Wow OK, looks like a lot of folks want this! I'm going to need to do a lot of research & learning about the topic before I can speak really authoritatively, so let me know if you have suggestions for resources I should check out!
@@MattBaume This article is an overview of the history of cross-dressing in Britain and seems like a good place to start. www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/11/brits-cross-dressing-history
Edith was the show's protagonist. However, the show's heel wasn't Archie, it was clearly both Michael and Maude...two despicable uber liberal characters who unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your perspective) actually made Archie look better.
ScattySafari Edith was a stupid house wife Archie married her so she can wait on him hand and foot she didn't have a voice he shut her uo.every chance he got
When the bigoted character from well over 40 years ago is more open minded than a lot of people today. Even in the height of his fear and ignorance he still recognizes the value of a human life.
That was a major part of the show ... bigoted Archie showing himself become more open-minded. One of the most memorable - to me - was when he discovered that his football hero was gay - while arm wrestling him. LOL The death of Beverly touched many people. And Carroll O'Connor, who played Archie, wanted to push the borders as far as he could and still maintain the fun and the ratings. I was friends with someone that knew him and I understood that Carroll and the "gate keepers of purity" [standards and practices] had a few interesting battles.
In the 1970's, there was so much hope and promise that the US would become a more progressive country. A few years after the first airing of this episode, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and the backsliding began. Dammit, America--you took a wrong turn there.
Rebecca Woolf Agreed. Archie Bunker had a basic decency that Trump cannot even fathom. I believe Archie would have rejected Trump for the white supremacist that Trump is, and seen him as a soft, rich blowhard who only pretended to care about working people.
There was a really sweet moment in Beverly's last episode...Edith tells him he's like family, and Beverly's voice breaks as he replies, "I love you, Edith." In that tiny moment, we get a hint of what Beverly's life must have been like...his parents might well have disowned him when he came out, and to have someone open her arms to him like that must have meant so much to him. And it's only harsher in light of what happens only a few minutes later.
according to Edith. they were dead. Archie is the one who spouted that they disowned or didn't want to be around Beverly. But I think Edith is the one who knows Beverly LaSalle(being that Beverly LaSalle was Edith's long-time friend and not Archie's long-time friend) best and I think I will go with her view. Although, of course, the character is part of a script written by humans and is not a real-life person. However, in this case, because Beverly LaSalle was played by a real-life transgender person, it kind of blends the two in people's minds? It might also be interesting to know that Don McLean is a graduate of Burbank High School and had a sister Marcia McLean who also was a graduate of Burbank High School.
All in the Family attacked almost every controversial social issue it could get its hands on. I was a kid in the South, and I remember my grandparents watching, laughing at the humor, of course, but genuinely relating to Archie Bunker. It's ironic that they didn't grasp that Carroll O'Connor was about as progressive and liberal as they come, and that he was attempting to educate the public on the stupidity of their prejudices. Go figure.
I was raised in a liberal family who was Latino and not Mormon from Utah. I grew up in liberal Seattle, but Archie was the character that I finally figured out that we can love each other but still disagree.
What most people don't realize is that this show also poked fun at feminism and the women's liberation movement by making Gloria talk the talk, but then cry like a baby - there are episodes where she ends up agreeing with her dad's view of the traditional family. This show also relentlessly poked fun at Mike's progressive behavior by making him the lazy son-in-law who sponges off of his in-laws. Mike was also often portrayed as a male chauvinist. The producer wanted to counteract Mike's progressive character with his equally patriarchal nature in an effort to show the hypocrisy of the counter-cultural (now known as progressive) movement. The only reason why progressives today don't see this is because they consider Mike's behavior in the show as appropriate, but that was not the intent of the show. The 70s were not about taking sides, they were about laughing at the idiocy of ALL sides and this show did it really well - racist & bigoted (in Archie), submissive wife (in Edith) feminist (in Gloria), and progressive (in Mike).
I've heard that O'Connor hated the fact that so many didn't seem to get the fact that Archie was supposed to be in the wrong on so many of his views. From what I heat it was a big part of the reason he took the role on _In the Heat of the Night._
@@ElizaDolittle I'd say it was also mocking hip conviction; agreeing with the progressive views because it is the cool thing to do. It is the same unconsidered conviction and blind adherence to societal norms that produce and Archie. It tried to warn us about the echo chamber before that was even a thing... And it also shows that it can be hard to get away from your upbringing, without strong moral judgement. It is the kind of 'both sides' satire that southpark tries to do (but without the often adolescent collegebro superior snark that it uses)
@@ElizaDolittle What they were showing was that everybody has their flaws. There isn't one type of person who is good and one who is bad we all have both in us and use up those qualities during out lives. But the show was made by progressives and it was to show how the older generation, though good people, were highly flawed and needed to be shown these qualities in order to become better people. The other characters were to help show Archie why his thinking and sometimes actions were wrong and Mike was there to show that we aren't perfect, far from it, but we can change and become better people. It wasn't a poke at the counter culture, it was a poke at the average guy being ill informed and wrong about most things. They championed gay rights, acceptance, anti gun laws, racial divides, women's liberation and plenty other subjects. It was definitely a liberal show in the fact it took up those issues instead of ignoring or perpetuating the societal norms of the time. It isn't a poke at the left but it was a poke at human beings being flawed. But it shows the progressive people realizing we aren't perfect and trying to learn and become better. While it depicts those against the left as just as clueless but unwilling and unwanting of change and betterment and usually being depicted being lousy people who end up getting the short end by episodes end. You can see what you like in it but it was a show that featured people growing and understanding their flaws. But make no mistake they show the hatred and ignorance of the anti progressives being the real bad people of the show.
All in the Family also had a scene during their first season when edith answered the door during an election and a man and a woman who identified themselves as being with "the Gay Liberation Front" and the "Daughters of Sappho" give her campaign literature. Possibly the first time a network show references lgbt political org's. (outside of newscasts.)
That was a hilarious moment, but weirdly, the actor and actress at the door are not listed in the credits at the end of the episode, on IMDB, or anywhere I have found. Anyone know more? Feel free to reply.
@@Jonathanbroder it was during an election...not sure what year it aired but I believe it was during a presidential election IRL. will look andf see what elections fell during first couple of seasons.
I just ADORED Beverly. It was extremely devastating when she was murdered on Christmas. I only wish that she had lived, and continued to bless us with her presence. I miss Beverly so very much. I just loved Edith, the way that she accepted Beverly, without any judgement whatsoever.
I loved Beverly's orange outfit and lipstick. She has her hair done like my favorite Barbie doll style from the 60's. (The brunette.) I cried when Beverly dies. Edith was always the best.
There's a compassion for Archie in the show. It shows that beneath his bluster and ignorance, there is a humanity and underneath it all--Archie is a good man. he's willing to learn in his own grumpy way.
What a concept! People are complicated. Archie is a very complex character. It annoys me to see people dismiss him as an awful person or whatever. If someone like Edith loves him then there is something to love. A big point of the show is to show the flaws and facets of Archie. The good and bad and how he can change.
@@bongchoof Yeah, I mean, if someone watches more than a clip here or there, and actually watches the show and pays attention to it, they'll come to realize that Archie is actually VERY open minded, and always willing to reevaluate his prejudices. That makes him a far better human being than the viewer who judge him harshly for having those prejudices. All Archie needs is a nudge that he could be wrong and he rethinks his position. I'd rather have him for a father than the ignorant, won't listen to anyone but himself jackass that I do have.
I remember watching King of the Hill in the 90s (and 00s) and thinking it was so original for doing that with Hank - just goes to show how many trailblazers I was ignoring.
