BIAS LANGUAGE ON TV FROM 1970 TO 2000

Changes in bias language on television from 1970 to 2000.

Kara Brassil

Western Connecticut State University

This study uses a close-textual analysis to examine the rhetoric used on two very popular television shows. More specifically, this study concentrates on bias language used on TV. After examining many television shows, the evidence of bias language was apparent on two shows. All in the Family and NYPD Blue were chosen ultimately because of the rhetoric used in each show, the characters that used bias language, and the time periods they were broadcast. In particular, this study found significant examples of changes in bias language over the past thirty years.

This study is based on a close-textual reading of two television shows, All in the Family and NYPD Blue.

The term"language bias" is defined, in this study, as how an individual shows a slant or edge toward a particular topic about which they are talking. For example if an individual stated that"All Irish are drunks", they are using bias language toward the Irish. As stated, bias language is used not to mean the actual language of an individual but more so how an individual uses predisposition toward a particular topic. Bias language, in this study, is used according to these categories: race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, and demeaning remarks. Throughout this study there are many examples of bias language that are found within these categories. Examples of bias language found in this study include,"spic","spade","chink","wop","kikes","pinko", and"fairy". Other bias remarks are found as well, which include remarks about women's rights, war, and abortion.

The general tone of the information found in this study basically reflects upon public opinion. Both of these shows, All in the Family and NYPD Blue were both very popular but yet very controversial. It is due to the issues brought forth on these shows that the debate and public discussion started. The shows broadcast raw, touchy, and sometimes unbelievable issues or problems in society at the particular time period. It is because of these reasons that the fury of debate was sparked.

On both of these shows it can be said that the public, even in the 1990's, was not ready for what was to be shown. Although these issues were widely and readily available to the average American at any given time. Viewers were not used of seeing their"father","brother","neighbor", or"friend" on television. The way the actors portrayed these characters with regards to these issues made people stop and pay attention.

In both of these shows the controversial bias language, thoughts, and ideas centered around one particular character. Archie Bunker is the key character that sparks heated discussions about political and social views in All in the Family, and Andy Sipowicz is the character on NYPD Blue that most of the bias language is centered around. A direct correlation can be seen between Archie Bunker and Andy Sipowicz's portrayal of problems, concerns, and issues present in society at the time of their shows broadcast.

Although a direct line can be drawn from All in the Family and NYPD Blue the finding from books, articles, reviews, and viewings of particular shows, provided slightly different results. These differences can be expected because of the difference of the time of broadcast and genre of each show.

All in the Family premiered on Saturday, January 12, 1971 from 8:00p.m.-8:30p.m. This decade was one of the most controversial decades within the past fifty years. It was a time when people began standing up and fighting for all their rights, injustices, and major issues that were present in society. In a time when protests were occurring daily, over anything from the Vietnam War, Kent State shooting, Energy Crisis, abortion, race, and sexuality, etc., people were very sensitive to these issues (HYPERLINK "http://www.allinthefamilysit.com" www.allinthefamilysit.com, 2/27/01).

The 70's were a time when people spoke their mind about anything they believed in. America was not quiet. The same can be said for Archie Bunker. He was anything but quiet. While people were fighting and hoping to help stop prejudice and racism, Archie continued to give these topics a heartbeat. Although most of America was fighting over injustice, all of the US was not. Some like Archie felt there was no fight to fight; they liked things as they were. As discussed earlier, viewers began to associate Archie with some they knew, such as a father, brother, friend, or neighbor. This became one underlying reason of the show's success." The world is full of Archies, not architects of genocide but people who have been raised in an environment of bigoted clichÈs which have a persistent reality" (Adler, 1979, p.35). This commonality of the blue-collar working class in the heart of Queens at 704 Hauser Street and the familiarity of the guy next door kept viewers interested.

The appearance, decoration, costumes, and interaction between the characters supported this theory of interest due to common factors. The fact that this show was based in one of the largest, most culturally diverse cities in the world left much to be discussed. Norman Lear presented these factors to prove this type of social prejudice was not just happening in a neighborhood like yours. He reiterated this point by those factors mentioned earlier (appearance, decoration, costumes, and interaction between characters).

