In the show "All in the Family" the main character Archie Bunker, who is very conservative and stubborn to the changing times, reacts negatively to homosexuality. This was not new but the times were changing and ideas of the old world were being shattered by reality. Today the case is very different, in fact so different from that of Norman Lear’s time that some 30 odd years later homosexuality is so generally accepted that shows like “Modern Family” can poke fun at it and not be considered homophobic or prejudice.
The differences in the shows “All in the Family” and “Modern Family” is that in the time “All in the Family” was aired, it was very radical idea to bring up the topic of sexual orientation let alone make fun of the old time conservative mindset. Today in “Modern Family”, it is no longer considered radical, but instead so commonplace that when the topic is made fun of it is understood that there is no ill will or malice behind it.
The father, Jay Pritchett in “Modern Family” is different from Archie Bunker yet still holds a small sense of that uneasiness that is displayed by Bunker. This is seen in his subtle reactions to his son and his partner in some of the ways they act. Still the attitude is not as off-putting as it is depicted and made fun of in “All in the Family”, but maybe this is done intentionally by the writer and/or director to continue to make fun of that insecurity and mindset that Archie Bunker had. Unlike in "All in the Family", "Modern Family" also makes fun of the homosexual couple. As stated before, these two programs deal with the issue in two very different times and contexts, yet still depict small comparisons even after all the years.
“All in the Family” and “Modern Family” are different in that one deals with homosexuality in a time where it was very radical to do so and in the other the idea of being homosexual is so generally accepted that when it is used in comedy there is no malice intended and no backlash for being homophobic. Even still, with a greater acceptance and time in between, a prejudice exists for the show “Modern Family” to address the mindset of the past and make fun of it just as “All in the Family” did to show how foolish that manner is.
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