Book-It 'o14! Book #59
The Fifty Books Challenge, year five! ( 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) This was a secondhand find.
Title: TV's First Family by Louis Solomon
Details: Copyright 1973, Scholastic Book Services
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Father is a loudmouth.
Mother is a dingbat.
Daughter is a featherhead.
Son-in-law is a meathead.
Here they are: The Bunkers.
And here's the inside information
about that popular TV series
All in the Family:
How the program began.
Who made it.
Who loves it and who hates it.
And, especially, all about Archie, Edith, Gloria,
and Mike."
Why I Wanted to Read It: I'm a longtime fan (at least as long-time as since TV Land added All in the Family to their line up when I was in high school) of All in the Family, so when a family member happened upon this book, it seemed to be right up my interests.
How I Liked It: A bit of fan merchandise scarcely over one hundred ten pages from over forty years ago? What's the point?
As someone who came to the show longer after it went off the air and nostalgia goggles were firmly affixed, a book that looks at the then-current show is actually kind of fascinating, particularly as this book isn't what it appears. The book presents a number of reasoned arguments against the show and goes so far as to dim the nostalgia of brave and talented actors and earnest responsible Norman Lear to suggest something more complicated. Carroll O'Connor is uncomfortable and indignant about his newfound fame and influence and a contrarian. The parts of the female stars are scraps that encourage resentment. Norman Lear is a blowhard misogynist Hollywood fake with an edge for any criticism, and tensions with his cast are volatile and threaten to boil over. There are bits of truth in all of these portrayals, of course (O'Connor made conflicting statements and chafed with Lear over control which led to his being temporarily written out of the show, Lear clashed with Gentleman's Agreement author Laura Z Hobson who wrote an article critical of show's commitment to ending bigotry, refusing to return her initial call to him and then penning a counter-article where he dismissed her arguments based on many factors, including her age and, yes, her gender) which is what makes this so fascinating.
Long after the question has been answered about All in the Family's impact on American television and on American culture and the countless natterings of how They Couldn't Make a Show Like That Today, a reminder of the fact the show was once considered a risk and a danger for many good reasons is refreshing.
Title: TV's First Family by Louis Solomon
Details: Copyright 1973, Scholastic Book Services
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Father is a loudmouth.
Mother is a dingbat.
Daughter is a featherhead.
Son-in-law is a meathead.
Here they are: The Bunkers.
And here's the inside information
about that popular TV series
All in the Family:
How the program began.
Who made it.
Who loves it and who hates it.
And, especially, all about Archie, Edith, Gloria,
and Mike."
Why I Wanted to Read It: I'm a longtime fan (at least as long-time as since TV Land added All in the Family to their line up when I was in high school) of All in the Family, so when a family member happened upon this book, it seemed to be right up my interests.
How I Liked It: A bit of fan merchandise scarcely over one hundred ten pages from over forty years ago? What's the point?
As someone who came to the show longer after it went off the air and nostalgia goggles were firmly affixed, a book that looks at the then-current show is actually kind of fascinating, particularly as this book isn't what it appears. The book presents a number of reasoned arguments against the show and goes so far as to dim the nostalgia of brave and talented actors and earnest responsible Norman Lear to suggest something more complicated. Carroll O'Connor is uncomfortable and indignant about his newfound fame and influence and a contrarian. The parts of the female stars are scraps that encourage resentment. Norman Lear is a blowhard misogynist Hollywood fake with an edge for any criticism, and tensions with his cast are volatile and threaten to boil over. There are bits of truth in all of these portrayals, of course (O'Connor made conflicting statements and chafed with Lear over control which led to his being temporarily written out of the show, Lear clashed with Gentleman's Agreement author Laura Z Hobson who wrote an article critical of show's commitment to ending bigotry, refusing to return her initial call to him and then penning a counter-article where he dismissed her arguments based on many factors, including her age and, yes, her gender) which is what makes this so fascinating.
Long after the question has been answered about All in the Family's impact on American television and on American culture and the countless natterings of how They Couldn't Make a Show Like That Today, a reminder of the fact the show was once considered a risk and a danger for many good reasons is refreshing.