The decorations in the household were very drab, mostly brown and tan in tone. The lack of lavish decorations and furniture lead the viewer to believe, even without knowledge of the location or occupations of the family, the Bunker's were lower middle class. Another observation brought forth from the furnishings is the correlations between the size of Edith and Archie's chairs to the status of their place in the household. Archie's chair complies with his king of the household attitude. It is a large stuffed chair only reserved for him, his throne per se. While Edith's chair was somewhat smaller and less suitable for lounging. It correlates to her position or rank within the household (Goethals, 1981, p.41).

A visual cue given to the viewers about the Bunker's class, as well as the time period during broadcast is provided by the costumes of the cast. For example Archie's worn plaid jacket, hat, and white tube socks immediately label his class level. The same is true for Edith's clothing; she always wore a very drab, floral or striped dress. It is apparent that neither Archie nor Edith are social players in the upper class (Goethals, p.42). Edith's simplicity of dress also reveals her occupation as a housewife. It is known that she is not a businesswoman. On the other hand, Gloria, the Bunker's daughter, and Mike's wife, wears clothing that represents her age and the decade they are in. The bell bottoms, hot pants, flowing shirts, tie dies, as well as the stripes and colors of their clothing help indicate that they are in the 70's. Their dress also cues the viewers as to their youth. It is apparent that their attire is very different from that of Archie and Edith.

Lastly and most importantly, in regards to this study, the character interaction in All in the Family involves political issues and social problems in society."Many social issues and values of the 1970's were brought to life through their interactions. Over the years themes of conflict, prejudices, even violence, were introduced with a kind of vividness that had not appeared in prime-time sit comedies" (Goethals, p42). These themes were so controversial, that not only the mention of them but also the way they were discussed through character interaction led to many debates.

Obviously since its beginning All in the Family has sparked a series of debates and caused a lot of controversy." One of the most common debates was whether the portrayal of Archie had defused or reinforced prejudice among the program's vast audience" (Adler, p.ix). Lear's intent was to prove how foolish bigotry really is (Montgomery, 1989, p.32). Strong scripting and casting helped to establish this. It really was America in the Bunker's living room. Archie's political incorrectness is balanced by the portrayals of Mike, Gloria, and Lionel. And at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Jefferson's show the bigotry of blacks during the 70's.

ìArchie was the symbol of an uneducated, working class, prejudiced, middle aged male, whose wise cracks about"spics","spades","chinks","wops", and"kikes" delineated his character" (Goethals, p. 42). His son-in-law attacked his wise cracking remarks and ignorance. Mike Stivic was central in the interaction of the characters. He represented the conflict of social attitudes presented in the plots."He was Polish-American and politically liberal"(Goethals, p.42). For every ignorant, bigoted remark Archie blurted out, Mike countered them with his liberal and politically correct statements. Another strong casting decision by Lear was Lionel Jefferson. Not only was Lionel African-American but also he obviously opposed Archie's views. His youth and liberal attitudes added to these heated debates at 704 Houser Street. Having an African-American as a regular character gave viewers another point of view that couldn't have been presented only by Mike.

The Jeffersons, George and Weezy, however offered yet another opposition to Archie's thoughts. The fact that George and Weezy were in their late 40's gave the show a sense of history of the black struggle. They lived through the segregation and all the other injustices blacks endured in this country. It could also be said that in a much smaller scale, George was the black Archie and Weezy was the black Edith.

It seemed both wives held a more liberal and accepting attitude than their very opinionated husbands. More specifically Edith, often called"dingbat" by Archie, had to constantly endure her husband ranting and raving over a certain subject. Although, it was Edith who decided how far Archie would takes things. She often had to put her foot down and did things against Archie's will. It was also Edith that introduced new things to Archie. For example, she enjoyed a friendship with their black neighbors, the Jefferson's, as well as with the Lorenzo's, an Irish-Italian, Catholic couple. All of which were often the subject of Archie's bias language.

Another main character interaction, which introduced another side of the 70's, was Gloria. Gloria, like her husband, was highly involved in the liberalism of the 70's. In addition she brought another card to the table, the feminism movement. In the time of emerging feminism, Gloria tried to educate her father. Of course audiences would still hear Bunker comments like" Every time you sit down the mystery's over", regarding her miniskirt (Adler, p.70). In one episode Archie was complaining that there couldn't be a women judge because she should be home cleaning and cooking. Gloria snapped back with"Daddy I can't believe you would say a thing like that today with the rise of women's rights."