You gotta love Norman Lear for always wanting to show people that everyone deserves to be treated equally no matter how different they may seem to some people.
you'd think we didnt (those of us who are of a certain age) grow up watching these lessons on how to be decent ppl to one another. wtf happened here? its heartbreaking &depressing to find so many missed the points. :(
The old Norman Lear sitcoms were way ahead of their time. The great thing is he’s still around making great sitcoms. The recent remake of One Day at a Time is fantastic and includes plenty of queer content, a non-binary recurring character from season 2 onwards, a strong focus on mental health including anxiety and depression, tackles addiction, immigration, questions of citizenship and cultural idendity. The main characters are Cuban American and living legend Rita Moreno steals every scene as the grandmother of the family. Sadly Netflix cancelled it after 3 seasons despite near universal critical acclaim. Edit: Oh my god. They found a new home for it and there will be a season 4. So excited.
For Archie Bunker - this represents an amazing progress in his attitude. Allowing his character to grow. All in The Family is all about pushing boundaries and acknowledging change.
This episode was the first time I was exposed to a man dressed as a woman because he wanted to. Since I was only seven or eight, it confused me at first, but luckily my mom explained it in terms I could understand. I'd like to think that it shaped my positive perception of transgender people in some small way.
@@Lapinporokoira Yes, absolutely. I remember being so confused about WHY a man would dress like a woman in public. She basically said, "There are just some people that do that," very casually.
A few years back my boss who is also a musician was playing at a gospel show where a man dressed as a woman was playing fiddle, he didn't realize that until the show was almost over, be raised in the Assembly of God church he had reservation's on this so he talked to his dad who was in his 90s what he thought. The old man's reply was if we were running a whorehouse that it might be a a problem but seeing how they were playing music that's between him and God
But transgender people and transvestites aren't the same thing. A trans woman is not a man wearing girl's clothes, she's a woman. Anyway, I'm always glad to read stuff like this :)
@@DUWANGlai_kangyi That's true but back then there wasn't a lot of information around about the subject and, at least for me, it was nice to see someone like me in one of my favorite shows. Like the song 'Lola' it told me that I wasn't alone.
Beverly could have had her own spin-off show if All in the Family was broadcast today. My favorite moment is when she picks up that huge TV set to help Edith with her stuck vacuum.
I agree. It was very heartbreaking. I bawl every time no matter how many times I watch it. I feel so much hatred that it's still going on this day & age.
I agree Paul. It's no better in Canada. I witness & experience sexual orientation discrimination and alternate lifestyles almost every day. If memory serves, the episode where Beverly was bashed to death was entitled "Edith's Crisis Of Faith". You can't help but want to hug & hold her in comfort. She just lost a close friend, and was blinded to what Beverly represented. She just loved a human being. What a beautiful & enlightened outlook, in my opinion. I'm almost tearing up right now...hehe! I have the entire series on DVD, and I think I'm going to watch the episode tonight. Thank goodness for Kleenex. :-)
The first time I remember someone self- identifying as a drag queen on TV was when Culture Club won a Grammy in 1984. Boy George said something like "Thank you America for recognizing a good Drag Queen when you see one". It was the first time I had ever heard that term, but somehow, I new exactly what he was talking about and I felt proud and included.
The 1970s TV series Family ran an episode in 1976 called; Rites of Friendship, which at the time I thought was quite groundbreaking. In the last 5 minutes of the show, the father and son talk about short boyhood crushes they both had on young men they knew at the time and discussed about it being perfectly normal for that age, the time of self discovery and understanding about ones own sexuality. Pretty amazing stuff for the time.
I saw this episode when it first aired when I was a kid in elementary school and I was completely confused by it, especially when the woman took the wig off and suddenly he was a guy and said, “How about . . . mister?” I always loved the relationship between Archie and his son in law Mike (also known as meathead). It’s so funny Mike was laughing his ass off when Edith tells him what happened. Edith was often called dingbat by Archie, but I think she really was a kind and loving person, and had much more insight into people than Archie gave her credit for having.
Yeah, I haven't seen the musical, but I can't imagine it translates well into a modern setting. I wouldn't mind seeing a gender-swapped version with a woman posing as a man... though I guess that's basically Victor/Victoria.
It was MUCH later, but the bit about the way drag was treated on TV made me think of the sketch-comedy show The Kids in the Hall (who I've always been more familiar with than Monty Python due to being younger and Canadian), where the group would often cross-dress to play female characters entirely divorced from the idea that "it's funny because it's a man dressed like a woman", even thought that was definitely still present in comedies in the 1990s. I wonder how the Canadian TV sensibilities were different when compared to those in the U.S. or U.K. at the time...
Plus one of the members voiced Pleakley in the "Lilo and Stitch" films and TV series and that character dresses in drag and presents as female A LOT but uses male pronouns when not in women's wigs and clothing. Funny enough, Ving Rhames, who voiced the social worker Cobra Bubbles in the franchise, also played a drag queen himself once!
I cannot believe how good they are at drag. It was done out of necessity but you couldn't tell. KITH originally had female members before they got on TV, but they all joined second city. I'm kinda glad they did. Kathie and Cathy will always have a special place in my heart.
We really can't be offended that people in the past didn't use the words we use today. The transgender women at Stonewall referred to themselves as transvestites.
They also had a sub-term, "half-sister" or "half-brother", which was called in the zines at the time as a transvestite who has the soul of a woman (or man, in case of trans guys) and sometimes even mentions desires for hormones. I think it's kind of beautiful terminology in its own way, and I sometimes wonder how our language might have evolved if those kinds of community terms caught-on more strongly than the medical language like transsexual and transgender.
I know it's not on television but I'd love to see an episode about pantomime. When I was I kid there was nothing strange to me about a man playing the ugly step sisters in the Cinderella panto, and I'd like to see how panto has changed over the years :)
Are you British, by any chance? I understand pantomimes are basically a tradition to watch during the Christmas season; I would've loved to have grown up with that! I still hope to be able to catch a performance someday :)
Archie was a prisoner of his upbringing who when he let his guard down showed he was really a caring person. His character was too complicated for today's sitcoms.
Drag was huge on soap operas specifically for undercover work. Another World had probably one of the most famous examples with Cass Winthrop. It tapered off in the early 2000s. I haven't seen somebody dress in drag on soap operas in this decade.
I don't watch the show that often, I wasn't even born yet in the 70s, but Beverly is one of the best characters. She was so lively and cheery, I love her friendship with Edith and it's so sad that she died, I wish she had gotten more episodes.
@@MattBaume I didn't see AITF until the 90s and didn't get to watch the full series until earlier this decade. But the arch and tragic end have stayed with me ever since. Jean Stapleton's portrayal of the pain and her loss of faith make me blubber even more.
@@MattBaume also explore Dorthy's brother Phil on Golden Girls...IIRC he appeared in a couple of episodes, and the episode with his funeral is quite moving for an 80's sit com.
Cant help but be reminded of my former boss, he was trans, female to male, and always had a great sense of humor. Often when he would grant some request or another I had, he would get a good laugh when I would reply, "Thank you, sir. You're both a gentleman, and a lady."
Lori Shannon (May 18, 1938 - February 13, 1984), born Don Seymour McLean, was an openly gay[1] female impersonator, most widely known for his recurring role from 1975 to 1977 as Beverly LaSalle on the popular sitcom All in the Family. On February 13, 1984 Shannon died of a heart attack at the age of 45 at Mission Emergency Hospital in San Francisco. Died very young.
@@AnthonyNekro Around the 15:30 mark, the video mentions more recent examples. I'm thinking he left out Holiday Heart because that character is very similar to Beverly. He wanted to show how Beverly was different, which she was in the 1970's. Holiday Heart (2000) deserves it's own video. It had a huge impact particularly on the black community.
It's always weird to me how shows in the west show drag as some sort of fulltime thing. In Asian cultures there's something like a full-time drag queen (for example okama or bakla)... But that's still a type of gay man and not trans related. (Though can be a jumping off point in the same way drag is in the west... But it deeply transphobic to refer to a trans woman as an okama.)
