"Beverly tackled them, he saved my life...'" yeah, the character dies, but was depicted doing something heroic. An LGBT character who died saving someone else from violence. Unheard of in the 70's.

I think the reason why Edith is more severely affected by Beverly's death than the others is because she didn't see Beverly as being weird or strange and just saw her as a person. It's funny how usually in the show Edith is depicted as being not the brightest of the Bunker household but occasionally she shows that she might be the smartest one of them all.

The gal who played Edith knocked it out of the park. I've never even watched this show but her performance got me crying.

This will sound silly but I think Beverley LaSalle was the pivot that turned me from an LGBT empathizer to an ally. Back in the late 80's/early 90's, Nick at Nite aired all 3 Beverley episodes relatively closely within a short period of time. I was young, fourth grade, maybe, when I first saw Beverley. I believe she was the first drag queen I'd ever seen. On TV, she was fun and interesting, but, most of all, she was a very nice lady. I never saw this character as "different" as most people imply when speaking of LGBT persons. She was a kind of brave I had never known; unapologetic and comfortable. Unfortunately, my father and grandmother are not queer supporters and I grew up hearing about them in the most awful ways. While that sticks with some people, this had a very different effect on me. I'm Black. Their hate speech against LGBT persons often sounded like hate speech against people like me. I recognized people's dislike of me as a black person because I was different and I could empathize with LGBT persons being marginalized for basically the same reason. It made me mad as a child and even more so as an adult. But, Beverley, her story made me sad. I felt like Edith. Beverley was a fresh take on personal ownership of self that is not often displayed on TV and less seen in real life. For me, Beverley recognized and understood people would judge and dislike her for how she lived her life and she did it anyway. Beverley was happy as herself, asked not for permission and made no apologies. And, in this grand acceptance of self, the Bunkers, Edith, saw her as a person and came to love her as family. As a child of my upbringing, this was a contradiction. Anyone diverting from family ideals and societal norms was outcast, lonely and an all around terrible person. Yet, here was Beverley; an outwardly good person and received as such. She was a very nice lady. Then she died. I, like Edith, wondered why she died; why people ignorant to their own cowardice felt empowered to act with such righteous blindness. To me, Beverley was a leader. A fictional character, yes, but a leader in her own right. Today, I work with LGBT youth who survived what Beverley didn't. I try hard to keep alive in them what ignorance tried to take. Thank you for this video.

Jean Stapleton was sensational. She played a character that could easily have been an annoying caricature but she made her so real with never a false note. Her grief for Beverly was so authentic.

The actor who portrayed Beverly LaSalle was born Don Seymour McClean, and his stage name is Lori Shannon. Born May 18, 1938, and (so sorry to say) but he died of a heart attack in San Francisco, on February 13, 1984. He was 45. R.I.P., Don/Lori (Beverly). WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH.

It's weird how right wing boomers and such use Archie Bunker in their intolerance memes when he was far more "progressive" than that. Might be because they never actually watched the show and only know of him through those same memes.

Edith really was the soul of that show. Archie dealing with her death in the spin-off is so sad I've only been able to watch it once.

“Heterosexuals are exhausting” truest sentence ever

Edith was so utterly lovely. I've a hard time thinking of a character who is as fundamentally decent as she was. She was the heart of that show - it wasn't hard to love her.

This episode was aired when I was in high school as a boy struggling with my own sexuality and more importantly gender identity TV characters like Beverly were a breath a fresh air. When I saw this episode I cried, I`m crying as I watch this video about it. I know Beverly was fictional, but Lori Shannon who played Beverly was real and died in 1984, RIP Beverly, RIP Lori. Even though I`m not a drag queen in those dark days of the 70s Beverly gave me something to hope for. Matt thanks for showing this I forgot all about Beverly.

I've never seen a full episode of All In The Family, but I'll admit Edith's horrified silence upon Beverly's death had me sobbing.

Thank you so much for this. I like that you don't just watch these and say how homophobic people were in the '70s. You look at the cultural context and give it a real resonance. Thank you Matt.

