The line between reality and fiction in television hasn’t always been obvious to people. Be it “Gilligan’s Island” viewers badgering the Coast Guard to rescue the S.S. Minnow’s poor shipwrecked crew or grown-up “Sesame Street” fans believing that Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado (who played married couple Maria and Luis for four decades) were actually hitched, history is littered with anecdotes of audiences assuming what they’re seeing on their TV screen is actually happening. Despite the leaps and gains in the masses’ media literacy over time, folks still need help understanding how even docuseries and so-called reality shows can easily manipulate the truth (as creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie satirized with “The Curse”).
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in “All in the Family,” she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. (Sally if you’re reading this, know that I mean that in the most loving way possible.) Save for her stint on “The Tim Conway Comedy Hour” the year before Norman Lear’s series revolutionized sitcoms in 1971, Struthers had only played minor roles, including a turn opposite Jack Nicholson in “Five Easy Pieces.” Hence, when “All in the Family” exploded in popularity, Struthers was very much Gloria for real in the eyes of fans, all the way down to being married to her onscreen husband, Michael/Mike “Meathead” Stivic (Rob Reiner).
“It became apparent rather quickly that my life had completely turned upside down,” Struthers told Page Six in February 2024. She specifically recalled no longer being able to get lunch with Reiner without drawing attention. More than that, there were even times when people would spot her with her actual husband and wonder why she wasn’t with “The Meathead” instead. “People are so funny,” she added. “They get an idea in their head, they’re like an old dog with a bone.”
