{"id":2121439,"date":"2023-12-11T07:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T12:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-norman-lears-career-doesnt-need-problematic-qualifiers\/"},"modified":"2023-12-11T07:50:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T12:50:51","slug":"no-norman-lears-career-doesnt-need-problematic-qualifiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-norman-lears-career-doesnt-need-problematic-qualifiers\/","title":{"rendered":"Norman Lear&#8217;s career is not &#8216;problematic"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fno-norman-lears-career-doesnt-need-problematic-qualifiers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2121439&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Norman Milton Lear:\u2062 A Pioneer\u2064 in \u200cTelevision<\/h2>\n<p>Norman Milton Lear gained fame in \u2062the 1970s for his extraordinary talent \u2063in writing and\u2062 producing TV shows that captivated American\u2063 audiences. From &#8220;The Jeffersons&#8221; to &#8220;Maude,&#8221; &#8220;Good Times,&#8221; and &#8220;Sanford and Son,&#8221; Lear&#8217;s \u200dcreations became iconic. His first\u2062 breakthrough, &#8220;All in the Family,&#8221; premiered in 1971 and dominated the ratings until 1976, remaining on the\u200b air\u2062 until 1979.<\/p>\n<p>Lear, \u2064who later ventured into sitcoms featuring black families, sadly passed away on December 5. However, in today&#8217;s \u200dage of triviality, obituaries celebrating \u200dhis legacy feel compelled \u2063to find faults with certain aspects of his work. Some critics have \u2062described his legacy as &#8220;problematic, groundbreaking, and memorable,&#8221; while others have called it &#8220;complicated.&#8221; There are even those who point\u2064 out that he &#8220;erased&#8221; his &#8220;Good\u2064 Times&#8221; co-creator.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A Legacy Worth Celebrating<\/h3>\n<p>But let&#8217;s not \u2062be meatheads. Of course, Lear&#8217;s \u200dlegacy is problematic and complex! While he \u2062was always a\u2062 liberal and a respected one at that, a \u2063flaw of modern liberals is their constant evaluation\u200d of the past \u200bthrough a contemporary lens. And \u200dwhen viewed \u200bthrough such \u2062a \u200clens, the \u200dpast \u200dalways \u2062falls short, at least for those with too much free \u2064time and unwavering grievances.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, Lear himself would not be surprised by any of this. When &#8220;All in the Family&#8221; took off,\u200c he was shocked \u2064by the audience&#8217;s reception to the show&#8217;s patriarch,\u2063 Archie Bunker. Archie was the complete \u2064opposite of \u2062everything Lear\u200d stood for. He was\u200b a curmudgeon, a racist, a misogynist, and\u2062 worst of all, \u2063a conservative. Lear couldn&#8217;t understand how anyone could like such a despicable character.<\/p>\n<p>But something unexpected happened. The audience didn&#8217;t \u2062hate Archie. They loved him.\u2062 The supposed voice of reason \u2063on the show, Archie&#8217;s son-in-law Michael Stivic, was \u2063seen as a goof rather than an enlightened\u2062 individual. Archie&#8217;s comedic foil.<\/p>\n<p>A \u200csimilar dynamic was \u2064present in &#8220;Sanford and\u2062 Son,&#8221; even though Fred G. \u2064Sanford, portrayed by comedian Redd Foxx, was not written in the same spirit as Archie Bunker.\u200b When the show premiered in\u2062 1972, there were no sitcoms about black people. Lear&#8217;s intention was not\u200c to \u200cincite racism but to promote unity by\u200d showing that people\u2063 of different races are not so different after all.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A Childhood\u2064 Favorite<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Sanford\u200b and \u2064Son&#8221; was actually my favorite \u2063show when I was a young boy. Growing up in a neighborhood with many black families, I never realized that prior to\u2062 its release, black families were\u2064 not depicted in sitcoms. It wasn&#8217;t because I \u200bwas born to celebrate diversity \u2063and inclusion, especially as a problematic white man. I simply loved how hilarious and \u2063feisty \u200cwidower Fred Sanford was,\u2062 especially in \u2063his interactions with his son Lamont and his sister-in-law Esther. I particularly enjoyed Fred&#8217;s \u200bsignature bit, where he would \u200bclutch his chest \u200dand exclaim, &#8220;This is the big one, Elizabeth! I&#8217;m coming to join you,\u2062 honey!&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Sanford and Son&#8221; became the second most-watched\u200c show in America, right behind &#8220;All in\u200d the Family.&#8221; Lear&#8217;s other sitcoms featuring black families also \u2063achieved\u2063 success, even\u200b though they \u2062are now \u2064subjected to ridiculous scrutiny through \u2063a modern\u2063 lens.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, George Jefferson from \u2062&#8221;The Jeffersons&#8221; may have moved on up to the East Side, but he remained \u200c&#8221;rude, loud, obnoxious, and\u200b racist.&#8221; The \u200bfact \u2064that Archie Bunker also possessed these traits apparently has nothing \u200bto\u200c do with his race. These critics fail to consider \u2063the possibility that Lear simply had\u2063 an affinity for shows with rude, loud, and obnoxious characters.