The comics you’re seeing here are mostly cherry-picked. I think the best way I’ve seen someone put it is that he’s sort-of a personification of the social contract.
While I wouldn’t describe Everett as actually being a bigot (I don’t think he actually has any beliefs except that the social contract must be followed), his fanatical adherence to the social contract means his behavior can swing wildly between being bigoted and being extremely progressive (sometimes progressive even for today). You just aren’t seeing the cartoons where he complains to his wife about her behavior (and finds out his wife can be just as aggressive, if not more so), or complains about how characters (who are now recognized as painfully offensive racial stereotypes) aren’t pulling their weight.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the comic for its progressive moments so long as you acknowledge that Everett is a product of his time and enforces the beliefs of the time.
The comics you’re seeing here are mostly cherry-picked. I think the best way I’ve seen someone put it is that he’s sort-of a personification of the social contract.
While I wouldn’t describe Everett as actually being a bigot (I don’t think he actually has any beliefs except that the social contract must be followed), his fanatical adherence to the social contract means his behavior can swing wildly between being bigoted and being extremely progressive (sometimes progressive even for today). You just aren’t seeing the cartoons where he complains to his wife about her behavior (and finds out his wife can be just as aggressive, if not more so), or complains about how characters (who are now recognized as painfully offensive racial stereotypes) aren’t pulling their weight.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the comic for its progressive moments so long as you acknowledge that Everett is a product of his time and enforces the beliefs of the time.