I think American TV is just really skittish about showing that someone can be both masculine AND feminine. Like, it wants people to pick one and stick with it, even if it's totally impractical and bizarre to do so.
@@MattBaume A friend of mine, Micheal Kerns, talked about how when he auditioned for a tv show (I think it was "Brothers" but I'm not sure) he would switch behaviors to be more butch or femme depending on the situation and that really confused the directors, producers and casting directors.
hello matt, thank you for all your great videos! could i request a video topic? id love for you to talk about drag queen akihiro miwa, who is famous in japan and acted in iconic movies such as kinji fukasaku's "black lizard" and also "black rose mansion" and some movies by the iconic shuji terayama, as well as making music, having his own show and being politically active using his platform! he also voiced characters in a bunch of famous anime movies, as his voice is very beautiful in general i think it may be interesting for you to explore the world of japanese gay cinema especially from the late 60s to the late 90s, especially movies like "funeral parade of roses", "like grains of sand" or "throw away your books, rally in the streets"! thank you so much in advance
Be interesting to see your take on the character of Steve on The Drew Carey Show, Drew's straight cross-dressing brother. It was a unique choice that ultimately went away later in the run, but maybe worth looking at.
I remember this episode when it first aired! I was about 10 years old at the time and was fascinated by the man dressed as a woman, and remember thinking he looked so much better dressed as a woman. All In The Family was quite an amazing and groundbreaking show, they tackled so many social issues in a very clever way: through the eyes of a likable bigot. This show could never be made in today's environment, too many people would get offended by nearly every episode. Great insight and commentary, Matt!
Tom Who "Too many people would get offended by nearly every episode". Thing is, the issues we have today socially, culturally, and politically aren't exactly as they were then. Doing the exact same type of show today isn't as relevant. And to the point on people being too offended today, I think people underrate how easily offended people of past decades were just by different things than today. Showing Marianne's midriff on "Gilligan's Island" was a controversial decision, Star Trek's interracial kiss sparked FCC phone calls, Luci and Desi sleeping in the same bed was deemed inappropriate by the networks, a black boxer, Jack Johnson, winning against a white boxed started a nationwide race riot and a ban of the film of the bout in Congress. People say it a lot, but I'm not so sure people are more offended now than in the past. I'd only say that's it's easier than ever to be vocal about it.
@@cjaquilino I agree. It's easier for people to voice offense thanks to the internet. It's not like people didn't get offended about little things then, too, remember when they took the, "bigger than jesus." comment by lennon out of context and a bunch of super religous people got crazy mad.
Your definition of the “deceitful drag” trope at 10:32 is basically the whole premise of both the movie Tootsie and it’s current Broadway musical adaptation. A musical which, by the way, is INCREDIBLY problematic in 2019. Whomever thought adapting the movie for a modern theatre audience was a good idea was so wrong. I was uncomfortable the whole time, as was the woman I was seeing it with. My lesbian friend who saw it another time walked out before curtain call.
In her second episode, Beverly is persuaded by Archie to go to dinner dressed in drag to which Beverly clearly states "I've never been to dinner in a dress in my life," insisting he go back to his place and change into a suit and tie. So I'm pretty sure Beverly was just a gay man who did drag for a living and probably wasn't worried about pronouns and labels and what-not.
Wow, I really came away from that comment looking like this huge bitch, but that wasn't my intention. I love this video... I love all these videos and think Matt Baume is doing the world a huge service in going back and viewing these things.
Excellent episode, as always, but of course, I must do the customary "aaah senpai noticed me" squee; ahh, a reference to "Anders Als die Aldern"! I'm so glad you watched it!! Sometimes I'm still surprised by just how on point that movie was, especially for something made last century. I also feel the most sincere admiration for Magnus Hirschfeld. He was not just an amazing researcher, but just a generally great person. The fact that one of his homosexual patients wrote, on his suicide note, that his belief that Hirschfeld would go on to make things better for other LGBT people in Germany was the only thing sweetening his last hours of life just says everything, I think. On an unrelated note, I didn't know Eddie Izzard identified as transgender! What a great episode. Can't wait to see the episode on drag in the UK!
I'm actually going to see Anders Als die Andern tomorrow as the BFI in London are having a Weimar cinema season. There's a couple of real gems like Mädchen in Uniform from 1931 or the 1933 original Viktor und Viktoria (or the 1935 English remake First A Girl, which is easier to find)
Thank you for this. I got curious about Beverly LaSalle because I kept seeing the Christmas episode after her death, she sounded interesting, and it definitely sounded like she was a recurring character, but I was never able to catch any of the episodes she was actually in (probably just my bad luck--or at least I hope so). Turns out I'm pretty sure I saw this episode ages ago, but had forgotten it.
That little rundown of the history of terminology was really great and succinct. I'm sharing it with some older folks as it really makes clear _why_ the terms changed and how they are distinguished.
for the curious: "The third and final appearance occurs in "Edith's Crisis of Faith (Part 1)". Beverly visits the family to invite them to her debut show at Carnegie Hall. After leaving the Bunker home, Beverly (dressed as a man) and Mike are attacked and beaten up while walking together to a subway station. Beverly gets the worst of it, suffering mortal injuries. Edith is left to grieve and must come to terms with the violent and senseless death of her friend at Christmastime." all-in-the-family-tv-show.fandom.com/wiki/Beverly_LaSalle matt, we can skip the full arc, thanks :(
I agree. I always thought her final appearance was television history and one of the best episodes of All in the Family. It was indeed tearfully moving for those of us who have a heart.
Also thank you, you reminded me of a old movie from norway with two different types of misstaken id with two identical people and a Cross dressing plot to prove one self as not a spoiled child by being a bellhop. And if i recall things the whole sell i am a guy part was work in my dads hotel and wear a uniform.
I grew up in the 70s with a gay family member. Her and her partner had their own place we would visit for Christmas and all that. It was never strange to me anyone cared. Live and let live. I have had gay guys ask me out but politely declined becouse I am heterosexual. It never made me mad. Some guys get all upset about it, I think they fear themself as they are turned on.
What I love most about your videos is that you illustrate how progressive the television show ALL IN THE FAMILY was. Today there are so many conservatives who have a allegiance and nostalgic love for the character of Archie Bunker, yet they are ignorant to the fact that the main purpose of the show, was to illustrate how antiquated Bunker was and how opening up his mind and his heart changed the character for the better. I find that ironic as well as rewarding
It's so different! There's a long culture of camp & pantomime there, and fewer hangups about masculinity (which is not to say the country's not without some hangups of its own). Somewhere on UA-cam is a documentary about Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd and British camp but I can't find it anywhere!
Gays were, for a ling time, written as extremely camp and flamboyant characters. It was to make it clear who was the gay one, plus they were mostly comedic characters
All of the roles in Shakespeare plays were originally played by men even if the character was female. I think that was probably the start of men performing in drag in England.
if someone is interested what was written on the permit: Die Arbeiterin (vorname) Katter, 14.03.1910 Berlin geb., stadtteil oder so, ist für als männerkleidungtragend bekannt. The female worker (first name) katter, born 03.14.1910 in Berlin, the district i can't read lol, is known for wearing mens clothes.
in general it is so weird and odd that germany before ww2 was soooo liberal. berlin was the gay and drag mekka. the first plastic surgeries and reassignement surgeries were done in germany. and the doctors were of jewish descent or oftentimes. the roaring 20ies in berlin were even better than in the usa. but that was also the reason for the nazis to get into power, condemning the condition berlin was in. therefore it is scary to see that nowadays parties like the afd try to make bigottery cool again. it changed soo quickly in the early 30ies and why shouldnt it be possible to happen again... i think that was also a reason why the green party was so strong in the elections, because they also stay for multiculturalism etc and wont runn after the ideas of the afd to get voters like cdu and spd. but in general what i wanted to say was, that i would have liekd to experience germany in the 20ies in berlin, just to see it in person. or even before ww1.