The part where Beverly looks at Edith, shocked that she said she was like family just tears my heart out. She looks like she needed and longed to hear that so badly. Too many people can relate.

I almost forgot I was watching an actress watching Edith during her scenes of grieving. I didn't even see the full episode and it was breaking my heart.

I think the “bury your gays” trope was used here had a higher purpose. It allowed the audience to feel empathy for people who many saw as monsters at the time.

Matt, I love Culture Cruise, and this one had me crying like a baby at work...

An interesting early television treatment of gays is Season One Episode Five, "Judging Books By Covers" from 1971, in which Mike's friend, a "limp wristed" intellectual turns out to be straight, and Archie's football playing friend turns out to be gay. A great example of how groundbreaking All In The Family was in its early years.

I give Edith a lot of credit as a character. She's so accepting of all different kinds of people as long as they're doing the right thing. She's trying, which is a hell of a lot more than a lot of people manage. Also, I'm one of the Marylanders who voted to legalize marriage equality!

I do like his assertions of "I gotta go back and change". Makes it more realistic for RL drag queens. And a rarity in sitcom depictions of drag. (As it's usually more treated as trans than a performance; even today....)

I remember this so distinctly. My entire family watched this, and we all cried. That, in itself, is so meaningful.

I'm only half way through this and I'm crying over a character in a show I've never seen.

I find it strange that people today seem to think of All in the Family as " That show with the bigot main character " I've had to explain the show to people that that's not what it was about.

I'm crying too... Jean Stapleton was a master actor.

After my brother, who was straight, died I watched the Christmas episodes and they helped me. If Edith Bunker could be mad at God it must be OK to be mad at God

I remember watching this episode as a kid. I didn't see Beverly as different, just as a human being like Edith. That's the way children and people like Edith view others. Hate is something that is taught. I'm very thankful my parents taught me to love others just because as humans we all deserve love and understanding.

Watching this after attending a trans day of remembrance vigil is really emotional. “They’re either getting mugged by strangers or murdered by friends” is still so relevant. In the last year, there have been 331 recorded murders of trans people. We’re disproportionately affected by violence even today. Very progressive of this show to acknowledge that.

Hey, have you seen the _Two and a Half Men_ episodes with openly trans characters? They were surprisingly tolerant: one showed a trans _man_ as early as 2004 (who ultimately gets the woman he’s into), then there was a trans woman who appeared for two back in 2010 (who also got with the woman she was into-yes, an actual transbian on TV). Even the juvenile jokes felt (at least to me, a person who’s never really lived as something other than their assigned gender) as friendly ribbing rather than actual malice.

Oh Edith. Such a pure and open heart.

I've not seen these episodes but Edith's face when they told her Beverly was dear...... I don't think I've ever teared up more quickly in my life..... that was powerful and heartbreaking

Beverly LaSalle's death really hit me hard when I watched this as a kid.

My gosh, these episodes were fantastic. I'm of the mind that Norman Lear is arguably the great writer in TV history (and the fact that he's still politically active is amazing). Of course, a lot of it is the brilliance of Jean Stapleton. She really made you feel every emotion she had. The same episodes without her might not have made the audience care nearly so much about Beverly. Even distilled into these clips I was bawling. Of course, it is incredibly frustrating that this became a trope, but All in the Family not only did it first, they did it better than just about anyone.

12:45 in, and I'm taking a brief intermission for reflection. All in the Family was generous to dedicate two episodes to this character arc completion. The impact is sincerely felt. Also, "it needs must be remarked," this is one of the most powerful, resonant episodes of Culture Cruise to date. So much to reflect on, not least of all how far we haven't come from these times, and how hard it is for generations who grew up slowly seeing gays and lesbians recognized, cannot transpose those lessons onto newly front and center groups like trans and non-binary.

Holy crap I cried when Edith was actually saying the stuff about not going to church. I know how it feels to question my own faith because of being gay and the burden I carry with it.

I watched this episode with my family. We were shocked and devastated at the death of Beverly. Edith carried the audience’s grief.

