not mistaken Archie Bunker was based on a beloved (albeit controversial) British sitcom called Till Death Do Us Part and a character called Alf Garnett. I never saw Archie Bunker but loved Alf Garnett.
Alf thought his pov was the popular one that every right thinking person agreed with. That it was a natural consequence. Hence he was authoritarian. Everyone who disagrees are degenerate.
Just like feminists.
Highly attached to identity politics and the justification for discrimination. Grievance politics. Alf believes he is the true face of Britain that is responsible for British success that has been marginalized and exploited by the establishment even though the establishment has largely catered to him.
Just like feminists.
Feminists have a false sense of how much society and the establishment have profited off women/feminists exclusively.
At least Alf Garnett loved football (soccer) supporting West Ham United... feminists pretend to support sports teams in order to promote women and undermine anything remotely male.
Fascinating. I had never heard of Alf before. Thanks for this,
Your so right. I just happened to watch an episode of Archie bunker for nostalgia. Its was still funny. The difference between then and now is that so many people today ACT overly sensitive like Puritans
Ain't it the truth!
Good lists, Tom and Meyrick! Archie lived in fear, willfully ignorant and uninformed, knowing that information would force him to rethink his core beliefs, a task that would dismantle his universe. A bully before we knew what bullies were, he sought power through hostility and aggression. Sounds like a feminist to me.
Great points Allen!
This is an interesting hypothesis, similar to one that I try to break down in my post here: https://brackishwatersbarrensoil.substack.com/p/when-feminism-meets-the-algorithm
One of the things I try to do is to distinguish the different types of feminism, especially as it relates to the online landscape.
Thanks Rohan, will have a look.
Archie was a far better person, with all his flaws, than any feminist will ever be!
LOL! So true!
I don't know who Archie Bunker is, but I just compared Lily Phillips to a vet in case anyone is interested :)
https://platosrabbitcave.substack.com/p/how-the-lily-phillips-sex-a-thon
Schrödinger's feminism! So true!
What a beautiful set of comments! Thank you all for your insights. What a great group! I am going to be announcing some things soon about next year with the emphasis on how we can use this site to solidify the community here and get red pilled people together. More on that soon.