The Lessons of Norman Lear

It saddens me to learn of Norman Lear’s passing.(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/arts/television/norman-lear-dead.html)

As mentioned in the article, with the notable exceptions of The Smothers Brothers, and Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, most television entertainment in the 1960’s and 1970’s were largely geared toward the administration of laugh tracks and societal anesthesia.

Norman Lear’s “All in the Family” ran from its premiere in January of 1971 until 1979. He demonstrated that while many people will not sit through a lecture from Noam Chomsky, or through a debate between Gore Vidal and William Buckley, you could encapsulate important educational content within entertainment and provoke thought. You could also demonstrate the negative impacts of willful ignorance on race, gender issues, politics, economics, and foreign and domestic affairs. You could provide a mechanism for people to look at an example of behavior and consider it in a non-defense manner. It was mad genius.

We desperately need programming that will provoke critical thinking about issues such as “trickle-down economics”, the vast difference between authoritarian regimes and democracythe broken healthcare system, the impact of climate change and the effects of delay and inaction, the toxicity of political races (and American politics),
-and how to return to a form of “Kitchen Table Democracy”.

I will miss Norman Lear and the vital lessons he taught through his television, film, and political projects. I will carry his lessons in my heart and hope to continue his efforts in my own work in projects geared toward informing, educating, and engaging society to strengthen democracy in America and beyond.

Thank you Norman Lear -for all the gifts you have given us. Rest in peace.