All in the Family knows how to yank at your heart strings about as well as This is Us; but because it wasn't every single episode it becomes more effective when they do depict tragedy and loss. Archie dealing with the loss of Edith is an episode that has me crying in public just thinking about it. I'm crying right now thinking about it. I've never seen these episode of Beverly before though I used to watch the show all the time as a kid, and these retrospectives have been eye opening and enlightening, while this episode here just through your video has me also grieving alongside Edith.

People still get mis-gendered in 2019. The fact that they got so much right in the 70’s has me almost in literal tears right now

I didn’t think I’d cry, but I did! 😭 Love these episodes Matt!

I know of the show, but I’ve never seen it. I had heard that Archie was a very close minded and not progressive individual. But the fact that this episode exists is a beautiful thing. Thank you for reviewing it.

I never really loved the reruns of this show, but Edith is one of the kindest most beautiful characters ever created for TV.

Wow Jean was an amazing actresses, she did this on a comedy sitcom wow

This has me bawling my eyes out.😭

Matt. I'm seventy-one, a retired, disabled veteran and gay man. I have PTSD from being in a Greek prison during the 1974 Cyprus war and Athen's coup. This was a tough clip for me to watch. I managed only because of your sincerity. Thanks buddy. I have thirty years of San Francisco under my belt, 1977 to 2007. I'm in Saint Louis now. Keep up the great work.

And THIS is why we loved Edith Bunker.

Edith was, is, and will always be my favorite TV Mom/Wife.

There is such a mix of emotion this brings...between Edith’s love for Beverly, the public reaction to Harvey Milk, the need for riots to fight for basic human rights (to just live and exist)...it just underscores how debased humans can be (and still are). Reality is sometimes too much to handle for long periods of time. People suck sometimes. Mean people suck all the time.

The episode when Archie and Mike get locked in the pub and get drunk. Archie as shares that he was physically abused as a child . The look on Mike's face is haunting

That scene with Beverly being told she’s family got to me. That is amazing . I truly don’t know how the heck they happened in the 70s

18:58 I mean, yeah, but it's very clearly nothing like gay characters just showing up & dying, she had an actual presence & character, one that ended to raise awareness, all that good stuff about humanization you just talked about would've never happened without her dying

From a old women in the 70s the sentence: "good love everyone" made me cry in 2019.

11:00 the reaction to the words "just because he's different" is so... Perfect, meaningful, and a way of saying that it is not comforting nor a justification to Beverly's, that just makes it worse. Every time I reach this part of the video I'm bawling my eyes out

Harvey Milk was such a fine individual. His death was so unecessary. I'm still sad.

Matt, another excellent critique. I grew up watching the sitcoms and dramas of the 70's. I remember Beverly very well. Edith Bunker had one of the purest hearts of any character on tv ever. Fascinating watching the history of how gays were portrayed and thus treated by society over the generations. Thanks for the great work. Stay Strong, Be Well, Keep Safe, Keep Rockin It Out Your Way! BTW . . .lookin cute sailor boy!

As a US history teacher, this is such a wonderful source for teaching the history of gay liberation. I really want to thank you for the passionate coverage of a very important topic. You’ve helped empower me to cover this subject with honor and respect. You are so valuable!!! Thank you so much Matt.

RIVERS OF TEARS. Oh Beverly.

I started crying around 16:10 because I was just. So hit by the passion I heard in their voices

I'm sixty years old...Beverly's episodes came out during my formative years. They stuck with me and gave weight to my beliefs as I shook off my culture religious upbringing. Even as a kid I never truly accepted the idea of one's level of humanity being tiered. It may not occur to people born long after AITF's heyday, but Edith Bunker was one of the most beloved characters of that era. Nobody else was quite like her.

This story line had such a HUGE impact on me when it aired. I was a teenager living in a ultra conservative rural area with a father who had hated me because I was a "queer". This was life changing for me and my own self image. Edith was forever a hero for me, as was Normal Lear.

I'm sobbing so much. What a moving episode and jeez, I can't believe such an episode came out so long ago. What a powerful episode and Beverly is an amazing character. God, I keep wiping my eyes.

