Rob Reiner (1947-2025)

Normally, I am not too bothered about the goings-on of the entertainment world such as Hollywood, but the obscure name Rob Reiner suddenly activated some long-dormant memory cells. Where had I heard that name before? As it turned out, after skimming through the news portals, he was the actor who played “Meathead” in the 1970s American television sitcom All In The Family. This was a series that genuinely captivated me. Unless I had something important to do, I would be glued to the television whenever an episode was shown on Malaysian TV. In those early days of television here, if you missed a programme, that was it — no repeats, no second chances. I would genuinely rue missing an episode, which says something about the impact the series had on me. All In The Family, along with Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, left a lasting impression, though that is a story for another time.

That rediscovery of Rob Reiner led me to reflect on why his presence in All In The Family mattered so much. Michael Stivic, permanently christened “Meathead” by Archie Bunker, was not merely a convenient foil or a source of comic irritation. He was deliberately written as Archie’s ideological opposite: young, college-educated, anti-war, progressive, sceptical of religion and aligned with the feminist currents of the late 1960s and early 1970s. As Gloria Bunker’s husband, he was also permanently inside Archie’s home, ensuring there was no escape from the arguments.

Those arguments were the engine of the show. Through the relentless sparring between Archie and Meathead, All In The Family tackled issues that were still considered radioactive on American network television: racism and antisemitism, the Vietnam War, women’s liberation, atheism and the growing gulf between generations. These were not polite or neatly resolved discussions; they were loud, messy and frequently unfair. And that was precisely why they felt real.

What made Reiner’s performance especially effective was his willingness to lean into Meathead’s flaws. Michael was earnest and morally serious, but also self-righteous, smug and often blind to his own contradictions. He frequently had the moral high ground, but rarely the emotional intelligence to persuade Archie. Archie, for his part, was rooted in fear and habit, ignorant and often cruel, yet stubbornly human. In that balance, neither character was allowed the comfort of being wholly right.

When Reiner left the show in 1978, it marked the end of an era. He went on to become one of Hollywood’s most accomplished directors with films such as This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men.

Looking back now, I realise that what kept me glued to the television all those years ago was not nostalgia alone. It was the sense that All In The Family was brave enough to let its characters collide without cushioning the impact. Archie Bunker and Meathead were not there to resolve America’s arguments, but to expose them. And in that cramped living room, with its battered armchairs and raised voices, television briefly grew up.

The afterword: Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, apparently victims of a homicide.