I always liked All In The Family, even though it was well before my time, because my grandparents are basically the Jewish Archie and Edith Bunker. I can see my grandfather reacting pretty much the same as Archie in this episode. Freaked out at first, but eventually chill with it (much like he was with my coming out) Admittedly, I don't see him much since my grandmother's passing, but that has much more to do with the fact that we've always been like oil and water in terms of personality, rather than anything to do with my queerness.
This is just to say to anyone reading this that while Eddie Izzard did use male pronouns when this video was made, in December 2020 she said she wanted to use "she/her" exclusively.
Archie Bunker is the 'conundrum' in American society that never went away. The blue collar guy who comes from simple beginnings & should be on the side of the underdog. A guy who might be a union man and therefore against big business/management'. The reality is he is now a significant part of Trump's backbone and has been drawn into the rise of hate. Education over the past 50 yrs should have fixed this ... it hasn't, it's worse.
Another well-done video. I remember seeing this episode, and I always interpreted Archie's plea in the bar as, "Don't uncover my secret," rather than "These people will hurt you (us)." Thanks for opening my eyes.
Archie was all bark and no bite; ignorant and bigotted, but once you got past his mouth, he showed himself to have a big heart. This happened over and over. He was very uncomfortable and defensive with unfamiliar situations or information, but he really wasn't hateful. We would often not see that until the end of an episode.
@@MattBaume is there anything queer that uses queens the place as their title. Like the king of queens, a show that is asking for an all drag remake in my eyes
@@bjam89 I remember being very disappointed when I found out that "King of Queens" was just a generic sitcom about Kevin James in the New York borough of Queens and not a series about drag queens.
I subscribed and just want to say I love you for doing this vid. Got me choked up a handful of times while watching it. I grew up watching this show. It means a lot having someone else look back at it the same way.
From 9:50 to 11:54 all I could think about was Klinger on M.A.S.H trying to get his Section 8, then he ended up wearing women's clothes so much he got a rash (I think) when he had to wear men's.
He may start off just trying to get out of Korea and yeah it's definetly a problematic addition to the drag means trickery nonsense. However by the end of the show he gets very attached to his craft caring about brands and fabrics and taking it much more seriously than lemme put on a dress to get out of the army. It's a big deal when he has to give up his dress collection. It's problematic but so was everything in the 70s. It's an interesting entry into the timeline for sure.
@@MattBaume perhaps not, but for a child like I was it certainly did normalize "a man in a dress", I was far too young to understand his reasons when I first saw him, but by the time I knew I was fully comfortable with drag and trans. Perhaps it's the age that you're exposed to something, I also grew up knowing Mr. Humphreys wasn't like the other men he worked with on Are You Being Served (reruns on PBS) and by the time I understood everything I knew homosexuality was just another part of life. Certain depictions on television, considered problematic or not, are all that some people grew up with to completely normalize something they would never be exposed to in their own surroundings. Klinger cross dressing may of been played for laughs, but it became so much more, it was part of him by the end of the series. I don't know what adults of the time thought, but for kids it was certainly a door opened to view world differently than we otherwise would.
I always thought it was interesting that Culture Club with Boy George was a very popular music group back in the 80s but RuPaul didn't get that kind of musical attention and awards in the 90s.
And now that you bring that up, I always thought people had a problem with RuPaul than Boy George....I don't ever recall any hard criticism being directed at Boy George...I don't know maybe RuPaul was more sexier than Boy George. RuPaul didn't really sing it was George that did the singing backed with a band and hits to boot. @@JC-yy8iv
Definitely one of my all-time favorite characters! BTW, if you've not had a chance go look up interviews with Carroll O'Connor! The man was incredibly thoughtful, articulate and definitely an ally
Where I grew up we didn’t have this show ( I am old enough ha ha) It seems like a pretty interesting take on issues we are still facing Can’t believe it was made way back
I dont like the 'hiding by drag' trope, but I have to say, Some Like It Hot is one of my favourite movies. Especially because I got really strong trans-lesbian vibes from Josephine
PLEASE, talk about drag in the UK!!
Stephen Forstmeier came to the comment section to request this :) just bump you up instead
Yeah, please explore this topic!
100% this, the Glasgow scene is electric.
Wow OK, looks like a lot of folks want this! I'm going to need to do a lot of research & learning about the topic before I can speak really authoritatively, so let me know if you have suggestions for resources I should check out!
@@MattBaume This article is an overview of the history of cross-dressing in Britain and seems like a good place to start. www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/11/brits-cross-dressing-history
Edith really is too pure for this world. I love her.
Edith is the best!
She's morality and humanity goals.
Edith was the show's protagonist. However, the show's heel wasn't Archie, it was clearly both Michael and Maude...two despicable uber liberal characters who unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your perspective) actually made Archie look better.
ScattySafari Edith was a stupid house wife Archie married her so she can wait on him hand and foot she didn't have a voice he shut her uo.every chance he got
@@jessicafashionlover2148 K
''i'm no lady''........''how you earn this fifty is no business of mine''.......omg that's funny
When the bigoted character from well over 40 years ago is more open minded than a lot of people today. Even in the height of his fear and ignorance he still recognizes the value of a human life.
That was a major part of the show ... bigoted Archie showing himself become more open-minded. One of the most memorable - to me - was when he discovered that his football hero was gay - while arm wrestling him. LOL The death of Beverly touched many people. And Carroll O'Connor, who played Archie, wanted to push the borders as far as he could and still maintain the fun and the ratings. I was friends with someone that knew him and I understood that Carroll and the "gate keepers of purity" [standards and practices] had a few interesting battles.
In the 1970's, there was so much hope and promise that the US would become a more progressive country. A few years after the first airing of this episode, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and the backsliding began. Dammit, America--you took a wrong turn there.
Rebecca Woolf Agreed. Archie Bunker had a basic decency that Trump cannot even fathom. I believe Archie would have rejected Trump for the white supremacist that Trump is, and seen him as a soft, rich blowhard who only pretended to care about working people.
There's also the time he realizes his new friends are violent racists, and he rejects them.
edit: I mean Archie of course. Not that orange curse.
There was a really sweet moment in Beverly's last episode...Edith tells him he's like family, and Beverly's voice breaks as he replies, "I love you, Edith." In that tiny moment, we get a hint of what Beverly's life must have been like...his parents might well have disowned him when he came out, and to have someone open her arms to him like that must have meant so much to him. And it's only harsher in light of what happens only a few minutes later.
according to Edith. they were dead. Archie is the one who spouted that they disowned or didn't want to be around Beverly. But I think Edith is the one who knows Beverly LaSalle(being that Beverly LaSalle was Edith's long-time friend and not Archie's long-time friend) best and I think I will go with her view. Although, of course, the character is part of a script written by humans and is not a real-life person. However, in this case, because Beverly LaSalle was played by a real-life transgender person, it kind of blends the two in people's minds? It might also be interesting to know that Don McLean is a graduate of Burbank High School and had a sister Marcia McLean who also was a graduate of Burbank High School.
All in the Family attacked almost every controversial social issue it could get its hands on. I was a kid in the South, and I remember my grandparents watching, laughing at the humor, of course, but genuinely relating to Archie Bunker. It's ironic that they didn't grasp that Carroll O'Connor was about as progressive and liberal as they come, and that he was attempting to educate the public on the stupidity of their prejudices. Go figure.
I was raised in a liberal family who was Latino and not Mormon from Utah. I grew up in liberal Seattle, but Archie was the character that I finally figured out that we can love each other but still disagree.