I was a kid living in the Bay Area when Harvey Milk was murdered, even as a kid, I was angry and dismayed at what occurred as my mom had many gays friends.

When the doc said he was dead and when Edith had that look, my face was covered in chills.

I’m 37, I’ll be 38 on June 13... I have loved this show since I was a child... I came out in 1998, my Sophomore year of HS. I cry every single time I watch this episode. Also, I’m Roman Catholic, went to Catholic school all of my life so the religious bee gets me teary-eyed too... this episode was played so extremely well... Also, I live in Baltimore, Maryland.. we are an absolutely amazing state. I hope you get a chance to visit Mount Vernon in Baltimore City, that’s our LGTBQ district, we call it the « gaybourhood »

In a way, Lori Shannon is kind of like a bizzaro Divine. (Not in how they were as people but how they're portrayed in the media) Divine was protrayed as this tasteless, unapologetically trashy person with no sense of self integrity and excercises her lack of one at every opportunity in her iconic role in Pink Flamingos. But in Shannon's iconic role of Beverly, she is very tasteful, respectful to herself and others, and has such a strong sense of pride in who she is. She's just as confident and brave as Divine was in Flamingos, but with a sense of class and self worth. It's interesting how drastically different they were, despite gaining popularity the same way. RIP you beautiful queens.

I watched this show with my parents when I was in my early teens. My Mom was a lot like Edith, she was a sweet person who loved everyone. Both of my parents were against racism and homophobia, kind of rare for E. Texas at that time (or any time in Texas). This show opened many heartfelt conversations in our family. I remember these episodes, and that we all cried when Beverly died.

I was just watching your Murphy Brown 'Anchorman' video when I got the notification for this one. I've only been subscribed for a few weeks and I have been binge watching your videos and I have learned so much about gay culture and gay history. Thanks so much for being an awesome teacher!!

Oh man Edith sounds exactly like my grandma. She died about ten years ago but listening to that raspy Brooklyn accent is actually getting me emotional

I'd love to see an episode about Howard and Ed, the gay couple on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. They were on TV around the same time as these episodes, and have conflict with one another over whether to come out to their neighbours and whether to get married. My take on their story line is that their story arc centres on the gay characters and their emotional lives, rather than serving as a device for the growth of the straights. It's also surprisingly light on any display of affection, which might be more a function of the TV censors in the mid-70s than the vision of the producers, but it would have been nice to have seen more dimension to their relationship than just their conflict. They were recurring characters for twenty or so episodes in 1976, but were eventually written out of the series, and I don't remember if they ever explain why or if their characters just disappeared.

Wow. This was powerful. I agree with Edith whey she said we are all God's children and no one should be treated as if they are a threat. Thank you for posting!! Great video!!

The thematic through-line about how anger intertwines with grief and how it can be a positive force both personally and in the world is *chef-kiss*

Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton were both amazing actors. This two-parter is a master class of acting through expression and silence, of timing and emotion. Add in the theme that is relevant still today.

I remember watching the episode about Beverly's death and I cried. Now I'm crying again. Beautifully acted and written, and for the time it was incredible the respect given to the subject matter. Great video.

Star Trek Discovery killed off a gay character and realized their mistake and went through a lot of stuff to unbury him and bring him back to life.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for reminding me of this priceless gem. I was born in 1960, and the influence of All and the Family (and indeed, all of Norman Lear's classic shows if the '70s) had a HUGE influence in forming opinions, beliefs, and standards that have shaped me till this day. Just look at Beverly's face during that triumphant wig reveal! Pure delight. I did resent her death. It was a high cost to explore Edith's crisis of faith, one that could have happened in any one of a number of ways. The only positive thing is how it elevates Beverly LaSalle...most of us will never have to face a situation where we would risk or give our life for the loved ones of a sister. Bev didn't hesitate, or even consider that she might have become in that instant a human lightning rod for hatred and death. I can't imagine it would have mattered. In that sense, Bev and Edith shared the sort of soulfulness and selfishness of character.

