Formative Performances: Jean Stapleton in “All in the Family”

[Women’s History Month, Day 29]

All in the Family is another show that is on my to-watch list. I haven’t seen much of it, but I’ve seen enough to add Jean Stapleton to my Women’s History Month celebration. Edith Bunker was a remarkable character, one who could have easily been a cartoonish stereotype in the hands of a less capable actress. Naive and trusting, kind and understanding, Edith was the good side of Archie and a worthy character herself.

There’s an episode of All in the Family where a stranger tries to rape Edith. I wanted to link to that episode because it’s a great piece of acting from Jean Stapleton, but the episode is too visceral and too important for me to talk about in a 250-word post. I will probably write about that episode at another time. For now, I’ll link to a clip from the episode where Edith discovers that her late cousin was in love with a woman – she doesn’t completely understand the larger implications of that relationship, but she understands love and she can convince her husband to exercise his empathy. Everything about it is moving, and Stapleton was just a gem as Edith Bunker.