Terry Rakolta

Terry Rakolta (born September 18 1944) is an American homemaker and activist who 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, 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 [http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/8/1/74101.shtml Mitt Romney Bolsters National Finance Committee Leaders ] ] , the former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate. He also is the General Counsel for Romania's Honorary General Consulate in Detroit. [ [http://www.roembus.org/english/services/honorary_consulates.htm Honorary Consulates of Romania in the US: Detroit, Michigan] ]

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." [http://www.bundyology.com/hpg/308.html I'll See You in Court overview] ] Known as the "Lost Episode," it was finally aired in 2002 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 shows, the ensuing publicity gave the show a huge ratings boost and is sometimes 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.Fact|date=September 2008

Rakolta herself was obliquely referenced twice on the show:
*"Rock and Roll Girl". [http://www.bundyology.com/hpg/414.html]

:when a newscaster mentioned Bloomfield Hills.
*"No Pot To Pease In". [http://www.bundyology.com/hpg/909.html]

:when a television show was made based on the Bundy family was cancelled and their neighbor Marcy told the Bundys that "some woman in Michigan didn't like it."

Rakolta later founded Americans for Responsible Television to fight against other shows deemed offensive by the organization, including shows by Phil Donahue and Howard Stern.

ee also

* Mary Whitehouse

References

External links

* [http://www.bundyology.com/rakolta.html Terry Rakolta's Fight against "Married... with Children"]
* [http://www.responseunlimited.com/datacard.lasso?list=381 Americans for Responsible Television profile] via Response Unlimited