Contradictions about all topics were very common on All in the Family. These interactions strengthened Archie as a character. In addition to the regular characters, interaction with minor characters also paints a picture of what political issues were present in the 1970's. The Bunker's have encounters with average Americans just as they would in real life. For example, in one episode, which epitomized America's melting pot, was when Archie was arrested unjustly and placed in a holding cell with a variety of people he opposed. Of course they all razzed Archie as he continued to spit out ignorant comments. One cellmate actually called upon his buddy after talking with Archie for a few minutes, to which he shouted out,"Look here, we've got a real live Bigot!" The character interaction brought forth all sides of key issues occurring outside of ëTV Land'."Their interactions in a sense is just a logical extension of the kind of tell it like it is ëconfrontation' that is found in society"(Adler, p. 100).

Within every episode of All in the Family, bias language is very evident. Where as, the bias language is mostly centered around Archie Bunker." Actors Caroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, and Rob Reiner transformed symbolic types into recognizable human beings" (Goethals, p. 42).

Like All in the Family, NYPD Blue's content and the way it is portrayed by strong characters somewhat mirror the social issues that can be found in the 1990's through today. This was accomplished by the use of bias language and thoughts. NYPD Blue's content on the show sparked major controversy. Steven Bochco's NYPD Blue, like All in the Family, offered a very realistic look into society at the time of its broadcast. These issues were often too real to been shown on television. Bochco took this to another level. He not only showed social problems and issues, he also gave America faces for their criminals. Realistic issues about life as a cop are also projected on NYPD Blue. Being set in New York City gives the show a more realistic edge. This is also true when discussing the working class. The blue-collar status of the characters on NYPD Blue offer a sense of familiarity to its viewers. In fact, while watching the show a cop may be watching one of his/her days at work. When People Magazine interviewed NYPD Blue's Kim Delaney, she said"Sometimes I've had detectives point out a specific scene and say ëMy partner did that to me'"(1999, March,15).

The crime factor also adds realism to the story because there is so much that accompanies this. For instance, what caused the crime to occur might be a major issue in society: a hate crime, a rape, or school shooting."NYPD Blue tells moral stories in which actions and ideas have consequences, it does not recount parables or fables. Its plots are faithful to vagaries, intimacies, and intricacies of human life" (Sterk, 1994, p.3). The believability of the show's ability to mirror real life issues present in society are helped by the costume, setting, and interaction of the characters regarding bias language on the show.

As mentioned earlier, New York City itself immediately adds to the reality of the cop show genre. Viewers brace themselves for a"you're not in Kansas anymore" shock factor. For some this is sometimes the only dose of crime or bias they encounter. Although, for the vast majority of Americans, these stories told by Bochco are similar to the same as what they have encountered. One issue brought forth on the show is racial profiling. For many African-Americans this has sadly become regularity. Another example shown on NYPD Blue is rape. This hits home for many American women who have had this tragedy happen to them or a loved one. The crimes, although some have been around for centuries, give viewers a cue as to what time period the show occurs in.

The actual precinct itself allows the viewer to know that the show takes place in a city as well, due to the size and appearance of it. For example, the precinct is very gloomy and dingy. There are no decorations besides a fish tank, an honorable plaque or occasional picture frame on detective's desk. The fact that the lighting is very drab along with pale green and gray paint gives the precinct a feeling of darkness and unpleasantness. This along with the background noise of cars, sirens, and people, also allow the viewer to realize the station is in the city."The location stuff on the New York streets is done with a jagged and quirky candid camera, you feel you are there"(Thompson, 1998, p.2).

The interaction between the characters, along with setting and costume also add a since of realism to the award winning NYPD Blue. A lot of controversial issues come forth as the detectives tackle crime and their personal lives. Certain characters address bias language and ideas from these situations. In particular, Andy Sipowicz is the key character that the bias language surrounds. In fact, Andy can be compared with All in the Family's Archie Bunker, although there are some major differences between the two that will be touched upon later. Andy's portrayal, like Archie's, involves bouts of ignorance and bigotry. Like Lear, Bochco offsets this prejudice by casting a variety of characters that will counter these opinions. Their interactions helps tell stories, which mostly consist of social issues, crime, and conflicts in the 1990's through 2001. His fellow co-workers offset Andy's comments about"blacks","spics","gays", and"women".

