Naomi Weisman is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
My parents were very strict about how much television time we were exposed to when we were kids. We had one TV, and we were allowed to watch for one hour on Saturday and one hour on Sunday.
After my parents split up, mom would sometimes break her own rules and let us watch something that she liked to watch too. I have such fond memories of my siblings and laughing out loud with Mom at whatever we were watching.
When Norman Lear died on December 5, 2023, at the age of 101, I was amazed to see that many of the shows that we watched with Mom were his creations. I knew that he had some great success in his career, but seeing this prolific list of his accomplishments gave me pause to dig deeper.
A legend of American television and film production who worked in the entertainment industry for over 70 years, Norman Lear served as an executive producer, writer, production manager, and creator on numerous television shows that affected the social landscape of America.
Over the span of his long career, he wrote and produced television shows that were compassionate and thoughtful and dealt with social and political issues, like All in the Family, The Jefferson's, One Day at a Time, Good Times, and Sanford and Son.
Lear was born in Connecticut to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. They were poor, and life for Lear had its traumas. His father was arrested, charged with fraud, and thrown in jail, which left the family destitute.
In addition to poverty, he experienced antisemitism in large and small ways, leaving an indelible mark on him. For these reasons, Lear was very attuned to injustice and inequality.
When Lear began his career in television, he wanted to delve into American society’s foibles by highlighting the foolishness of the human condition. His first major hit was All in the Family, with the creation of Archie Bunker. Through humor, the world was introduced to a white, working-class conservative bigot who was hilarious in his ridiculousness.
The Jefferson's was an offshoot of All in the Family, which highlighted an African-American family that “Moves on up to the East Side and finally gets a piece of the pie.” It was this show that introduced us to one of the first interracial couples in an American situational comedy.
Maude, starring Bea Arthur, embraces the tenets of Women’s liberation, always votes for Democratic Party candidates, and advocates for civil rights and gender equality. Her steadfast dedication to her ideals often got her into trouble, but boy, was her dry wit funny!
So many stars were born out of Norman Lear’s shows, like Bea Arthur, Jimmie Walker, Rob Reiner (already a son of Hollywood), Caroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, MacKenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertanelli, and Redd Foxx, to name a few. They became part of the soundtrack of laughter in our lives.
His genius was his ability to appeal to a vast cross-section of viewers no matter where they fell on the political spectrum and allow people to see that change isn’t scary if we can maintain a sense of humor.
I love that I can reference a joke or a character from one of these shows when I’m talking to someone of a certain age, and they completely understand. For example, I have two chairs that only marginally fit the décor of my living room.
When I describe them as my Edith and Archie Bunker chairs for maximum comfort while watching TV, everyone nods like they understand my choice perfectly well. That makes me smile.
What are your favorite Norman Lear characters, shows, and movies?
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