It's not often that you can say a man was a legend, was revolutionary in his field, and had a massive influence on generations and pretty much everyone who followed in his footsteps and still be understating things, but Norman Lear was such a case. Hard to think of someone who was as influential in 70s/80s sitcoms (maybe Gary Marshall). All In The Family. Maude. The Jeffersons. One Day At A Time. And so many more.

RIP, sir, and thank you.

He made the podcasts rounds a couple of years ago, and one of the things that kept coming up was the way he presented characters in a fair and balanced way. Archie Bunker was a character he would not have identified with at that age, but he presented him in a straightforward and honest way. (And, obviously, Archie Bunker became the beloved character and made all the best points in the show).

We need more of that attitude -- where you imagine yourself in the other guys head (call empathy) and approach things from that standpoint.

101 years is a good run. Rest easily, Norman.

101, yessiree. R.I.P., Norman. We'll have to continue to coordinate with you.

RIP. Thanks for all the stuff.

His shows usually had all the subtlety of using a twenty-pound hammer to crack nuts, but they often had lots of laughs. RIP.

RIP

Another thing that gets lost with Archie (the character) is he was of his generation. Whether people like it or not, there were a lot of people like him, maybe not as extreme in some areas, but all the same, similar. Having lived in the south for 26 years and born and raised (and now live again) in the north, there's no shortage of bigotry in either place. Lear showed that, too.

Lear was able to throw the conservative and liberal into the mix and let people think about whatever the issue was at the time.

RIP