and Edith Bunker, Alf and Else Garnett had a more dysfunctional marriage which involved both constantly hurling insults at each other. Unlike Edith, who usually did not react to Archie whenever he insulted her by calling her "dingbat," Else was less happy with her marriage and would call her husband "pig" after he called her "silly moo." Unlike Else, Edith also would refrain from sharing her husband's prejudices as well. Though both the Garnett and Bunker households were intended to represent working class life, Archie Bunker's house was one of more private, cozier quality. In contrast to the Bunker household, Alf Garnett's family lived in a very modest house which, at least in the series’ early seasons, had only one lavatory (and that outdoors), and no telephone. Unlike the less prosperous Garnett household, the socio-economic status of the Bunker household was considered to be lower-middle class. Like Alf Garnett, Archie Bunker was both conservative-minded and bigoted. However, Alf's attitude and language was more violent. Unlike the more abrasive Alf Garnett, Archie Bunker was regarded as a tamer, watered-down version of his British counterpart, and was even considered a protagonist. Like Mike Rawlins, Michael Stivic lacked religion and had left-wing political views. However, unlike Rawlins, Stivic's political views were not socialist-leaning, as he was a liberal Democrat. Controversy Although Speight said he wrote the series to challenge racism, it was felt by some critics that many people watched it because they agreed with Garnett's views. Anthony Clark of Screenonline stated, "Sadly, Speight's defence was far from watertight—having a white actor, Spike Milligan, black up and don a turban in one episode is clearly questionable", and added that "In Till Death Us Do Part, Alf's lengthy rants go largely unchallenged; his wife does little more than raise an eyebrow, while the responses from daughter Rita and the wholly unsympathetic Mike are often little more than impotent quips or frustrated laughter." However, John Cleese defended the series in 2020, saying "We laughed at Alf's reactionary views. Thus, we discredited them, by laughing at him. Of course, there were people — very stupid people — who said, 'Thank God someone is saying these things at last'. We laughed at these people too." The linguist Alan Crosby has argued that the constant use of the phrase "Scouse git" with reference to Anthony Booth's character spread both the word "Scouse" and negative stereotypes of Liverpudlians. Episodes