"I'm sorry, he just died " Bedside manner is apparently dead too

Even though I'm not gay or bisexual, I can relate to this alienation. Was bullied serverly most of my school time, due to my autism and my passion for voiceacting. Was assaulted, beaten and demeaned. The worst action was being forced to kiss the shoe of my bully, just for the cause of getting my lunch returned to me. These deeds have truely formed my personality, as an adult. Been suffering from anxiety and depression eversince. I'm finally on the path of positive progression. I support civil rights, by being forthcomming towards everyone. Pigmentation, sexuality and otherwise. This video really touched me! Thank you deeply, for inspiring me

5:08 To misquote Eric Andre: “How could you say something so controversial yet so true?”

"Can you imagine a sitcom today, having such a long-stretch of silence?" "Bazinga!"

This is amazing, thank you. I received a better education growing up in front of the TV than I remember, and I remember watching these episodes multiple times. I’d like to think that these episodes subconsciously contributed to my open minded attitude when my youngest came out as non-binary trans. I thought I was ready for anything, but I didn’t even know what that meant. Now, I do and I’m thankful that they’re safe at Simmons University and in a loving relationship.

Edith’s “what good does it do?” in response to being told to go to church might be one of the closest-to-home lines I’ve ever heard

Matt, this is the best posting you have ever made. This was so heart wrenching to watch that I am still crying two days later. I never saw these episodes whilst growing up so will have to go back now and watch them. Thank you for posting this.

Powerful. I cried watching this. Side note, that one article that said the resolution of Edith's crisis of faith wasn't convincing. I mean, it's a sitcom of the 70's. They were going to reset at the end of the episode. From what you showed, I'm glad they left it ambiguous if her crisis is totally resolved or not. It looks like maybe after the end of the episode Edith still needs to stew about how these events fit into her worldview, as anyone would. That's very real to me.

Nice Work Matt Baume! I was 17 when this aired and I remember feeling so moved, watching it with my parents who loved Beverly LaSalle. I truly think it made it easier for me to come out then. But I agree, its basically about the straight person- Beverly's death underlines Edith's and Mike's goodness; like many African American characters are used to "uplift" white characters in film.

I was in my teens during the show's run. It was a pretty amazing contrast to most of TV at the time. It was considered 'radical' by many on the christian right.

“And extremely 70s Chinese restaurant” 😂

I'm just shook and broken in tears with edith's reaction. It is really raw and real.

"Heterosexuals are exhausting." As a heterosexual, I can confirm. This episode is an example of the concept of "tropes are not bad." This one instance created a powerful and dynamic story that humanized a queer person, and showed the horrendous consequences of homophobia. The second part focused on Edith and her reaction to it, because the intended audience was not the LGBTQ community. They already understood the tragedy. It was the mainstream culture that needed to feel that pain, so it was a mainstream character that experienced it. In this one instance, what would become the "Burry your gays" trope was used positively and powerfully. But that does not excuse ALL uses of the trope. In th VAST majority of its uses in media, it isn't affirming, or beautiful, or cathartic; it's just degrading, and treats marginalized people as props for the edification of the mainstream. Which is basically the definition of being marginalized. Does the trope need to go away? In its current form, absolutely. But the story that it does tell, when used right like in this episode, is still a valid story that occasionally needs to be told. So, in my far-from-expert opinion, it should be in the writer's toolbox, but only a a very specialized tool that does a very specific job under specific, limited circumstances. And if you're not under those specific circumstances, trying to do that specific thing, you should probably let it slide. Kill off the named straight white dude for dramatic effect (you'd be surprised how little that actually happens, them being central protaganists all the time).

I loved Beverly LaSalle. She was a character so well written, acted and costumed that it was difficult to think of her as a fictional character. I watch a lot of old tv and frankly the "All in the Family" episodes with Beverly are my favorites in that series. Who can see Beverly and not want her as a sister? She's got the kind of personality and charm that draws you in and the kind of spirit that makes you want to stay around her. You know... those rare people you can absolutely relax around, not just your body but your mind and emotions as well...because you know THIS is a person so direct, so honest and so genuine that everything you feel and everything you are is safe with them. Someone...the writer or the actor or maybe both...was almost certainly inspired by someone just like Beverly.

