All Family ... All Humor?

"All in the Family," a family-based comedy that first aired in 1971, according to IMDB, brought controversial issues from racism to sexuality to the forefront through the day-to-day interactions between infamously bigoted head of the household Archie Bunker and the other members of his family. Though met with a wide variety of both acclaim and criticism, the show remained an enduring part of American television history, remaining on air for 8 years and winning honors from Emmys to Academy Awards.

Since the times of "All in the Family," however, the content and types of shows to be broadcasted around the nation have changed greatly, though family-based comedies still exist. One particular comedy, "Two and a Half Men," follows the lives of a womanizing bachelor, his brother, and his brother's son, who have all found themselves living in the same beach-front home thanks to a messy divorce.

At a glance, these shows vary greatly: though relatives, the Harpers of "Two and Half Men" hold none of the familiar structure that "All in the Family" does, with the Bunkers consisting of a man, his wife, his daughter, and her husband. Simultaneously, there is much less focus on the concept of family tolerance and acceptance that occurs in the contemporary show as opposed to the classic one. However, both feature two strongly opinionated male leads, who serve as the leaders of their respective households. Charlie, the bachelor, is the owner of the house in which his brother and nephew are staying, and Archie is both the husband, father, and father-in-law to the other members of the house. Both address issues in society through characters intended to be bigoted, but with a charming quality, when one observes the insults gilded in humorous quip that make up many of these characters' lines.

One of the biggest differences, however, occurs in the variety of topics addressed. According to a list of episode summaries available online, "All in the Family" addresses a variety of topics ranging from homosexuality, as was featured in the episode that was screened in class, to others from rape to religion. "Two and a Half Men," however, seems to focus almost solely on what has been criticized as portraying women in a negative light, as many of the actresses who appear on the show are either manipulative, overtly sexual, or simply insane.

Both shows, however, do address controversial issues by containing characters who seem to be strong supporters of bigotry, and have found a receptive audience and fan following -- something evident in the long life of "All in the Family" and of "Two and a Half Men," currently in its eighth season.