Flashback: Roseanne Barr Stands Up for the Middle and Lower Classes

I don’t even know if state representatives go door to door anymore. If not, perhaps it’s because they got an earful like this gentleman did on Roseanne, in a 1994 episode entitled, simply, “Aliens.”

It was brilliant writing like this that made Roseanne one of the most-loved shows of the time. It dealt with working-class and middle-class issues like how to hold the family together when people are about to lose their house or business.

A little teaser:

And here’s the full clip:

So … the next time a candidate or spokesperson for a candidate tries to do the same kind of thing, I think I’ll borrow a page from Roseanne’s playbook.

Transcript:

Mike Summers: Hi, I'm Mike Summers, your state representative. How are you doing?

Roseanne Arnold: Great.

Mike Summers: Good. I'm going door to door trying to get to know my constituents.

Roseanne Arnold: Door to door, that takes a lot of time. Why don’t you just go down the unemployment office and see everybody at once?

Mike Summers: I hear you. And you’re right. We can’t let this area’s workforce lay idle. That’s why bringing in new business is my number-one priority.

Roseanne Arnold: How?

Mike Summers: Through taxing centers. See, we’re going to make it cheaper for out-of-state businesses to set up shop right here in Lanford.

Roseanne Arnold: So they get a tax break?

Mike Summers: Yeah, that’s why they come here.

Roseanne Arnold: Well, who’s going to pay the taxes that they ain’t paying?

Mike Summers: Well, you will. But you’ll be working. Good, steady employment.

Roseanne Arnold: Union wages?

Mike Summers: Well, now, part of the reason these companies are finding it so expensive to operate in other locations—

Roseanne Arnold: So, they’re going to dump the union, so they can come here and hire us at scab wages, and then, for that privilege, we get to pay their taxes.

Mike Summers: Is your husband home?

Roseanne Arnold: Well, he’s on the phone trying to keep us from losing our house. Hey, let’s talk about that. See, we’re broke. I can’t even afford to go buy groceries unless it’s double-coupon day.

Mike Summers: You know, we should talk about that. Oh, but I have several houses I have to get to before I quit this—

Roseanne Arnold: Oh, hey, great. I’ll come with you. Boy, it’s getting rough out here, Mike. You know, it's getting so my son is going have to wear my daughter’s hand-me-downs, and for real this time, not just for fun.