OnReal TimetonightBill Maherpaid tribute to the late, great Norman Lear, whopassed awaya week-and-a-half ago.
Maher emphasized, I couldnt do my show if it werent for what he did.
He then said, TV is not what it was in the 70s.
Carroll O’Connor (l) as Archie Bunker and Melvin Stewart as Henry Jefferson.CBS via Getty Images
I had an uncle who thoughtArchie Bunkerwas the hero of the show.
And for a while, I thought so too.
And you kind of got a begrudging education of Archie over time.
I think it gave more credit to the kind of characters that are now just dismissed.
That wouldnt be possible now.
Archie Bunker is not really in the rear view mirror.
Archie Bunker is the bit for the drunk uncle today.
Were talking about Donald Trump.
Were talking about people who feel left behind.
You dont feel there are less Archie Bunkers in America today?
We still have a lot of Archie Bunkers in this country, Coates said.
Its a Shonda Rhimes show.
Its a show where they were trying to depict a racist character, and incredulous Maher said.
They shut down the show.
They brought in an organizational psychologist.
Maher then wondered, Is this ever going to go back to where it was?
The panel had no answer for that one.