Over the eight-year run of NYPD Blue, Andy has been through an enormous amount of pain, heartache, and problems (Martin, 1998, p.3). Ranging from alcoholism, to losing his son and partner in the line of duty, and the death of his wife. Not to mention his bouts with psychological side effects of cortico steroids and dealing with a sick son (Shuster, 1999, p.31). All of these problems have helped Andy grow as a character. The character interaction during his growth as a character becomes most important when examining this factor. During these years strong characters, including his partner, counteract the bias language used by Sipowicz. Minor characters also affect Andy's biased comments. Often times, in Andy's minds, he is provoked by criminals and eyewitnesses to use such derogatory remarks as" spic","gay", etc.

This study involves eight hours total of both these shows (four hours of each). Eight episodes of the half-hour comedy All in the Family and four episodes of the one-hour drama NYPD Blue were used in this study. The specific episodes were then chosen for a variety of reasons. The All in the Family episodes were reruns taken from Nick at Nite, TV Land, and a collector's edition tape of the show (See appendix). The reruns were chosen on the basis of the content within the episodes, whether or not there were examples of bias language present. The collector's tape was marketed as four of the best All in the Family's. The episodes of NYPD Blue were taken from the 2000-2001 season on ABC and several reruns that were broadcast on FX. The episodes from the 2000-2001 season were used because of the year. This year is thirty years from when All in the Family first premiered. These reruns were also used to show that change in bias language within the show during the past eight years. Using both the 2000-2001 season and reruns, allows this study to examine if there have been any changes within the past thirty years, as well as with the eight year run of NYPD Blue.

Particular categories were then established to record the bias language present in each show. The categories are race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, and demeaning remarks. A report schedule was used to record this information. The report schedule listed these categories so that bias language could be recorded. The report schedule showed how much bias language was found per category, episode, show, and all together. Each program was then viewed using the report schedule for every category (See appendix). All of the categories were examined, even if one was not present in that particular episode. The results were then averaged out according to category, episode, show, and total. The average from the report schedule (See results) were used to determine which show had the most number of comments per category, episode, show, and total.

The mass media hold a great deal of power over the public. This is true because of the availability of TV. The shows and concepts within the shows should be examined because so many people watch TV. In this particular study, the question,"have there been changes of bias language on television over the past thirty years" was examined. The results and research directly relate to this question.

The results show that All in the Family's Archie Bunker far exceeds NYPD Blue's Andy Sipowicz with the amount of bias language found per category, episode, all together, and average. The results occurred for several reasons. Mainly this was due to the difference in genre, running time of the show, the decade the shows were premiered, and how society reacted to the issues.

In the year that All in the Family premiered it broke many barriers and crossed lines that had never before been crossed. One of the ways that was accomplished was by projecting All in the Family as a comedy. America was very sensitive and emotional toward the issues brought forth on the show, so a drama would have been too serious and overwhelming for the public. A comedy not only helped these issues be broadcast but it also allowed the public to realize how foolish the views Archie believed in were. This genre also allowed the interaction between the characters to become so involved. The comedic approach tolerated both sides of each topic to be introduced. Because this was done humorously, it was not threatening. Had it been done has a drama, the show would have received much more flack about the content.

The fact that America was now accustomed to the race issues, abortion, gay rights, and crime, etc., at the time of NYPD Blue's premiere, these issues could be presented more frequently without using such strong tactics. For example, NYPD Blue did not need to flood audiences with comic relief. America was more mature when these issues were brought forth than it was thirty years ago. This allowed Bochco to take a more serious and dramatic approach. Thus NYPD Blue is a drama. This allowed controversial issues to occur without the use of a lot of bias language. This point is seen in the results of the report schedule.

The fact that the running time of All in the Family was a half hour as opposed to an hour, also contributed to the results. The high occurrences of bias language by Archie were caused partly by the length of the show. Quick one-liners were shoved into the roughly twenty-two minutes of the TV show because the issues were only allotted that time to unfold. In order to get the particular points across writers chose to present a lot of jokes, comments, one-liners, which occurred during the discussion and disagreements among the characters.

