All In The Family is an iconic example of 1970s formulaic family-based sitcom television. It was a pioneer in controversial TV, due to the often comically bigoted nature of Archie Bunker, one of the central characters. Through him critical issues such as politics, racial issues, and homosexuality were addressed in a way that no other sitcoms had previously. Nowadays it seems these themes, which would have been incendiary in earlier years, are ubiquitous in TV. A new breed of family sitcom that has spawned out of the exploration of these themes is the animated family sitcom, one of the best examples of which is Family Guy. This show raises contemporary issues constantly, including issues of sexual orientation, drug use, censorship, and religion, among many others. However, the manner in which they are addressed are entirely different from All In The Family. Family Guy heavily satirizes its subjects by creating caricatures out of them, using extreme hyperbole to create parody, revealing their absurdity in a similar fashion that Archie Bunker's exaggerated bigotry serves as a pedestal/hot plate for these issues. Both shows present controversial issues using parody, however Archie's existence as a vehicle for critique is much more intentional (although perhaps not widely received by its audience) than Family Guy's style of extreme parody that frequently borders upon the absurd (but, for the most part, retains its humor).
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