Gee...from watching his shows, who would have thought he was a television producer?
Norman Lear firmly believed that the viewers would not like Archie Bunker and would have great sympathy for Meathead.
The public reaction was that Meathead was a worthless moocher.. An ungreatful a-hole living off his father-in-law. Lear was flabergasted when much of the public came down on Archie's side.