Like the genre of NYPD Blue, the length of the show also concurs with the results found. The drama's one-hour time slot allows the issue to fully unfold without urgency. There is no need for numerous comments to occur because there is more time. The fact the issues are presented by using standard language, which takes up more time, bias language is lessened.

Although some of the same issues and topics that were so controversial in the 70's are still present today, they are not nearly as controversial as they were thirty years ago. In the 70's issues were almost bombarded into people's lives. How society handled and accepted some of the issues affected what happened in the Bunker's house. The frequency of Archie's bias comments was caused, in part, by the decade. There was an abundant amount of issues that writer's for All in the Family could have incorporated therefore there was never a lack of material to discuss. In turn, this assisted in producing so many bias comments by Archie.

Comparing the issues that were present on All in the Family and NYPD Blue, show that the same issues in the 70's are not taken as seriously today. This is because society has already undergone transitions to accept these issues. This means that certain issues, like women's rights, do not need to be addressed as frequently as they did when the issue first emerged thirty years ago. Because society has become more accustomed to the issues their screen time lessened causing bias language to decrease.

Archie did show some changes at times, although it should be noted that this only occurred a few times over the show's twelve year run. This was related to society during the 1970's. Society would not have allowed Archie to undergo any drastic change as a character. Any growth in Archie's character would have been unrealistic, because this was time before all the help groups and meetings were common.

Unlike Archie, Andy's growth as a character can easily be seen over the past eight seasons. This can especially be seen when comparing an episode of NYPD Blue from the 2000-2001 season with an episode from the first couple of seasons. One of the reasons for this change was caused by what he had undergone in his personal life. Dealing with alcoholism, death, and emotional problems has caused this rough detective to become a little more sensitive. Another cause for the changes seen in Andy's character over the years is because of society. Society allows people to undergo drastic change because there are now thousands of self-help groups, clubs, doctors, and medication that help people with problems. Today society wants people to change; they expect people to change. As Andy has changed his use of bias language has decreased.

All of these reasons explain why Archie Bunker from All in the Family showed higher marks on the report schedule than NYPD Blue's Andy Sipowicz. Elements like difference in genre, running time of the show, the decade the show was broadcast, and how society reacts to these issues, all effect what occurs on a particular TV show.

If this study were to be continued there are several things that should be considered. The time allotted for this complete study only allowed eight hours of programming to be examined. In the future, it is suggested that a greater number of hours should be included in the study. Another suggestion is to include other TV shows for a broader base of results.

Adler, R. (Eds.). (1979). All in the Family: A critical appraisal. New York: Praeger Publishers.

Goethals, G. (1981). The tv ritual: Worship at the video altar. Boston: Beacon Press.

Martin, E.(1998). At family hour, edgy content a daily battle. Advertising Age, 69 (48), 18.

Shuster, J. (1999). Psychiatric complications of corticosteriods. Nursing 2000, 29 (6), 31.

The report schedule is recorded according to the use of bias language only by Andy Sipowicz and Archie Bunker, not the other characters.

* Episodes were taken from The Collector's Edition All in the Family: What goes around comes around. Columbia House, 1998.

EPISODE*	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	#7	#8	AVERAGE	TOTAL
RACE	0	0	13	1	1	0	0	1	2	16
GENDER	1	3	0	1	1	1	2	1	1.25	10
RELIGION	0	1	1	1	3	0	4	1	1.37	11
SEXUAL ORIENTATION	14	0	0	2	1	1	0	2	2.5	20
NATIONALITY	3	0	4	0	0	12	4	1	3	24
DEMEANING REMARKS	11	8	7	10	6	1	4	3	6.2550
TOTAL COMMENTS	29	12	25	15	12	15	14	9	16.37	131

EPISODE	#1	#2	#3	#4	AVERAGE	TOTAL
RACE	1	1	4	0	1.5	6
GENDER	2	0	0	2	1	4
RELIGION	0	0	0	0	0	0
SEXUAL ORIENTATION	0	0	1	0	.25	1
NATIONALITY	1	1	0	2	1	4
DEMEANING REMARKS	2	3	6	6	4.25	17
TOTAL COMMENTS	6	5	11	10	8	32