4th Blog Assignment- "All in the Family" compared to" Arrested Development"

All in the Family and Arrested Development are family-based situational comedies that hold characteristics that make them both similar and different.

While Arrested Development is much more pronounced in its audacity to show taboo attitudes and behaviors, All in the Family takes on the issue of homosexuality with a realistic approach. All in the Family uses Archie Bunker's character to illuminate the common prejudices against homosexual men in an ignorant light by his use of demeaning name calling. Where his hostility creates tension amongst the audience for the honesty of his character, the openness of his personal opinion is contested between his family. Arrested Development pursues this subject matter in a purely comic light. The character Tobias is constantly acting in a suggestive manner that makes him seem gay without him realizing it. He consistently spouts innuendos without realizing they could be easily and obviously taken out of context. While All in the Family is more shocking because of the reality of Archie's mindset, Arrested Development treats the situation unabashedly.

 These two shows could be considered complementary, because they pursue a disapproved topic. Both attempt humor and show dysfunction within a "superficially normal" family. There is also the fact that the older generations are opposed to the "homosexuals" in the shows. For example, in All in the Family Archie berates his son's friend behind his back with insults and in Arrested Development both of Lindsay's parents disapprove of her marriage to Tobias because he acts so strangely to them. Both shows are connected by their ability to point humor, whether considered offensive, in a direct way towards taboo subjects.

An issue that All in the Family dealt with that Arrested Development did not was that Archie, when he learned his long-time friend was indeed gay, changed his perception of people and may have grown as a character. Another fact is that Archie's friend was portrayed subtly whereas Tobias is much more obvious in his manner of speaking and dress. An issue that Arrested Development deals with that All in the Family  does not is that homosexuality is much more accepted in modern times. It also deals with the fact that closet homosexuals may marry to hide their true identities.