History YMMV / LilAbner

* OvershadowedByControversy: In 1971, Al Capp came under immense media condemnation due to being caught up in multiple, near-simultaneous sex scandals. As a result, many newspapers dropped the strip out of protest. Combined with how sharply Al Capp had alienated his potential fanbase since the 60s, it was a death sentence.

* SeasonalRot: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day Creator/MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, and Lena the Hyena were part of the SmallReferencePools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement[[note]]Although Capp had a mixed relationship with the movement. On one hand, Capp supported civil rights for African-Americans in 1949 publicly and even protested the National Cartoonists Society disallowing women. His studio also helped create ''Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.'' But he didn't necessarily support groups asking him for support, once claiming a group concerned with white violence on black people wasn't doing enough to stop the whole issue.[[/note]], hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with Music/JohnLennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp [[OvershadowedByControversy got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals]] that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself.

* SeasonalRot: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement[[note]]Although Capp had a mixed relationship with the movement. On one hand, Capp supported civil rights for African-Americans in 1949 publicly and even protested the National Cartoonists Society disallowing women. His studio also helped create ''Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.'' But he didn't necessarily support groups asking him for support, once claiming a group concerned with white violence on black people wasn't doing enough to stop the whole issue.[[/note]], hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with Music/JohnLennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp [[OvershadowedByControversy got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals]] that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself.

* SeasonalRot: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement[[/note]]Although Capp had a mixed relationship with the movement. On one hand, Capp supported civil rights for African-Americans in 1949 publicly and even protested the National Cartoonists Society disallowing women. His studio also helped create ''Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.'' But he didn't necessarily support groups asking him for support, once claiming a group concerned with white violence on black people wasn't doing enough to stop the whole issue.[[note]], hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with Music/JohnLennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp [[OvershadowedByControversy got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals]] that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself.

* SeasonalRot: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with Music/JohnLennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp [[OvershadowedByControversy got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals]] that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself.

%% * HarsherInHindsight: Given the borderline terrorists some campus radicals have turned into in the New 10s, SWINE feels eerily prophetic.

* HarsherInHindsight: Given the borderline terrorists some campus radicals have turned into in the New 10s, SWINE feels eerily prophetic.
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_International_Party Guess]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_Underground again.]] It might qualify as HistoryRepeats, though.

%% * {{Anvilicious}}: Shameless.

* SeasonalRot: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day Creator/MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, and Lena the Hyena were part of the SmallReferencePools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with Music/JohnLennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all. Perhaps ironically, its biggest continuing legacy might be the concept of Sadie Hawkins dances.

* HarsherInHindsight: Given the borderline terrorists campus radicals have turned into in the New 10s, SWINE feels eerily prophetic.

* HarsherInHindsight: Given the borderline terrorists campus radicals have turned into in the New10s, SWINE feels eerily prophetic.

* HarsherInHindsight: Give the borderline terrorists campus radicals have turned into in the NewTens, SWINE feels eerily prophetic.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day Creator/MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, and Lena the Hyena were part of the SmallReferencePools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with John Lennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all. Perhaps ironically, its biggest continuing legacy might be the concept of Sadie Hawkins dances.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Shameless. [[RefugeInAudacity But usually still hilarious.]]

* RefugeInAudacity: Capp took RefugeInAudacity regularly; the YMMV part is exactly which elements of ''Lil Abner'' qualify according to the observer. The astounding imbecility of... well, everybody? The casual use of MsFanservice? The frequently-ludicrous plots? The puns? There's something here for everybody!... to be offended by. However, in the best traditions of this trope, Capp would keep piling it on until a critic either left angry or admitted that it was ActuallyPrettyFunny.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, and Lena the Hyena were part of the SmallReferencePools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with John Lennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all. Perhaps ironically, its biggest continuing legacy might be the concept of Sadie Hawkins dances.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, Lena the Hyena were part of the Small Reference Pools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with John Lennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977 by Capp himself. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all. Perhaps ironically, its biggest continuing legacy might be the concept of Sadie Hawkins dances.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Al Capp was called the modern-day MarkTwain. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, Lena the Hyena were part of the Small Reference Pools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with John Lennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, Lena the Hyena were part of the Small Reference Pools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters, including an infamous feud with John Lennon. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all.

* DeaderThanDisco: The strip fell into this pretty hard. For a couple of decades (40s-60s), it was the most popular comic strip in America by a mile, with an estimated daily readership of 70 million in the US alone (back when the country's population was ~180 million.) The strip produced omnipresent merchandise and even a few live-action films. Characters from the strip, such as Daisy Mae, Sadie Hawkins, Lena the Hyena were part of the Small Reference Pools. It also spawned an extremely successful spinoff character, the Schmoo, which was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The main reason it died off in popularity was because of its complete alienation of the baby boomer generation. Al Capp became increasingly conservative in his later years, and the strip started taking regular potshots at the civil rights movement, hippies, and anti-war protesters. Perhaps even worse, in 1971, Al Capp got caught in multiple near-simultaneous sex scandals that led to many newspapers dropping the strip out of protest. Due to these two factors, the strip's popularity plummeted in the 70s, until it finally ended in 1977. The result is that today, the strip is a footnote in the history of American pop culture if it's even remembered at all.

RefugeInAudacity: Capp took RefugeInAudacity regularly; the YMMV part is exactly which elements of ''Lil Abner'' qualify according to the observer. The astounding imbecility of... well, everybody? The casual use of MsFanservice? The frequently-ludicrous plots? The puns? There's something here for everybody!... to be offended by. However, in the best traditions of this trope, Capp would keep piling it on until a critic either left angry or admitted that it was ActuallyPrettyFunny.

* AcceptableCulturalTargets: Lower Slobbovia
* WereStillRelevantDammit