"Heterosexuals are exhausting" As a hetero, i can confirm 😂

Can you talk about crazy ex girlfriend? I love their depiction of queer folks. [spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 upcoming] also darrell and white josh are the cutest couple

Well I didn't expect to be crying at a clip from _All in the Family_ today, so that was a surprise. Great work on this one, Matt!

Oh man, this one made me weep. I was 17 then. I don't remember seeing the episodes. My dad identified with Archie Bunker. He looked like Carol O'Connor, was the same age, and died the same year (2000 or 2001..., that's right, I don't quite remember when my dad died). I hated Archie... Too much to say here, but my father treated me unfairly because of me being gay. I was ignored. It's called willful neglect, and it's a form of child abuse. by the 90s, I didn't care if I ever saw him again. It was always stressful. He showed his anger in misdirected ways. We loved Edith for the reasons in this script, and her powerful, real performance. She was innocent, pure, and caring. She rose above the culture she was raised in, as my mother did in the years following Dad's death. Edith was what we aspire to be as humans. I think my dad was about to get around to apologizing when he passed suddenly. My brother has apologized. At that time, as teens, he never said anything to me that wasn't angry and shaming. Uh boy. Perhaps I needed therapy... Or they did...

RIP Lori Shannon (born Don Seymore McClean) who died very young at 45. 💞 Beverly LaSalle was a great character for AITF.

They aired Beverly's death today Get TV. Breaks my heart every time. RIP Lori Shannon, who played Beverly on the show and the magnificent Jean Stapleton.

Onions. Why are there always onions? I lived in Sacramento when Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated. Seeing it again was a bit much. As far as gays being killed off, I "thank" the Hays Code for much of that. Patricia Nell Warren's groundbreaking novel "The Front Runner" manages to conform to the code in part even though it gave birth to an international network of running clubs.

Well done. Ya know, All In The Family is so timeless. It is amazing how that show speaks just as much volume today as it did in the 70's. It possibly speaks MORE NOW than then.

Thanks for this I saw the first episode when I was 21 and never forgot it. I'm so glad to see it again, especially the following ones I had never seen. Those actors were geniuses

This was such a poignant installment of Culture Cruise, I cried while watching you cover the All in the Family Episode. Thanks So much Matt, great job!

I remember watching this with my sister. I was only six or seven and she was nine. We probably shouldn't have been watching such serious subject matter without our parents, but our dad forbade us to watch any sitcoms back then. But we watched them all! When I was 17 I snuck into a gay bar in Dupont Circle one afternoon after school. I met a drag queen named Ebony, and I was star struck. I'm sure this episode of All in the Family must have impacted me deeply, and it may be a big reason why I admire drag performers and have so much compassion for the issues faced by trans people today.

Oh gosh you sent me on a wave of nostalgia with this episode -- I'm 55 so i do remember all this stuff. And I had completely forgotten about Beverly. But whenever we take off a hat in my family we say "Showtime!" I had just forgotten where that came from, but it all came flooding back the first moment I saw her again. I could argue that Archie Bunker was the single-most influential television character of all time. He would say terrible things that many people were thinking, but the show (almost always successfully) would demonstrate how his views were wrong. Completely brilliant. Harvey Milk . . . my Dad had a lot of good qualities but being accepting was not one of them until his favorite nephew revealed he was gay and then he just . . . flipped. It was an amazing thing to see. But when Harvey was assassinated I only recall my Dad scoffing about that "fruit." I later saw the documentary about him and it changed my life. I was disappointed that the later movie "Milk" was so inferior. It really didn't tell me anything abut Harvey that i didn't already know. I am loving your channel and so glad I found it!

"Two years later and you still haven't worked out the pronouns?" It took my partner's grandparents even longer to work out mine, even with my partner's constant correction. And we interact with them in person more than Edith and Beverly seemed to interact with each other. Straight cis people just seem to struggle with it.