Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 144

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limits of economic growth. In ten years we went from "The
Revolution” to the genesis of "Reaganomics" (Edelstein and
McDonough 1).
Meanwhile, there was also a revolution going on in our living
rooms. In 1970, television was considered to be one of the most
irrelevant aspects of American life. Beginning in 1971, however, the
three major networks began airing shows which were thought to have
"contemporary urban relevance." The most successful of these shows
did not depict the life of an upscale, socially conscious professional,
but rather the humble existence of a beer-guzzling, middle-aged,
loading-dock worker and his dim-witted but well meaning wife. The
show, "All in the Family," which first appeared on January 12, 1971,
helped to revolutionize that most formulaic staple of American
television: the sitcom (Edelstein and McDonough 183-185).
Due to its impact on American audiences, "All in the Family" is
perhaps the single most influential program in the history of
broadcasting. The show broke new ground in the areas of story
development and character treatment and was the first situation
comedy to deal openly with bigotry, prejudice, and politics. Many
formerly taboo subjects such as abortion, birth control, menopause,
breast cancer, and rape were handled with dignity during the show's
nine-year run on CBS (1971-1979] (Brooks and Marsh 29).
(Dften, the central figure in these controversial shows was Edith
Bunker. Edith, the naive, "dingbat" wife of blue collar worker
Archie, gradually blossomed into a more fully develop>ed, mature,
and sometimes troubled character. Edith took years to come out of her
shell, assert herself, and demand the right to do even volunteer work.
Primarily, she was considered the "good wife" whose secondary
status to her husband was highly visible. She was devoted, patient,
and tolerant, although confused at times. Unlike Archie, she was
well equipped to cope with the changes that life often brings.
Diana Meehan, in her book. Ladies of the Evening: Women
Characters of Prime-Time Television^ discusses the role Edith played
as the archetypal good wife. Meehan states that Edith was
primarily concerned with her family. During the early years of the
show she rarely left the Bunker home except to go to the grocery store
or to church. Her life offered few diversions other than television
and the conversation of friends. She fulfilled her family's
expectations of cleaning the home and preparing and serving the