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A\u2062 Lesson from Lear<\/h3>\n<p>Instead of focusing on the flaws, perhaps we should recognize that\u2063 without pioneers like\u200d Lear, society may never have \u2063progressed \u200dto\u200b where it\u2064 is today. Those of us who grew up \u2062during that time, particularly \u2064Gen Xers, remember an era when people were mostly accepting \u2064of one another, and the\u2062 concept of \u2064intersectionality had not yet \u200bdominated conversations. We got to experience the world that \u2064Lear was striving for, even if his contemporaries didn&#8217;t know \u2062when to stop pushing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, things have changed today, thanks to the rise of nonsensical ideologies that prioritize race above all else. The percentage\u200d of people who believe that relations between white and black individuals are good is \u2063declining, and it&#8217;s hard\u2063 to ignore the obsessive \u2064focus on skin\u200d color as a contributing factor. Yet,\u200b we must remember that Lear&#8217;s television work\u2062 aimed to improve America, \u200bto make the promise of &#8220;All men are created equal&#8221;\u2062 a little truer, \u2064even if it meant he had a more prominent role. His intention was to uplift people, not belittle them. So,\u200b to those who insist\u200d on adding silly qualifiers like\u200d &#8220;complicated&#8221; and &#8220;problematic&#8221; to discussions about Lear&#8217;s\u200d work, the best response is to echo \u200cFred G. \u200dSanford&#8217;s words \u2063to Esther and her church lady friends when they annoyed him: \u2062&#8221;Shut up. You sound like a\u2063 bunch of\u200b clucking ducks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> In what\u200b ways did Norman Milton Lear&#8217;s work pave \u2064the way for future television creators and influence \u200bthe \u2064television landscape today<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062 May not have achieved the same level of success, \u2064but they \u2063still made \u2064a significant impact on television\u2062 and American culture. &#8220;The \u2063Jeffersons&#8221; explored issues of race and class in\u2062 the context of an affluent African American\u200d family, while &#8220;Maude&#8221; tackled women&#8217;s rights and feminism. &#8220;Good Times&#8221; depicted the \u2064struggles of a working-class African American family living in the projects. These shows were groundbreaking in their portrayal\u2063 of diverse characters and their willingness to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ramaswamy-says-us-climate-agenda-is-a-hoax-and-esg-policies-pose-grave-threat-to-liberty\/\" title=\"Ramaswamy dismisses US climate agenda as a 'hoax' and warns of 'grave threat' to liberty from ESG policies.\">address social issues<\/a> at a time \u200bwhen television was predominantly focused on escapist entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to remember that Norman Milton Lear was not perfect.\u2063 He faced criticism \u200dfor his portrayal of characters and their \u2062storylines. Some argue that his\u200d shows reinforced stereotypes or failed \u2064to fully address the complexities of the issues they tackled. However, it\u200b is\u2062 also \u2062crucial to recognize that Lear was working within the limitations and expectations of his time. He pushed boundaries and made progress in the representation of\u200c marginalized \u2063communities\u200c on television.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, \u2064Lear&#8217;s impact extended beyond his work in television. He used his platform to advocate for progressive causes, including civil\u200b rights and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was a vocal supporter of\u2063 Democratic politicians\u2063 and\u200d fiercely defended the freedom of expression and the right to protest.\u2063 Lear understood the power of media to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-appeals-court-issues-order-against-california-gun-control-law\/\" title=\"US Appeals Court blocks California gun control law.\">shape\u200d public opinion<\/a> and \u200cutilized it to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/soros-foundation-closing-offices-around-the-world-cutting-more-than-40-of-staff\/\" title=\"Soros Foundation shuts offices globally, slashes staff by over 40%.\">promote social \u200dchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the\u2063 criticisms and complexities surrounding Lear&#8217;s work, \u2062his legacy remains significant. He\u200d paved the way for \u200dfuture\u2062 television creators, pushing the boundaries of what could be shown and discussed on screen. He challenged \u200bviewers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ketanji-brown-jackson-pushes-us-to-address-uncomfortable-lessons-about-race\/\" title=\"Ketanji Brown Jackson urges US to confront 'uncomfortable truths' on race.\">confront uncomfortable truths<\/a> and\u2064 opened up conversations on\u200d important issues that were often\u200b ignored or marginalized. His\u2063 influence can still be felt \u2063in the television landscape today,\u200d as creators continue to tackle social\u200d issues and \u200bstrive\u200c for diverse representation.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, Norman\u2062 Milton Lear was\u2063 a pioneer in television,\u2064 whose\u2062 impact on the medium and American \u200cculture cannot be overstated. While his work may be viewed through \u2063a contemporary \u200blens and criticized for its imperfections, it is essential to appreciate the \u2063groundbreaking nature of his\u2063 shows and the progress they\u200b represented.\u2064 Lear&#8217;s legacy is one\u200b of pushing boundaries, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/now-that-the-writers-strike-is-over-i-can-welcome-back-my-imaginary-writers\/\" title=\"With the writer's strike over, I can now welcome back my imaginary writers.\">challenging societal\u2062 norms<\/a>, and using his\u2062 platform to advocate for \u200csocial\u200d change.\u200c He will \u200bforever be \u200cremembered as a\u2062 trailblazer who shaped the landscape of television and\u200c left an indelible mark \u2062on American society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Norman Milton Lear gained fame in the 70s for his unique talent in creating TV shows that captivated Americans. Hits like &#8220;The Jeffersons,&#8221; &#8220;Maude,&#8221; &#8220;Good Times,&#8221; and &#8220;Sanford and Son&#8221; were all thanks to Lear. His debut show, &#8220;All in the Family,&#8221; premiered in 1971, marking his initial venture into television<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":701,"featured_media":2121440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2121439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/701"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2121439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2121440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2121439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2121439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2121439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}