All in the Family vs. That 70's Show

While I was watching All in the Family, my mind couldn't help but wander to That 70's Show. There are major differences, but there are some similarities, obviously.

I believe that That 70's Show is somewhat of a milder version of All in the Family. All in the Family addressed sensitives topics for the 70's and even for today. Homosexuality was discussed, especially in the episode that we viewed in our screening. The episode we viewed would be considered politically incorrect and very offensive to certain social groups if a modern show portrayed it in that manner. Topics such as racism, women's libertion, and etc. were displayed in other episodes that could lead to many controversial issues. All in the Family was a show that discussed major issues in the 70's, while That 70's Show showed more of what progressed and happened in the 70's. That 70's Show focused on social issues such as feminism, sexual attitudes, and etc.

There are some ways, however, in which the two shows are similar. They are obviously both based in the 70's. They each focus on social issues of the 70's in one way or another. And, the two shows also consist of a family home (Bunker family vs. Forman family). They both also display the normality of families during the 70's. The dad was the working, "All American" father, while the mother stayed at home, cooked dinner, and took care of the family.

The main differences between All in the Family and That 70's Show are pretty much the social issues and how they were talked about in the episdoes. The time differences in which the shows were produced are very different; All in the Family running from 1971 to 1979, and That 70's Show from 1998 to 2006.  Also, That 70's Show displays ways in which the 70's progressed in the entertainment industry, and centers around teenagers' lives rather than adults' lives, whereas All in the Family does not. All in the Family could be considered a lot more "blunt" on the social issues of the 70's than That 70's Show, due to the fact that these issues at that time were more hidden from the public, and it was more acceptable to look down on people who participated in such lifestyles.