Married... with Children: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:35, 2 April 2025

Revision as of 20:52, 4 April 2025

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In 1989, [[Terry Rakolta]] from [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]], attempted to lead a boycott<ref name="Time 2007">{{cite magazine|last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652601,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026140557/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652601,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2007 |title=Married ... With Children The 100 Best TV Shows Of All Time |magazine=Time |date=2007-09-06 |access-date=2012-03-14}}</ref> of the show after viewing the episode "[[Her Cups Runneth Over]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bundyology.com/hpg/306.html |title=Bundyology—Episode "Her Cups Runneth Over" |publisher=Bundyology.com |access-date=2012-03-14}}</ref> Offended by the images of an old man wearing a woman's garter and stockings, the scene in which Steve touches the pasties of a mannequin dressed in S&M gear, a homosexual man wearing a tiara on his head (and Al's line "...and they wonder why we call them 'queens{{' "}}), and a half-nude woman who takes off her bra in front of Al (and is shown with her arms covering her bare chest in the next shot), Rakolta began a letter-writing campaign to advertisers, demanding they boycott the show.

Rakolta's campaign resulted in [[Gillette]], [[Warner–Lambert]], and [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] ending sponsorships; ironically, Coca-Cola owned the studio that produced the show, [[Columbia Pictures Television]].<ref name="Kimmel 2004"/>{{rp|68}} Fox pulled the episode titled "[[I'll See You in Court]]" (in which the Bundys attempt to improve their love life by having marital relations in a different setting). This episode became known as the "Lost Episode" and was aired on [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] on June 18, 2002, with some parts cut.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?26509|title=Censored 'Married ... with Children' to Air on FX|work=Zap2It.comZap2it|date=June 17, 2002|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030212064318/http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?26509|archive-date=February 12, 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= The Illustrated Lost Show Transcript|url=http://www.bundyology.com/lost1.html|work=Bundyology|date=November 25, 2002|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20071219184320/http://www.bundyology.com/lost1.html|archive-date=December 19, 2007|access-date=August 17, 2024|url-status=dead}}</ref> The episode was packaged with the rest of the third season in the January 2005 [[DVD]] release (and in the first volume of the ''Married ... With Children Most Outrageous Episodes'' DVD set) with the parts cut from syndication restored.

Viewers' curiosity over the boycott and over the show itself led to a drastic ratings boost.<ref name="Kimmel 2004"/>{{rp|68}} Rakolta has been alluded to twice on the show: "Rock and Roll Girl",<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=married-with-children&episode=s04e15|title=Married with Children s04e15 Episode Script |website=Springfield! Springfield!|access-date=2019-08-25|archive-date=2014-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909161100/http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=married-with-children&episode=s04e15|url-status=dead}}</ref> in which a newscaster mentions the city Bloomfield Hills, and "No Pot to Pease In",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=married-with-children&episode=s09e09|title=Married with Children s09e09 Episode Script|website=Springfield! Springfield!|access-date=2019-08-25 |archive-date=2014-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909161041/http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=married-with-children&episode=s09e09|url-status=dead}}</ref> in which a television show is made about the Bundy family and then cancelled because, as Marcy stated, "some woman in Michigan didn't like it."