What most people don't realize is that this show also poked fun at feminism and the women's liberation movement by making Gloria talk the talk, but then cry like a baby - there are episodes where she ends up agreeing with her dad's view of the traditional family. This show also relentlessly poked fun at Mike's progressive behavior by making him the lazy son-in-law who sponges off of his in-laws. Mike was also often portrayed as a male chauvinist. The producer wanted to counteract Mike's progressive character with his equally patriarchal nature in an effort to show the hypocrisy of the counter-cultural (now known as progressive) movement. The only reason why progressives today don't see this is because they consider Mike's behavior in the show as appropriate, but that was not the intent of the show. The 70s were not about taking sides, they were about laughing at the idiocy of ALL sides and this show did it really well - racist & bigoted (in Archie), submissive wife (in Edith) feminist (in Gloria), and progressive (in Mike).
I've heard that O'Connor hated the fact that so many didn't seem to get the fact that Archie was supposed to be in the wrong on so many of his views. From what I heat it was a big part of the reason he took the role on _In the Heat of the Night._
@@ElizaDolittle I'd say it was also mocking hip conviction; agreeing with the progressive views because it is the cool thing to do. It is the same unconsidered conviction and blind adherence to societal norms that produce and Archie.
It tried to warn us about the echo chamber before that was even a thing...
And it also shows that it can be hard to get away from your upbringing, without strong moral judgement.
It is the kind of 'both sides' satire that southpark tries to do (but without the often adolescent collegebro superior snark that it uses)
@@ElizaDolittle What they were showing was that everybody has their flaws. There isn't one type of person who is good and one who is bad we all have both in us and use up those qualities during out lives. But the show was made by progressives and it was to show how the older generation, though good people, were highly flawed and needed to be shown these qualities in order to become better people. The other characters were to help show Archie why his thinking and sometimes actions were wrong and Mike was there to show that we aren't perfect, far from it, but we can change and become better people. It wasn't a poke at the counter culture, it was a poke at the average guy being ill informed and wrong about most things. They championed gay rights, acceptance, anti gun laws, racial divides, women's liberation and plenty other subjects. It was definitely a liberal show in the fact it took up those issues instead of ignoring or perpetuating the societal norms of the time. It isn't a poke at the left but it was a poke at human beings being flawed. But it shows the progressive people realizing we aren't perfect and trying to learn and become better. While it depicts those against the left as just as clueless but unwilling and unwanting of change and betterment and usually being depicted being lousy people who end up getting the short end by episodes end. You can see what you like in it but it was a show that featured people growing and understanding their flaws. But make no mistake they show the hatred and ignorance of the anti progressives being the real bad people of the show.
All in the Family also had a scene during their first season when edith answered the door during an election and a man and a woman who identified themselves as being with "the Gay Liberation Front" and the "Daughters of Sappho" give her campaign literature. Possibly the first time a network show references lgbt political org's. (outside of newscasts.)
Oh wow I missed that one -- I'll see if I can dig footage of it up!
Don't forget Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie
That was a hilarious moment, but weirdly, the actor and actress at the door are not listed in the credits at the end of the episode, on IMDB, or anywhere I have found. Anyone know more? Feel free to reply.
@@Jonathanbroder it was during an election...not sure what year it aired but I believe it was during a presidential election IRL. will look andf see what elections fell during first couple of seasons.
I just ADORED Beverly. It was extremely devastating when she was murdered on Christmas. I only wish that she had lived, and continued to bless us with her presence. I miss Beverly so very much. I just loved Edith, the way that she accepted Beverly, without any judgement whatsoever.
I loved Beverly's orange outfit and lipstick. She has her hair done like my favorite Barbie doll style from the 60's. (The brunette.) I cried when Beverly dies. Edith was always the best.
There's a compassion for Archie in the show. It shows that beneath his bluster and ignorance, there is a humanity and underneath it all--Archie is a good man. he's willing to learn in his own grumpy way.
What a concept! People are complicated. Archie is a very complex character. It annoys me to see people dismiss him as an awful person or whatever. If someone like Edith loves him then there is something to love. A big point of the show is to show the flaws and facets of Archie. The good and bad and how he can change.
@@bongchoof Yeah, I mean, if someone watches more than a clip here or there, and actually watches the show and pays attention to it, they'll come to realize that Archie is actually VERY open minded, and always willing to reevaluate his prejudices. That makes him a far better human being than the viewer who judge him harshly for having those prejudices. All Archie needs is a nudge that he could be wrong and he rethinks his position. I'd rather have him for a father than the ignorant, won't listen to anyone but himself jackass that I do have.
I remember watching King of the Hill in the 90s (and 00s) and thinking it was so original for doing that with Hank - just goes to show how many trailblazers I was ignoring.
You gotta love Norman Lear for always wanting to show people that everyone deserves to be treated equally no matter how different they may seem to some people.
you'd think we didnt (those of us who are of a certain age) grow up watching these lessons on how to be decent ppl to one another. wtf happened here?
its heartbreaking &depressing to find so many missed the points.
:(
Barry William Teske I think you’re right. James Burrows is another great one.
Let the church say Amen. Norman Lear is in a class by himself in US tv history.
Clever of him to wrap up liberal ideas in conservative bigotry.
"I was a medic in the army, there's no mistake" is a pretty fun line regardless
As is Archie's response to him: "Nahhhh- you musta been seein' things!"
The old Norman Lear sitcoms were way ahead of their time. The great thing is he’s still around making great sitcoms. The recent remake of One Day at a Time is fantastic and includes plenty of queer content, a non-binary recurring character from season 2 onwards, a strong focus on mental health including anxiety and depression, tackles addiction, immigration, questions of citizenship and cultural idendity. The main characters are Cuban American and living legend Rita Moreno steals every scene as the grandmother of the family. Sadly Netflix cancelled it after 3 seasons despite near universal critical acclaim.
Edit: Oh my god. They found a new home for it and there will be a season 4. So excited.
Isn't it amazing that Norman's still working? I met him briefly in LA a few years ago and he was super sharp and funny and kind.
Matt Baume I mean the guy is 96 years old now. Retirement? What’s that? We can only hope to reach that age remaining that sharp and on it.
@@MattBaume he created some of my favorites and I'm 17 and love his shows
For Archie Bunker - this represents an amazing progress in his attitude. Allowing his character to grow. All in The Family is all about pushing boundaries and acknowledging change.
This episode was the first time I was exposed to a man dressed as a woman because he wanted to. Since I was only seven or eight, it confused me at first, but luckily my mom explained it in terms I could understand. I'd like to think that it shaped my positive perception of transgender people in some small way.
The fact your mum was willing to explain probably also helped.
@@Lapinporokoira Yes, absolutely. I remember being so confused about WHY a man would dress like a woman in public. She basically said, "There are just some people that do that," very casually.
A few years back my boss who is also a musician was playing at a gospel show where a man dressed as a woman was playing fiddle, he didn't realize that until the show was almost over, be raised in the Assembly of God church he had reservation's on this so he talked to his dad who was in his 90s what he thought. The old man's reply was if we were running a whorehouse that it might be a a problem but seeing how they were playing music that's between him and God
But transgender people and transvestites aren't the same thing. A trans woman is not a man wearing girl's clothes, she's a woman. Anyway, I'm always glad to read stuff like this :)
@@DUWANGlai_kangyi That's true but back then there wasn't a lot of information around about the subject and, at least for me, it was nice to see someone like me in one of my favorite shows. Like the song 'Lola' it told me that I wasn't alone.
All in the Family - the most liberal, progressive sitcom with the most conservative, bigoted character.
Kinda reminds me of King of the Hill in a way.
Beverly could have had her own spin-off show if All in the Family was broadcast today. My favorite moment is when she picks up that huge TV set to help Edith with her stuck vacuum.
Great video. I loved Beverly! Her last episode was so dramatic and earth shattering.
It makes me cry so hard no matter how many times I watch the last episode.
I agree. It was very heartbreaking. I bawl every time no matter how many times I watch it. I feel so much hatred that it's still going on this day & age.
@@ThirdOfJune4444 Yes, in so many ways some TV shows that are 30-40 years old are so much more advanced than what America is now.
