The entertainment world lost a true giant this past week, as veteran producer and writer Norman Lear passed away at the tender age of 101. Lear was revered within the TV industry, as he developed some of the most successful shows in the history of the medium. Following his death a number of people have been taking the time to pay tribute to the late star and to honor his legacy. Among those to do that was GLAAD, which penned a statement about the Hollywood mainstay.
One of the biggest commonalities amongst the late producer’s various situation comedies is that many of them were incredibly progressive for their time. A number of his famous sitcoms were led by women and people of color at a time when the levels of such representation were relatively low. The sitcoms also tackled socially conscious subjects that shed light on other marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) addressed that when she acknowledged the Sanford & Son creator’s passing:
Norman Lear was a true pioneer whose legacy will forever be connected to including LGBTQ characters on television when no one else would. With storylines on ‘All in the Family,’ ‘Maude,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ the new ‘One Day at a Time,’ and the upcoming ‘Clean Slate’ starring Laverne Cox, Lear humanized the LGBTQ community for the millions of people who tuned in to watch his shows. Norman Lear made it a priority to champion LGBTQ creators and he pushed Hollywood to follow in his groundbreaking footsteps.
As mentioned in the message above, there are more than a few instances of LGBTQ+ representation within the Diff’rent Strokes producer’s body of work. All in the Family’s “Judging Books by Covers” showed Archie Bunker learning that one of his friends is gay, and “Cousin Liz” featured a story in which Edith Bunker discovered her late relative’s sexuality. “Once A Friend” – a 1977 episode of The Jeffersons – also saw George Jefferson grappling with the fact that an old Navy buddy was now a trans woman. The subject matter was handled in comical and nuanced ways and the late producer and his colleagues deserve a lot of credit for that.
The outpouring of love for Normal Lear during this time has been very sweet to see. Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel and more have paid tribute to the man who helped usher in a new era of TV. The Simpsons’ Al Jean referred to him as a “comedy colossus,” while comedian Wanda Sykes noted how Lear “challenged norms and shifted the paradigm” through the series he produced. Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson referred to Lear as “her GOAT” and, quite frankly, I can’t (and won’t) disagree with that designation.
At the time of his death, the Connecticut native also had a few other productions on the docket. He was a producer on the upcoming animated Good Times revival, which will be available to Netflix subscribers at some point. Another show he had a hand in is Clean Slate, an upcoming father-daughter comedy from starring George Wallace and Laverne Cox that Prime Video subscribers will have access to. That show will also include LGBTQ+ representation as it partially centers around a man doing some soul-searching after learning his child is transgender. It’s not hard to see why GLAAD felt compelled to honor Norman Lear and, based on the TV landscape, it feels like more will continue to follow his lead when it comes to representation.
We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our condolences to the family and loved ones of Norman Lear at this time.
