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RIP Norman Lear

mdmost

By mdmost
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YGIFS

YGIFS 19450

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52 combat sorties as a radioman/gunner on the Flying Fortress during WWII.  Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters.  Leaves the Army and heads West to write for a guy named Dean Martin.  From his two foundational, game-changing sitcoms, 5 other Top 10 shows are spawned, for a total of 7.  Advocate and funder of causes for freedom, journalism, racial equality, anti-semitism. and the performing arts.  Goes into the Earth as the only prominent producer that everyone agreed never fucked anybody over even though he had plenty of chances. 

RIP, Mr. Lear.  You held up a mirror and we didn't like what we saw, but we laughed anyway because it was from the heart. 

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Texzilla58

Texzilla58 4735

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Norman Lear was such a game changer. All in the Family was so different than anything ever before, and would not be able to be made today. It wasn’t politicians and media that changed folks attitudes on race; it was the NFL, Norman Lear, and Carson.

All in The Family was powerful because each character became more rounded as the show evolved. Archie was plain spoken in his views but he wasn’t cancelled by his family. He took in his deadbeat student son in law and fed him and gave him a place to live. Edith evolved as a strong woman. And Gloria cheated on Mike and Archie took his side. There was no demonization. No cancellation. Issues and situations were presented and discussed and funny as hell. And Archie wasn’t a one dimensional evil bigot. He was like most folks back then and spouting what he had been taught with little interaction with the folks he spoke about. As the show progressed he softened a bit, we saw he loved his wife and daughter and liked that Mike married his daughter instead of shacking up with her. I was in 6th grade when the show started. We only had three channels then so you either watched it or didn’t; it took a bit for it to catch purchase.

Maude was better as a guest on Archie as her show got preachy and less funny; Bea Arthur was tough in big doses. Though I loved Adrienne barbeau’s big doses.

A great American and war hero. And like that generation he didn’t speak of what he did in the war; he was just another American doing his job in terrifying situations

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 52498

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Is Archie bunker the most important character in American tv history?

how many people related to his views and behavior, watched how others saw him, watched him change, and changed along with him?

 

and bless Carol O’Connor for making Archie the complex guy he was meant to be. 

Edited by Pato del Muerto
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GhostOfTomJoad

GhostOfTomJoad 9324

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7 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Is Archie bunker the most important character in American tv history?

how many people related to his views and behavior, watched how others saw him, watched him change, and changed along with him?

 

and bless Carol O’Connor for making Archie the complex guy he was meant to be. 

Without a doubt. The right character at a pivotal time in our nation's history, all in the hands of an actor who was confident and brave enough to be the character without cutting any corners to make himself look better.

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HornOnTheBayou

HornOnTheBayou 8922

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8 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

Norman Lear was such a game changer. All in the Family was so different than anything ever before, and would not be able to be made today. It wasn’t politicians and media that changed folks attitudes on race; it was the NFL, Norman Lear, and Carson.

All in The Family was powerful because each character became more rounded as the show evolved. Archie was plain spoken in his views but he wasn’t cancelled by his family. He took in his deadbeat student son in law and fed him and gave him a place to live. Edith evolved as a strong woman. And Gloria cheated on Mike and Archie took his side. There was no demonization. No cancellation. Issues and situations were presented and discussed and funny as hell. And Archie wasn’t a one dimensional evil bigot. He was like most folks back then and spouting what he had been taught with little interaction with the folks he spoke about. As the show progressed he softened a bit, we saw he loved his wife and daughter and liked that Mike married his daughter instead of shacking up with her. I was in 6th grade when the show started. We only had three channels then so you either watched it or didn’t; it took a bit for it to catch purchase.

Maude was better as a guest on Archie as her show got preachy and less funny; Bea Arthur was tough in big doses. Though I loved Adrienne barbeau’s big doses.

A great American and war hero. And like that generation he didn’t speak of what he did in the war; he was just another American doing his job in terrifying situations

Bfd multiplicity masturbation GIF on GIFER - by Blackpick

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31470

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Well, a big part of Archie Bunker was that his casual bigotry was put on display in such a way that it made it obvious to everyone how wrong it was, even if it was not generally malicious.

Lear made him somehow into a self-parody without turning him into a complete clown.  Tons of credit to O'Connor, as well, but that duo was remarkable.

My Dad never laughed so hard in his life as watching All In The Family.  But even as a little kid, maybe having used AITF as a teaching moment, I was made aware that Arch was wrong.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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WhatTheBuck

WhatTheBuck 28781

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18 hours ago, mdmost said:

Look, your generation had Edith getting raped to traumatize you. Ours had the bike shop episode. 

I’m much more the Diff’rent Strokes generation than I am the All in the Family generation, though I watched both. I didn’t start watching All in the Family from the beginning like I did with The Jefferson’s and Strokes. I didn’t start watching until several years into it. But I’ve seen all the early seasons of All in the Family in syndication and will still watch them today. I don’t watch The Jefferson’s or Diff’rent Strokes anymore. Been there, done that. But All in the Family rules.

I used to watch Maude some. I’ll watch it occasionally today if I see it on but it’s not regular viewing and it’s just by chance when I stumble upon it. That was a great show too, though. And it had young Adrienne Barbeau. Hubba hubba.

One of my favorite Archie and Maude scenes:

 

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89Horn

89Horn 1514

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All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, and yes Diff’rent Strokes and also One Day at a Time. That is some amazing television.  On the last one, 11-14 year old 89Horn says thank you for Valerie Bertinelli.  I watched and loved all of those shows.  Particularly I too loved when Maude would show up at the Bunkers.  Also, I loved the scenes when Lionel would egg on Archie.
 

 

 

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RPM

RPM 26321

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23 hours ago, mdleast said:

I was also a big Diff’rent Strokes fan but can appreciate others might have a different opinion especially as I’ve always thought that the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you, may not be right for some.

The main problem with Diff’rent Strokes is it wasn't a Norman Lear show. Other than that, it was OK.

Edited by RPM
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