They say “all men are created equal,” and that may be true.
However, I do not think all men/people are created with the same level of talent or brilliance. Some got more than their fair share.
Case in point: Norman Lear.
Lear, who passed away Dec. 5, was described as a pioneer, titan and genius in the world of entertainment. The television creator and producer is credited with 100 programs.
And they weren’t just run-of-the-mill TV shows — these were series that literally changed the pop-culture landscape.
As a reminder here are just a few of Lear’s hits:
- All in the Family
- The Jeffersons
- Maude
- Good Times
- Sanford and Son
- One Day at a Time
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
- Silver Spoons
So, you get the idea. If you were watching television in the 1970s, '80’s or '90s, you were likely enjoying a Norman Lear comedy.
If you believe the programs of the '50s were portrayals of what America could be (idyllic), the offerings from Lear were more what America truly was (messy).
He dealt with bigotry and racism (most every All in the Family episode), abortion (when a 47-year-old Maude decided to have one), the class structure (The Jeffersons), women’s liberation (One Day at a Time) not to mention handling homophobia, antisemitism and the Vietnam War in various episodes.
Looking back at most of these shows, it seems he was the right man for the times.
We wouldn’t be seeing these kind of shows even today, certainly not on network television. In this “woke” generation, dare I say we couldn’t handle the truth.
Lear shone a light on issues and reactions that weren’t always pretty. We laughed, at times, because we were uncomfortable. We also got educated. Maybe we even got a wake-up call or two about our own judgments.
According to Lear himself, Archie Bunker was loosely based on his own father, who actually did utter “stifle yourself” and “you’re a meathead.”
From pain often comes the comedy.
I grew up on those sitcoms and maybe you did, too. If not, it would be worth checking them out on YouTube. You may find yourself both gasping and giggling in short order.
At 101 years of age, Lear died with his family singing his TV theme songs to him on his way out, according to his son-in-law.
Sounds like the perfect way to fade to black.
“Movin’ on up, to the east side … to a deluxe apartment in the sky."