I agree Paul. It's no better in Canada. I witness & experience sexual orientation discrimination and alternate lifestyles almost every day. If memory serves, the episode where Beverly was bashed to death was entitled "Edith's Crisis Of Faith". You can't help but want to hug & hold her in comfort. She just lost a close friend, and was blinded to what Beverly represented. She just loved a human being. What a beautiful & enlightened outlook, in my opinion. I'm almost tearing up right now...hehe! I have the entire series on DVD, and I think I'm going to watch the episode tonight. Thank goodness for Kleenex. :-)
Yas omg breaks my heart everytime i see it
The first time I remember someone self- identifying as a drag queen on TV was when Culture Club won a Grammy in 1984. Boy George said something like "Thank you America for recognizing a good Drag Queen when you see one". It was the first time I had ever heard that term, but somehow, I new exactly what he was talking about and I felt proud and included.
The 1970s TV series Family ran an episode in 1976 called; Rites of Friendship, which at the time I thought was quite groundbreaking. In the last 5 minutes of the show, the father and son talk about short boyhood crushes they both had on young men they knew at the time and discussed about it being perfectly normal for that age, the time of self discovery and understanding about ones own sexuality. Pretty amazing stuff for the time.
Died way too young of a heart attack at the age of 45
Was his weight the issue?
I don't know
Either way, what a shame; that's too young.
Just like Divine.... so young
@@r0bw00d Lori Shannon wasn`t that big, in fact I wouldn`t consider her fat. I`ll bet cigarettes were involved.
I saw this episode when it first aired when I was a kid in elementary school and I was completely confused by it, especially when the woman took the wig off and suddenly he was a guy and said, “How about . . . mister?” I always loved the relationship between Archie and his son in law Mike (also known as meathead). It’s so funny Mike was laughing his ass off when Edith tells him what happened. Edith was often called dingbat by Archie, but I think she really was a kind and loving person, and had much more insight into people than Archie gave her credit for having.
Yeah, I haven't seen the musical, but I can't imagine it translates well into a modern setting. I wouldn't mind seeing a gender-swapped version with a woman posing as a man... though I guess that's basically Victor/Victoria.
It was MUCH later, but the bit about the way drag was treated on TV made me think of the sketch-comedy show The Kids in the Hall (who I've always been more familiar with than Monty Python due to being younger and Canadian), where the group would often cross-dress to play female characters entirely divorced from the idea that "it's funny because it's a man dressed like a woman", even thought that was definitely still present in comedies in the 1990s.
I wonder how the Canadian TV sensibilities were different when compared to those in the U.S. or U.K. at the time...
The kids in the hall raised me.
I think it was my first conscious drag experience I loved that show
I always loved how the Kids' female characters were just as real as their male ones.
Plus one of the members voiced Pleakley in the "Lilo and Stitch" films and TV series and that character dresses in drag and presents as female A LOT but uses male pronouns when not in women's wigs and clothing. Funny enough, Ving Rhames, who voiced the social worker Cobra Bubbles in the franchise, also played a drag queen himself once!
I cannot believe how good they are at drag. It was done out of necessity but you couldn't tell. KITH originally had female members before they got on TV, but they all joined second city. I'm kinda glad they did. Kathie and Cathy will always have a special place in my heart.
We really can't be offended that people in the past didn't use the words we use today. The transgender women at Stonewall referred to themselves as transvestites.
Nobody us offended, but it's only right to respect who they were by acknowledging what we now know
It's just the terminology they had
They also had a sub-term, "half-sister" or "half-brother", which was called in the zines at the time as a transvestite who has the soul of a woman (or man, in case of trans guys) and sometimes even mentions desires for hormones.
I think it's kind of beautiful terminology in its own way, and I sometimes wonder how our language might have evolved if those kinds of community terms caught-on more strongly than the medical language like transsexual and transgender.
I totally love this series. It's always fun. And, so full of nostalgia. Please make more vid like these.
Aw, thank you for this episode. My mom loved the Beverly character.
In the film "Torch Song Trilogy" the character of Arnold refers to himself as a female impersonator.
Such a great film
I know it's not on television but I'd love to see an episode about pantomime.
When I was I kid there was nothing strange to me about a man playing the ugly step sisters in the Cinderella panto, and I'd like to see how panto has changed over the years :)
Are you British, by any chance? I understand pantomimes are basically a tradition to watch during the Christmas season; I would've loved to have grown up with that! I still hope to be able to catch a performance someday :)
These videos are so informative and interesting! Thanks Matt!
Oh Milton Berle. Watching Ru Paul assassinate him at the VMAs in the 90's was the highlight of my cable viewing.
3:07
ROXXXY ANDREWS IS SHAKING
SASHA VELOUR COULD NEVER
MONIQUE HEART FOUND DEAD
a) i would have liked it if you had explored her arc and storyline to the end ; b) we need a "drag in the uk" special, stat!
Archie was a prisoner of his upbringing who when he let his guard down showed he was really a caring person. His character was too complicated for today's sitcoms.
I love how this show, with a very conservative protagonist, was one of the most progressive of its time.
Drag was huge on soap operas specifically for undercover work. Another World had probably one of the most famous examples with Cass Winthrop. It tapered off in the early 2000s. I haven't seen somebody dress in drag on soap operas in this decade.
Cass Winthrop = Crystal Lake? I seem to recall her/him being de-wigged in a public restroom.
@@Nathan-jq1uw Yup!
I don't watch the show that often, I wasn't even born yet in the 70s, but Beverly is one of the best characters. She was so lively and cheery, I love her friendship with Edith and it's so sad that she died, I wish she had gotten more episodes.
I saw Carol O'CONNOR and I met Jean Stapleton! Jean signed my playbill. Such marvelous actors...!
Wow. Thank you for this video. I grew up in the 1970's and watched All In
The Family. I don't remember these episodes.
Now I'm curious about the arc, because I haven't seen all these episodes.
I'll have videos about those other episodes coming soon!
@@MattBaume future feed prompted!
@@MattBaume I didn't see AITF until the 90s and didn't get to watch the full series until earlier this decade. But the arch and tragic end have stayed with me ever since. Jean Stapleton's portrayal of the pain and her loss of faith make me blubber even more.
Be warned.... it doesn''t end well
@@MattBaume also explore Dorthy's brother Phil on Golden Girls...IIRC he appeared in a couple of episodes, and the episode with his funeral is quite moving for an 80's sit com.
Cant help but be reminded of my former boss, he was trans, female to male, and always had a great sense of humor. Often when he would grant some request or another I had, he would get a good laugh when I would reply, "Thank you, sir. You're both a gentleman, and a lady."
Hmmm that's lowkey transphobic yo but if he was ok with then it's all good I guess
11:20 now we need you to do a video on the difference in drag between the US AND uk
Yesss!!! #Finally!
Thank you for hearing our request! 🙏🏽💞
What a coincidence, I was thinking the other day about this TV character and how you haven't spoken about it before!
Lori Shannon (May 18, 1938 - February 13, 1984), born Don Seymour McLean, was an openly gay[1] female impersonator, most widely known for his recurring role from 1975 to 1977 as Beverly LaSalle on the popular sitcom All in the Family.
On February 13, 1984 Shannon died of a heart attack at the age of 45 at Mission Emergency Hospital in San Francisco.
Died very young.
What about Ving Rhames as a drag queen in Holiday Heart?
@Anthony Scottoo Omg, yes finally someone mentions that movie! Holiday Heart is so underappreciated that it's frustrating.
Anthony Scott00 this is about back in 70
@@jessicafashionlover2148 Oh okay I was just mentioning this film for its portrayal of a crossdressor
@@AnthonyNekro Around the 15:30 mark, the video mentions more recent examples. I'm thinking he left out Holiday Heart because that character is very similar to Beverly. He wanted to show how Beverly was different, which she was in the 1970's. Holiday Heart (2000) deserves it's own video. It had a huge impact particularly on the black community.
I always love waking up to a Culture Cruise.
