In the early 1970s, several networks, particularly CBS, cancelled several television shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, The Lawrence Welk Show, and Hee Haw, despite the fact that they continued to draw high ratings. Known as the “rural purge,” the action was about more than just getting rid of “hayseed” comedies geared to older audiences. By programming shows that prioritized attracting viewers from specific demographics rather than those with broad, widespread appeal, the rural purge signaled the difference in how networks and advertisers viewed urban viewers and the content that appealed to them. It was no longer about shows that reflected values and themes popular in middle America. It confirmed and exacerbated a divide that already existed between urban and rural America, one steeped in stereotypes, suspicion, and mistrust. It was a major step in the division that existed through such terms as “red” and “blue” America, with television networks geared to support that bias. The end result: Television opened the door for politics to enter the world of entertainment, and today’s it’s even worse than we ever imagined it could be.
