Terry Rakolta
Encyclopedia
Terry Rakolta led a boycott against the Fox Broadcasting Company
sitcom Married... with Children
.A Mother Is Heard as Sponsors Abandon a TV Hit (March 2, 1989) New York Times Born Terry Lynn Stern, she is the sister of Ronna Romney
, former daughter-in-law of former Michigan
governor George Romney
. Rakolta's husband John Rakolta
Jr. was a National Chairman for the 2008 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney
, the former Massachusetts
governor and presidential candidate. He also is the General Counsel for Romania
's Honorary General Consulate in Detroit.
Rakolta, a resident of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
, was prompted to write to the show's sponsors after watching an episode entitled "Her Cups Runneth Over" on January 15, 1989, in which Al Bundy
and his friend Steve purchase a bra for Al's wife, Peggy. Several sponsors decided to cancel their commercials, and Fox decided not to air a potentially offensive episode titled "I'll See You in Court
". Known as the "Lost Episode", it was finally aired in 2002 on FX and was packaged with the rest of the third season in the 2005 DVD
release. The episode has aired outside America as a regular episode of season three ever since the show went into syndication.
After Rakolta made several appearances on television talk show
s, the ensuing publicity gave the show a huge ratings boost and is generally credited in part for the show's longevity. Every year at Christmas
, Married... with Children producers would send Rakolta a fruit basket with a thank you note.
Rakolta later founded Americans for Responsible Television to fight against other shows that she deemed offensive, including shows by Phil Donahue
and Howard Stern
.
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
sitcom Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
.A Mother Is Heard as Sponsors Abandon a TV Hit (March 2, 1989) New York Times Born Terry Lynn Stern, she is the sister of Ronna Romney
Ronna Romney
Ronna Romney née Ronna Eileen Stern, is a Michigan Republican politician and radio talk show host.-Biography:She has twice been a candidate for U.S. Senator...
, former daughter-in-law of former Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
governor George Romney
George W. Romney
George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973...
. Rakolta's husband John Rakolta
John Rakolta
John Rakolta Jr. is the CEO of Walbridge . He was also one of the National Finance Chairs for Mitt Romney's 2008 Presidential Campaign...
Jr. was a National Chairman for the 2008 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, the former Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
governor and presidential candidate. He also is the General Counsel for Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
's Honorary General Consulate in Detroit.
Rakolta, a resident of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
, was prompted to write to the show's sponsors after watching an episode entitled "Her Cups Runneth Over" on January 15, 1989, in which Al Bundy
Al Bundy
Al Bundy is a fictional character from the U.S. television series Married... with Children. He was played by Ed O'Neill.-Character history:...
and his friend Steve purchase a bra for Al's wife, Peggy. Several sponsors decided to cancel their commercials, and Fox decided not to air a potentially offensive episode titled "I'll See You in Court
I'll See You in Court
"I'll See You in Court" is the tenth episode of the third season from the TV comedy series Married... with Children. The episode follows the Bundys' attempts to improve their love life by having marital relations in a different setting. While staying at the Hop-On-Inn, the Bundys discover a...
". Known as the "Lost Episode", it was finally aired in 2002 on FX and was packaged with the rest of the third season in the 2005 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release. The episode has aired outside America as a regular episode of season three ever since the show went into syndication.
After Rakolta made several appearances on television talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, the ensuing publicity gave the show a huge ratings boost and is generally credited in part for the show's longevity. Every year at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Married... with Children producers would send Rakolta a fruit basket with a thank you note.
Rakolta later founded Americans for Responsible Television to fight against other shows that she deemed offensive, including shows by Phil Donahue
Phil Donahue
Phillip John "Phil" Donahue is an American media personality, writer, and film producer best known as the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, also known as Donahue, was the first to use a talk show format. The show had a 26-year run on U.S...
and Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
.
External links
- Terry Rakolta's Fight against Married... with ChildrenMarried... with ChildrenMarried... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
- Americans for Responsible Television profile via Response Unlimited