It's always weird to me how shows in the west show drag as some sort of fulltime thing.
In Asian cultures there's something like a full-time drag queen (for example okama or bakla)... But that's still a type of gay man and not trans related. (Though can be a jumping off point in the same way drag is in the west... But it deeply transphobic to refer to a trans woman as an okama.)
I think American TV is just really skittish about showing that someone can be both masculine AND feminine. Like, it wants people to pick one and stick with it, even if it's totally impractical and bizarre to do so.
@@MattBaume A friend of mine, Micheal Kerns, talked about how when he auditioned for a tv show (I think it was "Brothers" but I'm not sure) he would switch behaviors to be more butch or femme depending on the situation and that really confused the directors, producers and casting directors.
@@dmc8092 Butch and femme are lesbian terms. I think you mean feminine and masculine.
I know this video is old but I just love the effort you put into your content Matt. I would have never known about Beverly without you. Thank you.
So happy you did this one! I remember asking on Twitter and you immediately responded back. Thanks for your thoughtful analysis. Love it!
Great video as always. And just reminded me that I would have loved more of John Waters on the Simpsons!
Yeah it's a shame he never came back!
hello matt, thank you for all your great videos! could i request a video topic? id love for you to talk about drag queen akihiro miwa, who is famous in japan and acted in iconic movies such as kinji fukasaku's "black lizard" and also "black rose mansion" and some movies by the iconic shuji terayama, as well as making music, having his own show and being politically active using his platform! he also voiced characters in a bunch of famous anime movies, as his voice is very beautiful
in general i think it may be interesting for you to explore the world of japanese gay cinema especially from the late 60s to the late 90s, especially movies like "funeral parade of roses", "like grains of sand" or "throw away your books, rally in the streets"!
thank you so much in advance
Oh wow I've never heard of them -- I'll definitely check those videos out, thank you so much for the heads up!
@@MattBaume that makes me so happy, thank you!! i hope youll enjoy them!
Be interesting to see your take on the character of Steve on The Drew Carey Show, Drew's straight cross-dressing brother. It was a unique choice that ultimately went away later in the run, but maybe worth looking at.
I loved that you mentioned ‘Bosom Buddies’ Such a cute show with our best human, Tom Hanks. I’d love to hear more or your commentary on that show.
do the episode of the jeffersons where his old military buddy reunites with him and comes out as a trans woman please!!!
That one's on my list! I just want to be sensitive and careful about it since it touches on quite a few issues.
I remember this episode when it first aired! I was about 10 years old at the time and was fascinated by the man dressed as a woman, and remember thinking he looked so much better dressed as a woman. All In The Family was quite an amazing and groundbreaking show, they tackled so many social issues in a very clever way: through the eyes of a likable bigot. This show could never be made in today's environment, too many people would get offended by nearly every episode. Great insight and commentary, Matt!
Tom Who "Too many people would get offended by nearly every episode". Thing is, the issues we have today socially, culturally, and politically aren't exactly as they were then. Doing the exact same type of show today isn't as relevant.
And to the point on people being too offended today, I think people underrate how easily offended people of past decades were just by different things than today. Showing Marianne's midriff on "Gilligan's Island" was a controversial decision, Star Trek's interracial kiss sparked FCC phone calls, Luci and Desi sleeping in the same bed was deemed inappropriate by the networks, a black boxer, Jack Johnson, winning against a white boxed started a nationwide race riot and a ban of the film of the bout in Congress.
People say it a lot, but I'm not so sure people are more offended now than in the past. I'd only say that's it's easier than ever to be vocal about it.
@@cjaquilino I agree. It's easier for people to voice offense thanks to the internet. It's not like people didn't get offended about little things then, too, remember when they took the, "bigger than jesus." comment by lennon out of context and a bunch of super religous people got crazy mad.
Those early permits are really rather beautiful if you think about it. Someone advocated and started trying to deal with harassment. >>And
Your definition of the “deceitful drag” trope at 10:32 is basically the whole premise of both the movie Tootsie and it’s current Broadway musical adaptation. A musical which, by the way, is INCREDIBLY problematic in 2019. Whomever thought adapting the movie for a modern theatre audience was a good idea was so wrong. I was uncomfortable the whole time, as was the woman I was seeing it with. My lesbian friend who saw it another time walked out before curtain call.
I'm surprised you didn't bring up Victor Victoria.
Wow. Thank you so much Matt, for sharing this with us. It's history we really all need to remember.
In her second episode, Beverly is persuaded by Archie to go to dinner dressed in drag to which Beverly clearly states "I've never been to dinner in a dress in my life," insisting he go back to his place and change into a suit and tie. So I'm pretty sure Beverly was just a gay man who did drag for a living and probably wasn't worried about pronouns and labels and what-not.
Yes, it's true, there are a lot of indications that Beverly takes off the drag when she's not working.
Wow, I really came away from that comment looking like this huge bitch, but that wasn't my intention. I love this video... I love all these videos and think Matt Baume is doing the world a huge service in going back and viewing these things.
@@MuncleMarkster you didn't come off as rude to me
Excellent episode, as always, but of course, I must do the customary "aaah senpai noticed me" squee; ahh, a reference to "Anders Als die Aldern"! I'm so glad you watched it!! Sometimes I'm still surprised by just how on point that movie was, especially for something made last century. I also feel the most sincere admiration for Magnus Hirschfeld. He was not just an amazing researcher, but just a generally great person. The fact that one of his homosexual patients wrote, on his suicide note, that his belief that Hirschfeld would go on to make things better for other LGBT people in Germany was the only thing sweetening his last hours of life just says everything, I think.
On an unrelated note, I didn't know Eddie Izzard identified as transgender! What a great episode. Can't wait to see the episode on drag in the UK!
I'm actually going to see Anders Als die Andern tomorrow as the BFI in London are having a Weimar cinema season. There's a couple of real gems like Mädchen in Uniform from 1931 or the 1933 original Viktor und Viktoria (or the 1935 English remake First A Girl, which is easier to find)
Thank you for this. I got curious about Beverly LaSalle because I kept seeing the Christmas episode after her death, she sounded interesting, and it definitely sounded like she was a recurring character, but I was never able to catch any of the episodes she was actually in (probably just my bad luck--or at least I hope so). Turns out I'm pretty sure I saw this episode ages ago, but had forgotten it.
That little rundown of the history of terminology was really great and succinct. I'm sharing it with some older folks as it really makes clear _why_ the terms changed and how they are distinguished.
Oh good, glad it's helpful! It really is a challenge to understand what someone means when they use a label back then.
The final appearance of Beverly on this show was truly heartwrenching.
for the curious: "The third and final appearance occurs in "Edith's Crisis of Faith (Part 1)".
Beverly visits the family to invite them to her debut show at Carnegie Hall. After leaving the Bunker home, Beverly (dressed as a man) and Mike are attacked and beaten up while walking together to a subway station. Beverly gets the worst of it, suffering mortal injuries. Edith is left to grieve and must come to terms with the violent and senseless death of her friend at Christmastime." all-in-the-family-tv-show.fandom.com/wiki/Beverly_LaSalle
matt, we can skip the full arc, thanks :(
I agree. I always thought her final appearance was television history and one of the best episodes of All in the Family. It was indeed tearfully moving for those of us who have a heart.
My Mom and I were crushed when that happened! Then Edith lost her Faith for a bit. Yes heart wrenching!
Cry every time I watch the episode
I cried too
Also thank you, you reminded me of a old movie from norway with two different types of misstaken id with two identical people and a Cross dressing plot to prove one self as not a spoiled child by being a bellhop. And if i recall things the whole sell i am a guy part was work in my dads hotel and wear a uniform.
There was even an episode of Murder, She Wrote that had a murder in a drag club.
I love that episode so much. I'm hoping to talk about it on a future video.
It's a very sad episode when Beverly is killed---it's very hard to watch. RIP Beverly
I saw it once as a child and i don't think i can ever see it again.
