He is (was) my favorite television actor. I initially hated him in "All in the Family", and then I loved him as I saw the genius of what he was trying to accomplish there. I loved his work in "In the Heat of the Night". A terrific person through and through... He will be missed. :-(
What was he trying to accomplish in "All in the Family". I hated him also on that show. But I love him in "The Heat of the Night". I just felt "All in the Family" was a...hmmmm....what's the word I'm looking for....."prejudice" show.
Re: What was he trying to accomplish Good question. I think Carroll O'Connor developed a character of the "marginalized white man" in a society that was fast changing. The show debued in 1971 - after a few years of major social chaos in this country, in which gender, ethnic, and national "roles" were turning upside down. O'Connor brilliantly developed the character beyond what Lear (or whoever wrote the show) envisioned. Like you, I had major problems when I first began watching the show and I thought O'Connor enjoyed being Archie far too well for my liking. I was not entirely sure about O'Conner until I saw "In the Heat of the Night" which was, to me, just as groundbreaking for southern television audiences. In both shows, he was great at honestly showing prejudices and showing how people can - if they want to - grow out of those prejudices over time. ITHOTN culminated with an IR relationship between his character and an African-American woman, something unimaginable at the start of the show. "All in the Family" is very much like Spike Lee's "Bamboozled". It took the politically correct audiences somewhere they didn't want to go, and left them there to explore their (our) own prejudices face on without suggesting that our prejudices are okay. Brilliant, considering this was done in the 1970's. Compare "All in the Family" to other marginalized white man commentary like "Bulworth" and you'll clearly see the difference between what the cast/writers wanted to communicate. Unlike O'Connor, I *do* believe that Warren Beatty shares Bulworth's ideologies, there was no "we shouldn't think this way" message, and I personally chafe at Halle Berry taking his GF's role (hello, Bamboozled...) "you know you're my favorite n-----..." WTF????!!!!??? Sorry this is so long. If you can't tell, I have a deep respect for O'Connor. I wish his widow and family the best.
Re: What was he trying to accomplish Talkabout WAYYYY off-topic! BUT... thank you for starting the thread. I was feeling stupid because I did feel sad at reading the obit. this AM. Nice to know I'm not the only one! Mom- about the prejudice comment - I certainly see your point. BUT... take a look at the disclaimer that CBS put up before the 1st episode ... "WARNING: The program you are about to see is ALL IN THE FAMILY. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are." And, imho, it did. Abortion, mixed-race marriages, gays/lesbians, inter-faith issues... they all got air time that before were never touched by the networks. Of course it's Norman Lear to thank... but it is Carroll O'Connor's portrayal of "love to hate him" Archie Bunker that made the issues "pallatable" to the audiences - and through their laughter, maybe (just maybe) a hard-line opinion or two were softened.
Re: What was he trying to accomplish Even though much of it was before my time, I really love "All in the Family," and I was saddened by the news too. He'll be missed for sure, but Archie will never be forgotten. cc
Re: What was he trying to accomplish Seeing were already off-topic,let's not forget Jonn Lee Hooker who also passed away yesterday.Thursday was a bad day.
Re: What was he trying to accomplish You have to give Carroll o' Connor credit. He addressed issues in the 70's that were not spoken of publicly. It took guts to do that, especially in that climate. You can either take the simplistic view--that it was a show with alot of prejudice. Or you can see it as groundbreaking.
Thanks Marci and everyone who enlightened me on this issue. Yes, we are WWAAAAYYY off the credit topic but I just needed to know. I am deeply sadden and hope that his family find peace! I feel that when a person plays a character and takes it to another level....thet's what makes a good actor! And he did just that. Another good example of this would be Danny Glover in "The Color Purple". I never saw anything warning me of the contents of the show. But I only watched it twice and was immediately offended by the show. I now realize what the network was trying to do and I commend them on it. It's amazing how it takes a network to open our eyes about reality. Hmmmm, maybe they will create a show about a real life family trying to get their credit in order. (Just a thought) ;o)
Re: What was he trying to accomplish When I think of Carroll O'Conner, I think of my Dad...no, my Dad wasn't anything like the Archie Bunker character. But, my Dad was glued to the TV when the show was on...so I connect the two of them...and it reminds me of my Dad's great laugh...and for that I thank you, Carroll O'Conner