I JUST LOVED IT, AND AS ALWAYS EDITH !
Rest In Peace, Lori Shannon. Gone too soon. ❤️
“For a dame your one hell of a guy”. Great line.
I grew up in the 70s with a gay family member. Her and her partner had their own place we would visit for Christmas and all that. It was never strange to me anyone cared. Live and let live. I have had gay guys ask me out but politely declined becouse I am heterosexual. It never made me mad. Some guys get all upset about it, I think they fear themself as they are turned on.
What I love most about your videos is that you illustrate how progressive the television show ALL IN THE FAMILY was. Today there are so many conservatives who have a allegiance and nostalgic love for the character of Archie Bunker, yet they are ignorant to the fact that the main purpose of the show, was to illustrate how antiquated Bunker was and how opening up his mind and his heart changed the character for the better.
I find that ironic as well as rewarding
I would love to see a video about drag in England- I genuinely don’t know the difference
It's so different! There's a long culture of camp & pantomime there, and fewer hangups about masculinity (which is not to say the country's not without some hangups of its own). Somewhere on UA-cam is a documentary about Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd and British camp but I can't find it anywhere!
Gays were, for a ling time, written as extremely camp and flamboyant characters. It was to make it clear who was the gay one, plus they were mostly comedic characters
All of the roles in Shakespeare plays were originally played by men even if the character was female. I think that was probably the start of men performing in drag in England.
if someone is interested what was written on the permit:
Die Arbeiterin (vorname) Katter, 14.03.1910 Berlin geb., stadtteil oder so, ist für als männerkleidungtragend bekannt.
The female worker (first name) katter, born 03.14.1910 in Berlin, the district i can't read lol, is known for wearing mens clothes.
in general it is so weird and odd that germany before ww2 was soooo liberal. berlin was the gay and drag mekka. the first plastic surgeries and reassignement surgeries were done in germany. and the doctors were of jewish descent or oftentimes. the roaring 20ies in berlin were even better than in the usa. but that was also the reason for the nazis to get into power, condemning the condition berlin was in. therefore it is scary to see that nowadays parties like the afd try to make bigottery cool again. it changed soo quickly in the early 30ies and why shouldnt it be possible to happen again... i think that was also a reason why the green party was so strong in the elections, because they also stay for multiculturalism etc and wont runn after the ideas of the afd to get voters like cdu and spd.
but in general what i wanted to say was, that i would have liekd to experience germany in the 20ies in berlin, just to see it in person. or even before ww1.
I'd like you do a video about queer characters in Friends, Dawson's Creek and How I Met Your Mother.
Thanks for this I've been waiting for you to talk about Beverly, it was great!
I always liked All In The Family, even though it was well before my time, because my grandparents are basically the Jewish Archie and Edith Bunker. I can see my grandfather reacting pretty much the same as Archie in this episode. Freaked out at first, but eventually chill with it (much like he was with my coming out) Admittedly, I don't see him much since my grandmother's passing, but that has much more to do with the fact that we've always been like oil and water in terms of personality, rather than anything to do with my queerness.
This is just to say to anyone reading this that while Eddie Izzard did use male pronouns when this video was made, in December 2020 she said she wanted to use "she/her" exclusively.
Archie Bunker is the 'conundrum' in American society that never went away. The blue collar guy who comes from simple beginnings & should be on the side of the underdog. A guy who might be a union man and therefore against big business/management'. The reality is he is now a significant part of Trump's backbone and has been drawn into the rise of hate. Education over the past 50 yrs should have fixed this ... it hasn't, it's worse.
It's sad that Beverly's last episode could be torn out of today's headlines.
Amazing episode as per usual, but now you've gone ahead and mentioned a very interesting episode regarding UK and Drag. Very interested to see that 👍
Another well-done video. I remember seeing this episode, and I always interpreted Archie's plea in the bar as, "Don't uncover my secret," rather than "These people will hurt you (us)." Thanks for opening my eyes.
I think it's a little of each -- Archie is scared for himself, and letting Beverly know that she should be on high alert as well.
"That's life in the last 60 seconds of a sitcom" made me laugh out loud. ^^
"His language is a problem" this sums up the whole show.
Leatrice Joy in the silent film "The Clinging Vine" is another one to mention.
This was awesome! Thank you!
Archie was all bark and no bite; ignorant and bigotted, but once you got past his mouth, he showed himself to have a big heart. This happened over and over. He was very uncomfortable and defensive with unfamiliar situations or information, but he really wasn't hateful. We would often not see that until the end of an episode.
Wait they got that house on a cabie wage
In Queens no less!
@@MattBaume is there anything queer that uses queens the place as their title.
Like the king of queens, a show that is asking for an all drag remake in my eyes
He was a foreman at a loading dock as his primary job. He took the cab job during a strike, and kept it for a while.
@@bjam89
I remember being very disappointed when I found out that "King of Queens" was just a generic sitcom about Kevin James in the New York borough of Queens and not a series about drag queens.
The section about Eddie Izzard is so cool know that she's officially come out 😍
I subscribed and just want to say I love you for doing this vid. Got me choked up a handful of times while watching it. I grew up watching this show. It means a lot having someone else look back at it the same way.
Drag Culture is one of the oldest forms of comedy
It's always been around
From 9:50 to 11:54 all I could think about was Klinger on M.A.S.H trying to get his Section 8, then he ended up wearing women's clothes so much he got a rash (I think) when he had to wear men's.
Oof yes, not the most sensitive portrayal of, well, anything really
He may start off just trying to get out of Korea and yeah it's definetly a problematic addition to the drag means trickery nonsense. However by the end of the show he gets very attached to his craft caring about brands and fabrics and taking it much more seriously than lemme put on a dress to get out of the army. It's a big deal when he has to give up his dress collection. It's problematic but so was everything in the 70s. It's an interesting entry into the timeline for sure.
@@MattBaume perhaps not, but for a child like I was it certainly did normalize "a man in a dress", I was far too young to understand his reasons when I first saw him, but by the time I knew I was fully comfortable with drag and trans. Perhaps it's the age that you're exposed to something, I also grew up knowing Mr. Humphreys wasn't like the other men he worked with on Are You Being Served (reruns on PBS) and by the time I understood everything I knew homosexuality was just another part of life. Certain depictions on television, considered problematic or not, are all that some people grew up with to completely normalize something they would never be exposed to in their own surroundings. Klinger cross dressing may of been played for laughs, but it became so much more, it was part of him by the end of the series. I don't know what adults of the time thought, but for kids it was certainly a door opened to view world differently than we otherwise would.
Beverly's last name,LaSalle,is in a line from the theme song..gee ,our old LaSalle ran great!
I always thought it was interesting that Culture Club with Boy George was a very popular music group back in the 80s but RuPaul didn't get that kind of musical attention and awards in the 90s.
And now that you bring that up, I always thought people had a problem with RuPaul than Boy George....I don't ever recall any hard criticism being directed at Boy George...I don't know maybe RuPaul was more sexier than Boy George. RuPaul didn't really sing it was George that did the singing backed with a band and hits to boot. @@JC-yy8iv
I was going to bring that part up about race because that would have been truly one of the main reasons for the criticisms. @Rebecca Woolf
I'd love to see a video about drag in the UK
The 1 downvote is the non existent truck driver
Definitely one of my all-time favorite characters! BTW, if you've not had a chance go look up interviews with Carroll O'Connor! The man was incredibly thoughtful, articulate and definitely an ally
Where I grew up we didn’t have this show ( I am old enough ha ha)
It seems like a pretty interesting take on issues we are still facing
Can’t believe it was made way back
That All In the Family episode was something. But for it's time it was funny to see Archie all freaked out to find out that woman was a man.
I dont like the 'hiding by drag' trope, but I have to say, Some Like It Hot is one of my favourite movies. Especially because I got really strong trans-lesbian vibes from Josephine